Súndavar slammed his fist into the wall, then cursed as pain seared into his knuckles.

He flopped on the bed forlornly. He should have been happy. Rune was awake. Everything would be perfect. He could hold her and tell her everything. He would apologize to her for breaking his promise and having feelings towards Lexia, and she would forgive him. They would be happy.

Except…

She had kissed Eragon.

It wasn't fair!

Rune was his. He had met her first. They had watched each other's backs, kept each other safe before Eragon had even come into the picture. He had slept at her side before she had even heard Eragon's voice.

That…that betraying, double-crossing, cheating…whore! he screamed in his mind. That was all she was. Not special. Just a stupid girl. Girls were just a distraction anyways. He didn't have time for them, now that he was a Rider

Don't be mad at her, Slate begged.

"How can't I?" Súndavar growled. "She…she kissed him! You saw her, just the same as I did!"

Eragon moved first.

"But she let him! She…"

Ugh! This wasn't fair. Not at all.

"I hate her," he hissed. "I hate her."

He grabbed the dagger out from under his pillow again. If Rune didn't want him, he didn't care. It didn't matter.

Slate's eyes widened. No, Súndavar. Don't.

Slate never called him Súndavar.

"Why? You don't care. All you care about is Saphira."

That's not true.

"It is. You spend all your time with her. It's always, Saphira this, or Saphira that."

No it isn't. I care for you. We are one.

"Whatever." Súndavar ignored the dragon's protests. He placed the dagger over his wrist, making a clean, swift cut. The pain stung him. But it felt good. It gave him a release. He could lose himself in it. There was no Rune, no Eragon or Shay or Arya. Not even Slate. Just himself, and the pain.

The cut healed, leaving a thin, spidery scar. Slate snatched the dagger from him with a claw. No.

Súndavar met his eyes bitterly, before turning away. The dagger broke in two under Slate's ivory claw.

I'm worried about you, Shadow.

"Worry about someone else."

Rage flared in Slate's eyes. You are my Rider, I your dragon! A burst of pain came over their connection, Slate's anger personified. You shall stop this!

Súndavar said nothing. He turned over. "I'm going to sleep."

No more stunts. Do it again and I'm telling Oromis.

"You wouldn't dare!"

I would. And I'd tell Eragon too.

Súndavar bit back a remark, pulling the blankets over his head. "Leave me alone."

You are never alone. I am here.

"Yeah? Well go away."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Rune glanced wildly around her, her heart beating fast in her chest. The trees reached out their scraggly limbs, clawing at her dress and her hair like they were alive. She screamed, trying to escape their thorny embrace.

Eragon!

But the Rider couldn't save her this time. Her shoe got caught in mud. She abandoned it, ducking under and around branches.

She had to get away.

What was she running from? She wasn't sure. This enemy was only in her mind. In the end, she knew it would catch her.

Suddenly the trees cleared. She was in a dark emptiness.

Rune…

Something called her name. She tried to scream, but nothing came.

Yellow eyes stared at her.

Dragon eyes.

Rune, they said. Rune, Rune, Rune…

Rune pulled away. She found herself falling, falling into darkness. Her green eyes were wide with fright, but there was nothing to see. The darkness was complete.

Rune…

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Rune screamed, shooting out of the linens that were folded gently around her body. For a moment she thought the darkness from her dream had followed her.

No…she calmed herself. It was night. That's it. It was night. Everything was fine.

Beside her, Eragon stirred. Her eyes began to adjust. It wasn't so dark anymore. The moon shone in the window, and the night sky was navy, rather than black. She calmed her racing heart.

Eragon blinked groggily up at her. Rune? Are you alright?

Rune sent a rainbow of affirmative colors into his mind and tried to settle in next to him again, but she couldn't find a comfortable position. She slipped out of bed.

Rune, where are you going?

Rune shook her head. Nowhere, Eragon, she told him with her mind. She staggered against the bedpost for a moment, then grabbed her boots. Slipping into them, she shot Eragon a smile. Fresh air, that's all. I'll be back soon.

Eragon rolled over, content to go back to sleep. Rune left the room silently, leaning heavily on the wall all the way down the stairs. Her muscles ached by the time she reached the ground, but she was determined to carry on. The only way to get stronger was to push herself.

She glanced back at the stairs, thinking of Eragon, sleeping in his bed. She smiled softly, remembering the way she had awoken with him at her side, earlier that evening. They had talked in each other's heads for hours. Even so, he had changed. Rune could tell that nothing would ever be the same. Things would never return quite to 'normal'.

But…what was normal?

Normal…the very word scared Rune. It seemed so planned, set it stone. Normal was an illusion. There was no normal.

Get a grip, she told herself. Her mind was seriously wandering.

Perhaps it was a good thing. It kept her from thinking about the burning of her muscles.

She walked a few more paces, before pausing to lean on a tree.

Behind her, a twig cracked.

Rune spun. "Who's there?" she managed. Her tongue felt thick in her mouth, but the words came out steadily.

A steady, yellow gaze met her own. Rune gasped, stumbling and falling on her butt. Her eyes widened. They were the eyes from her dream…

Rune.

A dragon's voice. She felt a sucking at the air, heard a snuffling noise, as if the dragon was sniffing her.

You are Rune.

She was too dumbstruck to speak. She had been sure…there was only three dragons alive. Saphira, Thorn, and mighty Shruikan. But this voice was none of them. It was husky, but young.

The dragon arched his head into the shaft of moonlight. He nudged at her stomach. You live! You aren't sleeping!

He was large, nearly Saphira's size. The long, thin scales that overlapped like armor on his neck and belly were emerald green, while the rest of his scales were black. A trickle of black smoke snaked from his nostrils. He nudged her back to her feet gently.

Shadow will be so happy.

Shadow…the little shadow boy. Son of Not There Man. The one with the scar, from her dream memory. Her mind made the connection quickly, almost before she could register the name.

"Súndavar…" the name left her lips, unbidden.

Who was Súndavar? She…couldn't…remember…

Slate!

A new voice. Her memory sparked when she heard it in her head. From the darkness, a boy materialized.

He took one look at her, then turned away, ready to stride back into the depths beyond the moonlight.

"Wait! Súndavar?"

"What do you want?" his voice was accusing, hard.

"You are Súndavar, aren't you?"

"Great. Now you don't even remember me. Suppose that's for the best, eh'?"

Rune stepped back, stung. "I…I don't know what you are talking about."

"I'm talking about you and Eragon."

"Me?" Rune looked at the ground thoughtfully. "And Eragon?" Why would he have anything against her and Eragon? She couldn't remember…

"Yeah. And about that kiss."

"Kiss?" Rune paused. "Oh. That one."

"Oh, are there more I should know about?" his voice was spiteful, as if he hated her.

"Don't be mad at me," she said softly, pulling away. She didn't like his anger. It made her feel strange, guilty. Had she done something wrong?

"You kissed him," Súndavar accused. "And you're asking me not to be mad? That's low."

Rune's mouth fell open. "I don't understand."

"It's not fair," he grumbled. "You slept beside me, don't you remember? I knew you before Eragon."

"Life isn't fair," she whispered. He had no right to be angry at her. What did he know anyways? And what was the big deal about Eragon kissing her? Why did it mean anything to him?

"It should be. Why don't you remember?"

She shook out her hair, stepping dangerously close to him. Lightning fast, she kissed him. Instead of her body feeling soft, she was rigid. She pulled away before Súndavar could do anything.

"Now you're even with Eragon," she spit. "Fair enough?"

She strode away with a strength she didn't feel. Who did he think he was? He couldn't just show up and tell her how to live.

But…somewhere inside her, there was a voice. Her own voice.

Don't be mad at him, it called. He's hurt. And he's right.

Rune didn't know what the voice in her head was. Her conscience, perhaps? She shrugged it off.

Wait.

Súndavar…the boy with the scar…Copper Girl…Cithrí…the snake charm…"Owe you this…gave it to me…"…the slave boy…Raz'ac…"Never take another…I promise"…promise…promise…

Memories flashed in front of her eyes, startling her.

Súndavar!

She turned back to apologize.

But Súndavar and the dragon were gone.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Exactly where are you going?

Thorn glanced behind him in surprise.

Shruikan clicked his claws on the marble floor, fixing his eyes on Thorn's. We have much to discuss.

MURTAGH!

That Rider…

He was going to get it.

It had been his stupid idea in the first place.

Sullenly, Thorn followed Shruikan without a word.