The Black Morass

by Gerald Lambert

  "As you wish," Brom said.

  "And without magic," Isaac added.

  "Of course," Brom agreed. "Shall we?"

  "Such a gentleman, now aren't you?" Isaac sneered.

  "It's more becoming than your unwarranted hostility," Brom coolly countered, completely unperturbed by Isaac's manner.

  Isaac's face twisted angrily, and he lunged for Brom, who neatly sidestepped him. Isaac expected to make contact, and when he didn't, he stumbled forward into Var, who didn't

  budge in the slightest from the abrupt collision.

  Var helped him regain his balance, but Isaac furiously swatted his hand away. "Don't touch me," he seethed, clearly already feeling mortified, from what Zadí could see.

  Isaac turned and swung toward Brom, obviously thinking he would take Brom by surprise. But Zadí knew that nothing Isaac did would catch Brom off guard, even when Brom wasn't

  using his Rider's fighting mind. Brom could focus more intently than anyone Zadí had ever met, and his undivided attention was currently on Isaac.

  Brom lifted an arm to easily block the blow, moving his other fist to Isaac's jaw, where he gently made contact. "That would have knocked you out if I had wanted it to," he quietly

  said. "Are we done?"

  Isaac's eyes burned with rage. "No!" he hissed. "Fight me like a man!"

  Brom was clearly tired of Isaac. "Very well." In a lighting quick movement, he grabbed Isaac's arm, wrenched it behind him, and pinned him to the ground—which was where Isaac

  fell and landed on his chest—placing his boot on the back of Isaac's neck. "Shall I break your arm too?" Brom pleasantly asked. "Or are you satisfied?"

  Zadí looked over at Brin when she thought she heard a soft snicker. Brin had a small smile on her lips, but if Brom noticed, he didn't let on, as focused as he was on the insolent man sprawled out at his feet.

  "Let me go, coward," Isaac fumed from the ground.

  "It takes one to spot one," Brom mildly said, releasing Isaac. "But I should warn you that it's not the best idea to antagonize a Dragon Rider. And you currently have three feeling

  rather poorly toward you. Good thing we are taught to have selfcontrol."

  Isaac sprang to his feet, brushing himself off. "You think you could kill me?"

  "Easily," Brom verified. "In about thirty different ways. Without magic."

  "It's unnatural," Isaac said, suddenly calm on the surface, though Zadí sensed his rage boiling under the thin façade.

  "I actually agree with you, Isaac," Brom said. "Dragon Riders have many unfair advantages. We are taught not to abuse them at the mercy of those less fortunate than we.

  However, if I ever see you look at my sister again the way you did this morning, I may not be as lenient. And I know I speak for Var as well."

  Var dipped his head in agreement, which seemed so much more intimidating because of his powerful horns.

  Isaac's eyes narrowed at the implied threat. "You'd have your half breed Urgal flunkies do your dirty work for you?" he breathed with thinly veiled hatred.

  Brom raised his eyebrows at the racial slur, but Zadí clenched her hands into fists at the way Isaac insulted Will and Var. She was getting a glimpse of Isaac's true colors, and they

  were hideous. "They are better men than you will ever be," she angrily whispered.

  "Oh, how sweet," Isaac jeered. "A loyal little puppy dog."

  That was all Var could take. He stepped in front of Zadí and growled, "Leave. Now."

  Isaac looked up at Var then took a step to the side so he could address Zadí. "This is the boy who likes you as more than a friend? You could do so much better, sweetheart."

  Var's hands closed into fists, but he kept them rigidly at his sides.

  "Don't call me that," Zadí snapped. "And no I couldn't. No one is better than Var, least of all you. Except maybe his father, but only because he has had longer to practice."

  "You dare suggest that an Urgal ram is a better man than I?" Isaac spluttered.

  "There's no comparison," Var said. "You're more of a beast than he will ever be."

  Isaac's reddening face became a mottled tangle of veins. "If he was here, I'd tell him exactly what I thought of him. And his bastard sons."

  "You can tell me what you think of me right now," Var hopefully invited. "But if you ever insult my mother, it will be the last thing you say. And if you would really like to meet my

  father, I could arranged that quite easily. He and Eragon are right in the palace and could be here within a few moments if I asked them to come with my mind. He is quite fond of

  humans, since he married one, and would no doubt be delighted to meet you. He's about four inches taller than I am. And has an extra hundred and fifty or so pounds of muscle."

  Isaac snorted and shook his head in disgust. "Urgals and humans. Elves and humans. What is wrong with you people? You're all repulsive." He turned on his heel and stalked away.

  "Good riddance," Var darkly muttered. "Just keep walking, if you know what's good for you."

  Brom impassively watched Isaac go, his arms folded across his chest. Once the man had disappeared, Brom turned back to the crowd of onlookers and raised his voice. "Sorry

  about that. Does anyone else feel like that man did?" The crowd was silent, and no one moved.

  Brom continued, "We are holding these Camps so you have the opportunity to get to know us. We are aware that some have bitter feelings toward the young Dragon Riders and

  that's understandable. We hoped interacting with us would help you realize we're good people with many similarities to you. And as you learned during the panel discussion this morning, many of our siblings aren't Dragon Riders. Our life isn't as privileged as you might imagine. We have to work hard, and being a Dragon Rider is a weighty responsibility,

  which is why not everyone becomes one. It might seem glamorous, but it's not a life of luxury and ease. We have these skills to protect the people of Alagaёsia from danger and to

  help keep the peace. And since it seems a neverending increase in our numbers might only serve to throw off the balance in the land, we and the dragons have seriously discussed

  limiting the addition of new Riders until we stop increasing our ranks altogether. Since we live forever, it seems unnecessary to keep growing in numbers."

  Brom ended his long speech. No one else in the crowd of youth seemed to feel like Isaac. At least they weren't foolish enough to say anything if they did.

  The fighting demonstration proceeded uninterrupted. After the Riders provided some engaging entertainment, with many highlights from Brin, they divided the youth into groups and

  each Dragon Rider oversaw the teaching of defensive fighting skills.

  The fighting instruction took the rest of the day. By dinnertime the youth were dirty, exhausted, and starving, though thrilled by the events of the day.

  After dinner, Zadí once again headed off by herself, and Var watched her go from the pavilion where the youth ate their meals.

  Will startled him by touching his arm. "Come on, Var. We need to talk," Will said, pulling Var away with him.

  When they were sufficiently distant from the crowds, Will asked, "What's going on?"

  Var stared straight ahead. He hadn't yet confided in his twin brother and best friend. But he knew he needed to. After a few minutes of silence, during which Will waited patiently

  and they continued walking away, Var finally said, "Zadí told me she didn't want to feel like she was obligated to me and that she wasn't sure she returned my feelings. That's all,

  but it was really discouraging after what happened in Ellesméra. I guess I got my hopes up. I've missed her, and it has been hard seeing her with the other boys. Especially hearing

  the way that idiot spoke to her earlier. I almost bashed his head in."

  Will stared at him compassionately. "Sorry, Var. I thought it might be something like that."

  Var nodded curtly. "I can't help how I feel, Will. Ever sinc
e I was old enough to feel this way, I've loved Zadí. Same as you with Lena. And being able to meet dozens of other girls

  at these Choosing Ceremonies and Youth Camps has done nothing but solidify those feelings. Plenty of them are nice and smart and pretty, but none of them even come close to

  comparing. Why can't we be normal boys and fancy lots of different girls? With a father like ours and a mentor like Eragon, it feels like we're doomed to be utterly loyal to one

  woman for all of time."

  "And it probably makes it all the harder that Lena is as sure as I am."

  "Yes," Var gloomily agreed, "but I don't hold it against you, or her, or Zadí. I just wish I could turn it off like a switch. That might make it less painful."

  "She'll come around, Var," Will encouraged. "Zadí is younger than Lena, and she loves you as a friend. That's a start. You know she admires you. You heard how she stood up for

  you."

  Var nodded halfheartedly. "Thanks, Will. And thanks for making me tell you. But I want to be alone again for a while. I think I might go swimming. It would feel good with how

  blasted hot it is out here and how sweaty we got during the fighting lessons."

  Var knew Will understood. It was nice having someone exactly like him. They always understood each other. His brother gave him a wan smile as Var headed away.

  Var had seen other youth walking toward the lake, so he made his way in a different direction because he really did want to be alone. No one else was swimming near the small

  stretch of beach at the base of the cliffs. Var removed his shirt, boots, and socks and waded into the water, hoping it would wash away some of his pain and lovesick longing.

  Zadí once again sat at the top of the cliffs, having ascended up the path opposite the sheer edge beside her. She looked out at the glorious sunset, completely unaware that Var was

  in the water a hundred feet below her.

  She rested her head against the trunk of the tree behind her and closed her eyes. With her face turned up and her eyes shut, her tears ran down her cheeks toward her ears.

  Earlier that day when Isaac had challenged Brom and insulted Will and Var, Zadí had been shocked. But she now felt how deeply it troubled her to hear someone insult Will and Var

  and their Urgal heritage. The Urgralgra were her family as much as any people ever had been. Zadí loved them like her Aunt Willow did, and she hated that some humans still

  harbored prejudice against them.

  But the way Var had acted compared to Isaac only reinforced her view that he was a better man than anyone else she would ever meet. Brom, Will, and Var—and Nefin and Ajh, for

  that matter—were some of the best men there were, just as their Dragon Rider fathers. Zadí had more than satisfied her curiosity of meeting other boys this Choosing Ceremony.

  At the Elf Ceremony three years earlier, there were very few young male elves and they hadn't seemed extremely interested in becoming acquainted with Zadí, perhaps because

  she resembled a human. Or maybe just because she had still been only thirteen and far too young for any type of romantic relationship.

  At the Urgal Ceremony, the young Urgal rams had behaved very similarly, and Zadí decided it had more to do with her age than anything. The Dwarf Ceremony had been an

  opportunity to get to know many male dwarves, but Zadí hadn't ever seriously considered any of them as potential romantic interests. But this year, now that she was at the age

  where such things were more desirable, she had made the most of her chance to meet other males. And her conclusion was that, while there were many decent, kind, hardworking

  young men, Zadí liked Var better than any of them and had missed him dearly.

  If she was honest with herself, Zadí knew she would admit that she loved Var as more than a friend. Only a couple weeks earlier she told him she felt too young to be as sure as he

  was, but after all that had happened, her feelings were now completely different. Zadí's father had known by the time he was sixteen that he would never love another woman

  besides her mother. At least Zadí had the luxury of knowing the one she cared for returned her affection.

  As peace filled her heart for the first time in weeks, Zadí opened her eyes with a firm resolve to go find Var and share her revelation. She stood up and once again jumped, as she

  had two weeks earlier, when she turned toward the path—which her back had been facing—and saw Isaac standing there staring at her.

  She gave him an icy glare and began marching around him to head back down the path. But he grabbed her arm to prevent her from leaving.

  "Where ya goin', sweetheart?" he slurred, a mean look in his eye.

  His breath stank, and Zadí realized by the way he sounded that he must have been drinking.

  "Away from you," she snapped, jerking her arm free.

  "Not yet, you aren't," Isaac growled as he snatched her arm back. "I might be no match for your special older brother and his two bodyguard thugs, but you aren't anything

  extraordinary, are you? You aren't a Dragon Rider, nor do you have any of your elven mother's unique traits. No matter that you're also a repulsive half breed, like those disgusting

  Urgal twins. You'll be powerless against me."

  Isaac grabbed her other arm and forced Zadí back against the tree she had been sitting in front of. In one hand, he held her wrists together so tightly above her head that she was

  sure she would have bruises.

  He pressed his body into her, rolling his hips against her. Zadí felt a building sense of panic as she realized what Isaac was going to do. No! she desperately thought. She tried to

  shift her weight to one foot so she could drive her knee up between his legs, but he seemed to expect something like that.

  "No you don't," he smirked down at her, raising one knee and resting his shin sideways above her knees to pin her legs down. He leaned into her even more to keep his balance.

  Zadí's hands were beginning to tingle and go numb from lack of blood flow into them.

  Zadí felt as helpless as Isaac predicted she would, but she wouldn't give up. She tried the last line of defense she could think of, though she didn't have much faith it would work

  with a man as twisted as Isaac. She took a deep breath and managed to force herself to look up into Isaac's leering face so she could give him a dazzling smile.

  Isaac blinked in surprise. "There we go," he approvingly drawled. "You'll enjoy this, just like all the others." He laughed crassly. "You're lucky I'll be your first. There's nothing like

  stealing a young maid's virginity."

  "Isaac," Zadí sweetly said, though she felt like vomiting at his rank breath and lewd words. "Please let me go. You don't really want to do this."

  "That right?" he said with soft menace. "You're wrong, sweetheart. Beg all you want. I love how afraid y'all always look. By the end, the only thing you'll be begging for is more.

  And before any of your Dragon Rider friends can get here, I'll be long gone." He rolled his hips again.

  Zadí forced down the bile accumulating in her mouth by swallowing. "You think you can outrun a dragon?" she scoffed. "You'll be dead before you know it, Isaac. My father, mother,

  older brother, and best friends are all Dragon Riders, and they will consider what you're planning on doing the worst possible crime." Of course! she feverishly thought, amazed she

  hadn't before and oddly grateful that Isaac had unwittingly reminded her. Zadí began searching with her mind for any of her friends or family who might be near. But Isaac's next

  words and actions momentarily distracted her.

  "So noble," Isaac sneered. "Then I might as well enjoy myself before my imminent death." He grabbed the front of Zadí's shirt with his free hand and ripped straight down, exposing

  Zadí's chest and abdomen. He stared at her bare torso with lustful gloating in his eyes. "So mature and shapely though only sixteen," he pu
rred, roughly fondling her. "Or did you lie

  about your age, like everything else?"

  "I never lied to you, Isaac," Zadí said, trying desperately to keep the panic from her voice. She attempted to squirm away from his violating hand, but she was completely pinned to

  the tree. "It was simply refreshing to talk to someone who didn't know who I am, so I didn't want to give you any obvious clues. But I never lied."

  "Princess Zadí," Isaac mocked. "Daughter of the great Shadeslayers. It will make my conquest all the more admirable."

  Zadí turned her face away from Isaac and squeezed her eyes shut, unwilling to give him the gratification of seeing that she was as helpless and terrified as he wanted her to be.

  She guessed this was more about recovering his wounded pride from that morning than satisfying his lust. He had emphasized that he wanted her to feel powerless, just as he must

  have.

  Before doing anything to Zadí's pants, Isaac once again pressed his body into her. She shuddered at the feel of his full arousal, more obvious now that his pants were down. He

  grabbed her chin and roughly jerked her face toward him, but she kept her eyes closed.

  "Look at me," Isaac demanded.

  "No," Zadí defied. Bile had been filling her mouth as the feelings of nausea increased. Instead of swallowing it again, Zadí spat it on him, hoping she would throw up. Maybe that

  would drive him away.

  With her eyes closed, Zadí had no warning of Isaac's strike before it happened. He slapped her hard on her face, and the sting of the blow—combined with the taste of blood in her mouth—brought tears to her eyes.

  Once they started, Zadí couldn't stop them. No, she mentally sobbed as tears streamed out of her tightly closed eyes. No, not like this. I'm so sorry, Var. Why did she have to be so

  helpless! If she could fight like Brin or use magic like Hanna, she could have stopped Isaac long ago.

  "That's right, sweetheart," Isaac scorned. "Cry for mercy." He sniggered triumphantly as he reached his hand down to the waistband of Zadí's leggings.

  Then Zadí heard a terrifying roar and Isaac was suddenly gone. Due to the sudden absence of pressure from Isaac's body, Zadí crumpled to the ground, her hands aching painfully