[Roran POV]

At some point the world had stopped making sense. Unlike most from Carvahall, Roran knew exactly when it did so, during the weeks after he left for a job in Therinsford and his cousin discovered one of the few remaining dragon's eggs left in the world.

A lot had happened after that.

The death of his father, hiding in the Spine to escape the Empire's soldiers hunting for him, Katrina's kidnapping, and then leading the rest of the villagers away from their home and certain death to find the Varden. All in hope of letting the people that put their trust in him find a new home and for him to find his cousin to help get Katrina back.

Roran didn't know what he was expecting when he finally met Eragon again. Part of him was expecting something out of one of old Brom's stories, a towering hero straight out of legend. Part was just expecting Eragon, the same daydreaming boy with an almost unceasing amount of questions he had grown up with.

In reality…he got something of a mix.

Even ignoring the physical changes Eragon certainly acted differently, calmer than Roran had ever thought possible, but underneath that he was still the same person. Still Roran's family. It gave him confidence because truth be told? While Roran had accepted that he could die trying to rescue his beloved, never once did he consider Eragon might also. Not after seeing him walk off the battlefield.

Then Alexandria, a magician that even a Dragon Rider admitted he couldn't match in whatever sorcery they used, was killed in the first few seconds of the fight after being run over by a creature the size of a small hut.

Roran had known people killed by a stray kick from a mule, let alone a strike so hard the stone wall behind her broke as well.

Regrettably he didn't have time to worry about the fallen magician, not with the Ra'zac finally making an appearance.

Roran grit his teeth at the two creatures responsible for his father's death and staggered to his feet to meet them.

Before he could, both of them were forced to step aside as a great ball of fire shot towards them, driving them apart while Eragon rushed to his side and stood back to back.

"Hold them off for a minute." His cousin shouted before chanting in that magical language of his.

"Hope you know what you're doing, Eragon." Roran couldn't help but comment as he did his best to cover both Ra'zac coming to attack.

He tightly clenched his hammer and swung at the shrouded creature closest to him.

Just like the time in Carvahall the damned thing was weirdly quick. It jerked back to avoid the blow and struck as quickly as a snake. Roran was lucky enough to catch the creature's blade on his wooden shield.

The Ra'zac leaned closer and while Eragon's magics protected him against the weakening powers of the Ra'zac's breath, it did nothing against the smell. Roran felt his nose burn at the scent of fetid and rotten meat.

"Ffffoooollss," The creature hissed. "Weee will enjoy sssucking the marrow from your bonesss!"

Roran didn't bother replying. He was too busy trying to fend off the two of them.

Time and time again, their weapons struck against his shield and armor or missed cutting his skin and face by a hairs-breadth while he tried to smash their limbs or body with his hammer.

Seconds passed like minutes as he did his best to hit the unnatural creatures, but it was in vain. He was simply too slow but as long as he bought enough time for Eragon to finish whatever he was attempting it would be enough. Then the smaller of the two lunged for his face even as he caught its blade on his shield again.

Remembering the feeling of the Ra'zac's beaklike mouth cutting through his shoulder muscles, Roran tried to back away. That turned out to be a mistake. The Ra'zac ripped its sword from his shield and quickly stabbed at his leg.

He expected another thud of pain as Eragon's protective magic stopped the blades from cutting him, but he still felt some of the impact. Instead there was a scream of pain and the feeling of something wet and hot splashing on his leg.

Roran paused, expecting to feel where the blade pierced him, when he realized he wasn't the one that cried out. Instead, the smaller of the Ra'zac pulled away clutching at its forearm where an arrow had pierced through it. Roran barely had time to wonder where the missile came from before something passed close enough to his cheek to tickle and another arrow appeared in the Ra'zac's shoulder.

Then Eragon finished his chant and one of the massive beasts his dragon was fighting began to flail randomly like it could no longer see.

"Pay attention Roran!" The voice of the impossibly still alive Alexandria called out to him.

He refocused on the Ra'zac and did his best to support Eragon, but as the fight went on it was clear he was mostly just in the way. The two enemies did their best to get at Eragon while using him to hide from Alexandria's arrows, occasionally taking a stab at him just to make sure he couldn't attack one when they were distracted.

That didn't mean the battle was going against them.

Eragon managed to get a few hits in with the staff he had brought. He hadn't managed to kill either of them yet, but they were definitely wounded. Especially the smaller one since it had gained a third arrow lodged in its body at some point with the larger only sprouting one.

The real turning point came when Roran moved to intercept a blow and misstepped into one of the gashes covering the floor. His ankle twisted, and unable to support his full weight, he ended up falling to the ground. Unwilling to be an easy target, Roran rolled with the fall and readied his shield just in time to see Eragon strike the larger Ra'zac over the head with his staff and fell it.

Before any of them could make a move, a deafening roar filled the cave and Roran turned to see Eragon's dragon standing victoriously over the corpse of one of the bigger monsters. Apparently Alexandria had been assisting there as well because Roran could see even more, larger arrows sticking out of it as well, including one that seemed to have penetrated one of its eyes.

The second leather-whatsit didn't hesitate. It immediately tackled the blue dragon towards the lip of the cave before both of them went over the edge, fighting each other the whole way. Though judging from Eragon's reaction - besides an initial start - Saphira was still fine.

The last remaining Ra'zac finally decided that there was no way to win this battle and to just run. That didn't stop it from deciding to take at least one of them out and directing a flurry of blows at Roran faster than he could react. One he got lucky on and managed to block with his shield, the second bounced off his helm leaving his head ringing, but the third finally broke the web of magic Eragon had cast and cut through his chainmail and deep into his thigh. He gasped as his leg buckled under him and twisted so he rolled a bit rather than just fall on his face.

As he scrambled back to his feet, he looked up just in time to see another impossibly accurate arrow sprout from the hollow of the fleeing Ra'zac's knee, causing it to trip to the ground. A strange calm fell over Roran even as his blood seemed to burn with purpose.

For the first time in this battle, his enemy was vulnerable.

Roran shoved himself to his feet, ignoring any pain the movement caused him, and leapt at the fallen figure with his hammer raised high. With a wordless bellow he brought it down once, twice, three times with all his strength. With each blow something cracked and then it was done.

The Ra'zac were dead.

"Roran, your side." Eragon's words broke whatever spell Roran was under as his body suddenly reminded him of every bump and bruise he had just collected, to say nothing about his more serious wounds.

"The other one?" He demanded, just to be sure.

"Dead."

"Good riddance. Can you do something about this?" Roran asked, gesturing at the cut on his thigh.

While Eragon poked at his wound Roran turned to the third member of their group, the one he was convinced had died after getting hit by something nearly the size of his cousin's dragon into a solid rock wall, yet, seemed completely fine if not a little scuffed from the experience.

"Thank you." He told her. He wasn't stupid. That last arrow could easily have been put through the fleeing Ra'zac's heart if she wanted, but she had crippled it instead and gave him a chance at revenge at the same time.

Alexandria just waved him off. "We ready to go?" She asked instead, looking at Eragon.

"Yes," Eragon nodded, rising to his feet. "I don't sense anyone else nearby but I've locked the door to Katrina's cell. Only one of us can open it now."

"Great, then let's find her and get out of here. I don't like the feel of this place."

-o-

The more the three of them walked the dark halls of Helgrind the more Roran agreed with the female magician. There was something evil about this mountain. Something that seemed eager to trap them within its tunnels and never let them leave.

Even with the magical lighting from both Eragon and Alexandria, Roran would have been hopelessly lost after a few turns let alone the winding path that Eragon was leading them down.

But despite that Roran could only focus on one thing…every step he took brought him closer to Katrina.

Soon enough they were standing in a rough hallway with ironbound doors on both sides. The only thing stopping him from running to the first one and ripping it off its hinges was the knowledge Eragon already knew where Katrina was.

"Where?" He did his best to not sound impatient. He was also sure he failed.

"Ninth down, on the right." Eragon informed him. "You two go get her. I'll check on the other cells. The Ra'zac might have left something interesting in them."

Roran didn't wait a second longer, though that didn't stop him from noticing the suspicious look Alexandria as she passed by. That wasn't important now though.

"Can you open it?" He asked the Magician.

"Yeah, just give me a sec." She replied, placing a hand on the lock and closing her eyes.

Roran shifted from foot to foot in impatience and almost shoved her aside to just start hammering at the hinges himself when Alexandria opened her eyes again and held up a hand. In a flash of light a key materialized in her hand from thin air. "Care to do the honors?" She asked, holding it out to him. He took it and was through the door before he realized he even moved.

"Let me alone, you toothless bastards! I–"

Roran felt his heart flutter at the sound of her voice, regardless of the anger in it. And he couldn't keep the smile off his face as she stopped, stunned at the sight of him. She was pale from the lack of sun and covered in filth, but Roran had never seen a more beautiful sight than seeing her alive and unharmed.

Then she smiled at him. A tender, joyous thing that took his breath away.

"You came."

"I came."

Did she think he wouldn't? He had been ready to burn the Empire down when she was taken. How to get her back was one of the only things he could think about for weeks. None of that mattered now though, not with Katrina right here. She reached out to touch him and he pulled her into his embrace. Trying to tell her through his actions she was safe now since this throat had suddenly closed up, unable to speak past the joyous sobs that threatened to break free.

"You grew a beard."

Of all the things she could have said.

The light chuckling from behind told him that Eragon, apparently done with his task, agreed.

"Eragon? Is that you?"

"Aye."

"He's a Dragon Rider now." Roran explained.

"A Rider?!"

"As much as I would like to let you all catch up. We need to leave." Alexandria broke in. "Saphira is waiting for us back by the entrance. Eragon? Could you do something about her chains?"

"Wait! What about my father? Did you find him?"

"I'm sorry…we were too late."

Katrina slumped in Roran's arms and he did his best to support her, but at the same time he felt very little sympathy for Sloan's fate. The butcher might have been Katrina's father, but he was also responsible for telling the Empire about Eragon discovering his Dragon's egg which led to his father's death – something he might have eventually forgiven since Sloan had no way of knowing what the egg really was, but when the soldiers came to hunt down Roran, Sloan had eventually betrayed them, murdered one of the men on nightwatch, and allowed the soldiers to attack the village undetected while he kidnapped his daughter to escape alone.

"So be it." Katrina said eventually.

After freeing Katrina and checking her for spells or compulsions, something Eragon insisted on doing immediately, the four of them returned to the entrance where Saphira was waiting for them.

Seeing daylight again after what felt like hours underground was a relief only slightly dampened by the revelation that Kartina hadn't seen the light for so long she feared she was going blind. Thankfully Alexandria conjured a pair of heavily tinted glasses so Katrina could avoid tripping.

While Roran and Eragon introduced her to the Dragon, Alexandria busied herself retrieving and unraveling the cloth she had packed before they left. Just looking at it knowing what was about to happen caused a sour feeling to appear in his stomach but he did his best to not show it for Katrina's sake.

"Alright boys and girls, gather round. For Katrina's sake I'll explain what's about to happen." Alexandria announced once she was satisfied with the layout of the cloth. "This fabric has a teleportation circle knit into it that is paired to one back with the Varden's army. All you have to do is stand in the middle and I'll do the rest." She explained. "Eragon? You and Saphira are up first."

"Roran and Katrina should go." Eragon argued. "They are the ones most at risk if something happens and we need to return some other way."

Alexandria narrowed her eyes at him, possibly insulted by the thought her magic would fail but simply nodded.

Roran guided Katrina to the middle of the circle and held her close.

"Okay, three, two…on-"

There was a flash of yellow light and a pulling feeling that caused Kartina to scream next to him but even as he rushed to steady her, Roran noticed that Alexandria had actually managed it. They had gone from a barren cave to one of the Varden's large tents in a heartbeat.

Roran finally allowed himself to relax fully for the first time in weeks and felt like a huge weight had fallen from his shoulders. Katrina was finally rescued and the Ra'zac were dead. They had accomplished everything they had set out to do and survived.

He gently moved Katrina off the circle so the others could come through, already making plans for what needed to be done. Katrina would need to see a healer at least. And then they needed to find Horst and the rest of the villagers and tell them the good news…