A/n: This one is shorter than the others, but chapter seven is written and in the process of being typed, please review this!!

CH.6

They were camped on the eastern fringe of the Hadarac desert exhausted from the two day flight. They had pushed themselves, the dragons especially to cut down on the time it took to cross the parched terrain. Everyone was sleeping, except Roran, he was anxious and restless, he was so close to her and yet so far away. One more day and hopefully they catch the Ra'zac in the Beors.

He laid his head back upon Inarkien's haunch. He could feel the steady breathing of sleep rumbling through the great silver dragon. As Roran looked around the camp, not the least bit tired, he noticed that Eragon was keeping watch in the distance. Saphira looked at Roran, knowing that he shared her worry.

"How is he?" Roran thought to her careful to block their words from Eragon. "He always looks like he is far away…deep in thought." Eragon lifted his head slightly; he could feel the block in Saphira's mind. He glanced up at Roran and then turned back to watch the darkness, light as noon to his elfin eye sight.

Saphira turned her massive blue head to look at Eragon's back for a moment before answering Roran. "He is a different person Roran, nobody see's things like he has without changing. Most of the time he is just observing, but, yes, he does think about his life and memories quite often."

"He hardly smiles anymore, I remember him as a boy, such a carefree kid."

"Yes I know, I remember him like that a little too. But after the first battle…you remember the one were you two reunited, he has been quieter, he thinks more now. I think he has grown wiser, he doesn't do things entirely based on impulse, prejudice, or feeling anymore."

"That is a good thing…sometimes. But, perhaps all the time isn't healthy."

"Perhaps." Saphira looked at Eragon again, almost at the same moment Eragon's head snapped up to look at the sky.

"Ra'zac!" he said in a muted tone. He darted over to Murtagh's sleeping form and shook him awake, prodding Rahzin awake too. Roran turned to arouse Inarkien. As a group they packed up in silence, and listened for the sound of wings in the night. Suddenly Saphira crouched and Eragon climbed into his saddle on her back, the others quickly followed suit.

Roran was having trouble breathing. His chest was tight with the anticipation of seeing Katrina and holding her in his arms again. As the dragons' powerful back legs pushed off from the ground, Roran drew his hammer from his belt, and heard the steely rasp as Murtagh and Eragon unsheathed their swords.Inarkien's massive wings locked as they glided along effortlessly waiting for a signal.

"Follow us" Eragon's and Saphira's voices resounded through their minds as one. Roran strengthened his mental connection with Inarkien until they were completely united. Even after two years Roran was still slightly unsure of his fighting on dragon back. Eragon and Saphira were immaculate fighters, their movements together and apart flawless, so if the mental connection aided them, then he would follow the example.

Saphira spread her wings out far and with one great push descended through the night.

"We are going to surround them," their voices echoed again, "Rahzin and Murtagh fall beneath, Inarkien and Roran behind. We will take the front, they will chase us, and then we will descend. As we near the ground, Rahzin come up to their left and force them right. Inarkien stay behind but shift to the right side, Roran you must try and grab Katrina. If they land, we still outnumber them, we will light a fire ring so u can see, then we will destroy them!" The short speech was punctuated by Saphira's rumbling growl.

They fell into the formation and a fierce grin lit up on Roran's face. His excitement leaked through his link with Inarkien causing a deep throated snarl. He blended into Inarkien, seeing through Inarkien's eyes, using the strong vision to see through the muffling darkness waiting for the attack. He watched as Saphira rose, a half mile in front of the now visible Ra'zac, her sapphire blue scales glittering even in the meager amount of moonlight. It took all Roran had to not send a spell flying in the monsters direction, but he could see a body on the back of one their skinless mounts and he didn't want to hit Katrina.

As Eragon had predicted the Ra'zac could not resist a dragon hunt. Their mounts let out a hunting call sending shrieking echoes into the darkness.

Eragon looked back feigning surprise, and then tilted into a steep dive. The Ra'zac followed but unexpectedly dropped back a few yards forcing Murtagh to try and get out of the way to avoid detection. He didn't pull back quick enough though and the Ra'zac saw him.

Quicker than Eragon could the Ra'zac's lighter mounts pulled up and took off. Roran and Inarkien followed but soon the lighter weights of the mounts outdistanced them. Roran let out a frustrated yell shattering the silence.

"Land Roran!" Eragon ordered through his mind. Older Roran may be but he trusted Eragon's judgment so he listened. After he landed only a minute later Saphira and Rahzin touched down beside him.

"Well!?!" Roran burst, "Why aren't we following them?"

"They have outdistanced us Roran, if we tried to go after them it would be more like following where we think they went, not where they actually did." Eragon looked of into the direction they had flown and sighed, "Besides, I think they were flying to Uru'baen."

"Why do you think that?" Murtagh asked warily. Even three years after breaking his oaths to Galbatorix, the suggestion of nearness to the king made him nervous.

"As far as the Ra'zac are concerned," Eragon answered, "We are a bug in the Kings path to domination, they think he is infallible. The king knows better, but the Ra'zac will always lead us to him thinking that the king will be able to wipe us out easily."

"Then why don't we go kill him, if the king himself thinks we can destroy him then we must have the ability to." Murtagh said.

"We do, but I doubt we would all make it, which is the reason we haven't acted yet, we need to be stronger. The king would die, but so would we." Eragon looked at Murtagh with sadness in his eyes as they all realized that unless something happened to make them all strong, or another rider was born, they would have to face the king alone.

"So what do we do?" Roran was the first to interrupt the silence.

"First we sleep, then tomorrow we will take off towards Surda. We will have to replenish our supplies there. Then we will go around, coming up at Dras-Leona from the West, we can't risk going by Uru'baen."

Roran groaned and slid to the ground, "How long?" he moaned weakly.

"I'd say two weeks to get around, then another week once we hit Kuasta, we will have to be very careful, and hopefully we will get her out quickly."

"Three weeks." Roran whispered burying his face in his hands. Inarkien curled his tail around him.

"I'm sorry Roran." Murtagh said quietly as he pulled his bedroll from Rahzin's back. Roran acknowledged him with a small nod as he numbly got up to retrieve his own bedroll. Then he paused, he didn't want to sleep right now.

"Eragon I will keep watch for now." Eragon looked up at his cousin with piercing eyes. He could see the distraction and exhaustion hidden beneath his carefully composed features.

"No, you need some sleep." Eragon replied.

"And you don't?" Murtagh interjected, "I'll do it."

"Silence hatchlings! You all need your rest, I will keep watch." Saphira silenced them all with a hard look from her large blue eyes. She waited as Eragon removed his bedroll, then she turned her back on the group not allowing them to protest. Rahzin and Inarkien chortled with laughter, quaking the ground they lay upon.

Roran lay down and closed his eyes as Inarkien's wing extended over him, protecting him from the deserts dry wind.