The Talita sailed the seas, lonely as it had always been.
5 months that he was gone. 5 months since the war had ended.
5 months since he had left all he had known.
5 months, Eragon and his companions had been looking for a place to raise the dragons. They hadn't found anything.
Yet, at least.
Eragon closed his eyes and tried to relax and meditate. In the night, it seemed so peaceful, and he swayed in time to a rhythm of his own …
And with his enhanced hearing, he heard a knock.
Eragon sighed. So much for relaxation.
Opening his eyes, he turned his chair around to speak again with the queen of the elves.
"Eragon."
"Arya," he responded in kind. "Saphira will be with us soon," he said even as Saphira landed.
"Is here, that is." Eragon corrected himself.
Then Arya stepped out of the frame, showing the blood on the walls.
Saphira growled – a low, frightening noise summoning all the elves.
Arya nodded. "Yes, an intruder has come. One skilled with blades, and speaking of Angvard and the Dead. Moreover, he was dead."
Eragon frowned. "Possessed? Like a Shade?"
Arya shook her head violently. "No, he did not live, not even through a spirit. It was one sen from Angvard himself."
Eragon felt the wind tug and then scream, clawing at his tunic.
And then the wind abated, and all was peaceful.
Arya's expression grew grim. "Also, the egg has hatched. Or rather, eggs."
Eragon's eyes widened. "You cannot be saying …"
Arya nodded again, a sharp dip of her head. "Yes, the dragons have hatched. Both of them."
Eragon realized his dilemma. He had to make a decision, and fast.
"Blodhgarm, you will continue to lead this expedition. Find an island, and fast."
Blodhgarm bowed, asking, "And you?"
Eragon straightened, standing now. "I …"
It was hard to go back, and Angela had already told him that he would never return.
It is fine. Sahpira's voice resonated in his mind. Nothing stops you from going back.
The Menoa Tree? Eragon pointed out.
She will not complain.
How do you know?
She will not.
Deciding to hold Saphira to her word, Eragon continued. "I will return to Alagaesia."
Deep in a banished glade, Angvard smiled. His return to power would begin.