Hey again people! This is going to be one of the shorter chapters. But I have good news. The next chapter after this one is about twenty pages long. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 11: Gone

Marie was shaken awake by rattling around her. She opened her crusty eyes to find herself in a cell. Dull grayness surrounded her and hard scratchy floor shakened her some more.

Hours seem to pass by when the cell gate finally opened. Marie stood on shaky legs and walked quietly to the cell door to look out. Two men were carrying a woman who was walking partly and then being dragged the other part.

She was looked awful, with wounds all around on her. The woman looked into Marie's eyes as she passed by and Marie saw them glitter with hidden fire. As a man shoved the woman's head back, her black hair flew in her face revealing two pointed ears.

Marie gasped. An elf! Wherever she was, she was being held prisoner with an elf! Marie sat quietly, thinking why she was here when she slapped herself mentally. She's a Rider! Oropher!

Panicky, Marie reached out to him but was taken aback with a fuzzy mind. Even more frightened, Marie picked up a pebble and tried to make it hover. Fear etched at Marie's throat when she realized she couldn't remember anything.

Marie breathed a shaky breath. She was in trouble.

Eragon and Saphira were flying high in the sky. They had been up there for hours talking about everything and then some. Eragon also wanted to annoy Brom a bit.

As they flew into camp, Eragon felt uneasiness in Saphira.

What's wrong? He asked.

I can't sense Oropher's presence anywhere. Marie is gone too. Saphira's voice entered his mind with a worried tinge.

They landed in the camp. Cadoc whinnied shrilly and stamped and tugged at the rope. Eragon calmed him and then swept his eyes over the camp. It was the same as usual except that any sign of Marie and Oropher ever being there was gone.

"What the-" Eragon was cut off by the pounding of hooves. Brom entered the camp on Snowfire with a bunch of supplies in the saddlebags. He, too, looked over the camp sight with shocked eyes.

"Where could she be?" asked Brom as he tried to contact Oropher and Marie.

Eragon felt his heart racing. How would Marie have not left any tracks? Where would they go? Were they ok? Why…would they leave?

Eragon began searching the sight for any little sign. Suddenly a piece of parchment caught his eye. It was tied to Cadoc's saddlebags.

Saphira! There's something on Cadoc! Eragon's yell pierced through so loud, Snowfire and Cadoc neighed uneasily and a bunch of birds were scared out of a nearby bush.

Well pull it out! It could be important! Saphira had never sounded more anxious.

Eragon swooped down apon Cadoc who reared and grabbed the parchment. It was folded tightly and gave Eragon some trouble as he unraveled the piece.

He was stunned as he was met with Marie's neat, knowing handwriting. Brom came and looked over his shoulder as Eragon began reading, his heart sinking lower and lower:

Dear Companions,

I do not wish to linger with you any longer for fear that I am slowing you down. I do not wish to endanger you anymore and will resume with my training on my own in hiding. My dragon and I are currently on our way to a nice spot that my parents told me about before they were murdered. I wish you the best of luck on the rest of your journey.

Sincerely,

Marie

"This can't be true…can it?" asked Eragon, choking out the words. In the beginning, he had felt somewhat protective over his job as a Rider. Then he realized the bonus of having another Rider in his same dilemma: Unsure of what side to choose. Just fighting in hopes of revenge and survival. He had also really enjoyed the company of someone his age. Brom was really nice and taught him many things but Marie was there for a good laugh. Why would she leave?

Brom was silent for a moment. "I'm afraid it can be and probably is."

Eragon looked at Brom incredulously. "Are you serious?"

Brom stayed quiet. Eragon shook his head, eyes wide. "Do you mean to tell me that Riders used to just get up and walk away from all they've been asked to do? They just disappear?"

"It's been heard of," said Brom, the look of despair crossed his face. "And before Galbatorix rose…it was one of the few ways Riders got themselves killed."

Eragon began pacing. "This-this-this is unbelievable! She can't-"

"She can…" said Brom. "We cannot choose what path Marie and Oropher should go…"

"But-they could be killed!" yelled Eragon.

Eragon. I know what you are thinking. We cannot do anything rash. Brom speaks the truth. We can't stand in the way of what Marie and Oropher decide to do. Saphira's advice was usually welcome to Eragon but he ignored her and began to think of ways that Marie might've been kidnapped or something other than leaving on her own. He didn't want to believe that she left them because she wanted to.

"She didn't leave any tracks! Nothing! The camp was swept clean of even our tracks. Why would she do that?" demanded Eragon.

Brom's lip twitched. "She used magic. Obviously she felt that if she cleared the entire place, the easier it would be to let her go. After all, she left no trace of her being here."

Eragon wracked his brain for all of the little he knew. He snapped his fingers with delight. "What about her note! A lot of things were fishy about it! Like the beginning. 'Dear Companions'. She would have wrote dear Eragon, Brom and Saphira."

Brom sighed and rubbed his brow. "You are forgetting that this girl has a brain. She didn't put our names in there for safety precautions. Cadoc could've easily been stolen in between the time she left and we came back. She was smart. Who knows what danger could've befallen us if our names had gotten to the wrong person?"

Eragon shook his head. "Then why did she put her name in there and the fact that she owns a dragon?"

"Anyone would think she's lying. Galbatorix had no idea that there was another egg out there. The only other egg out of the Empire that was known of was Saphira's egg. Galbatorix has the other two. Marie is actually pretty well off. She doesn't even have cousins to be threatened with. She has nothing," said Brom sounding very tired all of the sudden.

Eragon sat down on an old log.

"Yes she does," he muttered softly. "She has us."