The Grey Chronicles (Eragon fanfic) Book 1: Emergence

Chapter 5: Encounters with a Shade

The call for battle was sounded. The Urgals were coming for the Varden. Finally, a certain sailor thought as she started to put her armor together. It was stressful for her to wait on the inevitable.

Angela found a way to get the girl some exceptional protection: a tough breastplate, bracers and a helmet to keep her somewhat safe. Full armor would've inhibited her movements, and for a dagger-wielder, that was the same as a death warrant.

Checking one more time that her weapons were all there and within easy reach, Jesse walked out to see the witch also ready for battle. Solembum was nowhere to be seen, but she knew he was probably preparing for the fight as well. The older woman wore much the same armor as her younger counterpart except for the fact that it was green, and she wielded a double-bladed staff that looked like it could do more than just a little damage. Jesse and Angela smiled at each other, then went down to meet the rest of the army.

The Varden was woefully outnumbered: only 4000 humans had come to fight, and the dwarves were not enough to balance the scales. Though Saphira could probably take on a whole company by herself and win, her Rider was something of concern. The girl doubted he had any time to prepare himself for what was to come beyond the bare minimum. As her hands balled up into fists, she decided she would watch out for Eragon while this was going on.

I might not be strong enough to take on a Shade, but I can be useful in watching his back, she told herself as she walked out into the plain to find him. Lord knows what he could get himself into.

Finding Eragon actually proved an easy task, seeing as Saphira stood beside him and Arya. Jesse relaxed slightly, knowing that the elf was a far better fighter than she was and could help him, then saw a pile of metal plates on the ground beside them. It didn't look like ordinary-sized armor.

"Jesse!" Eragon called. "Saphira needs help putting her armor on." The girl then jogged to the two and picked up the biggest of them, ready to get started.

Saphira looked properly intimidating once all the armor was fitted onto her. She did not seem too uncomfortable with the additional weight, though the metal would probably slow her down some. Jesse didn't worry however; the dragon could defend herself better with it.

"So, I suppose this is the last time we'll be seeing each other relatively unscathed for a while," the girl said, hefting a spear she picked up experimentally. "You," and she pointed it at the Rider, "had better stay alive long enough for me to watch your back, because I'm not going to be the one dealing with Saphira when she goes beserk. In fact, I think I might like to join her." And she gave Eragon a smile that made him think of a usually gentle mare suddenly going crazy on the herd.

"May the stars watch over you three," Jesse ended as she waved behind her, "and the skybridge be wide and smooth." The last one was for those to fall.

                                                                        *****

 She watched as Saphira soared over their heads, breathing fire upon the Urgals in front of the line. The girl fended off a Kull with her borrowed spear; no way was she going to get near any of those monsters with only a bunch of knives and darts.

Carefully maneuvering her way closer to the hall where the Star Rose was located, fear crept into her veins as the Twins -she had managed to keep away from them, scary as their reputation was -welcomed a crimson-haired man with a company of hulking Kull behind him. No doubt they spent much time constructing this treachery and were only waiting for the chance to betray the Varden. For once, Jesse thanked God that she was no magician. Having her mind connected to theirs for even a moment was distasteful to her.

She stole away quietly to the dragonkeep, anxious to warn Eragon before he reported to them. When she reached the cubby where Saphira was housed, the Rider was not there.

"Where is he?" she asked frantically. "What happened?"

My armor was damaged, the blue dragon told her, and we came here to take it off. On the way, Eragon recieved a message from the Twins, saying to come to them for further orders. Jesse growled low under her breath and dashed to the Endless Staircase, hoping to catch him before he saw the Shade, though she doubted it would be so.

Grabbing one of the skins to soften her journey, she slid down the long trough beside the stairs. With the air rushing through her ears, the sailor hoped not to be dizzy when she reached the bottom.

Standing immediately once she was on solid ground, a terrible sight reached her eyes: a ring of Kull was surrounding two fighters, who she suspected were Durza and Eragon. She could hear the hurtful words he was saying despite her vantage point, and it was a wonder to her that no one took notice of her arrival.

Seeing the Urgals distracted, she palmed a knife and hoped the idea that struck her mere moments before would help her friend. Crouching forward, she held out the blade and stuck it behind the Kull's knee.

Before his bellow even reached the others, the girl was already working quickly, doing the same to one of his neighbors.

Keeping herself close to the ground, Jesse avoided capture by dashing at seemingly random locations while she constructed a web of sound and bodies that would keep her out of sight once they were all down. Because they were too tall to properly detect the tiny human whizzing between their legs, most could not avoid the loss of their knee joints.

Before she could begin to deal with the last Kull however, the Shade threw a fireball at her intended target. Being behind the enemy, she got squished between the wall and the thick body of the emaciated Urgal, and she heard a distinct crack as her nose broke.

Jesse dropped to the ground with a thud, and she looked on helplessly as Durza raised his sword to kill Eragon. Suddenly the jewelled facets of Isidar Mithrim burst outward in a deadly hail of sharp stone. Covering her head as protection from the pieces falling about the place, she caught a glimpse of the Rider plunging his sword through the Shade's heart

It was then then that she she realized; the pieces of Isidar Mithrim were floating.