Roughly six months later
"You've been hanging around Nasuada a lot lately." Eragon mentioned when Murtagh came into the room.
"So?" Murtagh shrugged his shoulders. He rolled up his sleeves revealing the soulmate mark on his right forearm.
"She's not the other half of that." Eragon pointed at the mark.
"Neither is Onóra, so what's your point?" He spat.
"They're heading this way. You don't know for sure, there's no way to know since the ones who've bared the mark before aren't around to explain it."
"What do you mean 'they're heading the way'?" Murtagh asked when Brom walked into the room.
"Onóra, Eirwen, Arya, and Fírnen are on their way here. They should be here in a few days." Eragon explained. The rest of the Varden were still unaware of the remaining two dragon riders.
"The Varden will be in for a surprise." Brom smiled. "Do you know if Onóra has been given permission to come or if she's finally refusing to obey her mother's wish?"
"I don't know. She didn't mention it and I didn't ask." Eragon replied. "This connection I have to her is helpful." He smirked.
"What are we going to do about the three brothers? Onóra still doesn't trust them." Brom mentioned.
"We'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it." Eragon replied; he wasn't sure he trusted them either. He noticed that Murtagh had been quiet.
"How much further to Surda?" Onóra asked as they were sitting around a fire.
"We should be there some time tomorrow." Arya said. "I still can't believe your mother finally gave in."
"She said that Brom had been right. She realized it when she would watch us train with Oromis and Glaedr. She said that Brom had known that one day I would join the Varden so instead of forcing me to choose, she gave me permission."
"Are you going to show the mark to Murtagh?" Onóra's soulmate mark was almost complete. Both dragons were there but she knew that they weren't completely finished yet.
"What's the point? It will take a miracle for him to realize the truth. I fear that showing it to him will only cause more pain." She wasn't sure why Murtagh kept her at a distance; that kiss had made her want him more along with making her aware of the fact that he is, in fact, her soulmate. He is the man she loves, but now she didn't know how to reach him.
"I don't understand him either, Onóra. The only thing I can tell you is to give him time. Let him figure it out." Arya tried to comfort her friend.
"So what about you and Eragon?" Onóra changed the subject.
"We're friends, nothing more." Arya blushed a little.
"Right." Onóra rolled her eyes. They settled in for the night. "Eragon, we'll should be there some time tomorrow."
"Alright, we'll be waiting for you." Onóra fell fast asleep after his reply.
"They'll be here sometime today, Brom." Eragon greeted him before training. Murtagh walked in with Nasuada.
"It's about time you showed up, Murtagh." Brom didn't sound pleased at all. Brom had been waiting on Murtagh for over an hour. They were supposed to do some individual training before Eragon and Saphira joined them.
"I lost track of time, Brom." Murtagh replied. He was a little annoyed with Eragon and Brom.
"Let's just get started. We're expecting company." Eragon stepped in. He was getting a little tired of Murtagh's attitude. "Not to mention we have an announcement to make before they get here."
"What announcement?" Nasuada asked. "As leader of the Varden, I need to know what's going on. I do not need surprises, Eragon."
"It's a good surprise though." Eragon teased.
"Not for everyone." Murtagh muttered under his breath.
"There are two more dragon riders joining us." Brom ignored Murtagh's comment. "They should arrive some time later today."
"Eragon, we're going to be a little later than planned. We've run into a little bit of a problem." Onóra's voice entered his mind.
"What problem?" Eragon responded.
"Eragon, what's wrong?" Brom could feel the tension coming from his son.
"They've run into a problem." Eragon replied.
"What problem?" Murtagh asked, panic starting to set in.
"Onóra, what problem?" Eragon repeated his question.
"Ra'zac. A lot of them." Onóra sounded stressed and little panicked.
"Where are you?" Eragon became anxious. Brom sensed this too.
"What's going on?" Nasuada was irritated and confused.
"Ra'zac." Eragon was still waiting for Onóra's reply.
"We're trying to lose them and lead them away from Surda." Onóra replied.
"Eragon, what's going on?" Angela, the fortuneteller, arrived. She had sensed a disturbance in Eragon. "The other two dragon riders are in trouble. They're heading toward Farthen Dur, leading the Ra'zac away from Surda."
"What are we waiting for?" Murtagh was the first to react.
"Eragon, don't come. Stay where you are, all of you." He was having a hard time hearing her because of Murtagh's talking.
"Murtagh, shut up!" Eragon glared at him. "Onóra, what's going on?"
"Don't come, it was a trap. We're fine, we've taken care of the problem and we're on our way to Surda." She sounded weak.
"They've managed to take care of it and are on their way." Eragon relayed the information.
"Eragon, what it is?" Brom noticed the look on his face.
"She sounded weak." He looked at his father.
"I'll make the announcement." Nasuada said and left the room. Angela went with her.
"What do you mean?" Brom asked, really starting to panic now.
"She said that they were fine but she sounded really weak. The connection is weaker too." Eragon said and then made his way outside to watch for Onóra and Arya.
"It's right over that ridge, Onóra." Arya said. Onóra had taken a hit from one of the Ra'zac's tail; not to mention a few Urgals still loyal to Galbatorix had shown up.
"Good, I'm losing a lot of blood." She replied. She'd been hit by an Urgal's arrow and spear. Neither had done a lot of damage, but she was bleeding out fast.
"Hang in there, Onóra. Can you communicate with Eragon?" Arya asked, trying to keep her awake.
"I don't have the strength." Communicating with Eragon had also drained her strength but it had been necessary.
"Murtagh, can you hear me?" Eirwen tried to contact Murtagh.
"What is it, Eirwen?" He sounded slightly annoyed.
"Don't use that tone with me, boy!" She snarled. "Tell Eragon that Onóra is going to need medical help as soon as we get there."
"Can't she tell him herself?" Murtagh was a little jealous that Onóra could communicate with Eragon and not with him.
"Oh, forget it! She was right." Eirwen was sick of his attitude.
"Right about what, Eirwen?" He asked even though he doubted her would get an answer.
"That it would take a miracle for you to see the truth." Her voice came softly a few minutes later.
"I can see Eragon and Saphira in the field, Onóra." Arya said as they neared the town.
"Come on, Saphira!" Eragon climbed on her back and they took off to meet the four. They reached Onóra just as she lost her grip. He managed to catch her but Eirwen was heading for the ground. Out of nowhere, Thorn came up and slowed the dragon's speed and cushioned her fall.
"Now if only his rider was like that." Arya commented. They landed there and Eragon assessed Onóra's wounds.
"What happened exactly?" He looked at Arya.
"She was hit with a Ra'zac's tail and Urgals came out of nowhere. They were still loyal to Galbatorix. She was hit with an arrow and a spear." Arya replied as she cradled Onóra's head in her lap.
"Waisse heill!" Eragon used magic to heal her.
"Eragon?" She opened her eyes as her strength came back.
"Good, you're back. I'd hate for Brom to have seen you like that." Eragon smiled at her.
"Eirwen?" Onóra sat up slowly.
"Oh she's find. She's been trying to apologize to Thorn about landing on him… well, I think that's what she's been doing." Arya replied.
"Well, I think the Varden is waiting for your arrival. I think, however, we should get you cleaned up before meeting everyone." Eragon noted that Onóra's clothing was torn and bloody.
"Probably a good idea." Onóra agreed. They headed to the house Eragon was living in and Angela was already waiting with two dresses.
"It is good to see you again, Arya." Angela greeted her. "And you must be Onóra." She handed one of the dresses to Onóra.
"You two can get changed, I'll be outside when you're ready." Eragon stepped outside where he was met by Brom.
"I see Thorn has ignored Murtagh's attitude regarding Onóra and Eirwen." Brom noted the sudden closeness of the red and white dragons.
"Now if only his rider would…" Eragon stopped mid-sentence when he saw Onóra and Arya walk out of the house.
"Shall we?" Arya said. Her dress was green and gold. It was styled in traditional Elven nobility.
"Let's get this over with, I feel like I could sleep for days." Onóra spoke up. Her dress was long-sleeved and red with white trim. "Angela left to assemble everyone." Brom held out his arm to Onóra who gladly accepted it. Eragon did the same to Arya.
"Arya, it's good to have you back." Nasuada was standing with Murtagh. She didn't acknowledge Onóra standing next to Brom.
"Snooty isn't she?" Onóra had to try really hard not to smirk at Eirwen's comment.
"Onóra, what's wrong?" Brom spotted her outside with the dragons. "You should be with everyone else."
"It's hard enough knowing that I have to train with him. He hasn't said a word to me all night and he said we'd be friends." She looked at Eirwen and then at Thorn. "It seems so much easier for them."
"Murtagh is an idiot, Onóra." Bronm commented. It was true, Murtagh was being an idiot about the whole thing.
"That may be so, but…" She rolled up the right sleeve to reveal the almost-completed soulmate mark. "He may be an idiot but that doesn't change anything." She lowered the sleeve when she heard someone coming.
"Murtagh, where are we going?" Nasuada's voice was heard. Onóra's hands clenched into fists.
"Come on, you don't want to see this." Brom whispered. Onóra wanted to move but her feet were frozen in place. Murtagh and Nasuada's silhouettes were in clear view. Onóra could tell that they were facing each other. She watched every painful moment, unable to turn away. She watched as Murtagh kissed Nasuada.
"Onóra, let's get out of here." Eirwen tried to get her to break focus.
"Onóra, get away from here, please." Brom pushed her towards Eirwen. She finally snapped out of it and climbed onto Eirwen. A very loud, very angry roar erupted from the dragon before she took flight.
"Way to go, Murtagh. If you and I weren't bonded, I'd eat you." Thorn glared at his rider.
"What happened?" Eragon and Arya came running out. "Onóra, what happened?"
"Leave me alone!" She was so hurt and angry that Eragon could sense her anger even from where he stood.
"Onóra, what happened?" Eragon repeated. He noticed Murtagh and Nasuada standing in the distance.
"Eragon, take it easy…" Saphira could feel the anger coming from her rider.
"I hate him. I hate him! I never want to see his face again!" Eragon could feel his sister letting the pain take over.