"Thanks for the information."

The captain walked away from the girl, his fists clenched tightly and shaking in anger. He wanted to, no, he needed to take out his anger on someone, but he couldn't touch the girl. No, all he could do right now was walk away.

"Will I get to see Darin?"

The young girl's voice called out to him. It was a simple question, but it had him seething. How can a child be capable of committing such heinous crimes and not even feel remorse for what she had done? How could she ask in such a soft, innocent, and pleading tone if she would be able to see Darin? When he himself would not be able to see his own brother ever again.

"I don't know if a murderer like you should be granted such wish," said the captain icily, barely controlling the emotions that threatened to pour into his voice. He opened the cell door and slammed it behind him, closing his eyes for a few seconds as he leaned against the door. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, then turned to lock the cell and headed over to see the king.

Upon the door to the throne room, the captain knocked and waited to be allowed inside. The king's voice rumbled a "come in," and the captain opened the door and approached the king who sat on his mighty throne.

"My king," the captain bowed and proceeded, "the child has finally spoken, but didn't really give any information."

He relayed his earlier conversation with the prisoner and voiced his opinion afterwards, "I think she is covering for them."

"What makes you think so?"

"Although very young, she fought as hard as the two men and killed many of the soldiers. What reason would a child fight for? With such skill? I think she was trained by the Varden."

King Galbatorix paused, thinking over what was said. He had already thought through this, arriving at the same conclusion.

"She is young, her mind can and will be changed," he said afterwards. "But first, let her visit the other prisoner, and overhear their conversation. Report what you find to me."

"Yes, my king," bowed the captain again.

With a small wave of his hand, King Galbatorix had the captain depart from the throne room.

The captain left feeling worse than before. The child would be able to see the other prisoner? It was injustice. It was horrible and cruel. Why was fate doing this to him? But, she would pay. He would make sure that the girl paid for what she did. It didn't matter how young she was, how innocent she looked, or how confused she might have been at the time, she killed him and she would pay.

~~~

Time passed by, unable to release the tension and shock I felt after the soldier left, leaving behind his cold, cruel words. He had been faking, I realized, faking kindness.

What was going to happen to me now?

Will I stay imprisoned for the rest of my life? Or will my fate be the same as Darin's?

I began to panic, but there was nothing I could do. The only thing in this room was the bed in which I laid on and the table with the tray of food and water. I glanced at the food and water and looked away, feeling hurt by what the soldier had done to me. How could I have even begun to trust him? At least I hadn't been too stupid and told him about the Varden, that is if he had believed I didn't know anything. But I don't, right?

Murderer. He called me a murderer. Somehow, that word had evaded me before. Yes, I had killed people before, but I had never dwelled on it long enough to convict myself that title. So I was a murderer then? But I never killed anyone innocent. Right?

The now familiar creak of the cell door interrupted my thoughts and I looked up to see the soldier again. His blue eyes were cold and menacing. I stared at him with the best blank face that I could muster, though inside my thoughts were reeling.

"Get up," he said and reached for my arm before I could even process his words, violently yanking me off the bed. He pushed me towards the two other soldiers who had entered the cell with him. They chained my hands and escorted me out to the hall.

I stayed silent, my slow pace causing me to be constantly pulled by the soldiers. We walked down a hall lined up by cell doors on either side. Moans, groans, and shouts could be heard coming from inside some of the cells, and occasionally the hollow faces of men were seen, peering out through the cell door's barred window.

We turned right and went down a narrow set of stairs wide enough for two people. The soldier who had spoken to me, which I then found out was the captain, walked in front of the group, followed by one soldier who held me and then the other soldier that now walked behind us. We kept walking like this, reaching the bottom of the stairs and walking down another hall similar to the one we had just left.

The captain stopped somewhere in the middle of the long hall, pulled out a set of keys and opened the thick cell door in front of him. He motioned to the other soldiers to bring me into the room.

The room was empty except for a stone table in the middle. The only light inside came from an oil lamp just lit a few seconds ago by one of the soldiers. It was cold inside with a sense of foreboding that had the hair on my skin rise up and my body release an involuntary shiver.

"Speak with him, for this will be the last time you will see him," said the captain. My chains were removed and the soldiers left the room, leaving the lamp they carried hanging on the wall and locking the door behind them.

I walked towards the stone table, barely making out the outline of Darin's form. "Darin?"

He let out a groan and struggled against the straps that bound him to the table. "Kailee, is that you?" His voice was low and raspy, barely recognizable.

I was by his side in an instant, looking over his tortured form. His clothes were tattered and torn, and in some places, there were burned holes that revealed charred skin underneath. He had gashes all over his body and face, some still oozing blood. It took all I had to not throw up.

"Yes, Darin," I spoke softly, too intimidated to be able to speak any louder.

His eyes gazed over me. They had a wild and lost look to them. "How are you?" he asked.

I felt something brush against my conscious and I quickly shielded my mind like Uncle had taught me to. As I did, his hand reached for mine and he mouthed, "It's me."

I cautiously lowered the defenses around my mind. A rough yet gentle conscience touched my mind and I heard Darin's voice clearly as if it was a part of my own thoughts.

"No doubt we are being overheard. I must tell you important things, but we must also keep talking out loud so they do not suspect."

A few moments had passed since he had spoken out loud. "I'm okay," I said hoping the pause hadn't been too long. "But what will happen?"

"That's good, I'm sorry to have brought you and your uncle into this mess." His blue eyes were sincere, and again, tinted with a shade of sadness. "You have to try to escape and get to the Varden. I'm doing everything I can to make you seem innocent and threatless. But you did kill many men. Liam taught you well," he ended with a grin.

I smiled back a little, briefly remembering my time with Uncle. Then I let out a small sob and cried out, "What will happen to us? Is it true they're going to kill you?" "Who are the Varden?"

"The Varden are a group of rebels working to bring down King Galbatorix. Liam and I worked together for them. I have been trying to gain as much information as I can about the dragon eggs' location. If you get to the Varden, you must tell them he still has four left, and he keeps them..."

I gasped as a series of images passed through my mind, showing me the way to where the king kept the dragon eggs hidden. They were the most beautiful stones I had ever seen.

"I don't know little one, I don't know." "You must do everything you can to get this to the Varden. Liam gave his life for this, Kailee." Darin stared at me intently when he said this.

A wave of sadness washed over me. Why? Uncle Liam with the Varden? It was hard to believe it. "And how could I get there?"

"Go to Carvahall, look for Brom. You can trust him with everything I've told you."

At that moment the cell door opened and the soldiers went in and pulled me away from Darin.

"No, please!" I screamed and kicked at the soldiers.

"Remember, protect your mind, never let your guard down, and be careful who you trust. I believe in you."

"Darin!" I squeezed his hand and looked at him one more time before being chained and pushed out. "I will Darin. I will get to the Varden, I promise."

The tears rolled down my dirty cheeks before I could stop them. I struggled against the soldiers to no avail, kicking and squirming even though I was too exhausted. I didn't have a chance to do anything to save Darin, but the mere activity of struggling at least gave me something to do, to not think.

Outside of the cell stood the same tall man that had appeared before us the day Uncle was killed. What had Darin called him? A Shade?

He walked over to me, bent down, and embraced my throat with his cold pale hands. His nails dug into my skin and he forced me to look at him, his maroon eyes piercing maliciously into my wide green ones. I felt a small alien touch slightly push against my conscious, becoming rougher as the wall in my mind struggled to stay strong.

After a few moments, it slipped away, but the Shade didn't move. He kept staring intently, his grip still tight.

"Would you like to stay and hear him scream as he takes his last dying breath?...Or would you like to speak for him?"

I stared at him blankly, tasting the saltiness of the tears that had reached my lips. My body trembled slightly, whether in fear or anger, I did not know.

"Have it your way." He pushed my chin away, leaving behind small scratches, and walked towards the captain. They spoke briefly and then the Shade went into Darin's cell, turning to grin at me and show off his sharp teeth before going in and closing the door behind him.

The captain ordered the soldiers to take me back. I stopped struggling and focused on not thinking what the Shade had done or what he would do to Darin. Instead, I focused on remembering everything Darin had told me. Carvahall. Brom. The Varden. What exactly did Uncle do for the Varden? And why didn't he ever told me? My head was starting to throb painfully. And those maroon eyes, they remained ever present in my mind.

Upon the door of my cell, the soldiers unchained me and pushed me inside, locking the cell and leaving me alone again.