The day following the attack Eragon was still in bed and recovering. As for Myoka she was perfectly capable to be released from Angela’s care. She was given a room to herself. She had just finished bathing and scarcely had a towel around her dripping form when Murtagh knocked on the door. Myoka was slightly embarrassed to be standing there in a towel but found it rude not to respond to the knock. Gathering up all the dignity she had left she spoke.

“Enter,” she called. She sat down on the edge of the tub and drained the water. She was still sitting there when Murtagh walked in. When he did she stood and smiled slightly.

“Hello, Murtagh,” she greeted him calmly. Murtagh blinked once and suddenly realized that Myoka was just standing there, composed as ever, with just a towel wrapped around her.

“Hello, Myoka,” he replied. He felt himself blushing and he looked at the ceiling, trying to shake off being uncomfortable with Myoka standing there practically nude. Myoka noticed this and sighed.

“Would you like to speak somewhere else?” she inquired with a small smile. Murtagh nodded and realized this wasn’t a reply.

“Yes,” he finally said. Myoka nodded, her black hair that was resting over her right shoulder shifting slightly.

“Alright, where?” she answered. Her eyes were sparkling with contained laughter at Murtagh’s severe shock at being in the room right at this moment.

“I’ll meet you outside in…eight minutes?” suggested Murtagh. Myoka nodded in approval.

“I shall be there.” With that Murtagh turned to leave, but not before first noting the twisted scar on her left shoulder and the black dragon tattoo spiraling down her left forearm.

* * *

Outside, eight minutes later, Myoka joined Murtagh outside. She was dressed in a simple white long sleeve blouse and loose black leather pants. A long dark brown ribbon was tied around in a firm knot at the end of her long midnight braid that cascaded down her back. Her hazel eyes were calm and showed none of the pain she had earlier experienced from Durza’s wound. Murtagh was waiting for her when she arrived. Their eyes met, brown to grey, and Murtagh found he never wanted to look away. Quickly he averted his gaze and spoke.

“Let’s walk,” he said quietly. Myoka nodded and followed him into the surrounding inner forest of the Vardens home. They strolled along in silence for quite some time, just letting the sounds of the forest envelop them. Finally they came to a flowering tree.

“Even in the most sorrowful time beauty still lives,” murmured Myoka when she saw the tree. Murtagh nodded in agreement.

“In more than just nature,” he added. Mentally he slapped himself. Did he really just say that?! A ghost of a smile played on Myoka’s lips as she raised one eyebrow gracefully.

“How so, Murtagh?” she questioned him. Murtagh looked away quickly.

“Never mind…” he told her.

“If you so wish.” They walked on a bit and then hiked back down where they stopped under the tree they had just previously talked about. Standing under that tree with Myoka was like walking on clouds. He felt his heart skip a beat as he realized why he had wanted to talk to the brown-eyed girl in the first place. Taking a deep breath he said what he originally had intended to say.

“Myoka, you know when I said ‘in more than just nature’ before about beauty in this time of sorrow?” Murtagh asked her. Myoka closed her eyes.

“Yes, Murtagh,” she replied slowly. Murtagh hoped he wouldn’t have to kill himself after this.

“What I meant was…not ‘never mind’…but beauty lives on in times of grief in…people,” he managed to begin. “People like…you…” Myoka took a second to try and register what Murtagh had just expressed to her. A slight blush tinged her cheeks as she looked up into the tree.

“I see…” she said calmly. Murtagh squeezed his eyes shut and forced the next few sentences out.

“Myoka…you are the most amazing person I’ve ever met. I’d travel to the ends of Algaësia and back just to be with you forever,” Murtagh said. Myoka blinked and finally realized what he was trying to tell her.

“Murtagh…are you saying…you love me…?” she asked. Her eyes widened a fraction but it was hardly noticeable. The brown haired boy flushed slightly.

“Yes, Myoka, I love you,” Murtagh said softly. Myoka pursed her lips for a moment to ponder all Murtagh had told her previously. Carefully in her head she formed her reply but she had no clue on how to get the words out. Finally she managed to find her voice to reply.

“Murtagh…as much as I’d like to return your feelings I know they’d just get in the way of your battles,” Myoka explained carefully. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, of course. And she certainly didn’t want to reject him horribly.

“I see you reasoning…but I swear to you…they would never,” Murtagh half pleaded with the girl. Myoka gently closed her mahogany eyes.

“Murtagh…I remember yesterday when you were fighting an Urgal. I felt your eyes on me and then I turned slightly to see you get smacked over the head,” Myoka told him with a slight smile.

“…that was an accident…really,” Murtagh sputtered. Myoka opened her mouth to reply but then her right hand went to her left shoulder. Pain exploded through her veins as Durza’s wound took its toll on her body once more. She fell to her knees gritting her teeth and desperately fighting the horrible pain. Murtagh rushed to help her as her eyes rolled up into her head and she lost conscious.

* * *

“Will she be alright?” came one voice. There was a momentary pause.

“I’m not sure…the physical strain of any type of movement is bound to send vibrations into her shoulder. This could be very problematic later in her life if she doesn’t get professional medical help,” replied another voice.

“What type of professional medical help?” inquired the first voice. There was an exasperated sigh from the second speaker.

“Well…the type that can only be found in Ellesméra or Urû’baen,” the second voice finally said reluctantly. There was a sharp intake of breath.

“How come you can’t help her?” demanded the first voice. There was a rustling sound of the second speaker drawing themselves up with indignity.

“MY powers are LIMITED, Murtagh!” snapped back the second voice. Finally Myoka could take no more of the pounding headache she was receiving by the two voices, one of which was Murtagh.

“ENOUGH!” she yelled over the two of them. Her eyes snapped open and fixed both occupants besides herself with a stern glares. The second voice which she had heard belonged to Angela. Her cheeks were flushed with anger and her curly hair was adding to the infuriated effect. It looked like it had just been struck with a humungous bolt of lightning. Her eyes were blazing and she was shaking with rage. Murtagh, on the other hand, looked concerned and annoyed. His eyes were alight with frustration.

“Sorry…I didn’t think you’d wake so soon,” Murtagh apologized quietly.

“Oh! Apologized to her but not to me?! Who, may I add, you’ve just offended?” Angela nearly screamed at him. Without thinking Myoka swung her legs over the side of the cot she was lying on previously. She stood up shakily at first but then more assuredly.

“Silence!” she hissed angrily. Both Angela and Murtagh went silent immediately. Myoka’s eyes were cold and her face was carved in a mask of fury. The silence dragged on for a moment before she continued on.

“I would like you, Murtagh, to apologize to Angela. And I would like for you, Angela, to accept his apology as well as tell me who I can get the medical attention I need from,” Myoka instructed the two. Both were too shaken by her livid appearance to object to her requests.

“I’m sorry, Angela, I never should’ve gotten that uptight,” Murtagh apologized quickly.

“Quite alright,” Angela forgave him equally as rapidly. “As for the medical attention it IS dangerous to attempt to be in either place. You MUST be careful. I know who to send you to in Ellesméra but not in Urû’baen,” she added.

“Well…tell me then,” Myoka sighed.

“I’ll contact them and they’ll contact another person who knows the person to contact you,” Angela said mischievously. Myoka nodded her assent. Then she sat back down on the cot. Her vision swam and soon she was swimming in darkness once more.