The day's that followed, did so in much the same suit. While Dahuk, Brom and Arya rode upon the horses I flew high above with Saphira. Seeing through her eyes, of which came an endless of sights, blues sharpened and bold to hers and mine eyes.

Over this time we learnt much of one another, even if I was the one that was talking most. Saphira was content on listing to me ramble on about my life the farm. I think somewhere in that time I came to accept my losses. Garrow and Roran were dead, after awhile I would be either assumed consumed within the blaze or dead in the spine… a place where no sane man went. Was I sane at that time?

As the days washed away trinkets of regret and flooded out my gloomy attitude in order to release waves of happiness, joy and giddiness. Saphira and myself become one in mind, with all ways one of us being connected to the other. Always some part of the others conscious in the others body, and always the opposite.

I can imagine Sloan, the fat town butcher, and his grim satisfaction "The hunter has become the hunted." I could see it. But what of Katrina? His daughter what would her reaction to this be? She and Roran were friends… if not more. What would the townsfolk, such as Horst and Elain, Gertrude and everyone else in the village react?

I still wonder this at times. By now I have learnt that images can deceive us. As we travelled toward Yazuac now in a harsh barren land an endless plain of sand and dust, of untamed winds picking up dust and sand from the ground. At one point of our journey through this wasteland we had to stop altogether, the cause of our halt none other than a sand storm that had blown up a proportional part of sand from the arid region.

The storm blew for two nights, with me and Saphira only just landing in time, otherwise being blown away, Effiga seemed to find the storm rather entertaining, he had for the most part half-buried himself into the ground and changed his colour to a brown matching the barren sand. He sat there for two nights and one day, having had enough food to sustain his body for several days of rest and he simply saw through Dahuks eyes.

Saphira did not get the opportunity to dig herself into the sand as Effiga, as we were scouting behind the group and were considerably higher than needed be. The first night proved very uneventful with all of us under Saphiras wing unable to shelter under Effiga. Sleep was welcome the first night and no one spoke simply we were all to tired to talk, we ate then slept. The next day consisted of training… lots of it… I found that with a previous dragon rider, a half-blood trickster and an elf that being taught magic was an arduous task. Dahuk seemed to be able to even teach Arya and Brom something of accessing magic… Which eluded my sense of what it essentially was. He said that energy is found everywhere, in the dirt, in the trees, the water and the air. But only the best could access all and most even only a handful of riders could use it.

Sometimes I still wonder what he was saying.

Arya seemed to have had become distant, not unpleasantly but just consumed in thought, or mourning. I had the sense to leave it alone, not that I could have been able to brush the dust of it anyway. She hid it well, and with the help of Dahuk and Brom keeping me busy with magic. She mourned and taught me. I believe that somewhere I would have asked her why she mourned so… but after losing Garrow and Roran, I knew that only time could help… words would help, but only the truthful words… which were something that I did not have… at that time. The little green dragon, if 'little' could describe it. He had grown a considerable amount, he was still small enough to fit under Saphiras wing, however he took up half the room.

Brom was himself. Crude and elusive, being blunt with me and speaking quite plainly while teaching me, yet as soon as I turned it towards his past, he made himself smoke and I was the icy hand trying seize smoke without melting before the candle's inferno.

The last night of the storm, I slept easily. However waking up before morning was not a nice thought, at first I thought that Brom simply wanted to be off early. But slender hands met my mouth as I was shaken awoke by the jolt I received from within sleep.

All that I received was a bowl of porridge before Arya swept out of under Saphiras wing. Her face impassive neither cold nor warm neither was it hot. Simply the face of what I had learnt to accept as Arya. I moved outside while eating the porridge, quickly finding Arya sitting on the far side of a small fire that had distinguished itself. Sitting down looking out in the distance, of the soon to rise sun.

I sat down next to Saphiras leg, eating my porridge, noticing Brom and Dahuk were missing along with Effiga and the storm was pleasantly extinguished as well.

I asked 'Where have Brom, Dahuk and Effiga gone? And the horses?'

Arya pointed out towards the horizon where the edge of the desert stood and in the direction of Yazuac. 'They have gone to investigate. Effiga saw a band of Urgals, they went through that way, they should be back soon. It would seem the horses have run. I think they ran on the first night. I could feel their presence on the fist night before sleep, then they were gone the next morning.'

'Urgals? How many?' I asked, calmly assuring myself that if it was a large number that they would not have gone and seen what they were doing. Looking down at my porridge, not really eating it. My appetite deserting me with the knowledge of Urgals so near.

'Large, roughly one hundred of them, by the looks of it they went through Yazuac. We may be stopping at a ghost town next.' Arya said quietly, calmly, a note of sorrow within her voice.

'Why is it that everyone is this group can lie so easily?' I asked sarcastically to no-one in particulary, humming a little and leaning back to think. Even if I knew Arya knew I was thinking of the Urgals when I was thinking of Brom, Dahuk and Arya being able to lie as easily as they did.

'Did you not just lie to Arya? So maybe they do not mean to lie to you but what you assume as lying may be you not comprehending their words or drawing conclusions without a full piece of information.'

I lightly rolled my head towards Saphira, a slight smile on my face. 'To early to think.'

While Saphira was laughing, I turned towards Arya, then forwards to the horizon where Yazuac was. The young green that had hatched for Arya glided smoothly down in front of her landing graciously on the dirt and blowing a small part of dust into the air. Before curling around Arya he looked at myself and Saphira… well actually he glanced at me and stopped completely for a second looking at Saphira.

As I finished the porridge, I moved towards the saddles on the joint between Saphira's neck and back. Once there I removed my wineskin taking a sip I moved back over to Saphira's leg.

My hand trailed smoothly over her blues gems that were scales. The sand storm had done some amount of good to her, even if she had been unable move for a number of days, the blowing sand had removed a number of blood stains within her scales which she had aquired from hunting.

'Are we going to be waiting long?' I asked Arya, who was leaning upon her green dragon. Though I asked of general curiosity, I knew once I said it, I had sounded whiny. Even if I was vaguely aware of small parts of fact that they had settled upon a name, she nor the seemingly unnamed dragon had revealed it.

Arya stood up slowly, gracefully, beautifully, hypnotizing… 'Stop.' It was a simple command from Saphira, and with it I received a small mental jab. I understood it. 'Thank you' knowing I never would have stopped myself replied.

'I am not sure' she said, poking the fire a little whispering little words which made the fire turn green then settle back to it's natural orange and red glow. 'They said they would be back before the sun fully rises.'

I nodded once, slowly, and settled into the wait that was to come.

? P.O.V

I moved silently from hiding spot to vantage point to cover. The sun was close to rising, I had sworn when I decided to get out of there that I would only kill if it needed be. There was not even fun in killing these guards.

I had killed some of the patrolmen. Though most of them I had managed to silently slip past, 4 had died tonight. I was surprised that the bell had not yet tolled yet to inform the city there was a killer about. Though those dark gliding bird's, had looked quite frightful.

I had seen them when I killed the third guard, when I killed the forth, they circled above me still. And still they were there. If they were following me they were enemies.

No eagle would behave as such. They would be asleep. Nor were they birds for carrion, as they would have descended by now if they were. Owls? Doubtful owls did not fly that high.

What the Hell were they?

Now I faced an ugly situation, I had come to a 3-way junction in the streets. Three guards stood, each with there back to a wall effectively making each street from the junction have two guards on it. And one more opposite.

I was in the shadows of a nearby alley, and with the main gate on the left side of the junction I needed to pass through it. The right side headed back to the heart of the city. Where I was trying to escape.

The main gate out of this city… out of hell and into freedom.

I had my bow and quiver along with my hand~and~a~half sword. I started to stand to gain the clear shot of a guard. As I knocked the arrow, the guard facing down my alley fell down, an arrow protruding from his skull.

Seconds later. The guard to the right side of my street collapsed with body that fell on him. His spine now tore in two and dead he was.

I loosed my arrow as the last guard started towards the attacker that had killed his two comrades. My arrow was true going through his temple. I moved towards the man who had killed the two guards for me. Knocking another arrow and raising my bow. I moved towards the man, I had expected help tonight, I had met the king, his time was coming. No it was the one that called himself Sept, that I wanted to kill. It had been to long since I had had a worthy opponent.

I had enlisted the help of a man, who claimed to have links to the Varden. A rebel group. He was to have a horse, supplies and directions for me. Now I looked at this man, or more the play toy, his death would bring.

'Who are you? Do not think of doing anything suddenly, or I will shoot.' I said, loudly enough that he could hear though softly enough to make my threat.

'Okay…' the dark haired man said, raising his arms slightly to allow me to see that he would not make a move against me. His eyes were brown, he stood just under my height, he was balanced in muscle, enough to make him an opponent of strength yet little enough to keep the agility needed for the graceful sword.

'Oi, you two halt! Drop your weapons and raise your hands.'

We both saw them at the same time three guards, an archer thin tall and flexible. A well muscled swordsman with a broadsword, the same one now currently yelling at us. And a young man who was probably about 15 summers old. He did not look overly strong. Though he moved with the grace of a wild hunting cat, he least would be fun.

I caught the eye of the man who was standing just 10 foot away the junction being roughly 7 yards. He just nodded. An ascent to start with the murders of these unlucky guards.

'The young one is mine.' I said and as I suddenly ran forward the archer quickly raised his bow an arrow already knocked and released it straight at me.

I hooped to my right, not even slowing from my years of training. I removed my knife from the sheath on my left forearm, and as I came close up to the man with the broadsword, I skidded to a halt, twisted on the ball of my right heel, twisted so for a fraction of a second my back showed to the broadsword, passed the knife to my left hand and feigned an attempt to stab him.

As he lifted his sword to block the feigned attack, I moved my left leg up to his groin, as he doubled over in the pain, I slipped the knife into his throat and twisted it. I knew he was in for a slow death… I relished in it.

The dark haired man had released an arrow and it made its mark, the archer's head.

As I started towards the young man, I sheathed my knife, and pulled my own sword, I allowed him a moment of confusion as he beheld the pivots and lines of metal that made my sword. I started to circle him, I could feel his nervousness, actually I could smell it.

When I had my back to the man that had earlier disposed of the other two guards at the junction, the young man charged suddenly, I had been expecting it, he was good well trained… though sometimes the most idiotic, moves were the smartest, so long as they are not expected… even the best move is the worst if it is expected.

I side stepped him, flicked my sword down on his twisted on the ball of my left heel, moved my blade around me, then facing the back of the slightly back bent young guard, I brought I blade down on his spine I heard it crack as it moved my down now slicing the bones that made his spine.

As the guard fell I moved towards the man who had the broadsword now lying on the ground in pain and misery. I bent over and rolled him over. He was dying slowing, painfully, it would have been glorious to watch, so much pain, the emotions in there faces when they died like this were always so nice, were they the monsters that they claimed when they knew they had another day? Or were they the cowards, that beat others, just to hide their misery? Or even the self-righteous pricks?

I bent down to his ear and whispered, 'I would love to stay and watch you die, but if I do not get out of here soon I will not be able to live to tomorrow, and well, I know I may be evil but I still like to live, bye, bye. Die slowly for me.'

With that I picked myself up off the ground and moved towards the dark haired man that stared at me and the three guards we had just killed. I did not bother to hold him with the threat of a bow, I just un-sheathed my knife and looked at him questioningly.

'The name is Murtagh. Now I would take it that you are getting out of this goddamn city? I think I can help.' The man named Murtagh said. An eyebrow arched questioningly.

Eragon P.O.V

With the rising sun came Effiga, Dahuk and Brom. Just as the first rays of light broke the horizon, Arya had seen Effiga winging his way towards us. Through Saphira's enhanced sight I could see him. He seemed to be in a hurry of sorts.

Some time passed before they came to land before Arya, her dragon, Saphira and myself. Brom leaped off.

'Pack whatever is not already packed, we need to get out of here.' He said anxiously.

As I started packing, sensing the urgency in Broms voice. I called out, 'How many?'

'Didn't count around two hundred. Give or take 20. And Kull as well.' Dahuk answered my call.

We were away in a matter of seconds. There was nothing in the site that we needed to pack. We each jumped upon our respective dragons, Brom doubling Effiga with Dahuk. Arya and her dragon was the first into the air. Effiga did not take off until I had secured my self to Saphira and she had taken off.

We flew for an amount of time none of us knew. We flew south-west, we were winging our way towards Flȁm, a lake west to Daret. A-wing it did not take nearly as long as it would on horseback but it still took most of the day.

When we arrived Saphira, Effiga and the nameless dragon said they were going hunting. I could feel Saphiras need for a decent meal instead of the shanks and bones of meat that she had been getting. I had no doubt that Effiga felt similar, and Arya's dragon was more than big enough to hunt and would need a meal worthy of eating, instead of the rabbits that he had been catching on the journey.

The area was on the edge of the lake and also close to the spine. The scenery was lush and green, blue and flat, brown and rocky

The river provided us with water to wash. The green, lush grass gave us a nice place to rest and I was sure that the hills behind us would provide some game for the nights food.

An hour before the sun hit the ground, I announced that I to was going to try and find an animal that would feed Brom and myself. As Arya and Dahuk did not eat any meat or even anything that came from an animal, I would not include them in my hunting.

The Area we had chosen was on the far side of the lake. Now with the lake and the spine between us and the rest of the world, we did not need to feel much in the way of being threatened by anyone. No-one would come to this side the lake. They would all go around the other side to keep away from the spine. The superstitious stories told of it, made it a safe haven for anyone who could navigate it… of course very few could do that, and those that had the skill to either avoided it like disease, and also they would probably never even had thought of it.

I was one of the few who knew, part of the spine. Though I was far from Carvahall I was certain that I could still navigate it, enough to find some game, bring it back and find my way back.