Alanna rocked Freoh, trying to ignore the others and get him to respond. The little elf girl sighed.

"I don't know what's wrong with you," she told him. "Why won't you smile?"

The baby didn't do anything.

She was beginning to get worried. Freoh had been perfectly fine, just yesterday.

Although she refused to admit it, Alanna missed Ellesméra. Even when the fire had reduced her beloved city to ashes, it was still her home. She missed being in the company of her own people – Vanir was no help, as he was bitter and sarcastic to everyone but Shay, and the Riders ignored her. The only person who noticed her was Rune, and sometimes not even her.

"I miss Duram," she murmured to Freoh. "He was my friend."

Freoh blinked sleepily, closing his glassy eyes.

"Rune?" Alanna said, "Is Freoh going to die?"

Rune looked up from her place on Eragon's lap – Bracken had left with Súndavar – and frowned. "I hope not."

"But what if he does?"

"Then I suppose there will be one less baby in the world," Rune said. "I'm not sure, Alanna."

Alanna blinked back tears and rocked Freoh more.

Eragon looked at Rune with soft eyes. She sent him sad hues of blue over their eternal connection.

The door opened, startling the group. Súndavar and Bracken came in. Rune quickly slipped off Eragon's lap. Súndavar's eyes burned.

"Kel says she'll find work for you tomorrow," Bracken said, cutting the younger boy off. "She wants to speak to you all, then decide where to go."

"We have to get back to the Va—"

Bracken crossed the room quickly and slapped a hand over Rune's mouth.

"Never say that. Ever. If Tabor hears you, you'll get Kel in trouble."

Rune nodded, and he let go.

Súndavar glared at Rune, sitting on Eragon's cot, from where he stood by the door.

Slut, he thought at her.

Jerk, she shot back.

Whore.

Idiot.

Wench.

Cutter.

They both stopped, and Súndavar burst out laughing. Rune followed quickly. Bracken blinked in incomprehension.

"Ignore us," Rune giggled. "Go on."

Bracken shrugged. "There's not much else to say. I'm a slave, but I'm in charge of you."

"Why? If you're a slave, how come you get to tell us what to do?"

"Because I'm Kel's lover," he said simply. "We're equals in all, except for the fact that she legally owns me. And I'm Elessari's son."

"The lady on the Var…counsel?"

"The one and only. Put simply, I'm like Kel. I'm like you. We're the warders."

"Part of the V—" Súndavar stopped himself. "Alright. So you're in charge. Do you know who we are?"

"I can only assume."

Súndavar grinned and flashed his gedwëy ignasia.

If Bracken was surprised, it didn't show. "I see. Then it's especially important we get you back where you belong."

Eragon looked at Bracken. "Thank you," he said.

"It's my job. I'll return for you at dawn."

With that, Bracken was gone.

Alanna looked at them all. "What are we supposed to do until he comes back?" she asked.

Rune got up off Eragon's cot. "We sleep," she said.

Alanna blinked slowly. "Alone?"

Rune smiled. "Eragon, help me with this," she ordered, pushing several cots together.

When Bracken returned in the morning, a rather unusual sight met his gaze. Eragon was next to Rune, who had Alanna on top of her, and Súndavar on the other side. Vanir's head poked from under the bed, mouth hanging open in a boyish expression. They looked like kittens piled together in a basket. A rather small basket.

He laughed quietly.

"Time to get up," he told them. "Kel wants to talk to you."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Everett woke to find Shay curled against him. Her breath was warm on his face. He wrinkled his nose.

"Get up, dragon breath!" he growled at her.

She blinked groggily up at him, then jumped away when she realized how close they were. "Why'd you roll into me?" she asked snappishly.

"I didn't," Everett grumbled, not in the least happy to have been woken. "Besides, what crawled into your mouth and died?"

"Your breath doesn't smell much better," she muttered, running her fingers through her hair to free up any snarls.

"Yeah?" he asked. "Well you snore louder than I do."

"At least I don't drool in my sleep."

"Nor do I."

Shay stuck out her tongue at him. "Do."

"Don't."

"Do."

"Oh, dragon's teeth!" he swore. "How can Vanir-the-elf-with-an-elf-name put up with you?"

"He manages. How does your lover put up with you?"

"Haven't got one. And I'm glad," Everett shot back.

Shay started laughing. Everett quickly followed.

"We're acting like children," Shay said.

"It's rather fun. You're a much better arguer than Tamara. All she does is scream at you and run away."

"Is she your sweetheart?"

"No. She doesn't trust me. Or anyone, for that matter. Maybe Robin, but probably not even him."

"So who is she?"

"Ca—"

"Shut up," Shay ordered, pushing him into the straw. "I'm hungry. When's breakfast?"

Everett grinned. "When you make it."

Shay's eyes widened. "Um, no. That's not a good idea."

"Why? Can't cook?"

"No. The last thing that I cooked for was my pet dog, when I was twelve. It died."

Everett laughed. "Come on, then. I'll help you."

He led her from the barn back into the house, then into the kitchen, where she had had her wrist bandaged.

"How's that feeling?" he asked, motioning to it.

"Well enough to hit you with," Shay replied good-naturedly. "I'm a fast healer."

"That's good. You can beat the eggs then."

Shay paled. "In that case, it hurts like hell."

Everett laughed. "Well, we'll have to get eggs first," he said. "Can you do that without dropping too many?"

"Come with," Shay said. "I'm not good around chickens."

"Who said anything about chickens?"

Shay soon found herself gathering eggs from several nests. The geese honked loudly at her, their roosts disturbed.

"Taten got them," Everett said proudly. "She left a trail of feathers, like a fox got them."

"Who's Taten?"

"One of us."

"Who are 'us'?" Shay asked, already knowing the answer.

"Can't tell," they chorused together.

Everett laughed. "You know something?"

"Huh?"

"I think I'm going to learn to like you."