The golden shimmer of light- like a spark in a dying fire- that could be thrown by the sunlight piercing through the amazing gem, was not even the slightest to what it should be. It was dark where he was, he liked it that way, he wanted to be left alone. Alone with his sorrow.

Oh Oromis! The memory returned once more. The pain, oh the pain! It burned. Then the burning ceased. Eragon avenge him! He screamed.

Eragon jumped as he awoke from his waking sleep. His face was wet, the tears were streaming down his cheeks.

Saphira was looming over him. Her blue scales glinted in the first light of dusk. The fog was slowly leaving, retreating from the sun. The frost was on the ground, a lone bird dsinging.

Why is my tent lying in tatters, Saphira? Eragon questioned once he had recovered from his dream.

It's very hard to get through a pavilion door when you're my size you know! She replied guiltily.

Eragon chuckled. Then he became serious once more. What do we do Saphira?

Now, she said, we fly.

Eragon nodded and clambered onto her back. She launched upwards.

Despites the early hour, the town of tents was swimming with movement. In a matter of minutes the tents were brought down, packed up, placed on carriages, carts, sledges and horses, the Varden who had children placed them on top of the tent fabric and wood, and all in all the whole camp was cleared away and left, the only evidence of them ever having been there, were a few charcoaled wood bits and some bones from a roast pig.

Without further time loss, the whole parade set off towards the city of Belatona. It was at least a day away on foot, but only a few hours in flight.

Saphira took her time, she practice loops and twirls, lunging and dodging. Even when she made mistakes, Eragon knew that the Varden below were astounded. She was the most elegant creature in the skies.

Show off, Eragon thought

Jealous? She returned

Eragon sighed and retied his wrist straps. Jealousy was something that he had been dealing with far too often lately. A picture of Arya flashed through his mind before he could stop it. He felt saphira was about to tell him something. He did not want to hear about it. He blocked her out.

It caused her mental pain to watch Eragon struggle. Saphira stopped her show and glided slowly, gently on the wind. She felt his frustration with Arya. His suffering. He would have been less distracted if she had just told him that she loved him back. The large-two-legs-group marched beneath her. She spotted Arya at the front and anger suddenly overwhelmed her.

You did this she thought to herself. You make him suffer for nothing elf.

The big-golden-ball was rising up wards and making her scales glitter. She was the most beautiful hunter on the whole of the world. Why did she not feel like that then?

Eragon? He was still blocking her speech, but she could feel his moods, which was a particularly grave one. Glaedr-elda. She felt a tear well up behind her eyes.

Saphira? For one second, Saphira was happy. Eragon was not ignoring her any more, but then the tear brimmed over and took it's long path to the ground. The people scrambled away from it as soon as they saw it coming. They were like a giant sea, as soon as one person started pushing, a whole line of persons were affected.

We have to do something Eragon, saphira announced

Eragon agreed.

Nasuada called Eragon down, and beckoned Arya and them to meet when the Varden stopped for a rest and a meal.

When the time came, the quartet disappeared into a nearby forest.

Once they had found a suitable meeting area, an opening with a log opposite a stone and enough space for Saphira to lie, Nasuada took her place on the rock and told them

"Fear is everywhere. In the eyes of our people, in the faces of children, even the horses seem to understand that there is something wrong."

Eragon knew this. He had watched the varden's eyes turn from green, blue and brown to shades of grey. The bags under their eyes grew larger and larger. Their smiles were too big, their songs too loud. With lucky charms around their necks, they sat on their knees every night and prayed.

Only Nasuada seemed unmoved by the news. Her eyes were as bright as ever, the bags under her eyes barely visible. A mask. Even masks cannot hide everything. Her shoulders hung , her back was arched, and her arms hung limply at her sides. She was weary.

I am surrounded by females who do not show their emotions and have cried less in their whole life than I have in a day. Eragon unwillingly peered at Arya.

Are you so sure? Saphira replied

Eragon returned his attention just in time to see the single tear run down Nasuada's cheek.

"I have bad news"