Eragon's POV

"Elaina!"

I drop my bags on the ground including the bag with the stone. I lift her head and check her pulse. It is steady and strong but I decide to play it safe and keep her here for now. I roll her over and check her back for any major gashes.

What I find terrifies me.

Along her back are major gashes, and the skin that isn't torn is scarred with marks just like them. I know she didn't fall hard enough to cause all of the damage here, and she wasn't injured at the farm. I think back to the things she told me about her past. Her mother had drowned in a river and was found later with multiple lacerations to her body.

Come to think of it they didn't look much like any animal claws, but do look like the ones on her back. She also hardly mentions her father other than the fact that they don't get along well. I haven't talked to him much, but I have seen him quite often at the tavern in town drinking and being generally a boisterous man. I also have never been to their house.

She has a sister, but I have only seen her two or three times.

It begins to come together for me.

Why she is shy of my hugs and rough-housing. Her father always seemed cruel but I never would have guessed...

I gather firewood and build a fire and cook meat from a rabbit we caught a few days ago. Elaina suddenly jumps, her long brown hair flailing around her in curtains as she jolts awake. "Where are we?" she asks.

"The better question is what were you hiding from me?"

"What do you mean?" She tilts her head and winces.

"The cuts on your back. Where did they come from? And the scars? Who...What...?" I am completely baffled by the friend I have known forever.

"My father and I don't get along okay? He doesn't work so I have to. If I don't bring enough money for his mead, I get whipped, burned and slashed. My mother didn't drown. She was murdered. By my father." She cries and I shift closer to her and allow her to lean on me as she sobs. She gets up carefully and walks off.

I don't follow her when she doesn't turn back, but change my mind when I hear a scream off in the distance . I find her attacking a tree and crying and wailing.

I gently pull her away, then more forcefully when she refuses. I have to wrap my arms around her and sit down with her in my lap as she cries, slowly putting herself to sleep.

I carry her back to camp and set her down as I take the rabbit off the spit. I turn to find her sad brown eyes staring up at me.

"I am so sorry." I hand her some rabbit.

"I'm fine Eragon," her tone is weak.

"I refuse to let you go back there Elaina. Why don't you come stay with me or Gertrude? I'm sure she could fix you up." She nods shaking. I pull out our rolls seeing how late it is and help her into hers.

"Thank you Eragon."

"Goodnight Nina."


We walk back, well, I force her to ride on my back, to town and I bring her to Gertrude's. She sits in the living room, sobbing, while I explain everything to Gertrude in the kitchen.

"My goodness, and you just now learned of this Eragon?"

"You know I would have stopped it sooner if I had known."

"Elaina, dear, come here," Gertrude calls. "Let's go get you a room to stay in. I have some clothes from my daughter you can wear." I watch her thin frame move down the hallway with Gertrude unsure if I should follow.

"Eragon, I'm going to examine her so you can go into town for a while."

"Thank you. Take care of her okay?" I wait until hear a hum of consent, then walk outside and to Horst's. Albriech and Baldor seem to have just gotten off work so I go in to talk to them. "Eragon how are you?" Albriech asks after we exchange greetings.

"Not so well. Nina is with Gertrude."

"What?"

"Why?"

These boys always asked questions when I least wanted them to.

"I think you can ask her. I don't want to talk about it, and I'm not quite sure she would want everyone to know."

"Is it because of you?" Baldor asks.

"No! If it weren't for me, she never would have gotten medical attention." They ponder this. They don't seem to understand my more than slightly cryptic remark. Just then, Horst and Elain walk in hand in hand.

"Eragon, do you know what Gertrude is doing at her house? Someone over there sounds to be in real pain," Elain asks. I know I can't lie to them, not now. The boys look at me, but I ignore them and nod at the adults. It would be disrespectful not to answer them.

"Elaina is in there."

"Why what happened?"

It all crashes down on me. She could have died if I hadn't noticed. Her dad could have beaten her to death, or drowned her, or raped her... A tear escapes my eye at that thought, because he very well could have already done that.

I shake my head and, not trusting my voice, stay silent.

"Eragon what happened?" Horst asks in a somewhat harsh tone, apparently seeing the conflict and pain in my eyes.

"Her father, he... Her mom didn't drown., she was killed." They gasp as they piece it together and Elain cries. She comes over and hugs me, her stomach heavy with child making it hard to reach me. I know she understands what Elaina has been through more than anyone. Elaina was named after Elain for reason.

The boys sit in shock. Then Albriech shakes his head in shock.

"She was always so happy. I can't believe it."

"I swear that man should be hanged for his crimes." Horst speaks more harsh and angry than I've ever heard him before. I have never agreed with someone more than I did in this moment.

"I'm going back over there," I say, getting up to leave. "You can stay with us tonight Eragon."

"Thank you so much Elain." I leave the house, and run quickly back to Gertrude's and find the house quiet. Gertrude stirs something over a fire while Nina rest on her stomach on the couch.

"She has been through so much Eragon. You must keep an eye on her when she is okay to leave." I nod silently and sit on the floor on the couch.

"She said you're the first person to know outside of her family. She really cares about you. I don't think even she knows how much just yet. You can't leave her."

"I won't."

"No you can't." The finality in her voice makes me wonder at the second meaning behind her words.

"Her father was really thorough in his beatings. She probably won't be able to leave for weeks. I stitched up most of her wounds but the others are still pretty deep and will take time to heal. Have you thought of what you'll tell her father?"

I haven't.

"What should I say to a man who has beat his children and killed his wife?" She just stares back at me sadly.