Early the next morning, I forced myself to sit up, immediately waking Eragon, who slept with a hand around my waist.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, pinning my hair back in the barrettes.

My knee throbbed underneath the immobilizing bandages. "Awful," I answered, "But I think I'll be fine."

"Nar Garzvog said you went after a Shade; do you know what happened?"

"Mostly." I didn't elaborate.

"What happened to the Shade?"

"He's dead."

"Who killed him?"

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter, he's dead, I know that for certain. Before I tell you anything, I have to talk to Ebrithil."

"Ella—"

I ignored him. "Was Glaedr able to answer your question about the Eldunarí?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"Tell me what happened with the Shade."

"I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I don't know exactly what happened. One moment, the Shade was about to kill me and something strange happened and the Shade was dead then I was stuck in the rubble for the day. As I said before, I need to talk to Ebrithil before I tell you anything."

Eragon accepted it and performed a spell to prevent anyone from overhearing.

"The Eldunarí are the heart of hearts of dragons. A dragon disgorges their Eldunarí and the person holding it can communicate with the dragon no matter how far apart they may be. The Eldunarí may survive, even if the dragon's body dies. Galbatorix has hundreds of them, that's how he was able to overpower the Riders. He's bent them all to his will now. You must have taken the Eldunarí from Murtaugh. I retrieved them, but there's no way we can help them, not with the resources we have, so I brought them to the outskirts of Du Weldenvarden and a handful of elves are working to help them. If we're lucky, one of the dragons might recover their sanity, but it's extremely unlikely."

"That's awful! Are there any others left?"

"Not outside of Galbatorix's control. Ebrithil spent years searching for even one that escaped. He couldn't find anything."

"So we have two barely-trained Riders and dragons, plus an ancient Rider who can barely perform magic and a crippled dragon against the might of hundreds of dragons and a madman."

Eragon nodded.

"I need to speak with Ebrithil."

"I'll go get a mirror—"

"No, I need to speak with him face-to-face."

"Ella—"

"Eragon, I have to. It could prove important."

"You just spent yesterday half-dead."

"Please, Eragon!"

"You'll have to talk to Nasuada. I spoke with Roran last night, he said you shot him after the Burning Plains, why? Is that the reason you were so upset when you met Murtaugh and I in the Silverwood Forest?"

"I didn't have a choice. He was going to try and rescue Katrina and it would've gotten the Varden in trouble."

Eragon made a funny noise. "What happened to Katrina?"

"A few months after we left, the Ra'zac went to Carvahall looking for us, sometime around when the traders came. They were after you, but they took Katrina for leverage. It didn't work."

The funny noise repeated. "I'm getting Roran." He left abruptly.

Well, he wouldn't be talking to me for awhile. With a bit of stretching, I snagged the scrying mirror from Eragon's bag lying open a few feet away. I muttered the incantation to scry Oromis. Their surroundings were unidentifiable, but Murtaugh was sitting Oromis's table with his back to me, reading, while Oromis looked through his collection of scrolls, also facing away.

"Why do you think the way someone is raised has such an effect on what kind of person they end up as?"

Murtaugh thought carefully, leaning his chair back on two legs. "True names for one and the ability to change them. If what kind of person someone will be is set in stone on the day they're conceived, then a true name couldn't change unless someone got themselves a new set of genes. The very fact that people have succeeded in changing shows that someone's immediate decisions and past experiences play a crucial role in who they are."

"I think that dragons are genetically inclined to be shamelessly egotistical. Brom also mentioned that Selena used to tap on her right collarbone with her left thumb whenever she was thinking hard about something. You, Eragon, Roran, and Garrow all do as well. Evidence says that it is genetic."

Both men turned around, startled.

"Sorry," I apologized sheepishly. "Atra esterní ono thelduin, Ebrithil. Shur'tugal."

"Mor'ranr lifa unin hjarta onr," Oromis replied.

After a second, Murtuagh flinched and responded appropriately.

"I don't believe that to be an effective counter-argument, Ella."

"Technically, I've graduated, so logical arguments are no longer required."

Oromis shook his head. "Is there a reason you have interrupted?"

"Yeah, something really, really strange happened while I was fighting a Shade and I was hoping you'd be able to explain it."

"You fought a Shade?" Murtaugh leapt to his feet. "Where were Eragon and the elves? How are you still alive? Eragon said he killed Durza, how is he back?"

Oromis laid a hand on Murtaugh's shoulder and the younger man settled down slightly.

"Well, Eragon was a tiny bit busy helping kill a different Shade, my confusion is about how I'm still alive, and Durza is dead. I faced a Shade named Raighur while Eragon and Arya faced Varaug."

"I don't want to hear this," Murtaugh muttered and turned to leave.

"Well, I didn't want to live through it, so suck it up," I retorted.

Murtaugh left anyways.

"Is there any way to make this absolutely secure?" I asked quietly. Oromis frowned.

"Why?"

"Because I have a theory on what happened and if I'm right then I don't think anyone else should know, not even Eragon, at least not yet."

"Where is he now?"

"Probably on his way to Helgrind."

"Do you remember Glaedr's no mountains-in-the-mist rule?"

"Yes. 'No dropping bombs during serious conversations.'"

"Kindly abide by it."

"Yes, Ebrithil. On to my question of security?"

"This spell is secure, we're in no more danger of eavesdroppers than if we were talking face-to-face."

I muttered the spell to prevent anyone else from listening and blocked off my mind from the bustling camp around me. "Guard your room and mind from listeners."

Oromis wasn't thrilled, but complied. "Start from the beginning," he prompted.

"So I was kinda making sure the Urgals didn't go crazy and start attacking the city when the Du Vrangr Gata contacted me and told me there was a Shade. By the time I got there, half the order and over a hundred soldiers and civilians had been killed."

"Eragon can explain this as well as I can, Ella. As awful as it sounds, that is normal behavior for a newly formed Shade."

"That's not the weird part. Let me finish. He knocked my staff out of my hands and was about to kill me when something attacked my mind. It was more powerful than you and Glaedr combined, more powerful than the Shade, probably stronger than ten Shades, I didn't have a chance."

"This is worrisome. Do you think—"

"It wasn't Galbatorix. He has no reason to help me. Besides, the thing was kind. It spoke in the Ancient Language and made me use some spell that seemed to slow everything around me down, but it wasn't a spoken spell."

He sank into a chair, steepling his fingers. "I have never heard of such a spell, spoken or not. Do you have any idea how it was performed?"

"The spell isn't what I'm worried about. It's the fact that someone or something was able to completely overwhelm me and hold back a Shade and perform an impossible spell through me."

"Clearly the spell was possible if it was done."

"That's not my point! They got into my head without even trying. Even you and Glaedr need to try pretty hard to beat me and the Shade gained no ground mentally! But—"

"Calm down, Ella." Oromis ordered.

"No! I'm entitled to get worked up over this!"

"Ella!" Oromis snapped. In the distance, I heard Glaedr snarl.

I quieted. Behind me, someone entered the tent. I didn't bother looking behind me. They couldn't hear anything unless I allowed them and Oromis showed no sign of alarm.

"You mentioned a theory. What is it?"

"Eragon told me about the Eldunarí—"

Glaedr snarled again.

"Something exploded as the Shade died and knocked me unconscious, but I managed to talk to the someone or something. It all but admitted to being a dragon or dragons. Glaedr is over eight centuries old, but this entity felt even bigger, stronger, and older than him. I think it's either one very old dragon or Eldunarí or multiple dragons or Eldunarí."

There was a long, thoughtful silence. "You were going to tell me your theory."

"I just did!"

"What are you talking about? You haven't said anything. Tell me your theory."

"Eragon told me about the Eldunarí—"

Glaedr snarled and I felt chills go down my back.

I repeated my theory.

Oromis studied me. I felt like I was about to get in trouble. "This isn't funny, Ella, if you have an idea, you need to share it."

"I have told you! Twice!"

"What has gotten into you, Ella? Why are you so upset? Arya mentioned you would be infiltrating the city during the siege. Did something go wrong?"

I stared at him, horrified and panicking.

"Ella? Are you alright?"

"You don't remember, do you? You don't remember anything I've said in the past twenty minutes."

"What are you talking about, Ella? You appeared on the mirror a minute ago screaming that you told me something."

I lost control of the spell in shock.

A full minute later, Oromis reappeared on the screen with Murtaugh beside him.

"Ella, what's going on? Why are you so upset?"

I forced the knot of panic away and responded carefully. "During the siege of Feinster, two Shades appeared. Eragon and the elves here faced one while I faced the other after it killed half of the Du Vrangr Gata and over a hundred soldiers and civilians. Something strange happened while I was fighting and a little while ago, I was talking to you and explained everything but now you don't remember any of it."

Oromis frowned. "Murtaugh, you haven't been in contact with me or Glaedr in the time she's mentioned, is she telling the truth?"

"I left almost a half hour ago because she was talking about a Shade. How am I supposed to know what you were talking about? You just called me in a half-panic because you thought Ella was in trouble when she lost control of a stupid spell."

"Barzûl!" Oromis growled and knocked over a chair in anger. The image wavered for a moment. That was the first time I had ever witnessed Oromis with anything but perfect patience and calm. Glaedr lost his temper often enough, but never Oromis. Murtaugh and I were shocked speechless. "I hate spells that mess with one's memory."

"What did I miss?" Murtaugh asked, gobsmacked.

"Do you remember telling Eragon about the Eldunarí?" I asked cautiously.

"Eldunarí? What is that?" Oromis and Murtaugh chorused.

"Ask Glaedr and Thorn," I murmured. This was not good.

For almost five minutes, Murtaugh and Oromis's eyes unfocused as they talked to their respective dragons. I glanced at the person who waited patiently behind me.

Nasuada still stood at the entrance of the tent, appearing rather displeased at the world in general. She was studying Oromis in the mirror. Since the elf never mentioned hiding his face from her, I figured it was fine. Nasuada gave me a look that indicated we needed to talk, rather urgently, but I figured my current problem was a tiny bit more important than whatever hers was.

Finally, Oromis refocused on me. "Glaedr says he has no knowledge of this Eldunarí."

I swore. Quite colorfully.

"Ella!" Oromis scolded, but is was more of a teacher's obligation than a genuine rebuke. He probably felt the same way.

"This isn't going anywhere," I snapped. "I'll contact you after I try and figure this out with Eragon. Hopefully whatever this memory thing is doing hasn't affected him as well."

"Very well. I trust you to do what's best."

"How much longer will Murtaugh's training take?"

"As long as possible, but he will be nearly at Eragon's intellectual and magical level in about a month. He is becoming quite proficient with the sword."

"Good, I hope to speak with you soon."

There was a mutual nod of acknowledgement before Murtaugh released the spell. I undid the privacy spell and lowered the barriers around my mind before turning to Nasuada.

"That was your teacher, correct?" She asked.

"Yes," I answered curtly.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes."

"Elaborate."

"It is technically a Rider secret. Unfortunately, someone cast a powerful memory spell on the subject so even if I tried to tell you, you wouldn't remember it."

"Does this have anything to do with Galbatorix?"

"I sincerely doubt it. Why are you here, my lady?" I asked bluntly.

She blinked at my trenchant tone. "The Urgals are calling you Shadeslayer as well as a large number of the Varden."

"I wielded the blade that killed the Shade Raighur."

If Nasuada had a reaction to my statement, she didn't show it. "You did well in appeasing the Urgals and fighting the Shade."

I shifted so I was facing her, my leg in a rather uncomfortable position. "But?"

"But why did you send Roran, who was about to become a general, and our only fully-trained Rider and dragon to the-gods-know-where without notifying anyone?"

"I didn't send them anywhere, not that either of them are very happy with me at the moment. To try and put your mind at rest, I think they are going to Helgrind to rescue Katrina."

"And why aren't you doing your utmost to stop them? Especially after your show not too long ago."

"Because I can't do anything about it. Since we've successfully captured Milan, Feinster, and besieged Aroughs remarkably quickly and are set to march on Belatona tomorrow, it would be stupid of him not to expect Eragon to be flying sorties against places that have the potential to demoralize his troops and people. Helgrind, where I believe Katrina to be kept, is now a feasible target."

"Eragon left Islanzadí's spellcasters behind."

"Well, he's as fond of guards as you are and this is personal for him, he doesn't want a voice of reason trying to dissuade him and Roran from rescuing a family member."

"That boy," Nasuada snapped to herself.

"With all due respect, he is a Rider and Brom's son to boot. The only person who can really tell a dragon and Rider what to do is an older and more powerful dragon and Rider, even then it's not a certain endeavor, especially when that particular family is involved."

Nasuada nodded in acknowledgement. "I still have a bad feeling about this."

"It would be strange if you didn't."