AN: I love Murtagh. He was the only good thing about the Eragon movie. Everything else sucked. Well, okay, the acting was good, but whoever wrote the script completely destroyed the plot. Sorry. Random. I should probably let you read this chapter now...But I have something else to add. I have been looking over my plot outline, and I have just realized that this is gonna be a LOOONG story. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! I hope you'll keep reading. :-)

Disclaimer: STILL don't own anything, please don't sue me.

Chapter Four
Birthday

She opened her eyes slowly, intensely aware of her aching head. Her vision was slightly blurred at first, but then Rhet came into focus. For a few moments, she couldn't recall what had happened, or why Rhet would be standing over her. Then she remembered the fall.

Rhet noticed that Taize's eyes were open. He looked immensely relieved. "Good, you're up," he said. "Ineb was working on you all night. He used to be a healer," he added in explanation. "Obviously he didn't have access to a lot of the things he used to be able to use, but at least he knew how to stop you from going into shock, and how to make a splint."

"Splint," she repeated slowly, uncomprehendingly. Her brow furrowed. "Why would I need a splint?"

"When you fell…" Rhet began, but Taize looked down at her legs before the could finish.

Her entire right leg was encased in a splint. "What happened to my leg?!" she screeched.

Rhet took a step back, as though he was afraid she would bite him if he gave the wrong answer. "You broke it," he responded timidly.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again. When she opened them, Rhet thought he saw a slight trace of fear.

"What if…What if they decide I'm not worth the time off, Rhet? What if they decide that…it's better if I'm dead?" By now there was a subtle edge of panic in her voice.

"They wouldn't," he assured her. "You've already been here for eleven years, and you have a lot longer left to live."

"Unfortunately," she grimaced. "And anyway, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly Alagaësia's best slave. I refuse to follow orders, I take days off—"

"Taize, you wouldn't let them kill you. You'd kill yourself first. Never mind that, you'll probably kill yourself anyway," he said matter-of-factly.

"Probably," she agreed cheerily. Then she became serious. "No. I wouldn't, Rhet. Not as long as you're here." Their friendship had evolved in the last weeks, and they were now extremely close. She gave him a rare smile, but he looked troubled.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, now worried herself.

"I'll…tell you tomorrow," he evaded the question.

"You'll tell me now." There was venom in her voice.

Rhet heard the dangerous tone, and he knew that she probably wouldn't hesitate to attack him, even with her broken leg, if he refused to reply.

"Well?" she prompted impatiently.

"All right, all right," he placated her. "I didn't want to ruin your birthday—"

"Wait," she interrupted, secretly hoping to put off any bad news herself. "Yesterday you said you had a present for me. What was it?"

"Pres—? Oh, yeah! I got it this morning."

"But you said you had it yesterday!"

"I did say that, didn't I? Well, I lied."

"So you have been learning something from me," she smiled. Then she sighed, exasperated. "Just give it to me!"

"Don't have a cow." He took something out of a pocket. It was an ordinary waterskin.

"Water? You got me water."

"Look inside."

She did so, and saw white liquid. "What is it?" she asked.

"You don't know?" he replied, dismayed.

"Rhet. I lived in the Hadarac Desert. We were lucky to be able to get water."

He blushed a little, but said determinedly, "It's called milk. It tasted really good," he added hopefully. "Just try it."

She looked at him skeptically, but she doubted it was harmful if Rhet had given it to her. Taize took a drink. Her eyes widened with pleasant surprise as the creamy white liquid made its way down her throat. "It is good. How did you get it?" Seeing his guilty face, she quickly said, "Never mind. I don't want to know. But…thank you. This is the first time I've gotten a birthday present in eleven years." She smiled again. Despite her broken leg, despite her not completely groundless fears of an early death, she was happier than she had been in a long time.

"Now," she asked, "what was it that you were going to tell me?"