The sun was beginning to creep over the horizon, and they still had not found Halen. Murtagh was sore and irritable from being up all night, and his nerves were bad. But he knew his feelings paled in comparison to the others. Although Murtagh could sympathize, he was growing frustrated with their lack of progress, feeling like he was being dragged down, not assisted. But he had agreed that they could follow, so he could only complain so much.

As far as anyone could tell, even Thorn, Halen's trail had gone cold. The Ra'zac must've changed up how it was transporting her, because even its footsteps vanished from the ground and her scent had faded. He just needed a sign, any indication that they were close.

Thorn landed, having had no luck searching overhead either. That was the other thing making Murtagh wary. He did not have enough energy to completely disable the wards guarding the Ra'zac. He had to use the Name of Names to make it so that he and Thorn could still communicate and he could access some of his magic, but he knew it wouldn't be enough if it came to a fight. Hopefully, they would not run into anything or anyone besides the Ra'zac. There is no unusual activity, or anything to indicate where she might have been taken. From above, everything is still, but it is…relatively normal.

Murtagh didn't like it either, but for more reasons than the fact that he was damn-near powerless. It had to be wards or shields in the area blocking his magic, but he knew the Ra'zac could not produce anything like this. Which meant someone else had done it for them. Someone else who had needed the Ra'zac to be on the island, but not found by anyone who inhabited it. And heavens help them if they did…

Ayo suddenly shouted in surprise, and Murtagh turned before his eyes went wide with disbelief.

The other men had backed away, confused and afraid. But Murtagh could only stare in awe at the small spirit that floated a few feet off the ground. It looked like nothing more than a pale orb, but there was something hauntingly beautiful about it. He had never seen one before, but of course had heard about them during his studies. But what was one doing here?

Careful, Thorn warned as Murtagh dared take a step forward. This could be a trap.

"That's it!" Cado shouted. "That's the thing that led us to the caves. I had been about to tell Hal about it."

So the spirit was here to help? It seemed preposterous but, then again, Murtagh never anticipated running into the Ra'zac either. The color of the spirit suddenly changed to a deep red, the color of Thorn, and Murtagh felt like it was addressing him directly. But he still stepped back in surprise, ready for some sort of attack. Or so he thought until a heart-stopping scream was emitted from the object, and Murtagh stumbled even further back in surprise.

"That's Hal," Amon said, his voice hollow at the cry of pain being emitted from the spirit. Then he suddenly let out a sob, quickly covering his mouth as his eyes burned with tears. Murtagh felt his face go ashen at the thought of her torture. Her cries of pain awakening memories he kept buried deep within himself. But he shook the thoughts loose before they consumed him, letting his desire to get Hal back as soon as possible become his focus.

The spirt faded and disappeared. But before Murtagh could move, it reappeared again, further away and heading north.

I think it wants us to follow it, Murtagh thought slowly, feeling silly at the thought.

Do we have much choice?

Well, like you said, it could be a trap.

Thorn seemed to ponder this carefully. I will continue to fly overhead, scout the area up ahead to make sure you are not about to walk into anything we may not suspect. I do not like what's at play here, but I suspect we have begun to stumble upon what Eragon was worried about.

Murtagh grimaced. He'll never let me hear the end of it when I tell him he was right.

"Are we going after it?" Sam asked anxiously, looking at Murtagh as though they didn't have much choice in the matter.

"Aye," Murtagh said, giving them a slight nod. "But on one condition."

"You're in no position to make demands," Ayo snapped. "Not when Hal's life is at risk."

"I know the creature we're up against," he told them firmly, dropping his voice to put an edge of authority and command in it. "And it is not to be trifled with. Now I don't know Halen very well, but I know she was adamant about making sure you all made it back to your families. And if I rush you all into danger and something happens, she'll skewer me in my sleep, whether she's dead or alive."

He flinched regretfully at his tactlessness as soon as the words left his mouth, but he could see in their eyes that he was right. "I will do what I can for Halen. On my life as a rider, you have my word. But if anything happens, if it gets bad, you all will turn tail and run when I tell you to. And you won't look back."

"Absolutely not —" Cado began.

"Easy, Cado," Amon said in a low voice, but the man's eyes were on Murtagh. Studying. Reading. Understanding. "What's in it for you, rider? Why do you care so much about one of our own?"

Murtagh squinted as he gazed at where the sun was peeking through the trees. He didn't have his answer fully formed as he spoke, but he knew he needed to say something. "I have met many people in my lifetime. Some good, some bad, and some…pure evil. But they all had one thing in common, and that was their involvement in the war. They may have been pawns or they may have been the ones moving the pieces, but they had a hand in what transpired on the mainland. And it changed them, as war does.

"Halen was…is, perhaps, the first person I've met outside of that reality." At least, he had thought she was. But now he wasn't as sure. "All of you are. A village completely untouched by the wrath of a tyrant. And even though he is long dead, it makes me happy, in a way, to know that he did not corrupt everything like he thought he had. There is still innocence in this world. Halen is protective of that. And I cannot easily forget that she extended that protectiveness to me when I needed it most, even when I was cold to her. I will not leave someone like her to a fate like this. Not if I can do something about it."

Amon breathed, shaking his head more to himself than anything. "Dammit, Hal's always right isn't she?" Murtagh stared, unsure of what the man meant. But Amon nodded his head as if he hadn't said anything. "Tell us what we need to do."

…

At some point, Hal had briefly blacked out, unable to stand the pain any longer. But unconsciousness was not the reprieve she had wanted it to be; her thoughts were filled with pain of another kind. Pain from a long, forgotten memory. She tried to block it out, unable to tolerate anything more than what she was already having to endure, but it was all too familiar: being bound, being tortured.

Please…

The Ra'zac must've realized that the liquid poison wasn't doing what it should, and Hal was painfully pulled from her oblivion with a heavy-handed slap to her cheek. She tasted blood, but was too dazed to make any noise registering the shock to her system.

"I know what you are," it hissed, it's frustration with her growing obvious as time passed. What it wanted, what it was looking for, she still didn't know. It refused to say.

"You're wrong," Hal said weakly.

"Then why do you sssmell like her? Do you not possess the power?"

Hal stiffened. A memory, faint, unlocked itself from the depths of her mind. But it was fleeting, and she stumbled over the word 'no' but it was too late. She had hesitated, and the Ra'zac took that as an affirmation.

"I will rip the magic from your chessst," it hissed gleefully. "And for your liesss, I will make ssssure it hurtsss."

Hal heard the knife cut through the rope that bound her hands above her head, and she dropped to the ground, not realizing that she had lost the feeling in her legs hours ago. She released a low moan at the pain in her limbs as they tried to regain their feeling. The Ra'zac showed no sympathy, kicking her in her ribs so hard that she was sure she heard a crack as she was forced onto her back.

Without preamble, without any warning or indication of what was to come, the Ra'zac took one of her fingers and snapped it like it was twig. Hal screamed, twisting and kicking until the bastard put its knee in her stomach, making it harder to breath. Harder to fight.

"I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" She screamed, desperate. Panicked. "PLEASE!"

It broke another finger.

She screamed again, and something flickered in her chest. And for the briefest of moments, she could've sworn she felt the ground beneath her tremble.

…

Murtagh and the others followed the spirit, the horses running at high speeds now that it was properly light out, and they did not have to worry about tripping over rocks, fallen trees, or sudden declines that could cause injury. It was risky, he knew, to put Halen's fate in the spirits…hands, for lack of a better word. But he told himself that it was, for now, on their side. It had, for reasons unknown, already helped the others escape the Ra'zac. And right now, they needed all the help they could get.

They didn't stop until they reached a clearing bigger than he would have guessed. They slid to a stop, coming to the edge of a rather sudden drop. Not over a cliff, but rather into the water below. Murtagh surveyed their surroundings, unsure of what to expect next. The waterfall underneath them was loud, making it damn-near impossible to hear his own thoughts. The water seemed shallow enough, but it still seemed doubtful that the Ra'zac would be here. Perhaps they were to get around the pool, and get to where the woods continued beyond it.

"Over there!" Amon pointed to their left, having found the spirit again. The being was near a narrow path, too small to take the horses, one that would lead them down. He dismounted from Nani, calling to the others to follow his lead. Their descent was slower than he would've liked, interrupted when the ground faintly shook underneath them.

"What the hell was that?!" Cado cried, clutching the cliff wall for dear life, his eyes wide.

But Murtagh froze, and even Thorn paused. They both felt what the others could not. And that was the magic that had just briefly flickered around them, gone as quickly as it had come. Murtagh thought of whoever had created the wards around the Ra'zac and swore, not having anticipated they would run into them so soon.

He turned to the men. "I know you will disagree, but you have to stay here."

The backlash was swift. They were shouting and cursing his name, threatening to push him into the water below and continue on without him.

Testy, Thorn sneered, listening to the men argue with irritation. I should like to sweep them into the water myself.

I actually need you to stay behind as well, Thorn.

I will eat you, young one, that is a promise.

Murtagh's lips twitched at Thorn's resistance. Please stay and watch over the men. Make sure there are no more surprises and that they don't do anything rash.

I am more worried about you.

I know. But we have few options and even less time, he said, recalling Halen's words to him when she recounted the decision to save his life. I need you to do this. Please.

Thorn huffed. I will eat you when you return for your recklessness. But aye, I will remain here.

Thank you, my friend.

To the men of Halen's village, he said, "I fear another magic user may be here. And if that is the case, I cannot guarantee Halen's safety in addition to your own. I would have to choose —"

"Then choose Hal, dammit," Cado snapped.

"And have her tell your families what? If she is enduring what I fear she is, your deaths and the fallout with your families will put much on her. That's not fair to Halen, regardless of your intentions to save her life."

Cado opened his mouth, then slammed it shut at the harsh truth of Murtagh's words. "Hal would do the same for us," he whispered meekly, looking to the others to support him.

But no one spoke. Murtagh breathed. "I know it's unfair, but just wait here. Give me time to retrieve Halen, then decide for yourselves what should be done if I do not return."

"We're counting on you, Dragon Rider," Ayo said stiffly, his gaze hard and unflinching. "You bring her back to us."

Murtagh did not nod his head or make any promises he could not keep. He simply turned and continued down, the spirit waiting for him at the bottom of the narrow path. Here, he saw that the rock where they had been standing was practically hollowed out, a deep cavern stretched out underneath, a narrow opening to a tunnel hidden from view. The ground quaked faintly under his feet, the pulse of magic waning as the shivers stopped. But that one had lasted longer than the first. Something was very wrong and he quickly followed the spirit deeper into the cave.

The small orb moved with a newfound sense of urgency, disappearing and reappearing at a rate faster than before. Murtagh just barely managed to keep up, the light of the sun quickly fading, leaving nothing but the spirit to light his way. He could feel the ground slowly decline, leading them deeper underground. Even Murtagh became unsettled at such profound darkness, running for what felt like miles, towards the center of the earth. No wonder Thorn had lost Halen's scent. The water masked it and, this far underground, it would be difficult to trace.

But soon, he heard a sound that did make his blood run cold. A human scream, one of immense pain. It was faint, but growing closer, louder. A chill ran down his back, and he broke into an impossible sprint. The screaming continued. It didn't seem to stop. His arms pumped at his side, his legs feeling too heavy. Not fast enough. He wasn't fast enough.

The ground shook again, but this surge was stronger. Several rocks overhead were dislodged, barely missing him as he kept pushing forward. But a sudden, nagging suspicion crept into his mind.

Another scream, one of someone who had reached their breaking point. He knew it well, and he had to tamper down his own dark and vivid memories. And the earth around him began to collapse, the ground shaking so horribly that it threw him off his feet, and he barely managed to stay upright, cutting his hands on the rough stone walls as he struggled to keep his balance. He was close, he could feel it in the way the magic pressed in around him.

Wild and untamed.

Raw.

This was not the magic of someone capable of building wards. This was the magic of someone who didn't know how to control it. Someone who may not have even known such power within them existed. And Murtagh had no doubt that this magic…this was unlike anything he had ever felt before.

He finally saw them. The spirit casting the only light in the expansive cavern, big enough to hold the Lethrblaka. And he froze. Froze, unable to speak. Because Halen was lying before him, and her hand…her hand was a mangled mess. No, not just her hand. Her arm, even her shoulder. The joints, the bones, dislocated or broken, twisted in an unsightly shape that made him want to throw up.

The Ra'zac either didn't notice or didn't care that Murtagh had arrived. What it did to Halen, Murtagh couldn't see, but she let out another heartbreaking scream, and he rushed forward, sword raised, to end her agony. Her body thrashed underneath the Ra'zac as she inhaled sharply and released another scream. The surge of magic that escaped her was the final, crushing blow. The Ra'zac cackled with laughter as it imploded, covering the ground in blood and gore as if pulled apart into thousands of tiny pieces. But that wasn't all. No, not even close. Halen was still screaming, her back arched as magic more than her body could contain was unleashed. It was enough to throw Murtagh off his feet, and the rocks around them exploded. He looked up, horrified, as the cave began to collapse, rocks piling in front of what would've been their way out. He barely managed to avoid getting knocked out, jumping to the side as one came down right where he had been standing.

He scrambled to his feet, rushing to Halen's side. He didn't recoil at the sharp smell of urine. It only added to his anger. Her condition was horrible, and he realized the Ra'zac had been in the process of mutilating her other hand, using pain of the worst kind to trigger her magic. And it had succeeded. But now there was nothing to undo the damage it had caused. Murtagh had to get them both out before they were killed.

"Stay with me, Halen," he grunted, picking her up under her knees, his arm under her shoulders. Her tunic began to fall away, and only then did Murtagh realize that she had been burned with seither oil. He felt his panic begin to grow. "I've got you now, just stay with me."

He kept repeating this, kept talking to her, hoping to keep her conscious. A sound stopped him, and he turned just as the ceiling overhead caved in, and water from above poured in.

Shit.

He threw himself against the wall of the cave, away from the heavy downpour of water as it slowly began to fill the space. He saw a staggering of rocks, high up enough to get out of the way of the water. He carefully moved Halen to his back, carrying her as Amon has carried him. Her breath was warm on his neck, but faint. He climbed carefully, dreading what should happen if he slipped. But when they were high enough, he laid her down before standing back up, using the height to examine the cave.

The water was rising, but already the flow was beginning to fade, for which he was grateful. But the tunnel he had used to get in was already filled with water, and he could not find another exit. Murtagh himself had no idea where they were in relation to where he had entered the cave and he hadn't been able to feel Thorn's mind so far underground. Could he climb out? With Hal it was too risky, but if there was another tunnel out, it was covered in water now.

"Mur…tagh."

He turned, surprise when she suddenly spoke. Something that was clearly a struggle for her to do. He took one look at her and knew. He dropped to his knees, cradling her head in his hands. "Don't speak, you need to save your strength."

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice breaking as tears filled her eyes. "Please. Tell Denu…I'm sorry."

"Tell him yourself. You hear me, Halen? Halen!"

But she didn't respond as her eyes fluttered closed. Murtagh lay his head on her chest. Nothing.

"No, no, no, no, no. Come on, Halen, hang in there for me." He closed his eyes and quickly spoke the words of the Ancient Language, transferring what energy he could spare to her. Although her injuries were severe, he had no doubt that the magic she had exerted as a result of her torture had put her body under unimaginable strain. He just needed to buy them a few more minutes. He could fix this. Right?

Thorn suddenly flew in and Murtagh was relieved that the dragon had been able to find them. There was no time for Murtagh to scramble onto his back, so Thorn carried them both in his claws, rising out of the cave. Halen was tucked under his arm as Thorn gently set them down on the warm grass.

In proper lighting, the full extent of her suffering was revealed to him. Both her hands were broken, mangled and twisted, along with the right arm. There was bruising on her cheeks and down her arms. Not to mention the seithr oil. He gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with fury that she had suffered so. Her injuries would take him hours to heal, and energy he did not have. But he would try. For Halen, he would try.

"Breathe, Halen."

Thorn watched with sad eyes as Murtagh performed chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth. What energy he gave should be enough. She couldn't be…he refused to believe it. Refused to believe that a woman who had dove off a cliff to save his life, had fought of a pack of lovuk to save Thorn, could possibly be dead.

The others came running, and Murtagh refused to break his stride as their cries of pain indicated that they knew what was happening.

Come on, Halen. Breathe, dammit.

Amon kneeled down on the other side of Halen, his expression unreadable as he gazed upon Halen's face. He pushed a strand of hair from her face, eyes filled with tears that ran down his cheeks and into his beard. "Come on, Halen. Not like this. Please, don't go. Not like this." Amon continued to whisper to her, as if she could hear him. And Murtagh's eyes widened with an idea.

Thorn?

I am here, young one. But tread carefully, it will not do any good to get lost in the confines of her mind if we lose her.

There was no precedent for what he was about to do, of that he was sure. But for whatever reason, he felt desperate. Like he couldn't allow her to die. Not here. Not like this. More of the world deserves to be captured by someone like you. He had meant every word in that letter. Seen such potential and life in her. And he was tired, so very tired, of those who deserved to live being the ones who suffered most. And he was tired of feeling like he was a helpless victim to fate.

Breathing carefully, he waited until he felt Thorn's energy meld with his own before he bent down at the waist. Amon moved back in surprise as Murtagh pressed his forehead to Halen's, touching her mind. It was empty and he pushed himself forward, careful, but very much desperate as he navigated the depths of what remained of her conscience. At first glance, there were no thoughts, no memories to sift through. No indication that there was any soul left to revive. Nothing at all.

Except…

Finally, he saw it, glowing faintly in the dark corners of her mind. It was weak, struggling to maintain its demure glow. But he inched closer, feeling his mind reach out to it. It shirked away from him and he gently touched it, opening his own mind so that it could see that he bore it no ill will. There was a discomfort at such exposure, a vulnerability that he had not expected. But he needed her to trust him. He needed her to reach out.

He recognized what remained as part of the energy he had given to her, part of himself in the hopes of keeping her alive. And it had, entangling itself with what little bit of her own life that remained.

Halen? Come to me, Halen.

He tugged on the tether, firm but gentle. To me, Halen.

Come back.

He continued to pull, hoping she could hear him. Hoping she would listen. Please…I'll do anything. Just spare her.

And then he felt it. Fingers, gentle and frightened, grip his hand.

He pulled even harder.

He didn't realize how tightly he was gritting his teeth. The strain this had put on his body. And he didn't care, because Halen's eyes flew open as she sucked in air, gasping and choking on it as her lungs reset themselves. Murtagh barely had time to register what had happened before the others were crowding around her, crying and laughing with relief.

He politely and quietly stepped back towards Thorn, his knees shaking as he struggled not to throw up. He closed his eyes, separating his emotions from the feel of Halen's, taking comfort at the familiarity of being back in his own mind where he belonged. Easy now, Thorn said gently. Just take it easy.

I'm fine, Murtagh breathed, realizing it to be true. He was exhausted, sure. Starving, and had little energy for himself. But she was alive. And he was so relieved that he didn't care about such superficial inconveniences. He dropped to the ground, leaning against Thorn for support.

He looked up and saw that Halen was watching him, deftly ignoring the others who crowded her. She looked like she wanted to say something, but thought better of it since the others would hear. She turned her head, staring up at the sky, breathing. Murtagh looked up, feeling compelled to do the same.