Disclaimer: Don't own Eragon.

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The tomb was made from sandstone at the top of the hill, and Eragon had set a short inscription into the top out of respect. He and Saphira remained at the top, two mourners for one who deserved thousands. Murtagh had joined them briefly, but had left, feeling he did not merit as much of a mourner for one he'd known only in unconsciousness.

Instead he retreated into the cave, packing the provisions and belongings once more and tending to the girl. Her fever had receded slightly, but she was still unfit for travel. She would have to, however, if she did not want to be left behind while they fled the Ra'zac. Murtagh passed the time talking with her in her state of delirium. Her disoriented answers to his questions amused him somewhat. After a while, she began to walk aimlessly around the cave, fidgeting and muttering. He followed her to make sure she didn't hurt herself. Once she even pointed at a far wall, acting as if, Murtagh deducted, the mayor of Dras-Leona stood there. She even began to converse with a rock wall for a while, questioning it about what it would like for dinner. That was when Murtagh decided it was time to sit her down and keep her still.

"You need to stay here now," he said seriously as she giggled at him. "I am going to go out there," he pointed out of the mouth of the cave, "and get some food. I need you to stay here. Can you do that?"

"Can Meliana stay too? I don' like t'bee left alone," said the girl, pointing at a nearby wall. Murtagh nodded.

"Meliana can stay too. You both just stay here and talk. I'll be back in an hour. If you need anything, just ask Eragon. He's up the hill right out there," he said. The girl nodded, then began talking animatedly, yet disjointedly, to the wall. Murtagh watched her out of the corner of his eye as he strode to his gray horse and took his bow, walking out of the mouth of the cave into the woods.

Alycie brushed her hair out of her face as she continued to talk to Meliana, who sat smiling at her. She explained about how she had escaped the guards and hobbled all the way out of Dras-Leona into the plains. Her friend smiled still. It was as though she didn't even hear Alycie's words, though she heard them plainly herself.

"And then, I wandered for days and days on my own. That was when I saw that fire and the shadows got me," she said. "Then, I wake up and there was a man putting me on a horse. Then I thought I was back in the palace for a moment...and Garrick was there, but then I remembered that I had gotten out of the palace. Then, I woke up...I think it was yesterday, and that man was there, and so was Neal, the bard, and I found out the answer to his riddle, it was a bad alibi. And then, I saw a boy with brown hair sitting over him. Then the man from before, the one who just left, he talked to me for a time. And I thought I was dead, but I can't be. You're not dead, after all. And now the mayor was just here and he said I'm free and that you're free, isn't that wonderful?"

Meliana didn't answer. She just sat there, smiling that smile. Alycie frowned at her, placing her hand on her friend's forehead. It didn't seem warm. She shook her. The smile remained.

"Why don't you answer?" asked Alycie. "Meliana, why aren't you speaking? Talk!" She slapped her friend. The cheek turned rosy, but still her friend smiled, her eyes sparkling. Alycie rose to her feet, striking her friend again and again until her knuckles bled. Still the smile wore on. She pushed her friend to the floor, but gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Meliana had become Garrick, beaten and bruised, looking up at her with an expression of sheer misery.

"Why did you leave me, sister?" he asked, crawling towards her pitifully. "Why did you not stop? Why did you leave me in Dras-Leona? The soldiers found me, sister. Alycie."

"Garrick..." said Alycie, her eyes wide.

"Why did you not STAY!?" He was furious now, on his feet, his eyes flaming red as he roared at her. She backed up against the far wall, watching him advance with horror in her eyes. Pointed stakes appeared in his bloodstained hands and a fiery imprint was left where his feet hit the floor. She cowered by the wall, shaking with fear.

"Garrick..."

His teeth became long and pointed, scaly wings sprouting from his back. He became a black dragon, roaring and spitting fire terribly. Alycie grabbed a sharp rock lying on the floor, brandishing it threateningly. The dragon reared, preparing to strike. It turned, roaring, and flew away. Alycie looked to see the man from before running towards her, dropping his catch to the floor and knealing beside her.

Murtagh placed his hand on the trembling girl's shoulder, looking into her wide, scared eyes with concern. She seemed to be terrified, her entire body racking with shivers. She kept her eyes on him, breathing hard.

"Are you alright?" he asked. The girl latched onto him, burying her face in his shoulder. He put his arms around her awkwardly, stroking her hair calmingly.

"I'm sorry...I sorry...I sorry..." she was repeating in a quivering voice.

"Shhh, don't be sorry...you haven't done anything..." said Murtagh slowly. He sat with her for a few minutes until she calmed down, then set her on the floor while he plucked the two pheasants he'd shot down, cooking them and handing her a bite. She ate it slowly, staring into the fire all the while. Finally she fell asleep, and he returned her to her rock ledge on the side of the cave.

He slept as well, waking at early dawn to hunt. When he returned to the cave, Eragon had come back and was sitting on the cold sandstone floor, a scratched 'Why me?' in the dust next to him. Murtagh sat by him, dropping the rabbits he'd caught.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Very ill," replied Eragon. Murtagh surveyed him.

"Will you recover?" Eragon shrugged. There was a pause. "I dislike asking this at such a time, but I must know...is your Brom the Brom? The one who helped steal a dragon egg from the king, chased it across the Empire, and killed Morzan in a duel? I heard you say his name, and I read the inscription you put on his grave, but I must know for certain, was that he?"

"It was." Eragon's brow furrowed and he looked at Murtagh curiously. "How do you know all that? You talk about things that are kept secret to most, and you were trailing the Ra'zac right when we needed help. Are you one of the Varden?"

"I'm running away, like you," said Murtagh lowly. "I do not belong to either the Varden or the Empire. Nor do I owe allegiance to any man but myself. As for my rescuing you, I will admit that I've heard whispered tales of a new Rider and reasoned that by following the Ra'zac I might discover if they were true."

"I thought you wanted to kill the Ra'zac."

"I do, but if I had, I never would have met you," replied Murtagh. Eragon thought, and then reached out for Murtagh's mind to try and see his true intentions. His probing consciousness hit the heavily guarded one of Murtagh. He could not get through. Surprised, he called off the probe.

"Where is Saphira?" he asked.

"I don't know," said Murtagh. She followed me for a time when I went hunting, then flew off on her own. I haven't seen her since before noon." Eragon rose to his feet, heading for the mouth of the cave. Murtagh followed him. "What are you going to do now?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," replied Eragon. He stopped at Cadoc, pulling out a sword and strapping it on, placing his bow on Cadoc in it's place, then proceeded to go through Brom's belongings.

Murtagh retreated to the burnt out fire, relighting it and beginning to skin the rabbits. He would occasionally send glances over at the sleeping girl, checking that she wasn't in the same state as the day before. What had caused her to become so upset, he didn't know. Eragon joined him by the fire and he looked up, spotting the sword that hung at his side.

"That sword, May I see it?" he asked, cleaning his hands on his pants quickly. Eragon paused, and then nodded, handing Zar'roc to his companion. Murtagh examined it, a shadow crossing his face. "Where did you get this?"

"Brom gave it to me. Why?" asked Eragon. Murtagh shoved the sword back at him, breathing hard.

"That sword was once as well known as its owner. The last Rider to carry it was Morzan, a brutal and savage man. I though you were a foe of the Empire, yet here I find you bearing one of the Forsworn's bloody swords!" he exclaimed. Eragon looked shocked.

"Brom never told me where it was from! I had no idea it was Morzan's," he said.

"He never told you?" asked Murtagh incredulously. Eragon shook his head. "That's strange. I can think of no reason for him to have concealed it."

"Neither can I. But then, he kept many secrets. Even so, I'm going to carry it. I don't have a sword of my own. Until such time as I get one, I'll use Zar'roc."

"It's your choice," said Murtagh, resuming his skinning of the rabbits.

The meal was cooked quickly and Eragon took the bit that was handed to him, eating slowly. He watched as Murtagh walked over to the strange sleeping girl, shaking her gently awake and handing her some. He saw her begin to argue, but Murtagh must have convinced her somehow because she wolfed it down a moment later. He said something else to her, and then returned to Eragon, eating his rabbit. After the meal, Eragon stood up.

"I have to sell my horse," he said. Murtagh looked confused.

"Why?" he asked.

"Well, Brom's...not here...and he promised to take care of Snowfire, so I suppose I'll have to do it for him."

"No, I mean we are three travelers with three horses," said Murtagh.

"You can't be serious," said Eragon. "We're not taking her with us."

"We can't leave her on her own. I left her for not even an hour yesterday and when I returned she was cowering against the wall, horrified," said Murtagh.

"At what?" asked Eragon.

"That's just it, I don't know," said Murtagh. "She was just apologizing over and over."

"Well...when do we leave?" asked Eragon.

"As soon as we can," said Murtagh. "But she should be fit to travel now. She can walk, anyway. We'll ride with her on one of our horses for a while, and then we'll transfer her to Cadoc when she's in her right mind."

"We?" asked Eragon.

"Your ribs are going to take time to heal. I know you can defend yourself with magic, but you need a companion who can lift things and use a sword. I'm asking to travel with you, at least for the time being. But I must warn you, the Empire is searching for me. There'll be blood over it eventually."

"That's why I don't want her going," said Eragon. "But I don't care if it's just you an entire army is searching for. But you're right, I do need help. I would be glad to have you along, though I have to talk to Saphira about it. And I should warn you; Galbatorix just might send the entire army after me. You won't be any safer with Saphira and me than if you were on your own. And neither will the girl."

"I know that," said Murtagh, grinning. "But all the same, it won't stop me."

"Good," said Eragon. "But you realize that if the Empire gets her while she's with us it's because you made her decision?"

"I do," said Murtagh. "But she'd be in more danger if we left her here on her own."

"True. Get her on the horse," said Eragon. He walked out to talk with Saphira and Murtagh retreated to the corner of the cave, helping the girl to her feet.

"Was'ing on?" she asked.

"We have to leave the cave now," said Murtagh gently, leading her to Tornac.

"M'I going on th'orse?" asked the girl.

"Yes, you are going on the horse," said Murtagh, lifting her up into the saddle. He climbed up behind her, leading Cadoc and Snowfire along behind him. The girl blinked in the light when they reached the outside of the cave.

"S'bright," she said.

"Mmhmm," said Murtagh, calling Eragon over and asking about his conversation. Eragon told him what they had decided. "If you find this Dormnad and then continue on to the Varden, I will leave you," said Murtagh. "Encountering the Varden would be as dangerous for me as walking unarmed into Urû'baen with a fanfare of trumpets to announce my arrival."

"We won't have to part anytime soon. It's a long way to Gil'ead," said Eragon. "We should leave before the day grows any older."

"Are you strong enough to travel?"

"I have to do something or I'll go crazy. Sparring, practicing magic, or sitting around twiddling my thumbs aren't good options right now, so I choose to ride." He looked around, then back at Murtagh. "Go on, I'll be right down."

Murtagh nodded, leading the horses down the sandstone hill.

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