"I SEE THE SEA!" Lysandea shouted the next morning as we finished climbing a small hill. I heaved a sigh of relief. My whole body ached after yesterday's full day of riding.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Morena become even more tence, like that was even possible.

We picked up the pace and arrived at the docks within 2 hours. Eragon walked to a short man. The man was bald and his skin was dark like leather but wrinkled and spotted with even darker patches showing his age he had pointed elf ears like everyone else I had seen and met since ariving in Pyrinthia, his dark brown tunic, which had no sleeves to disguise small but strong arm and trousers that were ripped in some places. His face had small squinting eyes, that I was too far away from to see the colour of, and he had a big nose that had a bump in it like it had been broken many times. Eragon must have said something to him since the short man nodded vigorously and smiled showing rows or crooked and broken yellow teeth. The man strode off quickly into a small shed looking thing, like a tiney cabin. A few moments later he came back outside and walked down the docks.

Eragon turned and beckoned us to follow him. We walked down to the end and I looked up to see a big black ship with white sails. It looked like an intimidating pirate ship. It had gold swirls on the rails at the top and looked as though it was in amazing condition.

Next to the ship, on the docks were a line of men. The line of men knelt in front of Eragon, bowing their heads. When they looked up his hand waved for them to rise. Eragon then turned to look at us. We were a few meters away, standing and looking like lost puppys.

He waved me forward with a grin. As I came close to him he reached out and with his arm sliding casually around my waist drawing me next to him he turned back to the like of men.

"This is my soulmate, you will show her the same respect and loyalty you would show me." He said in a clear powerful voice then he unexpectedly dropped a gentle kiss on my temple and at the same time his arm at my waist tightened possessively. I blushed as all eyes and attention slid to me. As one they took me in, starting from the top of my head all the way down my riding dress to my feet.

"MARIK!" Morena cryed as she ran past us and quickly bent to hug the small man.

The small man, called Marik put his arms around Morena for a breaf minute put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her to arms length.

"Little Morena Nox." His voice was raspy and he had a slight accent. "You are such a beautiful young lady." She smiled and flicked her blond hair over her shoulder.

"Its wonderful to see you again Marik." Morena replyed. Marik took her hand and Lysandea followed them onto the ship.

One member of the crew shouted to the others and they all scrambled to do as they were told.

I turned to Eragon and asked "Context?" His light laugh stroked over me like a gentle caress.

"Marik was our fathers ship master, he is now mine. Marik spent many years teaching Morena and myself life skills. Him and Morena were allways close but he could never stay far from the sea, so he lives here." His hand pulled my skirts so I stood in front of him but my back was turned to him. His arms cam around both sides of my hips and he pulled me flush against him. My entire body flooded with warmth and I had butterflies in my stomach. I felt him reach up and brush my hair away from my neck before gently kissing the top of my spine.

"When we leave I'm going to have you all to my self." His voice had turned deliciously husky and the warmth speeding throughout my body turned hot. My breath quickened as his kisses continued and his hands began to slide up and down my body.

Suddenly a peirsing whistle rang out and Eragon and I looked up to see Marik at the rail with a blank expretion on his face.

"Get on here. And show your woman the ship. No funny business on my docks thank you very much." His face then lit up with a grin, "She is very pretty but I helped rais you better than to embarrass your woman in public by pawring her like a needy pup."

Eragon sighed and his arms fell from my waist. I shivered when the air came in contact with my back as he stepped back and came up beside me at a respectable distance. The cold loss of his heat from being so close to me doused all my desire he had stured since pull in me in front of him.

He held his arm out and I slipped my hand gently around it.

"This was my father's personal ship. He built it to show my grandfather, on my mother's side, that he would be a good soulmate for and too his daughter."

He took me to see each cabin and each room for storage and even the brig. When we got back up to the deck we went over to the rail.

"The vew is magnificent." I said in awe. It truly was spectacular. Clear blue water that sparkled in the sun. Other beautiful and big ships that were in element condition. A gentle breeze gliding white fluffy clouds accord the sky.

"Yeah? Wait until you have been on the ship for a few days when there is nothing to see but sky and sea." Lysandea grumbled behind us.

We laughed and a few hours later we set sail.

"What's that?" I asked pointing to a black dot on the horizon. The sun had almost set and the only reason I had seen the spot was because the sun was behind it.

"I'm not sure." Marik said, musing.

"What ever it is, it's approaching very quickly." A crew member commented.

"Oh god-" I heard Marik whisper beside me and I whipped my head towards him.

"- PIRATES!" The cry went up throughout all the men.

A flurry of activity spurred into action. Eragon came up behind me, sliding an arm around my waist and pulled me close to whisper "I know you will want to help but you can't. These men know what there doing and you will only get in the way. Change into a small animal and get somewhere safe." With that he kissed my cheek and gently pushed me towards the steps to go to the hull.

I waved my way through people and got to the top step where I changed into a field mouse and tucked myself under the step, so I could still hear what was going on but was out the way.

Sudden bangs and thuds exploded around me. And the noise of shouting men doubled. A shadow crawled across the bits of deck I could see like thousands of spiders.

"Everyone on deck or I'll send Dugal the death hound to find you." An unfamiliar voice shouted. The was then scraping on boots on wood as people were hauled out of there hiding places. "I said EVERYONE." The same unfamiliar man roared.

Quiet footsteps approached and then a hand was in front of me, flat on the floor, palm up. I knew it was Eragons hand because of his wonderful sent my sensitive little nose could pick up.

It's just a few unforeseen events