I am writing this with my friend frodoschick.

Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon. sigh : (

The Shade looked at the half-dozen soldiers before her, all with drooping shields and swords. Their helmets were askew on their heads, and their armor was covered with the dust and grime of battle. Their eyes were averted and they stared at the ground as her measured steps sent her pacing amongst them. She stopped at the end of the row, and turned. Her eyes fell on the Captain, at the other end. She was pleased to see him squirming.

"Tell me again, Captain," she said musingly. "What happened?" She started to walk back as he spoke again.

"We...we were overwhelmed." he replied, afraid to look up and meet her pale gaze. "The Rider and his dragon were too strong." His eyes caught sight of a midnight blue dress come to a stop in front of him. He began to tremble. He still refused to look up.

"I understand. The boy was too strong for you. Too powerful for a group of highly trained soldiers of the most elite battalion to handle. Oh, I understand perfectly." The soldiers said nothing, but she observed beads of sweat break out on their brows.

"Do you realize, Captain, that you have failed me?" she asked, in a dangerously soft voice. The captain had no voice left. He mutely shook his head, in a vain hope. Her hand gripped him underneath his chin, and a jerk upwards forced him to look into her light-less eyes.

"Of course you don't," she said, almost as if talking to a child. "You did all you could." The captain's eyes showed one spark of relief. "Which is why you die." The Shade plunged her other hand directly into his chest. He froze with a look of terror and pain. His eyes rolled up and he began to fall backwards. Gravity pulled him off her hand with a dull sucking sound, and he hit the ground with a wet splat.

Something dark red was clutched in her fist, coating her hand and part of her sleeve in blood. The dungeon was filled with a metallic smell.

"So small," she mused, crushing the heart in her clawed hand. "Yet so much blood." The soldiers tried their best not to gape at the large hole in their captain's chest. Layrn, for that was her name, dropped the sad smushed heart on the corpse. She looked at the corpse for a moment, then knelt. She picked up the still hand and twisted it, looking at a ring. "I always did like this red-gold ring of yours..."

"Ma'am!" cried a lieutenant, stepping out of line for a split second.

"What?" she snapped, turning her white glare upon him. He quaked, but went bravely on.

"H-His wife gave him that." Still staring at the lieutenant, she ripped the ring off of the finger so forcefully that she almost pulled the hand off as well. If he had been alive, he would have to die, as a broken hand is useless in her army. She held the ring up, the expertly carved emerald glinting evilly in a ray from the dying sun managing to slip through the crack called a window.

"Do I look like I care?" she asked, glaring at him even fiercer than before. Suddenly, she swiftly stood, her mood worsening. "What are you all still doing here?! Get out of my sight!" The group scattered, dashing away from the evil and blood. As the youngest started by her, she gripped him by his tunic. "Not you."

The boy began to quake, imaging so many horrors. "You." she started, gripping him by the shoulders. "Clean that." She shoved him on top of the corpse. "Up." She turned and started out of the dungeon, twisting the red-gold ring on her left index finger. The private stared after her with mixed feelings. Awe, fear, amazement...and more than a hint of lust.

As her twin, Kitenza, came down the stairs, the retreating soldiers rushed by her causing her to be pushed up against the wall. As the last one exited, she rolled her eyes and stepped down to the bottom of the stairwell.

"Another soldier dead, Layrn?" she asked in a flat tone, observing the gory scene before her. The youngest soldier rushed past, carrying the sad bundle in his arms. He muttered apologies, bowing as he edged past the second Shade.

"Why should we care how many are killed, sister dear?" Layrn replied, still trying to make the ring fit. "More are coming from Uru'baen every day." As the ring slipped off her finger yet again, she muttered a curse and hissed a shrink spell, causing the ring to fit perfectly. She admired it coldly.

"Where did you get that?" Kitenza asked, indicating to the ring. Layrn shrugged carelessly.

"Their captain gave it to me."

"Gave? Stole is more like it." retorted Kitenza, meeting her sister's glare. In the twilight that seeped through the small window, you could barely tell them apart. Except for their eyes: While Layrn had a silvery-white glare, Kitenza had a liquid red gaze. The only other difference was their dragon scales and necklaces. Layrn had purple dragon scales decorating her dress and a dark blue medallion. Kitenza's were blood-red. In fact, she wore no other colors than black and red.

"What does it matter?" demanded Layrn, turning away. "He won't need it where he is going." Her purple dragon scale earring glinted in the torchlight as she started up the stairs. Kitenza shook her head and joined her sister in leaving the dungeon. As they stepped out of the stairwell and onto the training fields, the soldiers froze, and with a fluid movement saluted. They remained in that pose as the Shades walked past, coldly ignoring everyone. The private started at Layrn from the corner where he was burying the body of his former captain. His hungry eyes watched her disappear up the stairs to their private rooms, and he longed to join them...

Layrn and Kitenza walked into a large sitting room, draped in luxurious cloth, red and black patterns flickering in the light of a lone fire. Black satin couches were placed strategically around the room, and the floor was covered with a blood-red carpet. Nobody knew just how many lives had been claimed within this room, and no-one would ever know. There were no windows and the only escape was the door that Kitenza now closed. She turned around in time to see her sister throw herself on one of the couches and kick off her shoes and cape. She lay there, coldly admiring the red-gold emerald ring upon her finger.

Kitenza sat across from her twin, and stared idly at her. "Sister," she began. "We must discuss certain items-"

"I am most certainly not interested in discussing anything." snapped Layrn loudly. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why do they do this to me? Do they enjoy making me miserable?" She threw her head back against the pillows, and closed her eyes.

"We must capture the Rider, sister." continued Kitenza, ignoring her sister's wish. Layrn ignored her sister as well. "I would send one more battalion at him-"

"We have attacked, attacked, and attacked. He repels everything." said Layrn, cracking her eye open a second. "I want a drink." Kitenza just looked at her.

"Might I suggest using our magic to entrap-"

"I want a drink." Layrn repeated, an edge of insanity cracking the edges of her voice. Kitenza rolled her eyes as she pulled a black bell rope. They remained silent for a moment. A knock sounded on the door. "What?!"

A boy dressed in a navy blue uniform with a silver skull crying a red tear on the front entered and bowed deep at the waist.

"You rang, Mistresses?" he asked, his voice flat and emotionless.

"Yes. I want a drink." snapped Layrn, glaring at him. "Preferably with flavor in it. And ice. I'm in a mood for ice." The boy looked at Kitenza who just looked back at him. He bowed again, and exited. Layrn sat on the couch, her eyes suddenly lighting up with an idea.

"What if...what if we used our magic to trap him?!" she cried excitedly. Kitenza looked at her.

"Oh, do tell." she said, rolling her eyes as she leaned back. Layrn either didn't hear or ignored the sarcasm in her twin's voice.

"Yes! We attack a village, destroy it to pieces. The Riders will come. Our soldiers distract that girl and one of us, preferably me, transforms herself into a large-eyed child thing, and calls out to the boy Rider. When he comes to help me, you sneak up behind him with a dagger laden with a strong sedative!" she cried, leaping up and pacing as she revealed her plan. "It's so perfect! That damn dragon will have no choice but to go along with us!" Kitenza listened to her sister's plan with blank eyes.

"Yes, yes! Then when she comes, we will trap her, torture her, and kill her!!" Layrn began to laugh, a crazy, euphoric laugh that insane people laugh.

It echoed around the room, out of the tower, and caused all the soldiers to quake as they heard it. Several hundred miles away, Freya and Eragon both sneezed.

Press the pretty purple button: ) No flames please.