Eragon and Katrina slowly began walking back down the hillside. Katrina had diamond tears falling from her crystal eyes. She wasn't really so much upset that Saphira was gone; but that her fiancé was dying and they were in the middle of no where's vile without a ride out.
As for Eragon, well he was beating himself up that he had let it get this far. Saphira had never had someone hate her so thoroughly. And he felt so stupid for not being able to convince Katrina how good Saphira was. He was constantly trying to contact Saphira.
He was so caught up with fighting her solid walls, he wasn't watching his step. He stumbled over a log, cursed, and then looked to see where their camp was. It wasn't far, but something was wrong. Nothing was out of place, but it was what Eragon didn't see that worried him…
"…Katrina, where's Roran?" he said as a lump grew in his throat.
"What do you mean? He was right here-wait, what?" she looked around. There were signs of where he'd been laying-and drag marks leading away from it. "Shade's blood! Where is he? Oh no! This is all my fault!" Katrina said in panic as she burst into a new cascade of tears.
Eragon paid no mind to her. He thought he knew what happened. But he hoped not. He focused hard on the drag marks. There was something about them- something familiar… something he saw often. He looked around. The trees were missing may branches. Way back when, this would not have been odd. But now, Saphira had learned to be able to enter a forest without disturbing a single leaf. As her adolescent form matured, she became able to maneuver with the ease and grace of an elf. This was not her work.
He bent over next to a track; carefully observing the area. The ground was littered with deep gouges only flying beasts and dragons made. The depressions were much shallower and had a greater diameter; as if they held a lighter creature. Not only that, but Saphira rarely landed. There was less chance of being caught if she only landed in a couple places. And this area was not one of them. Plus the marks were fresh.
"Let's move." Eragon said, coming to his decision about the tracks.
"What?" said Katrina as she wiped away a tear
"I said let's go. We need to get in a more sheltered spot."
"My fiancé, your cousin, is out there somewhere…dying…and all you can think about is yourself?"
Eragon sighed. "Listen Katrina. Do you really think he just got up and moved on his own? Take a good look at these," he said, gesturing to the tracks and drag marks. "Where else have you seen them? A dragon has been here. That or a Lethrblaka. Better hope it's the latter. Though it wouldn't surprise me if Galbatorix himself heard you, the way you were yelling. Why, Murtagh is less then a quarter of a league from here. You don't think he heard? And what's worse, you went and scared off Saphira. Or rather insulted her off. Congratulations, Murtagh may just catch us after all." Eragon poured out all his frustration and anguish in these words.
It was no surprise that Katrina wanted to cry at these words. Who wouldn't? She had just been slapped in the face by worlds; pulled out of her reality and into the real reality. What have I done? She thought on it as Eragon silently lead her down the path, through a dense patch of forest.
It started to mist gentle drops of water. Eragon kept moving though. The rain was so chilling; it made Katrina shiver a bit. Eragon wasn't cold. He'd felt worse. All the while, he gave attempts to contact his dragon. She still wasn't answering. Each time Eragon tried, it was a bit weaker then the last. He was tired. It had been a long, terrible day. His cousin was dying or dead, Saphira was gone or possibly even captured, and Katrina was scarred for life because of his words to her.
Eragon froze. Katrina gave him a confused look. He looked around. Bushes covered his sides and he could feel bugs climbing on him. Ticks, ants, spiders, mosquitoes, everything climbed up his legs or came down from the trees. But the area was well sheltered by a thick pine. He went up to is and sat by its trunk; dropping his stuff onto the floor. Katrina took a moment, and then did the same on the far side of the tree.
And for a long time, thing were silent as the two pondered of their predicament. Eragon had give up with Saphira. Even if she did put her shield down, he knew that Murtagh would see her. After all, he did most likely have Roran.
One thing puzzled him though. And that was the absence of human tracks next to the gouges in the Earth. He shrugged it off and figured Murtagh just never got off. What else could he think? That some unknown beast had found his cousin at mid-night and managed to carry him away before Eragon could even detect it was even there?
Meanwhile, Katrina was wondering if she'd ever see Roran alive again. He was dying when she last saw him and could be dead now. And who knows what that monster will do to him? Saphira's bad, but Thorn was worse. And that was the truth.
She bit back a tear. Of course she'd see him again. Who was she kidding herself? Their bond was too strong for this to be the end, wasn't it? Couldn't their love out live empires, disasters, peril, and death? She thought it could. But could it really be that endless? Is that even possible? She guessed so, but she still had doubts…
"Katrina, Roran is alive. We'll see him again…"
"How could you know? How can you even be sure?"
Eragon put his hand on his chest and breathed in deeply. "Katrina, when me and Saphira left, my first thought was 'what about Roran?' I was only thinking then about the Ra'zac getting him.
"But then, as time went on, I found myself worrying more and more about him. If the whole empire was after me, I knew they'd want to use him as bait to get me. And well, I felt helpless.
"If I left him alone, he might get caught. Then they'd threaten to kill him if I didn't turn myself in. if I denied them or didn't show up, they'd kill him just to hurt me.
"If I met up with him, they'd torture anything I told him right out of him and then use him as bait. Even the Varden might do so. And I felt like I had no power; despite the fact that people were telling me I had more power then any other person alive.
"So I just let fate take the wheel. That and Roran's cunning. And he turned into a hero a leader. All cause I believed he'd make it. Roran… he's a fighter. And that's why I know he is still out there." Katrina still looked unconvinced.
Eragon sighed as he pulled out his a brown clay bowl and a small flask of water. He poured the water into the bowl.
Water reflected the moon and thicket vibrantly. Katrina stared at the liquid mirror; a girl stared right back at her. She was…different. There was something in her eyes. A sort of sorrow. As quick as she had appeared she was gone. Katrina gasped. Eragon smiled, "This water is special. It can show anyone parts of the future. You don't understand them till you are there though…"
"I…I saw a girl. She was beautiful. But sad. I felt like I knew her…like I felt when I first saw Murtagh only stronger. She isn't…my daughter...is she?"
"As I said, this water misleads you. I know not of this girl you speak of. We will just have to wait and see. Maybe she is, maybe she isn't." Eragon stopped talking. It became clear he would not say any more.
Katrina watched as Eragon seemed very focused. His palm suddenly began to glow vibrantly; illuminating the small brush. He said two, strange, powerful-seeming word, "Draumr kopa!"
As he watched, the water darkened. It seemed blacker then the night sky. Then, slowly, a figure appeared. It was deathly pale, but his chest still rose and fell; his heart still beat strongly. He was clearly flying, but the mount was invisible. A gust rocked his hidden stead and he shifted a bit; his face towards them.
"Roran!" Katrina gasped.
"Murtagh must have his amulet on…" Eragon remarked at the invisible stead. He figured Murtagh was right there. He reached out to touch the image. It faded as he did.
"You, you miss him, don't you?" Katrina said softly.
"Roran? Of course. He's all I have left..."
"No silly. You still have one more. Don't think I'm blind. You didn't try to touch Roran…"
"Katrina, I have duties to the Varden. To Alagaesia. To you. To Roran. To Saphira…and Arya." He heard a disapproving click in his head. Saphira? He reached out. No one was there…
"Listen, your mom loved you. But she loved another just as much…your brother. Yes, he is your brother. And you'll have to face that someday. He's not bad…" Katrina felt Eragon shying away. So she changed topics. "I never did tell you about our mothers' great adventure together, did I?"
"No, you didn't."
"You want to here it?"
"Well, I should be looking for Saphira…but we're not going anywhere…" he glanced outside. It wasn't misting anymore; oh no. It was pouring rain. Lightning rippled across the sky. Eragon frowned. Saphira, be safe… He realized how worried he was. And he just couldn't stop thinking of her. He needed to get her off his mind… "Sure…Why not?" he smiled at her. He suddenly realized as he shifted positions that Katrina was trying to get her mind off Roran.
"Let's see….it may take a while. And I may not tell it all tonight. You'd be surprised at all your mother did…" Katrina gave him a gentle smile. "It was around fifteen years before you were born…"
Flashback
"Hurry up, Meg!" Yelled the spicy, strong voice of a young lady. The speaker was hidden by thick, full trees. Shadows covered her face and dress; allowing little more the flashes of peach and fiery red to be seen. She was nearly fifty feet up in the tree!
"Selena? I'm not sure this is the best idea…" Said the gentler voice of a young girl. She was barely ten feet up. Sunlight flickered off her golden hair; rivaling the sun which fed its gleam. Her features were soft and tender. She was none too skinny, but not super fat either. Her hair was pulled up by a loose, bronze ribbon.
"Come on, Meg! Don't be such a chicken!" a thin figure flashed in and out of the sunlight.
Meg reached up to grab the next limb. But her long arms were not long enough to reach the fat, rough branch. She stood up on her tip toes to reach for it. She grasped it and tried to pull herself up. Suddenly her bare feet lost their grip; dotted with scratches as she did. She dangled by the limb; feet flailing, trying to catch the branch below. She sweated with effort as she pushed to hoist her body up.
Her grip began failing her and she cried out in desperation, "Selena… Help…. I'm slipping." the shadows above danced and a low crackling began. "Selena?" She said as she looked up to see the branch was beginning to snap. "Sel-eee-na?" she said nervously as the snaps got louder. Suddenly the branch drooped from her weight. "Selena!" she yelled in panic.
Suddenly she felt a hard tugged from beneath her. She panicked and began kicking and flailing her legs harder and faster. Her left leg smashed against the trunk and the extra push suddenly elevated her to the top of the branch.
"Thanks, Meg." Said a low voice from the branch bellow. She looked beneath her to see a young boy. She giggled a bit. There was a small, coin shape and sized bald spot already on his head. His hair was dark brown and his eyes were blue. He was kind of short. She smiled.
"Well, next time you want to save my life Sloan, you'd better tell me you're going to. Or you may just get a black eye." She giggled as she pointed to a dark circle around his eye that was surprisingly getting darker and more swollen by the second. He flushed and covered his injured eye with embarrassment. But as he did, he pushed too hard on it and gave a low yelp as a shot of pain ran through his body. This made Meg laugh louder.
"Well, can you help me up?" he said, obviously finally over the embarrassment as he extended an arm up to Meg. She smiled as she bent over to help up her would-be hero. They both couldn't help but blush a little as her hand fell on his. The touch felt warm and soothing.
She pulled him up without a problem. It was what happened when they were both standing up that the problems started. See, they had forgotten that the branch was nearly broken and more wait equaled less hold. The branch, needless to say, easily snapped.
Meg screamed and so, shockingly, did Sloan. The two fell luckily without hitting much more then twigs; Sloan fell a bit faster then Meg. He hit the ground hard, taking in a big mound of leaves. Meg fell right out top of him. Her lips, to their shock and joy, slammed into his. She tried to pull away for a second, but he held onto her. She melted into his sweet embrace.
But it was not long enough. A few seconds after their fall, they heard a soft thud and separated to see a young girl staring at them, giggling softly at them. She had fiery red hair flowing straight down her back. Her hair seemed to shine, even in the shadows. Her eyes were a bright, molten bronze that shone wherever she stood. They had a far off look in them, like they saw the future and not the present. Her thin lips looked like they mocked them as her smile was a tiny bit crooked; it hid ivory teeth just behind the rims of her lips. She had a wild look to her; like she enjoyed excitement.
"I was going to help, but you guys were being so cute together. I just had to spy. But I have to say it. Meg, get a room." She chortled. Meg looked like she wanted to die from embarrassment. Sloan's face was so red, it looked like any second now he'd blow up.
Meg slowly found her words, "Selena, you should really find a man. I heard Horst likes you…"
Selena shook her heard, "No, not that I don't like him, but I just know he's not for me. I'll know when I find the one who is. He's out there, somewhere…but till he shows, watching you two is good enough for me."
"Great…" Sloan mumbled so low, only Meg could here it. She giggled a bit as he made a face to her.
"Now if you don't excuse me, I've got a tree to climb." And with that, she lunged up to the first branch. Within seconds, she had scaled double what Meg had period in less then a fifth of the time Meg had taken.
"I don't know how she does it…" Meg remarked as her best friend left view.
"What are you guys doing out here anyway? The Spine's not safe for anyone; especially for one as fair as you." Meg blushed at the complement.
"Well, Selena heard something about a battle between dragons here recently. They say the wood still burns- and they also say there is still a dragon near here, wounded or maybe dead. And you know Selena, so the rest is history…"
Meanwhile, Selena was almost to the top. If it hadn't been for Meg's little mishap earlier, she would have been up there and back down again long ago. Sky smiled as her figure broke the tree-line. She spread her arms out, feeling the wind on her face. She closed her eyes to let it all in.
It was the feeling.
The feeling of freedom.
Like she was a free bird, flying where the winds took her. Not some caged bird stuck in no where's vile. The forest was the bars which held her. She could only watch as other birds were always leaving. But not her. Oh no. She was a girl. And girls were too weak to leave till…well forever.
But no longer. This was her seventeenth year and it was now when she was dubbed old enough to be freed from her cage. It would have been earlier if a few incidents didn't happen were she was the guilty one. In a week, she'd turn her back on Carvahall and never look back again.
But for now, this was the biggest taste of freedom this bird would get to freedom from her cage. And boy did it ever taste good.
She opened her bronze eyes to survey one of the more spectacular sights this side of Alagaesia. A thick, mixed forest flowed in the deep indent known as the Palancar Valley. In the center sat the colony of lights known as Carvahall. The sun had just dipped bellow Mount Skulblaka. Cutting down its face was Idga Falls; which spent the days misting the valley, creating soft rainbows, and feeding the Anora River.
Past the great mountain stood several others, each giant even for giants. She turned to see the peak of the mountain she was on, Mount Parr. It stood, proud and untamed against the darkening sky. She smelled the sweet pine from its forest.
Then she noticed something odd on the face of the mountain. Like a scar, a roughly crescent-shaped black mark sat about a league from where she sat up in the trees. It had touches of shifting red, like blood oozing from a cut. She knew it to be fire. The scar had a oddly redder part to it that wasn't fire; that and a midnight blue part not far from it.
Curious, she strained to discern the distorted shapes. But her eye could not see a single detail. All they knew was that something was there…
She quickly began her decent to the forest floor. In around ten minutes, she had reached the last branch. She looked down to see Meg and Sloan, kissing. She giggled. Sloan backed off her too see Selena.
"Oh no…" he said softly as she touched down to the ground.
"Hey you two…." Selena said. She had startled Meg, who hadn't noticed she was there. "You guys were having too much fun while I was gone…" They both blushed and nodded. "Now, we have some exploring to do." She told them what she had seen; leaving out the part about the red and dark blue blurs. She was almost sure of what they were, but why were them if it was just almost sure. Not sure. Plus they probably wouldn't go if she told them…
"So, something really did happen there?" Meg asked.
"So it appears…" Selena answered.
"Well, what are we waiting for? The forest to grow back?" Sloan asked as he got a head start. But he didn't keep it for long. Soon, an order was established. Selena, then Meg, and finally Sloan. So much for a head start…
They moved briskly and soon they came to the scene. Before them, a murder-filled scene stood the test of time. The land was blackened and mowed over for nearly a league west from where they stood and a quarter of a league thick. Small patches of fire burned off to the sides, dotting the rims of the scene.
But what held their attention most was in the center of the land. A massive, dark blue lump covered the area. It was long and snaky. Hard white spikes ran down part of it. Thin wings stretched out of the body. It clicked instantly in Selena's mind what it was. It was a dragon.
But something was wrong. Seriously wrong. She, much to the dismay of Sloan and Meg, moved toward it, turning to try and discern what lay next to it. It was a man. A dark man, with a midnight blue sword ripping through his chest to be more exact. His heart laid on the tip. Blood soiled the earth in which he lay. His clothes were red with it and his head was scalped. Blood trickled from everywhere, coming out of mid air if it had to.
Selena had to turn away from the man, tears swelling in her eyes. The only time she'd seen anywhere closed to that amount of blood was when Meg cut her leg open. And even then, that wasn't nearly as bad. This man was obviously dead. Flies buzzed around his wounds, laying maggots in them to continue their race.
"Who could do something like this?" she whispered as she turned to her friends, tears in her eyes.
"Like wha-" Meg started forward but then stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the man, shrieking a bit. Sloan had already scene and seemed calm…well that or stunned.
Selena seemed to be the only one with some sense. "We should burry him…"
"Are you insane? That thing 'll kill us before we get the chance." Meg said, pointing to the dragon.
"One Meg, it's a dragon. Two, I think it's dead." She said as she turned and casually moved to the fallen Rider's side. Meg started to protest, but was silenced by a look from Selena.
She was soon there. She decided to toss a rock at the dragon. Because though she was sure it was dead, doubts still burned in her mind. As did images of the beast ripping her to shreds. When it didn't move, she realized she was right. She checked the man's pulse, just to be sure. There was not heart beat so she motioned to Sloan and Meg to come join her.
After they buried the man's corpse, it was too dark to see a thing. So Sloan built a fire while the girls gathered food. None were hungry since the sight of the man's corpse and dark blood was still on their mind. Sloan and Meg went to bed fast. But Selena could not sleep.
Selena spent the next few hours trying to clean her hands. They never felt clean and she didn't know why. When the moon was high over head, she decided to give up and follow the other's example and go to sleep.
As she slept, she had strange dreams of dragons fighting. One was the man and the other varied from dream to dream. But they all ended the same; with the other dragon's rider killing the man and watching the dragon die.
She was in the middle of her tenth version. The dragon was black with red spikes and the rider was truly cruel. But in this version, she was the dragon.
She suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side. She kept her eyes shut and tried to go back to sleep. She was greeted with another sharp pain. She opened her eyes. When her eyes met the sight, she tried to scream, but a hand cupped her mouth and…
End Flashback.
"Wait…what?" Eragon asked.
"I told you. That's it for the night." Katrina said.
"But what happened?"
"That would spoil the ending. We must get some sleep. I can't keep telling till morning." She said, then added, "Besides, cliff hangers keep you interested."
"I'm interested in anything involving my mother. Boring or amazing. And this is cruel Please Katrina…"
"No, I'll tell no more for the night…" Katrina froze. A sharp sound came to her ear. The cracking of a near-by fire. Twigs snapped loud and hard under the weight of an unknown being…
