Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story. (there...long Disclaimer wasn't it)

Attention to all my loverly fans: I will be starting another fanfic...yes, another. But this story will not lose my love. It's going to be a Harry Potter fanfic, so if you like romance/angst and you like HP, please check it out and review. I will be posting the first chapter or so in about a week. Any betas? Anyone? Any...one? ANYone? N...E...1?

A/N: Hullo all. Thank you for the few people (2) that reviewed the last chappy, I was disappointed that there wasn't more, but I realize that the 4th of July weekend is not the best weekend to update. I hope I get more reviews for this one. I know this sounds wierd, but I really need someone to flame me right now, so if you have something about this story that you think totally sucks. Please flame me. I won't get mad. Flames spark my creative motivation.

Can't wait till the Eldest comes out! Cheers to Christopher Paolini for all his hard work to try and put out the second book in such a short period of time.

I will try to update once a week.

Thanks,

Elvinwatchamajig

Ria walked unsteadily towards the campfire, she was still a bit shaken up and Vanilor hadn't come back yet. She was beginning to worry, because Vanilor hadn't responded to her frenzied calls. Murtagh was asleep, and Eragon was sitting cross legged by the fire. Saphira was gone. Ria supposed that Eragon had first watch tonight, meaning that she had second.

She sat down beside him and put her head in her hands.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Ahh, the famous rhetorical question. She thought sardonicly. "Bad dream." she mumbled into her hands.

"Oh."

She looked up at him. "Have you seen Vanilor?"

"Not lately...he left an hour ago. So did Saphira." Eragon shifted uncomfortably, placing his hand on his side.

"Are your ribs doing okay?" She looked worriedly at his grimacing countenance.

"Yeah, just a little uncomfortable, but they're healing."

Ria sighed, wondering if she should tell Eragon about her nightmare. She shuddered as she remembered Galbatorix's face. The blood. Vanilor. The cuffs against her wrist. It was so real. "Do you think someone could send you a dream?"

Eragon gave her a strange look, and shakily replied," I suppose so. Murtagh told you, didn't he?"

"Told me what?" Ria hadn't a clue what he was referring to.

He shook his head. "Uh..nevermind.Why do you ask?"

"I had this dream...nightmare really. Galbatorix was in it...I just wondered if it could have been sent by him?"

"It's possible. He is very powerful." Eragon looked into the flames of the fire, causing the light from the flames to illuminate his face. He looked tired, not just physically, but mentally. Ria supposed that she would too if she was in his place. She could see the sadness and grief in his eyes, and feel the pressure of the burden that he had to carry.

"How long have you been running?" Ria asked out of nowhere. "From the Empire, I mean."

"Atleast six months."

"Wow." She looked placidly at the ground. He needed sleep. "I'll take the rest of your watch, I'm not all that tired...besides, I get second anyway."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Don't worry about it."

"Thanks." He gratefully rolled out his bedroll nearby, and went to sleep.

"Come on Murtagh," Ria cooed as she waved a piece of meat in front of Murtagh's drowsy face. He pushed her hand away and grumbled. She got the hint. "At least I'm getting a response." She mumbled sarcasticly, shrugging. She popped the piece of dried meat into her mouth.

Murtagh rubbed his eyes and ran is fingers through his wavy, black hair.

"You're not a morning person, are you?"

"Shut up Ria." He grumbled.

Ria looked up towards the sky, still waiting for Vanilor. Saphira had come back hours ago, and Ria was beginning to worry about him. She couldn't stop wondering about her dream, and she feared that it would come true.

"Hey Eragon!" Ria shouted to Eragon, who was saddling up Snowfire. "Has Saphira seen Vanilor?"

He was silent for a little while, then yelled back, "Yeah. She said that he went ahead, and that he wanted us to leave without him."

Ria groaned, "Leave it to Vanilor to go off and not tell me."

She geared up, and let her hair out of the thong that she had it tied in. It was a little stiff, and she grimaced when she ran her fingers through it. She needed to wash it, but it wasn't too bad. Ria splashed some water into her hair and twisted her hair up into a knot, tying the thong around it. Ria froze as she looked at seven full canteens.

"Where did we get all these canteens from?"

"Those are mine." Murtagh said, putting his head near her shoulder. He gave her a crooked smile.

Murtagh seemed better towards her now. She looked fondly at his strong, handsome face, and into his intense brown eyes. She smiled. The smile disappeared almost immediately. He went to turn around. Ria instinctively grabbed his arm, "Wait."

Murtagh gave her a strange look.

She released his arm, "I just want to say I'm sorry for what I said yesterday."

"Ria, don't worry about it. What you said might have been a little true," He sighed,"but not totally. It is easier...but I just want to stop running."

Ria smiled, "I understand. I want to stop running, and I've hardly been on the run."

"I think I owe you an apology as well...I'm sorry for how I reacted. No one usually gets to me that way, and when they do, I react differently than from my usual self." He gave her a small smile, and returned to saddling his horse.

"Hey Murtagh." She called over to him a little while later. He looked up in aknowlegement. "What is your horse's name?"

"Tornac."

Ria smiled, "I like that."

He smiled knowingly.

--

Ria met up with Vanilor on the outskirts of the plains. She was relieved to have finally reach the end of it, but she also had a growing feeling of apprehension as they neared Gil'ead. She finally told
Vanilor about her dream, and he hadn't responded. Instead, he kept more to himself in thought. She tried to break through his mind barrier, but he constantly pushed her out. Ria decided that she couldn't wait for his advice, so she resolved to talking to Eragon and Murtagh about her leaving, and going a separate way. If anything did happen to her, she did not want it to affect them as well. Ria felt that it would be dangerous to get anywhere near Gil'ead, especially since it was a military based settlement.

She informed Vanilor of her decision, and he did not seem to desagree. It was actually apparant that he was contemplating the same idea, but he did not elaborate with her on it. Maybe his silence was the product of the same uneasiness that she felt.

It was about a day before they were to reach Gil'ead, and they had settled down and made camp. Eragon was unwrapping his ribs on the account that they were healed, and Murtagh was unsaddling his horse. Vanilor and Sapphira were resting a ways away, and Ria sat looking placidly at the fire. She soon felt Murtagh sit next to her, and open up his flask of water and take a long draught.

It was lately that he had taken to the habit of sitting next to her whenever they made camp, and Ria was getting used to it. They would often lay side by side and talk. When he was not around, she would talk with Eragon about swordplay, but he had never been well enough to challenge her to a match. He was also probably uncomfortable with challenging a girl.

She noticed Eragon getting up and drawing Zar'roc from his sheath. He said a small spell to dull the blade of the sword, and she knew he was ready to do challenge someone.