I'm ba-ack. Did you miss me? I'm sure you did, after all, where else do you get your excitment from? Don't answer, I don't think I want to know. Anyway, thanks you guys, and gals, for being so so so patient. You guys are teerriiffiiccccc. Sorry, Charlotte's web. Heh. Sorry.

Murtagh and Thorn drifted, the Varden moving slowly beneath them. Murtagh had never felt so free, and Thorn agreed with him. Life, in a matter of moments, had become less complicated, but more dangerous. With every day that passed, Murtagh grew more conviced that the King's rage grew. Eragon didn't underestimate the King, but he also didn't fully understand the King. No one did. Murtagh and Thorn knew him best, but even they could only guess at what the king had in mind. Still, Murtagh thought, the King doesn't know what he's up against. The King had scrutenised Murtagh's memories of past conflict with Eragon, in preparation for the day Eragon would arrive on his doorstep, an army behind him. The King had devised ways to adapt to anything Eragon could throw at him, but now the king had four Riders trying to overthrow him. Murtagh gave a rueful smile.

Sometimes the cost of freedom is a life, Thorn said.

Lets just hope it's Galbatorix's life spent, not ours.

That's true. But remember, even if we take his life, all an existance needs for it to become a life is a spark, no matter what the spark is. Love, hope and revenge, they all burn bright enough to provide that spark.

Murtagh made a face. You sound like an elf, or Galbaorix when he is one of his moods.

The elves have unique perspectives on life.

I'm sure they do.

I think you would be surprised.

I think so too, actually.

The Varden have stopped. Thorn said after a pause. Murtagh looked down and noticed that they had indeed stopped. Thorn started to drift down to where Eragon stood. Murtagh looked over towards the sun, and a dark spot on the horizon caught his eye. Frowning, he squinted, but could see what it was.

Can you see what it is? Thorn asked.

No, it's too far away. What about you? Murtagh replied.

No. Murtagh frowned, and the smudge disappeared as Thorn landed.

"Murtagh, I need to ask you something." Eragon said, hurrying over. "Is it possible in anyway the Galbatorix could scry you?"

Murtagh shook his head. "No, I thought of that before we arrived."

Eragon sighed, visibly relieved. "That's some good news than."

"What do you mean?" Murtagh asked.

"Nasuada just disappeared with Martland and Orion. Something about news."

"What is it?"

"We don't know yet," a new voice said. Murtagh and Eragon turned to see Linnaei walking up to them, Zephyr following. Murtagh went to tell them about the smudge, but yet another voice cut in.

"Oh, Murtagh, you're here." Nasuada looked stressed about something. "And Eragon, Saphira, Thorn, Linnaei and Zephyr. Oh, and Arya and Dyrk." Murtagh looked around and saw Arya and Dyrk standing there. A man who is loyal to the Varden has seen a group of people riding towards Belatona."

"Maybe they're coming to fight for us," Eragon said.

Murtagh's mind flickered back to the image of the smudge. "I doubt it, Eragon. More likely a large group of soldiers coming to back Belatona up," Murtagh replied.

Nasada frowned. "He said it only contained about fifty people or so."

"A scouting party?" Arya suggested.

"That's a lot for a simple scouting party." Eragon answered.

''He could be sending small groups to Dras' Lenoa at a time, ready for when we arrive," Linnaei offered.

Wouldn't he have done that from the start? Saphira pointed out.

You are forgetting, Thorn interrupted, that Galbatorix is powerful-

"-And cunning wnough to hide a force's-" Murtagh continued.

-true size if he so wished. Thorn finished.

"But we don't know how large it actually is," Nasuada said. Suddenly, something clicked.

"You can see it," Murtagh said. Everyone turned their attention to him. "That's what the smudge was," he said, turning to Thorn.

"So Galbatorix is..." Eragon let the sentence hang in the air, unfinished.

"Sending an army to obliberate us. And you can guess correctly that it will be larger than the one at the Burning Plains."

Because I love you guys, I'm giving you a tradgedy to think about. What makes it even better is that no one, not even me, yet, knows when this will happen. Aren't I nice?