Brooke: The author still doesn't own anything except her OCs!

Baldor: Does it bother anyone else that they own you?

Brooke, Rebecca, Meg, Ellie and Sarah: No.

Brooke: Get out! You're not supposed to appear until Eldest!

Baldor: Sheesh, is that a way to treat your-

The girls: NOW!

"Somewhere out there, someone's saying a prayer that we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there," -American Tale

When they woke, they found Brom had gone out with Jeod. Eragon desired to explore Teirm and, naturally, Ellie decided to do so as well and the quartet set about in their exploration.

Cautiously, they walked into the herbalist, Angela's, shop. The herbalist herself was not in sight, but they explored regardless.

"Ellie, come look at this." Sarah waved them over. They gathered around a rather large and odd cat that resembled a baby saber-tooth tiger more than a house pet. Hesitantly, Sarah reached out and ran a hand down its back, causing it to purr.

Suddenly, it stood perfectly straight and still and was watching as Eragon reached for a shelf to pick up a rod. "I wouldn't do that." They jumped when someone spoke in their mind, but Eragon, apparently, did not feel the need to heed to the warning. He yelped and was on the ground a moment later with a concerned Ellie by his side.

"You aren't very smart for a dragon rider; I did warn you."

"You said that!" Sarah cried in surprise, her hand retreating from the cat.

"Do not fear me, Sarah Zimmerman, I am a friend." He seemed to be smiling, but they were frightened and backed away from it; consequently running into a shelf and causing the contents to fall upon the floor rather noisily.

Angela ran out of a side door. "Please, don't! I have a patient back there who is incredibly sensitive to sound and incredibly stubborn. What do you need?"

"Sounds like Meg." Rebecca muttered.

"Oh, so you are familiar with her?" The girls' heads snapped in her direction.

"Wait, did you...did she...?" Sarah stammered, uncertain as to whether she could hope.

"You know the stubborn one?" The cat asked.

"And does your patient have a companion, too?" Ellie asked hesitantly, her heart pounding in her chest.

"She has two companions, a male and female." Their hearts fell. Sarah stumbled backward into a chair, holding her head in her hands. The cat jumped on to her lap, but she looked away from it. Angela muttered, "Oh, what was her friend's name? She went off with dark words after Meg tricked her into thinking she had died. My, what was her name?"

"Brooke?" Rebecca offered.

"Yes! That was it!"

The girls jumped and ran through the door Angela had come from where they stood paralyzed upon finding Brooke and Meg standing frozen, looking at them as if disbelieving their presence.

Then came a sound like a banshee as the five squealed in excitement and wrapped each other in a death hug.

"I thought you were dead!"

"I didn't think we'd ever see you again!"

"Ellie's got it bad!"

"So do you, Rebecca!"

"Oh, you should see who Meg-"

"GUYS! I can't breathe!"

Little did their hold on each other slacken, for they were reluctant to release in fear of losing them all over again.

Their reunion was interrupted when the cat crept into their embrace and they cried out in surprise. "Solembum!" Brooke scolded. "You naughty werecat! What do you want?"

"Angela wished me to inform you and your friends that you must stay here until she is done reading the future of the dragon rider."

"Thank you, Solembum." Meg replied. "This will give us the perfect time to spill."

Ellie, Sarah and Rebecca told them everything starting from when they crawled into the manhole until why they were in Teirm and where they thought they were going after. ("You're leaving us?!" Meg had exclaimed when Rebecca revealed she would return to Carvahall. "I hope he's worth it, Becs." Brooke punched her arm.)

"Alright, now it's your turn. Spill!" Sarah exclaimed, petting Solembum who was sitting upon her lap, finally welcome.

Meg and Brooke explained everything; Meg often commented on how insufferable Murtagh was and Brooke, more than once, mentioned instances Meg preferred unsaid.

"So she scared the shivic out of me and Murtagh and at least now, they have reached a friendship title. Angela let us stay here until Meg's ready to leave, so we've gotten to know Solembum, here, and have told him a lot about you three." Brooke concluded.

"What should we do now?" Meg asked. "Now that we've found each other, what becomes of us?"

No one answered. Their silence was interrupted by Eragon who opened the door. "Ellie," He said, instantly finding her among the crowd. "Angela wishes to see you and your friends. I will wait outside."

Hesitantly, they approached Angela and stood at the counter, watching her silently. She shook what appeared to be bones and cast them on to the counter, calling "Manin, wydra, hugin!"

"What are you doing?" Ellie questioned, leaning back slowly.

"Your future, Miss Ellen, I am attempting to see what can be seen in your future; though it is as difficult to read as Eragon's."

They waited silently and Angela gestured to one of the bones. "We shall start here. Simple, your lives will either be eternal, extremely lengthy, or incredibly short."

The girls stiffened; the news frightening them. Solembum nudged Sarah gently, as if to say he would be there for her. The witch continued, "You see this bone here, you are all doomed to a beautiful and, in some cases, dangerous romance. And from these, one of you will bare a child who will decide the fate of Alagaesia."

They looked to each other, silently questioning who it was to be, though they had little time to do so, for Angela continued. "There are many choices ahead of you, regarding your love and not. You are not of this land, nor any known land upon this earth; choices regarding your return to your own world seem to be before you." Wary glances were exchanged, eyes speaking the same thing: perhaps getting their future read was not such a good idea after all. "Oh, I'm sorry," Their attention returned to Angela almost violently. "There is darkness in your future. Betrayal, loss of faith, blood and pain. Though despite all that, according to this bone, which represents happiness and crosses the bone that represents darkness, this can mean that you will find happiness from such darkness, or happiness will find you when darkness is done."

"Thank you, Angela." Meg interrupted. "We appreciated this, but I do not believe we want to hear any more."

The herbalist smiled and nodded, pulling the bones back into the bag and resuming normal work, if it could be considered normal at all.

They walked out to meet Eragon and returned to Jeod's to eat together and speak in the third impromptu meeting.

"I already decided where I am going." Rebecca said, frustrated. "I have to go back to Roran."

"We have been separated enough, cousin." Brooke said. "I will accompany you to Carvahall."

"Alright, that makes me feel better," Ellie murmured, then added louder, "I'm staying with Eragon. I've been here from the beginning and I will see it to the end."

"I suppose there is nothing better for me to do, I'll stay with Ellie." Sarah stated.

All of the girls looked to Meg who had a strange fascination in the carpet and had been silent during the entire conversation. "Meg?" Ellie questioned. "What will you do?"

Her brows furrowed and she stammered, "I...I don't-I need...I need a little more time. Excuse me."

The four watched as she left, knowing she was conflicted about what they should do about Murtagh. "Brooke," Ellie said. "Will she be okay?"

"I don't know." She replied truthfully. "You know how stubborn she is, if she's hurting, she won't tell you."

Ellie sighed, "Oh, Meg, what are we going to do with you?"