"-mila."

"Samila."

"Saaamilaaaa." Poke.

"Wake up, dammit!"

"What…holy toadsniffers."

She was sprawled sideways across a saddle in front of Murtagh. Curse him. More importantly, she was thousands of feet up in the air, sprawled sideways across a saddle in front of Murtagh. Curse him even more.

"Samila?"

'Shut up. I'm still cursing you."

"Okay then." Silence. "You done now?"

"Pretty much."

"Great." More silence.

"Where are you taking me? What are you doing? Why are you doing this? What's going on?"

"You know, I think I liked it better when you were cursing me. Can we go back to that?"

"Shut up and tell me."

"That's very contradictory."

Samila attempted to kick him and nearly fell off Thorn. First he's Mister Solemn and cold, king of of hit innocent girls over the headland. Okay, so maybe she wasn't the greatest at making names. But were did this happy side suddenly come from.

"Are you drunk?"

"No."

"Just checking."

"Well gee, thanks for caring. Pfft."

"Anytime. Care to answer my questions now?"

"Right. I suppose I have to explain about the dragons and all." The dragon. Damn.

"Where is he!" Samila struggled to see around Thorn's steadily moving wings, sliding forward in the process.

"Calm down. He's fine and sleeping in the saddlebag.." A strong hand pulled her up into a sitting position, sending pangs of pain lancing through her head.

"I hate you."

"Great. Right then." He sighed. "Remember how I was acting in the castle after the meal?"

"You mean with the chip on your shoulder the size of Alagaesia?" Thorn snickered.

Thanks.

"Something like that."

"I don't see why you were so grumpy. I mean, it's a great plan! Didn't you hear him! Cities, riders, all that-"

"Are you done?" Samila huffed, but fell silent. "Anyway, what you heard then was a lie. Cities? Plenty of them. All oppressed by the king. He'll rule the land with an iron fist. The riders will all be evil, corrupted."

"You're a rider, too," she pointed out. Murtagh chuckled softly.

"I may be the most corrupted of them all."

The two were silent for the next few minutes. Finaly Samila asked,

"So were are you taking me?"

"Were Galbatorix can't find you, and were he can't reach your mind. There's a slight problem though."

"Problem?"

"He can read my mind, so if I know were you are, he can find you."

"How's that going to work out?"

"Um….well, I'm going to drop you off in the desert."

"What!" She looked uneasily downward, and already they were above sand. Samila glanced back, but there was no sign of the scrubland they had been on before. "Why?" Thorn began the descent. "Stop!"

"Look, will you just listen?"

"I'm listening, just not believing. Come on, he's the king. And you're-"

"Some random guy who pulled you out of the water and threw you into a world of weirdness. And I'm about to dump you in a desert. I get it."

"Okay. I'm listening."

"Fine. I want you to go and find Surda, The Varden, or the elves. Whatever comes first."

"Which means Surda, right?"

"Maybe. How would I know."

"Please. The Varden is just a legend. A nonexistent group that people made up some hundred years ago. And the elves are gone. Dead."

"Idiot. The Varden are real, okay? The elves are alive, they are just in hiding. How isolated are you?"

"Who's isolated, Mr. I Live in the Palace all by my lonesome?" Thorn sneezed.

I resent that.

"Sorry. I meant human company."

Dragons are far better than humans, thank you very much.

"I guess. Depends on the personality."

Hmph. There was a slight jolt as he landed. Murtagh jumped down and offered a helping hand to Samila.

"I don't wanna go." There was a pleading tone to her voice.

"You have to. It's either that or end up like me."

"But you're nice. Sometimes."

Thorn had apparently grown tired of their arguing, as he snaked his snaked upward and wrapped it around her waist, firmly depositing her in the sand. Murtagh unload a haversack and handed it to her.

"Right. The supplies with last you a while. The dried meat is for the dragon. Speaking of which," he clambered up Thorn's back and reached into a saddlebag. The dragon squeaked in protest as it was rudely awakened and lifted out. Murtagh deposited him in Samila's arms.

"There you go. Remember, Elves, Surda, or Varden."

"W-" He was already on Thorn, and dragon was taking off.

"Look for Eragon," he called, "And tell him hello for me. I may not ever be able to myself."

"M-" she was temporarily lost for words, but the sight of him leaving her was enough to bring the power back. "Murtagh, when I get out of here I will hunt you down and strangle you!"

But he was already gone.

Samila swore loudly, kicking at the sand.

"Great. Leave me in the Middle of the Desert. And thanks for telling me where to go. Navigating will be so easy. I think I'll just mosy on over to the Elves and the Varden and tell that that Murtagh says hello to someone named Ergoom. What a dumb name. Sounds like a mutant plant." She glanced over at the dragon, who was eyeing the sand with distaste. "My thoughts exactly." Hefted the haversack, she set out at a brisk walk, the opposite way from that they had come from.

It was not long before Samila came to hate the Desert and everything about it even more than she had previously. Her moccasins were filled with sand, and every time she set her foot down, in sank into the grain uncomfortably. Thus, her main pastime was swearing at the ground and telling it all of the terrible things she would do to it when she was out, although many of them sounded completely ridiculous. Foul-tempered and tired, she glared at the dragon, who was sleeping comfortably in the crook of her arm.

"Oh yes. Thanks for making me carry you around all day while you catch up on your beauty sleep. Dumb animal. I don't see why I ever bothered protecting you in the first place. Then I wouldn't be in this mess. It's all your fault, you know." The hatchling opened one eye and yawned before going back to sleep.

Sorrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! I didn't write all summer when my school laptop was taken back, but now I have it again, and I'll update more often, I promise! –bow- -bow- thanks for all the reviews you've given me even though I wasn't writing. Stab me now. –bangs- head against table-