Disclaimer: I don't own the characters; they all belong to Christopher Paolini except characters you don't recognize as Paolini's.

Author's note: Ok, first of all, I want you to know I'm writing this for my friend and this is my first try to write in first person, which means the whole story will be told from the point of view of my main character, Amarantha. The story begins somewhere after the first two books, but not exactly at the end of the second book. Let's just say some time passed before Murtagh and Eragon confronted again. My friend's wish for now is to left out Eragon a bit, so I don't think there will be much of him here. Murtagh might be a bit evil, considering all what happened to him. This might be a bit AU but nothing for sure yet.

I opened my eyes in the middle of the night. The only thing that was illuminating the room was the shiny moon; I could see it clearly through the window. Everything was so quiet that my fast breathing sounded way too loud. I closed my eyes and opened them again but the images in my head didn't go away. This dream seemed too real and I couldn't forget it. I had to do something. I immediately got up from the bed, searching for a dress.

I still remember when I had my first 'real' dream when I was a little girl. I dreamed of my friend's death. It was all even worse when next day it happened. I was crying for days. When I finally told my mother I had this vision or something, she told me never to tell anyone about it. It was a curse.

"People would kill you if they knew, Amarantha" she said "Don't pay any attention to it. There's nothing you can do about it. It's evil thing."

It was true that people from my village wouldn't understand me so I never told this to anyone; not even to my husband. It was my best kept secret and nothing more.

But this dream seemed to be important. My husband came home today, talking about another battle of the Empire and some powerful Dragon Riders. I didn't know much about it. Hell, I didn't even know anything about the king. I just knew he existed and that he was the one of the people you never want to meet. Why would I care about anything else than my family? The king lived far away from us and this didn't affect us at all. Well, some boys were taken away for the army but that wasn't my problem.

I saw the battlefield and I saw a young man on his knees. He looked so sad and…what was it? That strange expression on his face? I would say he felt betrayed. A dark figure stood above him with a shiny sword in his hand, pointed right at the neck of the man on the ground. I wanted to scream and make him stop, but I wasn't really there. There was this strange feeling that made me feel like I had to stop this from happening or everyone will be in danger. This wasn't one of those situations that I called faith; it was something that had to be stopped. I didn't know how to do it or what to do exactly but adrenaline was rushing through my veins. I knew where those two figures were; they were in woods near here even I didn't know how they got there. I just hoped I wasn't wrong about this. There was something else that bothered me; two spots on the sky in my dream. Were they dragons? That would actually explain how they got all the way here even the battle was far away. Maybe it wasn't even connected like I thought but still the feeling was taking over me completely.

When I was finally dressed, I turned around and stood there shocked. What the hell was I thinking? Leaving in the middle of the night for a reason that might not even be right? But this was it; my chance for a bit of adventure in my normal 'perfect' life how my friends would say. I looked at my husband who was sleeping deeply and thought what I should tell him. How could I explain this…this craziness I was about to do? I decided it's better not to tell anything because I had in mind to come back soon, before dawn. I just had to prove to myself that dream was wrong, right? I wasn't really sure about that one. I went to another room where our beautiful daughter was sleeping. I kissed her and she smiled; I hope she wasn't dreaming insane stuff like I did.

"I'll be right back, honey." I whispered to her and sneaked out of the house.

It was very dark outside. No one was on the street by this hour and I was glad it was like that. What would people think of me? It's better that they keep thinking about me as a normal happily married woman, just like other girls from our village; we all had luck to fall in love with our boys and not like some girls who became depressed and alone because no one was good enough for them. I got married two years ago and my daughter and my husband are the most important in my life. But then again, I was stupid enough to do what I was doing. I thought about getting back home when I was in the middle of my way because it seemed scary. It wasn't really smart to go to the woods in the middle of the night, especially for a woman who doesn't even know how to defend herself. And there might be wild animals. Oh crap, why didn't I think about wild animals before? But going back now wouldn't help either.

Suddenly I heard some weird sound coming from somewhere far on the sky. I couldn't really tell what was it but it couldn't have been a thunder. The sky was too clear for it and it was just another nice summer night. I shivered. Maybe I imagined it. Maybe I imagined all this. I couldn't really tell but the sound was creeping me out. Well, at least it helped me not to think about wild animals; I get distracted easily. I ran closer to the place I saw in my dream. I was actually running because I was afraid and I had a feeling that if I reach that place, everything else will go away. Stupid feelings. They always get me in trouble. Awesome.

But as I got closer I realized it was really happening! There were two men fighting on the meadow. It was too dark for me to see their faces but they were moving so fast that I had hard time even looking at them. The strange noise above grew louder and I looked up, noticing two big flying things in the sky. Great, dragons. Real dragons. I forgot how to move from the shock. This was better than my dream. I could feel my heart beating like crazy and my nervous breathing made me panic. What now? They didn't notice me. I just stood there and watched them do some weird things with light…strange colored light. I could swear it was coming from them, attacking them. Was that magic? Dragon Riders used magic, I think I heard someone saying it.

In that moment the image from my dream was right in front of my eyes; it was happening. For a second I was too shocked to react but then, before I could stop myself, I ran to them.

"No!" I screamed and the one who was holding the sword looked at me. His dark piercing eyes made me take a step back. In that moment I realized what I just did; I made the most horrible mistake of all. I tried to stop a Dragon Rider. I wished I could disappear; I was frightened. And it became clear to me…of course, it was too late. My brain was obviously too damaged from visions that I didn't realize I made it easy for the dark one to kill me. Why didn't I think about it before? What could I have possibly done to stop him? He was a Rider and I was…nothing. Even if he wasn't a Rider, he could still take me down. I was sure of it.

"This is not happening." I whispered and the dark one smiled wickedly. Did he hear me? Will he kill me? I didn't know what to do; this was just too much for me. Suddenly he lowered his sword and I realized that another boy…the one I desperately tried to save in my dream…was lying unconscious on the ground. Was he dead? I couldn't tell. Then I saw soldiers coming from another part of the woods to the meadow and they took the boy away with them.

I wasn't sure how long I was standing there, still like a statue. Fear literally paralyzed me. I couldn't even think clearly. Suddenly I realized there was no one there…I looked around surprised. Did this happen? I was shaking from fear again when I saw the dark one was standing near the trees. Was he watching me? Did he think my confusion is amusing? Was this all just an illusion? Was someone playing with me? Maybe some evil people who use magic made me feel like this. Well, my mother said my visions are evil so maybe I wasn't supposed to be so afraid. But I couldn't calm down.

Then instead of running away from danger like every normal smart human being, I had to walk right into it. I got closer to the dark one. He wasn't looking at me at all; he was staring somewhere in front of him…somewhere far where no one could reach him. I looked better at his face on the moonlight. He was beautiful but I heard once that all Dragon Riders start to look like elves. But he wasn't looking like an elf; he just looked like a good looking human…he was my age, I thought. He was distracting me completely from every other thought I had and I realized I was getting closer and closer to him.

Something caught my attention then; there were tears coming down his face. I was surprised. Was he the good guy? Was my mother right, so I was really trying to help the evil side? This all good-bad thing made me nervous.

"Why are you crying?" I asked quietly and suddenly he turned his head to look at me. He looked surprised to see me there. I think he thought I was gone with others…or I was so invisible that he didn't even notice I came. I sighed. It used to happen that people took no notice of me when I was in front of them, but never strangers. I raised my hand without thinking, trying to wipe away the tears but he caught my hand before I could reach his face. His grip on my arm was so strong that I gasped. The fear was back. Maybe he really was the bad guy. I closed my eyes, hoping it will all go away…hoping that I'll wake up in my bed, next to my loved one.

For a moment it seemed my wishes came true; but it wasn't my husband who was holding me in his arms. It was the stranger; the dark Rider. He held me so close to him that I could feel the warmth of his body and hear the beating of his heart. Or maybe it was my heart beating so loudly. Suddenly I felt his soft lips on mine and I couldn't stop it. I didn't want to stop it. His hands were all over my body and I didn't care. I closed my eyes when he ripped my dress…I let the passion take over me.

"Hey, wake up. We have to go." I heard his voice and opened my eyes. It looked like the dawn was here. Then I realized my head was on his chest so I got up fast like a snake just bit me.

"Wow, you can talk." I said sarcastically. This was the first time he actually said something to me. Shit, I forgot again the most important part of this; this wasn't just another dream. It was real. Suddenly his words came to me.

"We?" I looked at him in disbelief "What do you mean we?"

"You're coming with me. The king is waiting for us." he said. The look in his eyes seemed so distant and cold.

"No, I'm not coming with you. I have to go home!" I panicked, knowing that my husband will be upset when he sees I disappeared. I couldn't do that to him. I couldn't put him through that terror. Suddenly I remembered last night more clearly. What I did was unforgivable…complete craziness. I knew I couldn't go home. What would I tell him? I did the worst crime ever. I cheated on him. I deserved to die…not to see him ever again…not to see my daughter again. Tears appeared in my eyes. The guilt was overwhelming me.

"It's not bad like that." he suddenly said.

"What?" I looked at him confused. I had no idea what he meant.

"I didn't know you're married." he said "But it doesn't really matter, it was just to anger the king."

"What?" my eyes widened in shock. I don't remember saying anything. How did he know?

"I can read your thoughts." he said like it was a very ordinary thing.

"What?" I was even more shocked. He could read…oh, great! That really sucks. No privacy at all. And what's even worse, he just wanted to anger the king. Oh, that's crazy.

"Just calm down." he actually rolled his eyes. I think I was annoying him somehow. He was impatient. "Come with me."

"No, I can't." I whispered "I just…no."

"Well, you can't go home either." he said and smiled "Or you're going back to your husband and telling him what happened here? I'm sure you would be on your village's black list. He would take your daughter away from you. Maybe they would ask for you death."

"Who are you?" anger was taking over me. I didn't know where all this malice in his voice came from. It was just like he became another person.

"I'm Murtagh." he said "Now come with me. Thorn is waiting for us near."

"Thorn?" I raised an eyebrow. Who the hell was that?

"My dragon." he said.

"Dragons have names?" I asked before I could think better of it.

"Yes." he rolled his eyes. I was obviously annoying him with my ignorance. But then I realized he distracted me from the main point again. I just knew he was right; I couldn't go home. I knew if I went home, I would end up telling everything. I just wasn't good at lying. Keeping my dreams a secret was enough already but there I didn't have to lie or invent things; it was simply not mentioning it and all fine. I was sure I couldn't come up with a good story…and I couldn't have done that…lie to Dorian's eyes. And I couldn't know how he would react…but how can I think he would ever forgive me such a thing. I was a horrible person. I wasn't the woman he fell in love with. And who was this man, this damn Rider, to use me to anger the king? No, I let him. But how could that anger the king? This was driving me crazy; it couldn't be good.

"Ok." I finally said. I didn't know what else to do. Time will help me to come up with something, I hoped. "Let's go."