Roran reached the location of his farm and dropped his bag into the thin layer of snow. He gazed at the destruction as tears filled his eyes.

He had been sent by Horst to find anything that may have survived the fire.

Roran looked at the burnt scraps of wood and doubted whether anything could survive this. He kicked a piece of charcoaled wood with his foot and grimaced as it crumbled to pieces.

Under the layers of ashes, a sliver of blue caught his eye. He bent down and dug through the ashes until he found what he had seen. In his hand was a shard of Eragon's blue rock. It shined as it had the day Eragon brought it home, but to Roran this small little fragment of a stone was the reason his life had been nearly demolished. No father, no farm, all because of this little shard.

Roran vaguely remembered Eragon telling him that the stone could not be broken. Not even by their largest hammer.

Roran's thoughts were interrupted as a hand was laid on his shoulder.

He jumped slightly and plunged the shard into his pocket and turned to see Katrina staring at his with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Roran shook his head and pulled her into a ruff hug.

"This was not of your doing," he whispered into her ear.

"Do you hate him?"

"What?" asked Roran pulling away from her.

"I didn't mean-" she started afraid she had upset him.

"No, its okay. I just think it would have been better if he had never came into our family."

"You don't mean that." Said Katrina putting her hand on Roran's cheek.

Roran shrugged looking at the ground.

"Its fault my fathers dead," whispered Roran, feeling hot tears roll down his cheek. "Not the stupid stone, no it was Eragon."

"Its his fault I have no farm I have no home." He slammed his foot on the ground. "I have nothing to look forward to."

"You must put the past behind you." Katrina stood on her toes and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You still have me. I have to return home. Father may wonder where I have gone."

Roran nodded and watched as Katrina walked away.

He watched her until she faded from his sight.

Roran continued his search for anything that had survived the fire and found only a slightly cracked skillet and a melted sheet of glass.

Both of which, thought Roran, I could sell when the traders come.

Roran returned to Horst's house and quickly walked to the bedroom Horst had lent him. He dropped his bag at the foot of his bed and undid his boots.

Roran sighed and laid back into his bed. Closing his eyes Roran welcomed the sleep that overwhelmed him.

For the next two days Roran ran various errands for Horst and Elain. He bought their food and sold Horst's tools, and even helped Elain with her sewing. With his work finished, Roran approached Horst, exhausted. He handed him the profits. Horst thanked him with a nod of his head.

"You are tiring yourself." Said Horst gently. "You have just lost your whole family, it's understandable if you would like to rest a while. This works what we got my sons for."

Roran shook his head saying, "You have allowed me a place to stay, this is the least I could do."

Horst shrugged and returned to his work.

Roran walked past the kitchen intent on having some well-deserved sleep, when Elain stuck her head out of the kitchen door.

"Roran dear," she said softly, "would you like supper?"

Roran politely declined claiming that he ate at the market.

When Roran finally reached his room, he lay down and thought of what Katrina had told him the night before.

She was right, he decided, He has not lost Katrina, she was the one thing Eragon could never take.

And dwelling on that Roran fell asleep thankful for the one gift he had left.

Roran was stuck, cornered by the strangers in black. They were hissing at him taunting him. One held his father's head in his hands. The other raised his sword, the blade glinting in the moonlight and then-

Yelling, metal clashing, the silent swish of a black cloak.

Roran sat up in bed. Sweat was streaming down his face.

Shakily Roran got out of bed and groped through the darkness.

He could see a crack of flickering light from under his bedroom door.

Then Roan heard it again, yelling, this time he knew the voice.

Katrina!

He grasped the doorknob and threw it open, revealing Horst's youngest son, Albreich.

Albreich looked up as Roran ran by him. Albreich caught him on the shoulder and looked at him sadly.

"The strangers they are back!' he whispered, "They want you. You must leave! Father is waiting for you in the kitchen." Albreich held out his hand, and Roran took it.

"Have god's speed brother."

"And may your swords stay sharp."

Roran ran down the stares and into the kitchen.

Horst and Elain were in there backing a large bag with bread and cheese.

"Roran!" whispered Horst, "You must leave, the strangers-"

"I know! What about Katrina?"

Elain suddenly let out a dry sob.

Horst glared at her for a moment then turned to Roran.

"The strangers, Ra'zac they're called, they are searching all the houses. And when they got to your farm, well ol' Katrina tried to stop them, in fear that you were down there. The biggest one, it took a swipe at her but the gal ducked and it only scratched her arm. But then the Ra'zac told us they laced their swords with poison."

"What!"

"They are only offering the antidote if we give you up."

Roran's face was contorted with rage.

He clenched his fists together and punched the dry table.

"Then, if I don't give myself up, she will die?"

Elain shook her head.

"When Brom left, Elain and I went through all of his old books. There was a notebook in their about poison and their antidotes. We have found one other place you could get the cure for Katrina."

"Where?"

"The Varden."

"What!" yelled Roran, "I don't know were the Varden is located."

"Well," said Elain, "We think it is located in Sadura, the small country out side the empire. You must go there and tell them of you situation. We will hold on to Katrina for as long as possible. You must hurry, take this map. Bryer, the Farina's horse is waiting for you at the gates of Carvahall, now go."

"Thank-" Roran began.

"Go!"

And he did.

When Roran reached the gate, there was a milk chocolate horse with a black main waiting for him.

Roran was pleased to see a saddle and saddlebag already on the horse.

Roran leaped onto Bryer's back and galloped into the night."

Roran rode until Carvahall was out of his sight. He reached a dark forest and took out the map Horst had given him.

He located the small forest on the map and traced his finger to Sadura.

His heart sank as he saw the distance he had to cover.

Without warning, Roran felt a slight presence in his mind. As though another being was trying to contact him. Before Roan could react, something his him hard over the head. The last thing he saw was a strand of golden hair, corner of a black robe, and then darkness.

Ooooo, suspenseful! Tee hee! I hoped you liked it!