I killed my laptop's mouse. Thankfully, which some expert managing of the keyboard, I was able to save everything off of it.

Murtagh groaned, the impassable wall in his head making it throb. When he tried to shift, shackles chained to his wrists and legs made movement nearly impossible. Grea'... Thorn? He reached out with his mind but wasn't able to locate any thought of his dragon.

Gritting his teeth, he tried to make himself more comfortable... Drugs... mussuve drugged me.

Of course they did, now hush.

Wha-

An iron fist clamped down on his mind. If you don't shut up, there are those here who will hear you. You're deafening! Now, until you can control yourself I'M going to.

Lena?

The door to his cell creaked open, followed by an annoyed "Ssh!" A soft word reached his ears, and he could sense the cloak of magic around the walls. "Lena..." He squinted, trying to focus; trying to see.

"Be quiet, Murtagh," Raylena hissed, shutting the door silently and creeping forward. She crouched down beside his limp form and felt for his hand. When she lifted it, Murtagh sensed an electric spark jump from her skin to his, and the iron cuff fell from his wrist and landed silently on the floor.

She repeated the process with his other hand and his feet, then placed a hand on his head. "This will hurt... be still."

Before he could react, what felt like a wave of fire swept through his mind, burning through the fog. He flinched and tried to withdraw from her, but she held tight to his shoulder with her other hand and pressed on. In another minute, the pain receded and he could think clearly.

Raylena collapsed down next to him, gasping for air, her body shaking. The grip that had been on his mind was something more powerful than anything he had ever felt. Well, aside from... no, he wouldn't think of it. The elves must have done something to him. He wasn't lurking in his mind at the moment. Blocked?

He stood to his feet and stretched, frowning down at the shape at his feet. What was she doing here?

Fulfilling a promise once made to me.

Shame washed through him. Everything he had not done for her, and here she was anyway. With a sigh, he knelt down beside her and tucked her against his chest, ignoring her muttered protest. She was too weak to resist. It had been so many years since he had last seen her... everything that had happened to him seemed to melt away as he cradled her. His mind rebelled against the action, and vows and magic swirled back into him, stabbing deeply. She knew, and yet she had come.

"Don't thank me yet," she inhaled deeply and coughed the breath back out, though the trembling had finally ceased.

He should kill her. The thought both annoyed him and made sense. No, he had to think of something else. Had to keep himself focused. It was strange, being alone in his mind. Not only was the comforting presence of his dragon missing, but the other suffocating nuisance. He was alone in a corner. It was terrifying.

With a wince, he dropped his head down to her shoulder. At least he wasn't completely alone.

You don't know what it means to be alone.

He didn't reply but merely hugged her even tighter. Have you not told anyone?

Who would understand?

What about his cousin's girl?

Katrina? She huffed out a breath and pushed against him, trying to free herself. She knows nothing. What she feels she suffered is insignificant. She would only think she understands, and that is worse than empty words of comfort. She paused in her thinking. Oh, well, she's dead, too...

Murtagh rasied an eyebrow. It was an offhand comment, very different from the girl he knew. Dead?

During childbirth. I couldn't save her. She died, along with the baby. Bitterness flooded, then receded. It has passed. I'll forget easily enough, unlike other things...

Murtagh nodded, frowning. He could imagine. He only wished...

I know, Murtagh... I know... She had immersed herself in his mind while he was unconscious. All she had found were nightmares of regret, riddled with memories she had made herself forget. He was sorry. So was she, for putting herself through remembered agony to find out he was. It wasn't worth it.

She had wasted too much time. As much as she resisted, part of her had felt safe. Safe for a moment, wrapped in his arms. Like she always had felt safe. But now was it was time to leave. He had to leave. Again. Not his choice, like before. She had to make him leave.

Raylena pulled away as far as possible so she could shove him. "Let me go. You have to leave."

"Now?" Murtagh fought back a sigh but relaxed his embrace, allowing her to shift away from him. He stood up quickly and offered her his hand.

She blinked, then accepted the help, swaying slightly before she shook her head and balanced herself, tugging her hand out of his. "Come on."

They skulked around the prison, being careful not to awaken the guards who were asleep.

What did you do?

Borrowed something from Angela. I know enough about potions. Still, you need to be quiet.

Murtagh smiled to himself as he followed her. Smiled. He hadn't smiled in months.

Eventually they reached a back entry. Raylena motioned for him to stand back in the shadows, and he willingly complied. She slid the door open and stepped through the crack, disappearing around the corner. Seconds ticked by in an enternity of silence before she leaned back around and waved for him to follow, though she once again cautioned him to silence, as if he were a child.

I am older than you.

They were in a back street in Belatona. The only thing missing... Where's my dragon?

Waiting for you.

He reached out a hand and gripped her shoulder. Raylena, I remember enough. I have never felt so much-

Neither has he, and yet here you are thinking of yourself. Be patient. He's in more pain than you are.

Murtagh released her, staring at her back as she stepped forward. She would be of no use. The last thing he wanted to do was make her angry with him again. Her fury was something to behold... and frightening. Truly frightening. Galbatorix controlled and channelled his; hers blew wherever her mind did.

They crept through the streets, keeping to the shadows near the buildings. Several times Raylena had to cloak them with magic, but the trouble soon ended as they came to the rear wall of the city. To the right was the lake Leona, and to the left the beginning of the Spine raised in the distance, a deeper blackness to the horizon.

It didn't take long for them to find a way over the wall. After Raylena whispered a spell to make them transluscent, she led him away from the city in a sprint.

After another ten minutes or so or running, they came around a corner of the lake to a small thatch of trees that seemingly sprang up from nowhere on a ride near Leona. They came to a halt next to it. Murtagh gasped for air, his legs weak. There was nothing in his mind to strengthen him. Galbatorix must have removed them.

Raylena laid a hand on his shoulder, panting slightly, obviously in much better physical condition. Curse her. She was grinning at him, though it faded quickly. "Murtagh, I should warn you... Thorn..."

He could sense him, but he was still not permitting Murtagh to enter his thoughts. "What's happened to him?" All he wanted to do was rush to Thorn's side, but he resisted the urge. "Please, tell me," he covered her hand with his own.

She looked away, setting her jaw. "He survived, but at a cost. There is a reason you were completely overwhelmed. Thorn almost died, and you knew you could do nothing. There is nothing worse than a Rider's dragon dying. Why do you think Galbatorix is mad?"

"Raylena..." he moved his hand to her chin and tilted her face up, worry seizing his heart and leaving him even more paralyzed.

She finally met his eyes, but the tears he saw there did nothing to help. With a groan he pushed her away and strode into the glen, stopping only when he looked away from Thorn's eyes to his body.

The dragon was curled up on his side, his left foreleg tucked under his massive chest, where many of his scales were broken and scarred... though in the place his right foreleg should have been there was a stump. Skin and some soft scales had grown over the muscle and sinew, but there was nothing left. His dragon was maimed, and there was no undoing it. There was nothing he could do.

Murtagh stepped closer to Thorn, slowly reaching out to lay a hand on the leg. Thorn kept his head down and his eyes closed. Murtagh sank down next to it, gently rubbing the new scales that had grown over. The skin trembled, and finally he broke through Thorn's mental barrier.

The rush of agony and pain hit Murtagh so hard he had to wrap his arms around the leg to keep from falling over. And then he wept. The torrent of emotions was too much to bear. So much pain. Now he knew what she had meant... his mind was starting to fall away again. He dragged himself away from the dark reaches and focused on his friend. Oh, Thorn...

Murtagh opened his eyes to see red. Ruby red. Thorn's scales. His eyes felt strange, his mind wasted, and Thorn's mind was no better. The dragon hummed a baleful tune as Murtagh eased away from the battered limb and turned.

Raylena sat cross legged off to the side, staring, with tears streaming down her face. Murtagh blinked, then forced his stiff legs to unfold. He walked over to where she was and knelt down in front of her, clasping her hands. "Come with us," he whispered, willing her eyes to meet his.

Her breath caught in her throat as she slowly raised her eyes to his. He gently wiped her face with his fingertips, his heart reeling with the memories. Still, he knew what her answer would be. If only he could convince her otherwise... no, it wouldn't work. There would be nothing for her there. She would rather die than be dragged back, that he was sure of.

Unless they could escape... no, even now he could feel the scratching at the back of his mind. It had been there as the Twins had begun to wear him down. It had been there when he released himself to them, and then had flourished when he had been taken before Galbatorix.

There was nothing to be done. He sighed and leaned his forehead against hers, relishing in the simple touch. He had not felt anything since she... no, he couldn't think of that.

"I can't."

"They'll kill you for releasing me."

"They wouldn't dare. They need me too much to do that. Punish me maybe, but even then what could they do that hasn't already been done? I can handle anything Nasuada would do... I'm not sure she even could, considering she knows..." she trailed off and frowned, suddenly retreating behind her mental boundaries.

Murtagh regretted reaching out to her mind. He was feeling enough just be listening; he hadn't needed to go deeper. She glared at him, though it wasn't completely serious. In fact, he thought he recognized something else in her gaze as it softened. Something from long ago.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, leaning slightly closer, lips parted slightly

She pulled away abruptly and stood to her feet. He quickly followed, reaching out for her again, knowing that once she left he might never see her again. She slapped his hands away and turned her back. "Go! It's nearly dawn."

As Thorn lifted into the air, Murtagh looked down past his wing. Raylena was leaning up against a tree with her back to them, her shoulders jerking. Immediately his mind was overcome, and he pushed the thought of her away. He had work to do. One woman he had once known couldn't come between him and his duty.

You still like her, don't you?

Murtagh frowned, annoyed to be brought back to her. Of course I don't. Not like that. She's nothing to me anymore; you know that.

Then why did you just invite her to come with us?

She has plenty of information that could prove useful. Anger welled inside him. Leave me be, Thorn.

As you wish.

The dragon fell silent. Murtagh fought back another bitter response. He had only been trying to be nice... had he not? Of course. He needn't question himself. She needed help, that was all... so much help. Help he wasn't able to give. Not now, anyway... His thoughts turned sour as he remembered the screams. The hateful, stabbing screams. Perhaps help he needed himself.

No matter. He had no right to take it out on his dragon. What were they saying? Everything that had happened. Thorn began to hum, knowing what his Rider was thinking. He was forgiven.

*tear*