The journey passed quickly. Anxiety dominated Arya's every thought.

Before long they were descending towards Osilon. The sun had set in the sky and darkness was creeping over the land. Below the city was eerily quiet. Even the animals had realized that not all was quite right in the world as indicated by the utter lack of sound. Arya's mind delicately reached out to her surroundings, searching for Baeldar. She quickly located his mind.

Baeldar, Fíren and I are here. Shall we come meet you? Arya questioned. She waited for a response. However, a reply never came.

Baeldar? Arya asked again. Baeldar did not seem aware of Arya inside of his mind. He was distracted by something else. What that something was, his mind would not relinquish.

Arya, Rua and Mara are with him too. I can sense them there, Fíren interrupted.

Let us go to them, quickly, Arya replied, uneasiness spilling into her thoughts. Fíren directed himself towards their minds, folding his wings into his body and slipping into a dive. They gained speed at an unreasonably dangerous rate. They were nearing the ground by Baeldar's small hut.

Fíren, Arya warned frantically, taking into account both their speed and proximity to the ground. But he did not slow.

We are going to crash! Arya cried out.

Be ready to jump the second I hit the ground, Baeldar needs you, Fíren said in a surprisingly calm tone. Arya could now feel the intense waves of fear emanating from Baeldar.

Fíren, please pull up; you're going to get yourself killed! Arya exclaimed, but still obediently unloosened the straps of the saddle that were holding her legs in place.

Trust me Arya, it's going to be okay. I know what I'm— Fíren started. But he didn't finish before they hit the ground full on.

Fíren's massive body hit the ground first. The impact shook the earth around them. The second they hit Arya leaped off Fíren's back. With a solid jump she flew through the air and landed solidly on her feet.

She glanced back at Fíren. He had tumbled over to absorb the impact. Arya realized that had she stayed on his back she would have been crushed alive beneath his weight. In the ground was a deep trench of fresh dirt where Fíren had hit the clearing. Fíren shakily rose to his feet, shaking off the dirt and grass the covered his entire body.

Are you alright? Arya asked worriedly.

Arya, I'm fine. We need to help Baeldar, go! Fíren said. Without hesitation Arya then sprinted into Baeldar's small dwelling.

But Arya knew it was all wrong before she had even entered the room. The world around her felt empty. The minds that should have been there were not.

Arya raced through the door. Within the small, dark hut was a terrible site that Arya knew would haunt her for the rest of her life.

The entire room was splattered with gore. Small bits of flesh littered the floor. The walls were coated with blood and other bits of what was once part a body. Everywhere Arya looked were fragments of skin or guts.

And right in the center of this mess was the limp, lifeless form of a small child. Her empty, sapphire eyes were looking right at Arya. The girl was hardly recognizable amidst the carnage surrounding her.

"Mara…" Arya whispered in horror. Arya took an unsteady step forward, but her legs gave up beneath her. A terrible wail broke through her lips as she crashed to her knees. This was all wrong.

She crawled on the ground towards the small body. She reached for Mara and dragged her head into her lap. Tears escaped Arya's eyes and flowed down her face. Arya wiped her hand across Mara's small, moon pale face, trying to remove some of the gore. Arya's willowy fingers fluttered over Mara's eyes to close them, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Those dark, empty, azure eyes stared at Arya accusingly.

Arya wept sorrowfully. What had she done? Baeldar was dead. Baeldar, the legendary, ancient elf who had fought valiantly against the Foresworn. Mara was also dead, assumedly from taking on a spell too powerful to complete without taking her own life. All of Arya's good intentions and efforts had only come to doom the very person she was trying to save.

She could have lain there for days reveling in that deep, dark pit of absolute misery, but Fíren awoke her from the nightmare.

Outside he released an ear-splitting roar. Arya stumbled to her feet and hurried outside, her small feet sliding through the butchery.

Descending upon Fíren was a raging, purple dragon.

Rua. Arya despaired at the ferocious sight as Rua released a bright spurt of fire. Rua landed on the ground and let out a heart-wrenching roar. Arya attempted to reach into Rua's mind.

We tried to stop her, but the spell she tried was too powerful and— Arya started.

NO! You killed her! Rua cried in anguish, mentally shouting in a voice that made Arya's head ring. Without another word Rua leaped at Fíren, her fangs going right for his outstretched neck. Although he was much larger and slower than Rua, Fíren was able to dart out of the way, dropping right to the ground so she flew over him. Rua growled in aggravation as she hit the ground on the other side of Fíren.

Fíren then leaped into the air, spreading his wings to gain the strategic position of being above Rua. Arya felt Fíren trying to calm Rua all the while, trying to explain to her that it wasn't his and Arya's fault. But it didn't seem to make any difference.

Rua jumped right into the air after him, releasing another jet of fire. Fíren flew higher to get out of her range. Rua raced after him. Fíren was much slower than Rua and before long the smaller dragon had over taken him. She darted towards him. Fíren once again tried to dodge her but was a moment to slow. Rua's sharp talons buried themselves in Fíren's soft underbelly.

Arya cringed as Fíren let out a roar of pain. Rua released Fíren and then sped up above him, gaining the upper hand. Fíren then flew away from her, forcing her to follow him in pursuit.

Fíren, why aren't you fighting back? Arya asked worriedly.

She is merely a hatchling. I am stronger and bigger than she is. If I fight back it wouldn't be fair. I might accidently kill her, Fíren responded, and she has just lost her rider. She is not in her right mind. Arya agreed reluctantly, watching fearfully as Rua again and again attacked Fíren and Fíren merely defended himself by escape maneuvers and warning jets of fire.

Arya tried to reach Rua again with her mind. But Rua was beyond consolation. Arya was shocked when she touched Rua's mind. It was as if something inside of Rua had snapped. Something foundationally important for one's sanity had been broken. Rua's mind was an uncontrollable tangle of rage and pain. However it was different than Glaedr's mind after he had lost Oromis. Arya remember how Glaedr had completely shut down, his mind closing in on himself in a vault of desolation and hurt. But this was different. It felt as though Rua's entire mind was becoming unraveled. Arya felt herself being pulled into the dissonant, chaotic music of Rua's thoughts and quickly fought to find a way out. Arya battled mentally to disentangle her own mind from somewhere she knew that if she was pulled into, she might never be able to escape.

After a few moments of battling the turmoil of Rua's thoughts, Rua finally released Arya. Arya collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion, a sheen of cold sweat breaking out across her brow.

Arya, look out! cried Fíren from above. Arya looked up to see Rua coming towards her, a ferocious snarl etched across Rua's face.

Arya barely had time to roll out of the way before Rua hit the ground, attempting to land on top of Arya.

Rua roared in anger, breathing fire towards Arya. Arya leaped out of the way, however the tips of her hair getting caught in the inferno. Arya smelled burning and rapidly batted the ends of her hair to extinguish the tiny flames. However Rua was heavy in pursuit.

Without a second thought Arya leaped into the trees to escape Rua. She leaped from branch to branch across the trees, moving deeper and deeper into the woods. Behind her, Rua crashed through the trees, trying to follow Arya. However the trees were becoming denser and closer together as they continued.

Finally Rua gave up and jumped into the air, crashing through layers of branches to reach the open sky.

Fíren, can you see Rua? What is she doing? Arya called out mentally.

She has just broken through the trees, still in pursuit of you. Fíren responded almost immediately, I am going to hang around back here and watch. Are you well hidden?

Arya sent him an image of where she was, nestled in the hallow of a grand, old oak tree.

Good, Fíren thought, let's giver her time to calm down.

Fíren, I don't know if she's going to be okay, Arya thought worriedly, before conveying her earlier experience in Rua's mind. Fíren was not sure what to think either.

All of a sudden, Arya felt a pang of despair.

I wish Eragon was here. He might know what to do. Arya thought longingly to Fíren. Fíren was silent for a few moments.

You really miss him. Fíren finally responded. Arya did not say anything. She could not hide herself from Fíren. He knew every thought. And he was absolutely right.

Arya missed Eragon more than she ever thought possible. She missed the feeling of security that came with his presence. Maybe it was the result of surviving so many ordeals together, but without him around there was something missing from her life. There was a sense of vulnerability that came with his absence. Arya felt like there was a part of her that he had always cared for and protected. Arya realized it was a ridiculous notion to think that she needed in any way to be protected. She was a ferocious warrior in and of herself. She didn't need Eragon to look after her. But there was a part of her that wanted him there to do it anyway. With Eragon there Arya felt safe. For one of the first times in forever he had become someone she could let her guard down around and not have to worry about anything else.

Once again, her emotions bubbled within her. It was a feeling that she had so long shut away either because it was not an appropriate time to approach it or because she did not understand it.

As unlikely as it seemed, when hiding in a tree from a rampaging dragon that was hunting for her, Arya felt a desire to bring that feeling back. A feeling that she had thought she had locked away forever the day that Eragon had left Alagaësia.

Her thoughts were disrupted however by a hissing noise above her. Arya looked up in dismay to see that the branches above her had become ignited. She quickly scrambled down the tree and into a small clearing in the forest. Around her the fire was catching, growing quickly. Waves of distress filled the air.

The trees! Arya thought. Rua was killing them. Smoke was filling the air. Arya felt a sense of claustrophobia, as if the land itself was suffocating her.

Fíren what's going on? Where is Rua? Arya asked him

I'm not sure! I can't see her with all this smoke in the air, Fíren thought to her.

Then, out of the haze, Arya saw Rua emerge in an angry cloud, letting out a vicious thunder. Rua landed right in front of Arya, causing the ground to shake beneath her.

Arya crouched down, reading to pounce.

Rua, however, had ideas of her own. She moved to circle around Arya, whipping her tail back and forth and licking her lips. Arya felt panic starting to well up inside her of her. Her sword had been lost back at Baeldar's hut when she and Fíren had crash landed.

Then without warning Rua leaped at Arya. Arya tried to jump out of the way but Rua anticipated her and batted her down with a powerful swish of her tail. Arya felt the air knocked out of her and was flung to the ground, landing with a heavy smack.

A heavy talon planted itself on her chest, pinning Arya to the ground. An angry growl rumbled in Rua's chest.

This is all your fault came a mocking, unfamiliar, sing song voice. Arya gasped in shock to realize that it was Rua talking to her. She sounded like an absolute maniac. There was no sense of anything but madness emanating from Rua's mind. A sense of despair came over Arya in processing the weight of Rua's words. Rua was right, this was all her fault. Arya closer her eyes as the weight of Rua on her chest grew heavier and heavier. Arya's breath caught in her chest and she had trouble inhaling. This was it, Arya thought. Arya heard an unpleasant cracking sound as her ribs gave in beneath Rua.

Arya no! came Fíren's thoughts out of the gloom. But Arya could not think straight. Her mind was starting to blur, as the lack of oxygen seemed to halt all thoughts in their tracks. All she could focus on was the growing darkness that was coming to consume her. Arya fought it at first, but soon relinquished. There was no hope of escape, why not embrace it? She allowed to blackness to seep into her thoughts and consume her consciousness.

All of a sudden the darkness started to disappear. Air. Sweet, bubbles of air flowed down her throat as the heavy darkness was lifted off of her. She heard a violent crash and opened her eyes.

Besides her she saw two dragons viciously tearing at each other's throats. They tumbled and fought as the forest around them continued to burn in a brilliant spectacle.

Once again, however, Arya felt the blackness returning for her. She was too weak to resist. A deep aching emanated from her chest and each breath she took was labored. A roar of absolute pain shattered the world around her. She wasn't sure which dragon had released the noise. Her eyelids fluttered close and the last thing she pictured in her mind before being completely taken over by the darkness was the image of a well missed companion, his sweet face gazing at her worriedly from far, far away.