Author's Note: Thanx SOOOO much you guys for the characters you sent me. I've made my choice as far as the person Rune's traveling with, but keep sending! If I didn't pick your character for this part, I'll most likely put them in later (as a minor part, unfortunately. I'd love to use all your characters as main people, but then my story would be far too confusing and crowded! Hope you don't mind…) Also, I would prefer if you either PM or email me your characters, rather than insert them in reviews…It just makes it easier for me. Remember, I choose characters on originality and creativity!

Hearts to all,

KittenofShadows

Rune rode into town, feeling utterly exposed and watched. Her palms were sweating. She was sure everyone in the town could see right through her disguise.

She hadn't wanted to stop in Melian at all, for fear of being arrested. What if Galbatorix had a poster of her up, like he had one of Eragon? But, as much as she hated it, she had run out of supplies. It was either take a risk or starve, and Rune had chosen to take her chances.

Her pointed ears had been disguised by a thick band of fabric tied around her forehead, keeping her hair from her eyes and her ears tight against her head. They weren't even noticeable, as she had then covered them with hair.

Rune's heart was punding so hard she was sure everyone from here to Uru'baen could hear it. She took a deep, cleansing breath, trying to calm her racing nerves.

Before she knew where she was going, Rune had stumbled into the town square. Unbidden, her eyes flew to the message board. She let out a sigh of utter relief—her picture was nowhere to be found.

"Get out of the way, lass!" someone screamed at her. Startled, Rune drew back to the edges of the square.

The market square was crowded with people. Some sort of sale was going on. From her place high on Eridor's back, she could see an ugly, brutal looking man talking to the people. Suddenly a line of children was paraded in front of him. All in chains.

Rune gasped. "What's going on?" she hissed, horrified. All the children were scared, their eyes haunted. She brought a hand to her mouth, eyes wide.

"Haven't you ever seen a slave market before?" scorned a man, scowling at her stupidity.

Stricken, Rune dismounted, bidding Eridor to stay put. She pushed her way through the crowd, trying to get closer to the terrible sight.

"Fifty crowns!" called the man, holding up the arm of the youngest girl, a skinny blonde who couldn't have been more than five.

Rune recoiled with revulsion. Eridor had cost fifty crowns. Certainly a girl, a human being was worth more than a horse, as great as he was. The little girl was crying, begging. The man hit her, causing her to slump against her chains, out cold. Rune felt sick.

Trying to get away, she darted through the crowd. Soon she had reached the back of the market square, near the slave pens, where no one else went. Children with scared faces and grubby hands watched her with terrible, hating expressions from behind the bars of their wooden crates.

Rune could feel tears streaming down her cheeks. This was the real world? This mixture of terror and perversion? She wished she had never left the castle. She could have lived a thousand lives without seeing this. What was happening here was wrong.

Clamping her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming, Rune ran. She wanted to go home. Home to Murtagh, and Ilian the cat, Thorn, and even Shruikan. Home to her sheltered life where nothing could hurt her.

"What are you doing, boy?"

Rune stopped running, turning to face the voice. "I'm not a—" she started, until she realized it wasn't her being addressed.

Fire burned in her heart from what she saw. The ugly man had singled out a boy, perhaps a bit older than her. What had he done?

"Get back in your pen!" roared the man, hitting him across the face. "You know what happens to troublemakers!"

Rune was sure she didn't want to know what happened to troublemakers. The boy wiped blood from his mouth, spitting in the man's face. Good job! Rune's heart called.

Fists clenching, Rune took a step towards them. Her rage gave her courage. The sick feeling in her gut had turned to anger. "Leave him alone!" she screamed, running to stand in front of the boy, who was on his knees from the blow.

"Out of my way, lass," the man growled. "That there is my property, and I'll not have you messing with it."

"That there is a person!" Rune spit, feeling her hand snake towards Fricai at her side. The dagger felt strong and dangerous.

Darting forward, Rune forced the dagger into the man's gut. His eyes bulged, making him look like a distorted frog.

Rune's mouth felt open, drawing her hand away quickly. His blood was hot and sticky, coating her fingers. Her heart stopped beating, time slowed to a sickening halt. She was frozen, looking at it.

Fortunately, the boy wasn't. He grabbed her arm, dragging her back towards where Eridor was tethered with some other horses.

Rune mounted Eridor quickly, while the boy jumped on a gray mare tied up near him. Rune undid the roped with nimble fingers, trying not to think that those fingers had just killed someone. For he was surely dead by now.

"Come on!" the boy cried, spurring his horse into a gallop. People screamed as the two teenagers cut through the crowd, and out through the city gates before they could be closed.

"Stop Them!" "Murderers!" "Horse Thieves!"

From his castle, far away, Galbatorix scryed them. His mouth curled into a deadly smile.

"Not such a dove anymore, eh Shruikan?" he asked, stroking the dragon's nose.

Shruiken blew a little jet of green smoke, letting it curl around the mirror. She's become quite the little devil.

Galbatorix laughed. "Yes, quite the devil indeed."