Author's Note: I was going over all of my reviews the other day...to this end, this chapter is dedicated to my first reveiwer of this series: lozers r us! She gave me my first review in Daughter of Earth and Sky. Hearts to you, Kittie

Rune opened Sundavar's door slowly, not wanting to risk being turned away if she knocked. She peeked around the doorway, holding her breath.

The sight that met her made her feel sick. The blood on Súndavar's wrist made her veins turn to ice, and her stomach froze. She gasped a tiny bit.

He noticed her and looked up. Surprise, then rage, then sadness crossed his features. Rune stepped fully into the room, shrinking against the door. "Please stop," she whispered, fearful. "You're hurting yourself."

Súndavar tossed the dagger on the bed. "What do you want?" there was a tired, wasted sorrow in his voice that made him sound old, spent.

She walked cautiously across the room and sat on the bed next to him, eyes locked on his wrist.

"You knew already. Why the surprise?" he asked, somewhat bitterly.

Rune shook her head in wonderment, voice frozen in her throat. I didn't see the blood. Súndavar, this is wrong.

He shook his head. "It feels right," he stated simply.

But it isn't. Heal it.

"I don't want to. It makes things go away."

Heal it.

"No."

"Heal it!" she screamed, finding her voice.

Súndavar jumped, surprised at her wrath. He murmured words under his breath, and the wound healed.

She let out a breath. "Súndavar, you can't do that."

"I can, and I have."

"But you shouldn't," her voice had returned to a disbelieving whisper. "Why?"

"Why? Why what?"

"Why are you doing that?"

Súndavar shrugged and laid back in the bed. "Because when life hurts me, it makes me forget."

"What has life done to you that's so horrible?" she asked, laying down beside him and touching his chest. Her fingers brushed over his collarbone, touching his scar, and he shivered in mixed delight and regret. He shouldn't have hit her…

He shrugged again. "Lexia's dead."

His voice was so casual, so nonchalant, that Rune pitied him. "Don't pretend it doesn't matter," she advised. "You can mourn. It's okay to cry and scream and throw things. Just don't hurt anyone. Yourself included."

"It doesn't matter," he denied lightly. "People die all the time, right? No big deal. She wasn't special."

Rune sighed softly, her breath like butterflies on his skin. "I wish there was something I could do to help you," she told him quietly. "But you won't let me in."

He turned to her, a new fire in his eyes. "Actually, there is something."

Rune stopped, her heart registering what he was doing before her mind could. He leaned closer to her, pausing for a moment as if waiting for a sign. Rune tried to pull away, but she couldn't. His eyes were locked on hers, as if she was hypnotized by them.

Their lips met, slowly at first. In that moment, everything became clear to Rune. She knew his pain, his anger, his frustration. All his bottled feelings rushed into her mind, sending waves of emotion down her body. His hands slipped around her waist.

Trust, anger, love, fear, Rune wasn't sure what she was feeling. Súndavar's mind was an open book, blending with hers in a weird and wonderful way. He was part of her, part of them.

She felt her hands sliding up his back, slipping his tunic over his head before she knew what was happening.

No.

Eragon.

She pulled away, breaking their contact and rolling away from him. "Súndavar, I can't."

His eyes flashed, but he said nothing. Rune retreated out the door, her heart still pounding. She let out a shaky breath.

She didn't stop running until she had reached Tialdarí Hall and could enclose herself in her room. She wanted to cry and sing and laugh and scream at the same time. In the end, she just went to sleep.

She dreamed of Eragon and Súndavar and Murtagh. They were dreams of confusion.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Shay felt strange, exposed without Thornessa at her side. She glanced around nervously, half suspecting enemies to jump out from behind the trees.

Calm down, she urged herself.

But she couldn't. Her heart was going like crazy, and her tongue felt like lead. Vanir looked at her in amusement, stripping off his tunic. His hands went to his belt, but Shay turned red.

"I forgot," he muttered. "Humans have a problem with no clothing."

Shay nodded, kicking off her boots. Her tongue was still tied, and she didn't trust herself to speak.

Vanir's muscles rippled in his chest and arms, making Shay go weak. He dove into the lake, splashing her with the cool water. Testing it hesitantly, she slipped in after him.

It's just swimming, she tried to give herself assurance. But it wasn't just swimming. It was swimming with Vanir.

He had asked her earlier that morning, after Rune had disappeared to talk to Súndavar.

Súndavar…now that was a kid who had problems. Shay pretended she didn't notice, but she had seen the slashes on his wrist, seen the way his eyes looked like glass.

Vanir splashed her, bringing her back to the present. "Everwood, if you want me to swim with you, listen when I talk."

Shay translated that as: Pay attention! I don't like being ignored.

She laughed and dove under the water. Her clothes hindered her some – she wasn't used to swimming with anything on – but she still managed to make it to the bottom of the deep part with some air left. Vanir was right behind her, stroking his arms powerfully. If he had been anyone else, Shay would have challenged him to a race. But she would have lost. And his ego was big enough as it was.

She tossed sand at him, watching it scatter and fog up the water. She pushed up off the bottom, shooting herself up to the surface. She broke the top of the water with a splash.

A few feet out from shore, there was a drop off. Shay stood on it, trying to see Vanir in the depths below. The water reached her knees. She couldn't tell where he was.

That probably wasn't a good thi—

The thought came a few seconds too late. Vanir came up under her, knocking her off the ledge and into the deep water. She gave a little scream of surprise. With his elf strength, he threw her several feet into the air before she splashed back down again.

She came up sputtering and laughing at the same time. There was a grin on Vanir's face, which was quickly replaced with raised eyebrows and a partially disgusted expression when she glanced his way. It made Shay laugh harder.

She levered herself up onto the underwater ledge and stood by him for a moment. Then, out of the blue, she pushed him in. It felt wonderful, and she couldn't help but give a whoop of pleasure as he splashed into the water.

He surfaced moments later and shook out his hair, sending droplets of water onto Shay's already wet skin. She thought the head shake made him look wonderful – boyish and ready to play. A thought which she immediately banished, of course.

Vanir launched himself at her – whether in anger or playfulness, Shay couldn't tell – sending them both flying into the water. They surfaced together.

He dropped her off at Tialdarí Hall when it got dark.

"I'll see you, Everwood," he told her.

Shay nodded. "Yeah. Goodnight."

"Dream of…whatever it is you humans say." He began to walk away, then turned and gave a half-hearted wave.

Shay smiled. Vanir was an idiot. A self-obsessed, cocky, smug, arrogant, haughty, annoying ass with an ego the size of the Beors. And yet…

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Súndavar looked at the dagger in his hand. As much as he hated to admit it, Rune was right. What we was doing to himself was wrong.

But…it felt so wonderful. It hurt, yes, but it gave him release.

He took a deep breath.

No more, he tried to tell himself. No more.

But Rune had pulled away. It had been perfect, until…

Súndavar understood why she had done it. It was easy to get carried away. He was a Rider, she a princess, and no matter how much he hated to admit it, she just wasn't ready. She had spent the night with both he and Eragon – Murtagh too, probably – but taking that slumber a step further was too much for her.

Besides, they couldn't afford to be distracted. There was a war going on, and they both had their parts to play. Not to mention her connection to Eragon…

Shadow?

Súndavar looked up at the dragon, who had landed in his nest-home, then down at the dagger.

Please don't do it again, Slate begged. But his voice in Súndavar's mind was hopeless, as if he knew that no matter how muhc he begged, the troubled Rider would do it anyway.

No. I won't. Súndavar tried to sound confident, in control, but he knew Slate could tell he was feeling terrible.

You want to, though.

Yes. But I won't. For Rune. And for you. And…and for Lex.

Slate blinked slowly, nodding his head. He wanted to say something of encouragement, but nothing came to mind, so he retreated back into his nest.

The night dragged on. Súndavar couldn't sleep, battling with his inner thoughts of worthlessness and anger. He laid on his back, staring at the ceiling with searching eyes, as if the answer was somehow held there.

It was past midnight when he heard her come in. Her bare feet made little padding noises on the ground, and her hair whisked around her shoulders like a shadow.

She slipped under the covers next to him, allowing his arm to slip around her shoulders and using it as a pillow. Rune tucked her nose under his chin. They lay like that for a while. Súndavar wanted to speak, but she shushed him wordlessly.

Go to sleep, shadow boy, she bid him, her consciousness making little ripples in his mind.

If I do, you'll leave.

She hesitated. No, I'll stay. I promise.

All night?

I suppose. Go to sleep.

That was one command Súndavar was willing to obey. He slipped into darkness, the feeling of her in his mind.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Go.

Thorn looked hesitantly at Shruikan. Was this a test?

What?

I said go.

Thorn spred his wings to take to the sky, but Shruikan held his tail with a claw. You're foolish to attempt this by yourself.

It has to be done, Thorn told him unsurely. He wanted to help Rune, but this would be dangerous.

Shruikan nodded and smiled. That's why I'm going with you.