Disclaimer: Sorry that it might have seemed that I dropped off the face of the earth. I haven't…I've just had other things going on.

Trinity woke feeling groggy. She looked around. Everything was shadows around her. She cast her senses out. No one she recognized was around her. She looked up. Her hands were chained to the stone wall behind her. "Unlock," she said in the ancient language. Nothing happened. "Damn!" she hissed.

She thought back to what happened. Morzan…and a mysterious red dragon had taken her hostage. She remembered what the Forsworn had done from her history lessons with Brom and Oromis when they had come to tutor her in her youth.

Flashback

Trinity squeezed her eyes shut. She had failed in her mission. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She heard armored footsteps on the stone floor. The door to her cell creaked open. She opened her defiant eyes.

"Ah, so you must be Queen Arya's child," chuckled Galbatorix, kneeling down in front of Trinity.

"What of it?" retorted Trinity smugly.

"You seem to forget your position, half-breed!" snapped Galbatorix. He slapped Trinity across the left cheek, leaving a bruise. "Clearly you aren't as strong as your mother."

"I'm strong enough," growled Trinity.

"I see that you are just as stubborn as Murtagh was," sneered Galbatorix. "Would you like me to tell you what happened to him?"

"You sicken me," spat Trinity.

Again she was slapped, but she felt that it was well worth it to see Galbatorix get upset over such a simple matter.

"You would do well to not speak to me in that manner," snarled Galbatorix. "Murtagh became my loyal servant for his defiance."

"That no longer matters," sneered Trinity. "He's fighting alongside the Shur'tugal now."

"I know his true name nonetheless," laughed Galbatorix.

***

The days passed slowly for Trinity. She no longer had any concept of time. She began to wonder with hopelessness if she would ever be saved…and she hoped that she wouldn't. Every day was the same. Galbatorix tortured her three times a day and Morzan took her to bed every night.

Each night while Morzan violated her, she kept her sorrow inside her mind. She took it as it came, and each night her body would betray her.

After Morzan chained her arms to her cell's wall, she fell into the deepest depths of her mind.

Flashback

Trinity held back the sobs. She had begged to join her parents on the battlefield, and she had ended up being Galbatorix's prisoner. Mother…Father…Shuikan…I am so sorry, she thought.

"Trinity, what are you thinking?" her father asked her one summer night that he had come home.

They stood together, just the two of them in the courtyard. The moon shined brightly in her fullness above them. The warm summer night breeze played gently with Trinity's long hair.

"Nothing that important," replied Trinity.

"You are a lot like your mother," murmured Eragon.

"Hn?" Trinity looked at her father. "When will this cursed war be over?"

"You know that I do not have the wisdom to tell you that," answered Eragon with a sigh.

"Brom says that it will be over soon," squeaked Trinity.

"Brom says that it will be over every year," replied Eragon. "We have just recently gained some ground."

"Father, I want to fight," stated Trinity firmly.

Eragon cringed, but composed himself quickly. "You will have to speak to your mother about that," he said.

Trinity visited her mother later that night after sitting peacefully with her father. She found Arya in her room, reading a scroll on some ancient spell. "Mother," she said curtly.

"Trinity," replied Arya. She rolled up the scroll and turned to face her daughter. "How are you?" She stood and pulled Trinity into a motherly embrace.

"Good," sniffed Trinity. "Mother…I want to fight alongside you and everyone else. I have trained with swords since early childhood and I am adequate with the bow."

"Trinity, fighting in a battle is much different than your training exercises," replied Arya gently. She held both of Trinity's hands in her own and pulled her daughter to the bed where they sat.

"I am plenty old enough!" argued Trinity.

"I'm not saying that you aren't," sighed Arya. "I have fought my whole life. It is not a life that I wish for you. I had hoped that you would grow up in a peaceful era."

"I will serve our race in any way that I can…and welcome dying for our people if that is what is required of me," murmured Trinity.

Arya caught her breath. She had used similar words long ago. "I cannot, nor will not stop you…but I ask that you be careful." She pulled her daughter into another tender embrace. "You have grown up to be strong, my little Trinity."

End of Flashback

What are you sorry for

Shruikan

Sh! We do not want Galbatorix hearing…show me an image of where you are at

Disclaimer: I am sorry that this is so short…especially with how long I have been out of the loop. Please send me a review. If I get lots of reviews, I might get off my lazy ass and write more.

.!? It was Shruikan's voice.

Trinity ran through the castle walls, swinging a wooden sword that her father had made for her just weeks ago when he had come to visit. Her cousin blocked her attacks with ease. She knew of his heritage. That brought on mixed feelings from her. She felt sorry for him, and yet she feared him because of his grandfather.

"You grow weak, cousin," he taunted her and took the offensive.

"Not a chance, Murtagh," replied Trinity. She twisted her sword and hit her cousin in the hip. "Dead," she sang.

"Trinity…Murtagh…." Oromis walked behind them, smiling at the children.

"Oromis-elda!" squeaked Trinity, placing her fingers bellow her sternum and bowing slightly. "Father did not say that you would be coming!"

"I thought that I would surprise you," replied Oromis. "Now why don't you be a good child and make some tea."

Trinity bounded off, but not before hearing Murtagh whisper, "She's strange, that one." She would make him pay later, but for now, she would make the much older elf feel comfortable.

She sat across from him only minutes later, sipping on the freshly made tea that she had just prepared. They were silent for a long time. Trinity was grateful that Murtagh had been called to complete other duties…something about the filling out of paperwork. Her cousin could never stand silence.

"You have grown patient," noted Oromis.

Trinity nodded slowly. "I have been trying, Oromis-elda," she replied softly. "Is it true that you taught my father?"

Oromis chuckled softly. "Yes, I trained him for a while. He had a difficult time with patience."

"So my mother says," agreed Trinity. "When are they coming back?"

"I do not know," answered Oromis. "The war is at a stalemate right now. Galbatorix has shown himself."

"But he doesn't have a dragon anymore, right?" asked Trinity quickly. "So that makes him an easier target, right?"

"So full of questions," chuckled Oromis.

Trinity's face grew hot with shame. "Sorry," she mumbled, looking down at her tea.

"Curiosity is nothing to be shameful about," said Oromis. "It just means that you want to learn everything you possibly can about the world before you die.

"And yes, Galbatorix should be an easier target based off what you said. But he is well protected by Glonned, Blade, Tasha, and Amestat." Oromis sighed into the steam of his tea. "You are almost old enough to be pulled into the war…and what a cruel thing that would be."

"I want to fight," growled Trinity. "It is far more cruel having to hear news…fearing for the worse."

"Why do you want to fight?" asked Oromis.

Trinity searched within her soul. She looked up at Oromis with an unwavering gaze. "I want to protect everyone," she answered.

End of Flashback