Yes I do know what day it is, therefore I realise it will probably be a while before anyone reads this chappie, no I have not looked at my calendar, but yes, as I said, I do know the date, no I do not have the book (curse the wretched dentist!) and I probably will not have it for a while (curse the fact that I am penniless) so, I will continue to sit at my desk, lonely and bored, and I will type until my fingers throb (not necessarily just on this story) so read, don't read or rub it in my face that I have not the blessing you all have. (Justmeagain123, you better have the blooming book finished by tomorrow, or I'll kill you!)

LILLYAN

Blodgharm stepped back and viewed his work. "I'm sorry Lillyan, that's all I can do; he is bound in the most complicated way I have seen since Thorn's 'bindings'"

Dorum wasn't wheezing any more, which was a relief, but his wings were limp and his head was on the floor in boredom and misery.

Can't Eragon do anything about it? He is the king!

Blodgharm raised an eyebrow "He…doesn't like spectacles…"

Lillyan scowled. That was hardly a proper reason! That was hardly a reason at all. Well tell the non-spectacle kin, I shall not be joining his feast nor sleep in his chambers. If anyone needs me I will be here, with MY dragon! She said childishly, and to top the childishness, she added, except Syrai! He can go hang himself for all I care.

Blodgharm scratched his nose, "And you'd like me to convey that message…word for word?" Blodgharm was making it obvious that her behaviour had been immature.

No, she admitted sulkily, just…

She sat cross-legged next to the sighing dragon.

Blodgharm walked down the path.

Blodgharm? The blue elf stopped and half turned so his ear was pointed towards Lillyan. As though she spoke and it would make him hear her words better. Tell him he is a horrible, psychopathic, arrogant Dragon-hater and that I never want to see him again, but tell him I didn't mean what I…spoke.

Blodgharm raised his head to the sky.

"I'm sure he would appreciate it more if it came from you,"

Then he continued down the path.

Lillyan looked at Dorum, Dorum at Blodgharm, Blodgharm at the world and the world at all three. Everything was silent. The water stilled, the trees stopped their rustling-talk to listen and the animals turned their heads to where they sat or stood.

He's right you know, Dorum agreed, letting out a deep meaningful breath. It broke the silence.

MURTAGH

Murtagh sat at the king's long table, the first time in a hundred years. He sat right next to where Lillyan was usually sat; did they think he would do something thoughtless? Why take the risk? It didn't make sense, but he was enjoying it never the less.

Lillyan was late. Had she not said she would come?

The blue elf entered the room – what was his name? Murtagh could not recall – and walked towards Eragon.

Something with B…

"Blodgharm!" Eragon called and greeted him. Blodgharm greeted back sullenly.

"Bad news your highness, Lillyan is…not to join us this night,"

Eragon's face fell; he had looked as though he had good tidings to bring. "Why ever not?"

Blodgharm raised his furry eyebrows, "Her dragon has…been tied up in some problems," His gaze flicked to Syrai and back to the king.

"Oh dear…" Eragon swallowed sadly and looked at the bottom of his empty wine cup. He sighed and then ordered Blodgharm to at the least bring her some food.

"I'll bring it!" Syrai offered. Blodgharm shook his head.

"I do not think that'd be…a preferred…" He stopped mid-sentence chewed on the side of his lip, received the tray of food from Eragon and hurried away without a backwards glance.

LILLYAN

Dorum slept peacefully as Lillyan returned the half empty tray to Blodgharm and went on an after-meal stroll. Was Syrai regretting it? Probably. He was probably hurt by what she'd said. Why had she been so snappy? Surely he must have had a reason. Or he was jealous. Lillyan kicked the ground. She had been angry, and therefor thoughtless, she had convinced herself that hurting Syrai would help Dorum, but it hadn't. If anything Deloi-Orum seemed quite understanding towards Syrai.

Lillyan recognised the Dorum's hunting ground, where he went to hunt when he was hungry and where the shade had attacked them. Lillyan shuddered at the memory of the crimson eyes and hair…

She walked towards the space and looked in all direction. Where had the shade come from? Had someone made it? had it made itself? Did it have an aim, or did it just run around the country side scavenging food. Was it there now, watching her from the trees, the bushes, following every move with its freakish eyes?

Lillyan sniffed the air. Apparently not.

A stick snapped. A bush rustled. Apparently not…

Lillyan sniffed again. The wind had changed and oh yes there was a shade…

Lurking in the shadows of the trees, Lillyan could smell its musty stench of old leaves, dust and mould.

Lillyan stretched out her hand and created a sword, it drew on her energy a lot more than usual, but there it was, in her hand, heavy and large but reassuring at the same time.

The shade stepped out, blinking, grinning. He put his head to the side and viewed Lillyan.

"Rider, rider, rider" it croaked "rider, rider where's your dragon?"

Lillyan didn't answer, couldn't answer, she didn't want the shade touching her mind, her touching his. Dorum was caught

"Rider, rider, rider," it coughed again "rider, rider, where's your sword?"

She had no rider's sword.

"Rider, rider, rider," it cackled "rider, rider, rider, rider"

Over and over again and then the shade was gone.

"RIDER, RIDER!" it screeched. Lillyan swivelled around to where the Shade stood, behind her, right behind her. Lillyan jumped back, but once again the shade had gone.

"R I D E R!" the shade screamed and Lillyan heard a horrible bone-crunching. The pain hit soon after, unbelievable pain. Lillyan bit her tongue and fell to the ground. She had dropped the sword; it was her left arm that had been injured, her stronger arm.

The shade stood over her now, looking down at her.

"Rider, rider, why don't you speak?"

It pulled the dagger out of Lillyan's arm, twisting it within the bone beforehand. He let the blood drip into his mouth, then it rolled it's eyes back into his head so they were entirely white and licking his blood-stained teeth.

Lillyan grabbed the sword with her right arm and thrust it into the shades heart.

"Rider, rider!" it squealed. "Where is your courage?"

SWEET DREAMS

Eragon. Was he dead? Not quite. His shallow breaths caused his chest to vibrate, why was he still alive? Blodgharm and Arya carefully removed the thorns and branch from the hole in his neck and lay him across the ground.

"Get anyone who knows magic," Arya commanded, Blodgharm was already running. She kneeled beside Eragon. He gasped.

"Eragon? Eragon! It's Arya, can you hear me?" oh she was young, so much younger and so much prettier back then. Arya stroked the boys cheek. Eragon smiled. "You're alive," she whispered.

Eragon groaned "I'd…rather…be…" he coughed, blood spraying through his teeth.

Arya put her finger on his lips. She looked up, away, to where something was happening, but Lillyan couldn't see what, all she could see was Eragon and Arya.

Then many people began to fill the opening, and they all started muttering spells until the young Eragon was healed. Eragon sat up and stretched. He stood up and looked at the people and he looked sad.

"I'm…" He fumbled for words. "I couldn't, I wasn't strong enough," he moved on and there was Blodgharm staring after him.

Lillyan blinked. Her vision was blurry but she could faintly make out a ceiling of a room and faces hovering over her. Finally the blurriness faded.

Arya, beside several other elves were trying different methods to heal her arm.

"It won't work," she heard Angela's voice, at the same time pains shivered through her whole arm, causing her to yell and hit around. The elf who had been uttering the spell cut off and rubbed his head in frustration. Reidro? Yes, his skin was the same colour as the table he was leaning on. Did that mean Syrai was there too, and Murtagh? They were all part of her protectors.

"Told you it wouldn't work," Angela's voice echoed. It was from further away. A door slammed.

"Draumr!" Arya's hand waved over Lillyan's face and she returned to her memory-like dream.