The Rider's Daughter

Chapter 17

Selena kept running, never looking back at her pursuers. Sweat beaded her brow, her heart thudded wildly in her chest. Breathing came in gulps as her chest ached. Despite her pain, she pressed on, getting caught was not an option. She maneuvered around the castle dodging statues, tables, chairs, and even people. The blank stares she received made her laugh inside her mind. Descending some stairs, she was quickly running towards the west wing of the castle. Selena jumped the last 3 stairs, landing lightly on her feet. With a quick glance behind her, she saw the guards struggling to keep up. With a quick smile, she turned and started to run once more. Along the way, she stopped at each door to see if one would be open. To her dismay, none would open for her, so she just kept going until she rounded a corner into another long hallway. This time, the hallway ended with a vast wooded door with the engraving of a dragon. Selena slowed down to a decent jog before coming to a complete stop at the door. If the door was open, she would be safe, but if not, then she was trapped.

Selena took a deep breath, meditated for a second, and then placed her hand upon the handle. She turned the handle, but to no avail; the door was locked. She cursed her bad luck, and spun around. The guards behind her were closing in, but before she was completely trapped, she noticed the statute along the wall. Behind the statue, there was a rectangular crease in the wall. A secret passage! Selena ran to the statue and pushed it towards her pursuers. They yelped it crashed on the floor before their feet. In desperation, Selena gripped the wall and pushed.

Inside the room, all was black. On the other side of the wall, she heard the guards curse and bang their swords against the door. Selena used a spell to light up the room. All around her were tables with books strewn all over. Knowing that she could not keep the light going much longer until she released her spell on the door, she walked over to a table and pushed it up against the door. Then, she took another table and did the same. With both tables in the way, she had a chance to escape before the guards broke through. Selena ran and released the magic on the door. As soon as she did, she heard the door give a little and the guards yelling get a little louder.

Weaving through dark, dusty corridors was not easy. She had no idea where she was at and hoped to find another door soon. Her makeshift light allowed her to only see a few steps in front of her, so she has to be careful where she went because one wrong step and she could run into something. She used her hand to touch the wall alongside her feeling for anything that could be another hidden door. At the end of a long hallway, she finally found a door. She walked up to it, pressed her ear against the wood, and listened. When she heard no noise, she turned the handle, and this time the door opened.

Bright light blinded her for a moment. When her vision became clear again, she looked around at her surroundings. To her amazement, she was in a large room with golden dragon statues, books, and even the last dragon egg in existence. Selena closed the door behind her and walked towards the egg. It was a brilliant emerald green with white veins intertwined along the shell. With one shaky hand, she touched the cool, hard egg. The instant her hand touched the egg, she felt a sudden rush course through her veins. Removing her hand, Selena stared at the emerald orb, speechless. She wanted to touch it again, but suddenly had a better idea.

She left the table and walked out the main door for the room. Her pursuers were nowhere in to be seen as they were still in the secret passageway trying to navigate their way through. Selena giggled at their incompetence as she walked past the hidden door. She worked herself into a sprint heading towards the dungeon.

She made it through a few hallways until suddenly a hand gripped her and pulled her back. She struggled and almost screamed, but a hand covered her mouth. In her ear she heard a male voice utter, "Maela, fricai onr eka eddyr." ¹

Selena stopped struggling. The man released her arm and his hand from her mouth. When Selena turned around she came face to face with Tristan.

"Selena, you need to get out of here." He looked frantic.

"I know…wait, why are you not taking me to my father? You work for him, and the king. Also, you know the Ancient Language!" Selena was confused.

"I…I, I am not who you think I am. I may work for the King, but.." he hesitated. "Look, please just trust me. I am not going to report you, nor am I going to hurt you."

"What do you want?"

"I am running away, and you are too, are you not?" He looked down at her with his brown eyes.

"Well, that was my plan. But, before I go, there is something I need to do."

"And that is?"

"I am going to free my Uncle Eragon from prison. My father had him captured."

"Selena, are you crazy? He is dangerous!"

"And my father and the king aren't? Look, Tristan, something is not right here, and I have a feeling that my father has been lying to me about my uncle."

"Then, let me come with you. Since we both are running, we might as well leave together. Besides, two heads are better than one."

Selena smiled and said, "Two magicians are better than one."

"Aye." He nodded. "Come, if we are going down to the dungeon, we will need a few things." Selena followed him to his room where he put on his guard uniform. In the darkness, she failed to realize that he was not in uniform. Selena blushed when he took off his shirt revealing his bare chest. He must have noticed because he said, "Oh sorry, I am not used to having women in my room."

This made her blush even redder. Tristan laughed, freely. When he was done changing, he led her to the servant's quarters. Bridgette saw Selena and ran to her. "Thank heavens you are alright!"

"Bridgette! It's so good to see you too. I need your help."

Bridgette handed Selena a worn servants dress for her to put on. Selena changed and hugged Bridgette before leaving with Tristan. Selena kept her head down, her hair in a tangled mess around her face. Tristan bound her hands like a prisoner and walked her down to the jail. No one questioned Tristan walking into the dungeon with what looked like to be some peasant girl, scenes like that was seen on a daily basis. Together they descended the steps into the deeper catacombs of the dungeon where the hardened criminals were placed.

That far into the jail, few guards were seen, partly because they were all searching for Selena, and the few guards that they did encounter, they cast a sleeping spell upon them. Selena became nervous. She did not know what cell her uncle was in, so she called out his name. "Eragon? Eragon, where are you?"

It wasn't long before she heard a response emancipating out of the darkness. "I am over here in the last cell on the right. Is that you Selena?"

"Yes, it's me. I'm coming." She looked at Tristan. "Do you have the keys?"

He held out his set of keys. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm sure. Come." Tristan shrugged in compliance and opened the door to the cell. It was too dark to see clearly, so Selena said, "Naina."² The room immediately brightened at her command allowing her to finally see her uncle. "Hello."

Tristan waited by the door keeping watch as Selena talked with Eragon. "I came to free you."

Eragon just stared at her. Selena fidgeted with her hands which were sweaty. Finally he said something, "Why are you doing this?"

"I overheard my father talking, and from what I heard I have reason to believe that he lied to me about you. Am I right? Shur'tugal, thorta du ilumeo."³

Eragon smiled. "**The only lie I gave you was my name and who I really was. I did not lie when I said that I mean you no harm and that I want you safe. Selena, you have been lied to by the king, and by the man who you call your father.**"

"I believe you. **Please tell me, what did Murtagh lie to me about?**"

"**Murtagh is not your father, I am**"

Glossary:

¹ Maela, fricai onr eka eddyr- Quiet, I am your friend

² Naina- make bright

³ Shur'tugal, thorta du ilumeo- Dragon Rider, speak the truth

** means that the character are talking in the Ancient Language