"Onóra, what are you doing?" Eirwen asked. They had landed near a stream a little ways from the town.
"I want it off!" She was trying to scrape the mark off her arm; blood was dripping onto the rocks.
"It won't come off, Onóra." Oromis emerged from the woods with his dragon Glaedr.
"I don't care, Oromis. It's too painful." They heard rustling in the trees and Onóra drew her sword.
"Whoa! Who are you two?" A man emerged; he looked a lot like Eragon. Four more emerged; two on each side. They gawked at the dragons.
"Who are you?" Oromis asked; he wanted to know if they were friend or foe.
"I'm Roran; we're with the Varden." Onóra lowered her sword.
"I'm Onóra and that's my dragon, Eirwen." She nodded at the white dragon. "This is Oromis and his dragon, Glaedr."
"We were on our way to the Varden." Oromis added.
"I just came from there… right now, I'm not in the mood to deal with someone there." Onóra sounded bitter.
"Onóra, he's an idiot." Oromis sounded like Brom.
"Is that in some book somewhere? Brom said the same thing." She rolled her eyes. "But since there's a lot more at stake than my personal feelings for Murtagh, I guess I should head back."
"How long have you been with the Varden?" Roran asked Onóra as they made their way to Eragon's house.
"Today. Arya and I have only been here for a few hours."
"So, Arya's back? Eragon must be happy." Roran said. Onóra smiled. "What's with you and Murtagh?"
"It's complicated and more of a headache than it's worth. Besides, it's irrelevant right now."
"Onóra, soulmates are never irrelevant." Omoris replied, earning him a glare from the woman he helped raise and thought of as a daughter.
"How do you know Eragon?" Roran changed the subject.
"We'd better wait until we get there for that answer." Onóra didn't want to explain anything right now. "Eragon, you better tell Murtagh not to come near me for a while unless he has to." She was still fuming a little.
"Alright, Brom's ready to kill him but he's not going to. When are you coming back?" Eragon asked.
"We're nearing the field now." She smiled. "In fact, if you turn around, you'll see us."
"I see you've got company." Eragon turned and noticed two dragons flying over a group of seven.
"Murtagh, you'd better scat before we get there." Eirwen stated when she could see him standing near Thorn. "Where's your girlfriend?"
"Nasuada? She's not my girlfriend." He replied.
"Could have fooled me." Eirwen wasn't convinced.
"That kiss didn't mean anything." Murtagh defended his actions. The kiss had been a dare and he hadn't enjoyed it at all. He wouldn't have gone through with it if he had known Onóra was right there.
"Yeah, well trying telling that to Onóra." Eirwen snapped. Murtagh was kicking himself; he should not have gone through with the dare. He felt horrible but he wasn't going anywhere.
"Welcome back, cousin!" Eragon hugged Roran when the group joined them.
"Cousin?" Onóra questioned silently.
"He didn't mention it?" Eragon hugged her next.
"No, but then I didn't mention that you're my brother." She smirked. "I thought I told you to tell Murtagh to make sure he doesn't come near me unless he has to?" She noticed Murtagh still standing next to Thorn.
"I didn't listen, not did I listen to Eirwen." Murtagh answered.
"Young people." Oromis muttered. "Where should I lay my head?"
"I'll show you, old friend." Brom teased. They headed to a nearby house.
"Okay, I'm going to re-ask my question from earlier." Roran looked at Onóra. "How do you know Eragon?"
"Well, cousin, it's simple." Onóra raised an eyebrow at his choice of words.
"Try anything but 'simple', Eragon." Murtagh said.
"As much as I hate to admit it right now, Murtagh is right. Up until about six months ago I only knew Eragon through Arya's stories or through news about the Varden. Then one day, he and Murtagh show up in Du Weldenvarden. Next thing I know, Brom's there and my mother almost freaks out." Onóra began.
"Exaggerating there a little, Onóra?" Brom came back out to join them.
"I've spent 15 years reading my mother… you hadn't seen her in 20. She was freaking out a little; you just didn't know the signs. She says 'hello' by the way."
"I'm still waiting on the complicated part." Roran said. He looked between Eragon, Onóra, and Brom.
"Is it really safe to be saying this? Not that I'm saying he can't be trusted, but what if the wrong person hears?" Onóra looked at Eragon.
"Good point. I hadn't thought about that." Eragon thought for a moment.
"Would you two knock it off?" Murtagh knew what was going on.
"I think he's jealous, sister." Eragon looked at Murtagh.
"If he is, he's got a strange way of showing it." Onóra snorted and shook her head.
"He says it didn't mean anything." Eirwen added.
"Of course he does." Onóra remarked sarcastically and rolled her eyes at Eirwen.
"Okay, you two, could you included the rest of us now?" Brom spoke up.
"I'm not in that conversation." Eragon replied.
"Can't I have a few words with my dragon?" Onóra said and looked indifferently at Brom.
"Are you going to tell me what that was all about or am I just going to have to guess?" Roran was beyond confused.
"Just guess, Roran, it'll keep you on your toes." Murtagh answered, he was clearly irritated.
"What is your problem?" Onóra was trying to remain calm but Murtagh's attitude about everything was getting on her nerves.
"Nothing. Go back to your private conversations with Eragon and forget I even exist." Murtagh turned to walk away; he was tired of masking how he really felt.
"Yeah, well, right now I wish I could forget." The tone of her voice made him stop.
"Murtagh, you need to stop all of this. What happened to the man who threatened another man because he struck her?" Brom was getting tired of the way both of them were acting.
"Brom, don't If he doesn't want to know the truth then that's his choice. He has the right to choose his own destiny, but friends don't treat each other this way. Murtagh, I'm sorry I have this connection to Eragon, but there's nothing I can do about it. I wouldn't change it for anything even if I could." This time Onóra turned to leave.
"Onóra, where are you going?" Arya asked. She knew her friend was struggling with this whole soulmate thing.
"Away from this." She turned and looked at everyone. "I won't be far, but you know I deal with things better by myself under the stars." She smiled weakly and headed away from the group. Of course, Eirwen followed.
"Thorn, where are you going?" Murtagh asked as he noticed his dragon follow Onóra and Eirwen.
"You may choose not to see it, but I can't deny that Eirwen is my mate. Onóra's pain is Eirwen's pain and Eirwen's pain is my pain." Thorn looked back at Murtagh and then continued on his way. Everyone else headed to their respective houses. Roran had to be content with only part of the story for now. Murtagh stood and watched the two dragons and Onóra.
"Thorn wants to know if it is alright for him to be here." Eirwen nudged her rider.
"Of course, Thorn." Onóra looked at the red dragon and smiled. "Can I not hear you the way Murtagh can hear Eirwen?" Thorn shook his head and then said something to Eirwen.
"He thinks that maybe when he's stronger, older, that connection might happen." Eirwen explained.
"Makes sense." Onóra sighed. Thorn nudged her with his head. "Your rider's an idiot, you know that?" He nodded and then nudged her again. She placed her right hand on his nose and as soon as she did, the mark on her arm burned.
"Onóra, what's wrong?" Eirwen asked. She was a little worried though she had a feeling she knew what was happening. Onóra rolled up the bloody sleeve and saw that the mark was complete. Her hand clenched into a tight fist and she fell to her knees because the pain was too much. She tried not to cry out in pain but it didn't work.
"Ahhhh!" The mark was burning; the whole mark felt like it was on fire.
"Onóra, what's wrong?" Eragon's panicked voice broke through the pain.
"Nothing. I'm alright. I'll tell you tomorrow, Eragon, I promise." Onóra replied as the pain started to subside.
"Murtagh wants to know if you're alright." Eirwen nudged her rider.
"I'm fine. It's best if he doesn't know." She was still on her knees. Thorn nudged her and she looked into his eyes. "Thank you, Thorn." She hugged him by wrapping her arms around his muzzle.