AN: Hey there everyone! I wanted to thank you all for reading this, it means a lot that someone is looking at my mindless prattles x) But I also wanted to touch on a few other topics and well, and maybe answer some questions I saw in the reviews. So! Here we go - First off, R.F (I love your comments, never stop 8D) the typo you saw wasn't a typo at all, it was just awful wording on my part. Murtagh was indeed heading West to unknowingly meet up with Tae and the Red crew, but there was an allure from the east that made him want to turn back and head to the capital; namely, Nasuada of course. And they have somewhat lost their edge, this will be expanded upon on one of the following chapters, but you have to keep in mind that Murtagh and Thorn have spent the past 20+ years in self-induced exile, with no magic, and no contact to the world outside their small meadow. While they do have size and age on their side, they're not in peak form or condition as they had been directly after Galbatorix's fall. Nextly! On to peachy who's icon made me want to go eat cupcakes xD Ninaru isn't as small as his age might insinuate, and the reasons behind this will be explained in either the next chapter or the following one after that so just hang in there! I promise this will all come together guys!

Just for fun now, I think I might do a Q&A along with the next chapter. Yanno, just to make myself fell important teehee, and also give all my lovely reviewers the chance to dive into my brain and see what's going on. So ask a question! Any question! And keep R&R!


Chapter Nine: Responsibilities

Ninaru had slowly been growing more and more anxious as his bonded's condition worsened; fidgeting beneath her weight, and plowing puffs of smoke into the air until the camp was foggy with foul smelling clouds. Finally Tae had been forced to send him away, she wasn't getting any better by him sitting around worrying over her state and to be honest, his bad mood was only proving to impair her own. They would be better off with a little space between them. Choosing to completely sever their mental connection in order to keep her dragon from feeling too much of her sickness, Tae was virtually alone as she shivered next to the small cook fire the crewman had managed to build with the scarce driftwood along the shore and few broken limbs from the nearby tree line gathered after the threat of Ninaru's testily sweeping tail had gone. She was grateful for the company when Darrow came and sat next to her, but the lack of information he bore on her beloved Ebrithil only disheartened her further.

The young woman was desperate to find her teacher. Master Rolendis had been like a second father to her ever since he had come to fetch her from her small childhood village. He had taught her to shoot a bow, how to wield a sword, how to become one with her dragon in flight. At every step of the way, Treagan had been there to help her along; she knew him better than her own parents after the many years she had spent in such close communication with him. Now, losing him on this journey to a fate that remained obscured in the dark corners of the world's vast knowledge, hiding from her view like prey from a predator, she was sure all would be lost without his steadfast presence at her side. For how could she continue on to the capital without Treagan at her side? How could she explain to the queen and the princess that her competent master had fallen into some unknown calamity, and that they had, had no means by which to save or even find him? And how could she ever return to the islands to continue her training without her master in tow? How would she account for not completing her mission and on top of that losing her Ebrithil in the process? Even if they did allow her to continue her education to protect Alagaësa, without her teacher, all of it seemed meaningless. When Darrow left her, she hardly took any notice, too consumed in her own misfortunes to pay attention to those of anyone else.

You're acting like a child, you know. Erevu's voice burrowed into the woman's mind, making her shiver with its icy edge.

And you're acting insensitive. Tae countered, completely living up to her soulmate's summation of her. You know. It didn't help her case any, but the Rider couldn't help but be a little snarky to the usually caustic little changeling.

My! The magical creature replied with feigned shock. But you are a catty one aren't you?

Tae groaned across their link, too sick and too tired to deal with her other half. What do you want Erevu? She whined, holding her head and dragging out her vowels in the closest thing she could get to throwing a tantrum. Can't you see I want some peace?

You are a Dragon Rider – you manufacture peace for the people, you don't get any yourself. The creature stated simply, his voice dripping with exasperation.

The young woman knew he was right; that she was being childish and immature, knew she wasn't doing anything to help find her teacher, but she didn't feel well and she was tired and hungry and- 'Goddess… I sound like a pampered city brat…' The realization hit her abruptly, and she hugged her arms about her shins just a bit tighter as if to ward against it.

It was in this position – the same that he had left her in – that Darrow returned, a grim severity playing in the worry lines on his face. Bad news was written plainly in his expression, the downward curl of his normally smiling mouth, the side cast of his eyes and his inability to directly meet her gaze. She knew what he was going to say wasn't going to be good, and all at once she didn't want to hear it. The young woman turned her head away, staring into the fire as if by looking hard enough she would discover the secret of her Ebrithil's whereabouts. The captain only confirmed her fears, telling her that no one had caught any trail of master Rolendis. For the time being, her teacher was still missing somewhere between the Forgotten Isles, and the western coast of Alagaësa.

No news is good news.Erevu comforted in Tae's mind, his voice lazy and silken like that of a feline.

Briefly, the Rider wondered where her soulmate had wandered off to, but it didn't matter. She could find him easily if she tried, but Treagan was another story entirely. No news is just an absence of bad news, Was her despondent reply.

The entirety of the night might have passed in such a manner – Tae feeling sicker and sicker and more and more sorry for herself, Ninaru scanning the night sky for any sign of their teachers, Erevu off wandering wherever it was that he was wandering, and Darrow flitting between Rider and crew trying to keep everyone happy and suffering as he saw only sorrow and weariness in each face he passed – had the crystalline dragon not spotted something of interest drifting like a ghost through the dark and shadowy midnight sky. The seadog prattled on, making some sort of joke which she only half heard, her mind's eye hundreds of feet above them and an unknown distance away though close enough to see the glow of their fire. She – Ninaru – was following something, another dragon? And it seemed to have a Rider on its back…

What should we do? Ninaru asked, anxiety drifting through their reestablished link, he didn't like being away from his bonded and he especially didn't like going into combat without her.

Do you recognize them from anywhere? Tae asked, the paranoia contagious and spreading.

It was obvious the pair weren't their lost masters, Ninaru would have been able to tell immediately and one of them would have alerted their students to their proximity. No, these two were strangers, and that gave them a threat factor. Still, Tae didn't want to frighten the crew if it wasn't necessary. If they were from the islands then things would be handled easily, they might simply be scouts out patrolling Alagaësa, or maybe Treagan had sent them to find the crew and Naru and herself.

It isn't a scent I know. Ninaru's reply demolished any hope of rescue or recovery. It wasn't Treagan. It wasn't anyone from the isles. It was a stranger, and that made them dangerous.

Naru-

I know.

Tae opened her mouth to voice a warning, but was distracted by Darrow's reaction. He was laughing at her? Here he was laughing and Ninaru was about to bring down another dragon? This hardly seemed like the time for levity… The Rider grasped for the previous conversation – what had they been talking about again? – and finally came up with an explanation. She had taken a joke seriously. But that would mean someone was actually joking with her, being friendly, and that didn't actually happen did it? Because she was dirty, she was unclean and impure, and nothing to be friendly to. She was beneath the other students on the islands and a sad predicament to the teachers who were above all. No one joked with her, they shunned her presence and cast her aside like mud from the bottoms of their boots, but no one had ever tried to make her laugh or laughed at something she had said. It was such a shock, such a strange happening, that she briefly forgot what was at stake, his fading laugh absorbing her mind until her thoughts were consumed by the sound. "No one's laughed at me before…" It seemed the only thing she was capable of saying, the only way to explain how much such a moment meant to her. That she had never met someone so kind as to share a joke with her let alone laugh at something she had said. "Not like that anyway…" She stressed it further, hoping he would understand, hoping he would realize what it meant, until Ninaru's desperate voice in her head yanked away her attention.

'Dammit!' She had lost focus of what was going on, enthralled by a nice face and a stupid laugh. Erevu was right, she was little more than a child. The Rider heard her name slip off the captain's lips, but she was already gone from the conversation, her eyes glued on the glint of scales in the moonlight as Ninaru came down hard on the ruby leviathan.

Ninaru be careful! Tae cried as Darrow shoved himself from the sand and raced toward where the two dragons were going down.

Ocean heavy sand rose up in an arching wave as red and white giants reconnected with the earth. They hit hard and she felt a painful twinge in her shoulder where Ninaru tweaked a muscle in his wing. He growled in pain but would let nothing stop him, if anything the ache drove him forward, making the danger this intruder posed a reality rather than just a passing possibility. There came a final snarl, the shrieking peel of claws raking against scales, and then nothing. The two massive beasts had fallen silent aside from the low growls that rumbled in Ninaru's chest and the occasional whispering chatter of scale clinking against scale as the garnet creature shifted and squirmed. Then came the heavy scent of blood on the air and dread filled the young woman like lead.

Naru-

It isn't mine, little one. Again, her diamond leviathan cut her short, trying to soothe her before she could let the fear take hold. I clipped his wing in the landing.

Tae nodded, feeling her dragon's eyes on her, and she cast about for the Rider that had fallen. The man was tall, and more than a little disoriented as he stumbled about before finding himself righted at the end of a blade. Such a brutish display seemed a bit unnecessary to the woman, but what did she know of fighting between men. Perhaps this was simply how skirmishes were won in Alagaësa.

Darrow and the other Rider had their little 'I'm-a-bigger-man-than-you-are' match, and Tae studied the pair while she was still able to hide behind the crewmen. He had dark hair that was messily cut, probably done himself though it was short enough to seem all one length unlike Darrow's that chopped from one layer to another. His shoulders were wide and obviously well muscled, you don't come to look like he did simply because you're big boned, and something about his stance spoke to her. Like the whisperings of a long forgotten memory, or a lullaby forever echoed in the back of her mind, it was familiar and strange because of that. He walked and moved with fluid grace, which was to be expected of a Rider, but it was more than this simple agility, he moved with the confidence that anything he asked of his body would occur. He moved knowing he could accomplish anything, no fear or hesitation.

He moves like master Rolendis. Ninaru noted, confusion coloring his voice.

Yet we'd know of them if Ebrithil did. Tae replied just as puzzled by this similarity.

Like a wolf in sheep's clothing the Rider played at docility, allowing Darrow to throw his weight around in front of his crew without making a move to stop him. Was he concerned for the fight that Ninaru would put up? Or maybe it was his lack of weaponry as Tae then noticed he was missing any sort of sword or dagger though everything about the way he carried himself spat evidence that he was used to such violent play. 'Or at least had been at one time.' Then again, maybe it was merely concern for his dragon that held the man in check.

Tae's gaze shifted to the vibrantly hued leviathan, a single bloody drop of sunlight that had fallen through the sky and blossomed into a fiery beast. Her mind split to a strange tangent and she thought to herself, 'If Zeurius were to walk the earth, this is the form he would choose.' For surely there could be no greater tribute to the god of fire and the bright sunlight; this dragon blazed internally as his fires stoked, his scales glowing to reveal every hue and shade from the deepest blood to the lightest fiery copper. While the young woman would always think her dragon the most lovely in all the world, this one was certainly a close second.

And larger too, look at the size of that thing! Erevu butted into her thoughts without knocking, a sarcastic sort of interest making his voice high with animation.

Yes, and yet he hasn't broken Naru's hold… Tae replied suspiciously, wondering what these two were playing at.

This pair had obviously seen more true battles than Tae and Ninaru probably ever would, and they definitely had the advantage of age over the crystalline team, yet the pearly hued dragon still held the garnet captive and he being at most two thirds the size of the blazing gem. Sure her bonded was stronger and larger than most his age due to secrets she had shared with no one, secrets that only furthered her segregation from the other trainees on the Forgotten Islands, but the simple fact stood that age was a major factor in deciding strength between dragons and the older you were the stronger you were more likely to be. It simply didn't make sense that these two interlopers, as capable as they seemed to be at a glance, would be held captive so easily.

They're toying with us. Tae observed uneasily. 'Just what are they playing at…?'

Yes it would seem so. Erevu replied in his oh-so-high-and-mighty tone, puffed up with the air of one who thought they knew everything before anyone else. Even though in this case he actually had been the first to notice what lay right before their eyes.

Whispers grew around the young woman, and she again had to play catch up in the conversation as she sought to remember the last thing said. 'Oh right.' The other Rider – what was his name again? Oh yes, Baerd – asked who the dragon belonged to. The crewmen spoke in hushed tones amongst themselves, words that floated around the woman's ears without ever truly registering in them. Who did the dragon belong to? She had half a mind to urge that Darrow claim him, surely the captain would know far better what to do in this sort of situation than she, but Ninaru seemed to balk at the idea of being paired to anyone other than his little bird even if it was only in pretend for a short while. So it was that Tae gathered her strength, or what little the fever hadn't sapped out of her, and fought back the urge to fall over and hold her head until the sledge hammer pounding against her skull would desist with its merciless barrage, and spoke the words, that surprisingly, no one had been ready to hear.

"He's mine."

Heads turned from all around, looking back at her in something like shock. Had they all assumed she was still incapacitated by the fire, or did they not think she would step up for her dragon? She might not have been feeling her strongest but she wasn't weak by any means and more than anything she was very much a Rider and whether they had thought one thing or the other or something completely different and off the wall, she would stand against this stranger when he called her out and she would stand to claim the dragon that was rightfully hers. That confidence had gifted strength to her voice, and the possibility that she never considered for their astonishment at hearing it was the fact that no one had been prepared to hear her sound so normal, that womanly voice steady and unwavering as if illness had never been present at that camp at all.

There was one set of eyes who's focus Tae felt more heavily than others, though. Baerd's gaze bore into her as if he were studying her soul rather than the shell that housed it, and the plain featured girl was reminded of her less than appropriate attire. Her clothes having been tethered to her master with a rare spell taught to him by Eragon himself, she was still robed in the flimsy cloth and thin leather of her sleep clothes. While they had since dried out, the passage from water to shore had done nothing to improve their quality and the girl subtly displayed her embarrassment by burying her toes in the sand. What she wouldn't have given for at least a pair of boots just then.

Clothing aside, the woman's eyes drifted farther down the man's frame and returned when the glint of Darrow's sword caught her gaze. Why was that back again? Did the seaman honestly think the two were going to fly into hostility when they had played along thus far? Still, the reason – or rather lack thereof – for their good natured response at being "captured" in such a mannerless way put her on edge. Maybe it was better to have that sword present and waiting rather than fumble for it later when these strangers turned on them like dogs that had wagged their tail before plunging straight for one's throat. Nevertheless, it bothered her to see her fellow Riders treated so unfairly. In such circumstances she certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to go against such a large company and each one armed with any assortment of weaponry they could handle without being dragged under as their lovely ship had sank. Tae looked at Darrow with her brows furrowed, her expression troubled and unsure as she addressed him in soft tones. "Is that necessary?" Immediately she regretted the way the words might have sounded, as if she were questioning his judgment even though that's exactly what she was doing. Erevu's words from earlier echoed in her thoughts, steeling her resolve on the matter: 'You manufacture peace…' Yes, peace, a little of that would do everyone good that night.

The seadog seemed intent on pushing this stranger, however, trying to humiliate him further. At first, dread settle in the pit of the young woman's stomach as she thought he would attack. She mentally ran through a list of every shielding spell Treagan had ever taught her, preparing to throw a barrier around the bodies and minds of the crew and their foolishly headstrong captain. She needn't have worried though, for a glance at her seemed to be all the convincing needed to sway Baerd's mind into continuing his little game of meek obedience. The only way he showed his defiance was through his words, and while Tae didn't take offense to his comment, it seemed to irritate Darrow as if the dark headed man had called them all idiots and then listed obscenities about the captain's mother. There had to be a way to diffuse such a tense situation before things started to spiral out of control. Yet again, her concerns were unneeded and the two men settled their "who's bigger?" dispute without her having to step in and play referee.

Darrow caught her arm as Tae moved to step toward the other Rider, cautious interest plaguing her thoughts. He stooped down a bit so that his lips tickled her ear as he whispered words that did nothing to encourage her bravery. "Lady, I would suggest not trusting this one until we've gotten a chance to test his character further. He has a grin like a barracuda, and seems twice as unpredictable." When he pulled away her eyes followed so that she could look up at his face and he could see the confusion and turmoil such a day had left brewing within her. 'Can't you see I'm drowning? Why would you help to push me under?' She couldn't understand his warning as it had been intended, instead receiving it as she was starting to receive everything: personally.

Again, she heard Erevu's words echoed in her mind calling her childish again and again. The truth stung, and Tae found she didn't want to look Darrow in the eye any longer. He seemed bothered by the way she paid no heed to his warning, but that too she bore no desire to acknowledge and she simply continued on to inspect this other Rider.

Baerd's eyes followed her as she approached, watching her like a wild animal watches its trainer with distaste and no small amount of distrust. Ninaru let his dragon up, we're not going to gain their trust by keeping a hand on their throat. At her bidding, her bonded loosed his jaw from the other's neck and slowly pulled away, working the muscles around the hinge-like joint back into place as he moved away and skirted around to the woman's side. The man seemed to relax at least a bit once his dragon was liberated, and she waited a moment when it seemed that they were conversing privately.

"Would you like to explain why you knocked my dragon out of the sky?" The man began gruffly, his voice sharp and assuming, pointing blame with an iron finger.

'Well there goes diplomacy…' Tae wanted to argue and fuss, claim it wasn't her fault or anything else, but she had made the call to take him down and now she would have to take responsibility for it. "You were an unfamiliar Rider, forgive me if I was being cautious." She replied, forcing her voice into the cool tones of neutrality, and ignoring the way her vision was beginning to swim before her eyes. How long had it been since she'd been sitting down in peaceable rest by the fire? She couldn't remember.

"Yes, very cautious- You almost took off Thane's wing!" He was leaning over her now, and a few crewmen looked on with displeased aggravation. It wouldn't take much to start something, and it was her place to keep that something from starting.

"A Rider should encourage peace and tranquility wherever they go, walking with diplomacy as their guide and good sense to mark their tongue." An old lesson bubbled up in her memories and thoughts of Treagan made tears scratch in her eyes. Tae blinked quickly to clear them and fought to maintain her resolve, crying wasn't going to solve anything except prove to herself, Darrow, and the rest of the crew that she was nothing more than a child who hadn't been ready to leave the nest. 'Get a hold of yourself.' "I apologize that he was injured, would you like assistance in healing him?" The man seemed to blink at her, double taking at the monotony to her voice and the well used sound as if she had practiced saying this in front of a mirror. While Tae hadn't truly gone so far, she might as well have with all the hours she had spent daydreaming of the moment when she would finally get to use some of the skills her Ebrithil had taught her. Of course she had never stopped to think that he wouldn't be there to witness his lessons come to fruition. 'No, don't think about that now. Just keep the peace.' Around them the crew began to lose interest and if Tae had been paying attention she would have noticed that only Darrow's eyes remained on her from the other side of the fire built upon their landing.

"Um… No.. I can manage." Baerd replied slowly, watching her warily as if she were some exotic and strange new predator that needed constant supervision lest she lunge for his throat. Interesting, they thought of each other much the same way then.

Ninaru quietly settled into the sand, his wings resting on the warm cushion the shore provided and his belly losing its fiery glow as his excitement subsided and he sunk onto his belly in relaxation. He seemed to think there wasn't much of a threat at present, and even Erevu – wherever the little rascal had run off to as Tae still had no idea where to look for her soulmate – seemed content with the way Tae was handling things. So it was that she followed Baerd to the side of his gem's massive body and inspected the ruby wing from under the man's arm. "It seems shallow enough, should be simple to patch up." She commented, more to test if her voice still held the strength her body had lost or if it had completely fled her by then. Thankfully, there was no waver to her words, her weakness hadn't yet hit her larynx. Baerd offered a grunt in reply, seemingly unconcerned with the young woman's opinion of his dragon's health. "He's quite lovely.." She spoke softer this time, more reverently as if that would gain a more welcoming response and in part it did. Thane hummed with appreciation, the noise resembling the purring of a cat if said cat were made of rocks and it purred by sliding its rocks against one another. It was a massive rumbling of sound, and one that Tae felt through her chest and stomach. At least one of them seemed friendly enough, maybe the dragon was the one who had used reason when faced with not only another leviathan and Rider as an opponent but an entire crew of men who had no doubt seen a fair share of battle.

Baerd paused in his inspection of the wing, glancing to his dragon as the garnet creature hummed at the woman's comment before his gaze could flicker back to Tae. "He said to thank you…" He grumbled before diving back into his work and making as if studying the thin tears in the membrane was taking all of his concentration.

Now it was Tae's turn to be surprised. She hadn't really been expecting any sort of thanks to be given for her compliment so when she received it anyway it was pleasant and strange and new and made her wonder if everyone in Alagaësa was so much more friendlier than those she was used to on her islands. "Oh, yes, of course, though I was just stating what was ob-"

"No," The other Rider cut her off gruffly, his voice guttural and harsh like a growl. "I don't mean for the compliment, I mean…" He paused, rubbing his neck as he searched for the right words. "Don't get me wrong, I could have handled those men easily, but fighting is always such messy business so thank you for getting me out of it."

It could have just been her imagination, but something about the way he said "thank you" made it sound like he was saying "you ruined everything". It was confusing and frustrating, and the woman was struck silent with no idea how to reply to such a comment.

He isn't exactly the friendliest of characters is he? Ninaru toned from where he rested on the beach, the day's events weighing heavily on him. The outcast could tell by the slump of his neck and droop to his eyelids that he was tiring, and after everything that had happened the only stunning thing about it was that he had lasted this long.

That's putting it nicely… Tae grumbled, feeling a bit jilted by such an interaction. Maybe she had been too quick to judge him as "friendly".

Still, she lingered and watched as he went about patching up his dragon, or trying to patch up his dragon as Baerd seemed to be doing more staring and mumbling than working any spells. "Um… Do you need some help?" Tae asked softly, standing on unsteady toes to peer over his shoulder at the rips in Thane's wing that had yet to close.

"What, you think you can do a better job?!" Baerd snapped, suddenly defensive. "Fine! You just go play doctor then." He stepped aside, arms crossed and eyes glaring at her as she stood there staring back at him speechless. "Go on, you're so eager to help, so help." He waved a hand impatiently, ushering her along from a distance.

Tae sighed heavily through tight lips, picking a path past him so that she could easily reach the dragon's wing. "Could you straighten it a bit?" She asked, one side of her mouth curling up slightly though she tried to hide her pleasure that the man's dragon was cooperating so easily. "Thank you."

Are you sure you should be spending so much energy on these two? Ninaru's voice suddenly pushed into her mind again, concerned and unsure. You're sick, I can feel your weakness from here. You're about to fall over, just go back to the fire and let the man tend to his own dragon. You've done enough for one night, just rest now.

It wasn't that easy though, Tae couldn't simply walk away from helping mend the wreckage her dragon had caused in the first place. She couldn't just let this dragon suffer because his Rider was too incompetent to heal such a trivial injury. The woman knew all too well that something so small would be easily treated in the present, but with the slowness Baerd had seemed content to go about healing it, the entire wing would have been lost before he even thought of the right words to mend it. No, she couldn't walk away until she was certain she had fixed her wrongs. I'll be fine, if you're that worried you could always help me.

The snow scaled dragon seemed loath to do so though, and the brushes of sapphire along his neck shimmered when he arched it to further lift and pull back his head as a sign of displeasure. Why would I help such a venomous creature? He questioned with slight irritation.

Naru, I'm surprised at you. You're usually far more willing with your assistance, not to mention that these wounds are your doing. The woman chastised, raising a hand so that it hovered above the most severe of the tears. Her dragon seemed a bit guilty at the rebuke, but lacked the give he usually displayed when accepting that he was wrong. Still, she felt a small tendril of his strength pass through and lend power to her healing spell. "Waíse heill."The mark on her hand began to glow slightly, and before her eyes and those of anyone else who turned their heads to watch, the leathery membrane of Thane's wing slowly began to pull and tug toward each other. The torn flesh reached out and grasped onto its opposite brother, pulling tighter and tighter and tediously knitting back together. Only when Tae was content that it was sufficiently healed for taxing exercise – such as flying – did she allow the channel of energy to cease and the glow of her hand faded away until another could have walked along and not suspected there had ever been a wound to heal. "There, that should do." She said, her voice soft and a bit more airy than usual, as she stood and stepped away, a bit shakier than she had been before working the spell.

Baerd seemed not to notice, however, and simply shoved by to examine her handiwork. "Not bad." He said, quirking a brow in what seemed to be honest satisfaction. Just as quickly as the expression was displayed, it vanished leaving Tae to wonder if it had truly been there to begin with when he continued, "For a girl."

When the other Rider turned back to the girl in question, she couldn't be sure if it was just a trick of the light or if that was the flash of wryness in his eyes. Was he teasing her? Tae's head swam then and her knees wobbled beneath the weight of her body, her limbs suddenly filling with lead. Her vision spun and she saw fit to recognize that no, based on his past treatment of her it was just her imagination and the sickness playing against her better judgment. "I think I need to sit down.." She breathed, blinking rapidly to try and settle the world back into one place rather than dancing around as it seemed intent to do.

I told you this would happen. Naru huffed in her mind as he swiftly rose and darted to his Rider's side so slip his snout under her arm before she could honestly collapse. Oh little one, I don't know why you refuse to listen to me. The diamond creature said softly, humming to provide what comfort he could.

Darrow stood as they neared the fire, accusation on his tongue before he could even fully take in what was right before his eyes. "What did you do?!" He snarled at Baerd, rushing to Tae's side and gently plucking her from Ninaru's care to carry her back to the fire. "Just rest now, you've done enough for one day." Ninaru took up residence on her away side, curled around her back to give her something to lean on. Warmth blossomed against her shoulders as the fires in his belly churned into life, and the rider snuggled closer to her bonded.

"Now what exactly did you do?!" Darrow returned his attention back to the other man after he had finished fretting over the young woman, and Tae was confused to see that Baerd hadn't left yet.

Why had he stayed? She had helped his dragon, now he could go, he didn't owe them anything else. Yet he remained, and then he was looking over the captain's shoulder as if the light headed seaman were little more than a seagull cawing at him over a meal of fish rather than condemning him on the charges that he had done something to worsen Tae's condition. "Darrow, please." She rasped, a hand holding her head as it throbbed with each word spoken and heard. The captain seemed not to hear her though and continued on his rant, claiming the other Rider to be nothing but trouble and most likely a traitor to be out this far from the islands without papers. "Darrow!" Tae forced his name out, trying to make it sound commanding but the only thing it sounded like to her was pitiful. The captain continued and she would have opened her mouth again had Ninaru not abruptly lifted his head from where it had been resting on his chest with his neck curled in a sharp arch to snap his teeth with a loud and echoing click! of fang hitting fang and a resonating snarl that silenced the seadog quickly. Both men turned from their argument to look back at the sickly creature vying for their attention. Relief flooded her when Erevu chose that moment to burst through the foliage of the nearby tree line in the large, muscular form of a dire wolf, dragging a downed buck alongside him. "Food." She stated, waving a hand to the delivery service as her soulmate deposited the kill a few yards away from the fire and padded silently to his pair's side. He laid his large head across her lap, looking up at the men with burning gold eyes to go alone with his pelt that had been shaded into the hue of hot pitch. Everything about that steady gaze daring one of them, either of them, to make the wrong move.

The captain was the first to recover, nodding curtly to Tae before moving to see to the cutting and cooking of the venison though she couldn't help but notice the way he kept glancing over his shoulder every few minutes. Baerd hung back, and it wasn't until the young woman's gaze became too much for him to bear that he approached and came to stand a few feet away. "Well, thank you for the help, but I'll be going now.." He claimed, casting his gaze from one side to the other as if leaving weren't really what he wanted to do.

"Are you hungry? There's plenty here for everyone if you would like to join our fire." Tae offered, ignoring his words of farewell, pretending instead that they had never been uttered.

She wanted him to stay, she wanted to figure out who he was and what he was doing out on the shore so late at night. Was he from the islands? Or was he from before the academy had been founded, before Eragon had begun teaching Riders to hone their skills for good? Maybe he hadn't heard of the Forgotten Islands yet, too consumed in himself and his own problems to pay attention to the world outside of those shallow boundaries; still he seemed too…aged to not know something. 'At least enough to heal his dragon's wing…' Something was strange about this man, and she wanted to figure out what. Even if every word out of his mouth made her want to hit him until he agreed to act civilized, not even caring that doing so wouldn't exactly make her the most civilized person either. More than anything though, she wondered if maybe he had seen or heard anything of another Rider who was looking for a lost pupil.

The pleading and hope must have shone in her eyes for it wasn't long before Baerd groaned in resignation and nodded, begrudgingly plopping down where he stood. "Fine, I'll eat your damn food, but I'm gone by tomorrow. Got it?" He sounded angry, but something about him seemed…relieved in a way.

Tae didn't much care, she was just glad she would get the chance to worm some answers out of him. Unfortunately, the fates had other plans, and it wasn't long before Ninaru's humming and the warmth of her dragon's fires smoldering in his belly coupled with the fur blanket offered by her soulmate had lulled her into a sleep filled with strange and incomprehensible imaginings.

She dreamed she was a bird, flighty and anxious and… Hurt? Her body ached and screamed of pain, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get back into the air again. And all the while there was a desperation present that forced her to try and fly again and again, the knowledge that only while she was airborne would she be safe, present and haunting in the back of her mind. In her dream, someone was reaching out a hand to her and when she reached back to them she struggled to close a gap across a distance that seemed to stretch and stretch until for every inch closer they seemed to fall an inch and a half short. Tae tried to see who it was, but every time she would look at his face, choppy hair would fall in front of his eyes, masking his identity. He reached further for her, and desperation urged her to do the same, every second a foreboding darkness closing in, its fingers grasping nearer and nearer, just waiting to drag her under and lock her in its oblivion.

Without warning, the ground shattered beneath her feet, and the pain in her wings kept her from flying to safety. Down, Tae fell, down, down, down; until the darkness swallowed her up.