Time passed slowly it seemed. The clouds moved in quiet wisps across the expansive sky, and a soft breeze flitted by every so often, cooling the heated body of the young boy sitting against the belly of his dragon companion. He pressed his palm into the earth, feeling nature give off a soft flow of delicious aura that made him smile. It had been a long time since Eragon had found a smile creeping upon his face. Everything around him was filled with such dread and destruction since he had found that strange blue rock in the forest. Yet, he knew he wouldn't trade anything in the world for the day when he found out he was a dragon rider. He looked at the face of his dragon, Saphira. Her muzzle was pressed against her forearm and she was breathing softly as she slept. She had grown so big over the years, and Eragon had started to question how old she really was. A voice from his left called out his name and Saphira's eye quickly opened, her large head pulling up from the ground and her nostrils flaring in a protective manner. When she caught sight of who it was though, she quickly relaxed and placed her head back between her two forearms, but her eyes never left the other. Eragon soon decided to turn his head in the other direction of his dragon to see the slim form of Arya coming his way up the hill.
His heart skipped a few beats at the sight he took in. Arya was dressed in an outfit of soft flowing silk. Two straps went down into a V neckline and then trailed off into the back as a long train. The front flowed down her body like water, excentuating her narrow waist and and made it seem like she floated above the ground as she walked gracefully towards him. Her raven black hair flowed gently down her shoulders, except for two strands that were braided and pulled to the back of her head, making it seem like a braided crown encircling her head. She gave him a soft smile before placing her hand over her heart in the traditional elf greeting.
"Shadeslayer, you are much needed back at the camp. Nasuada has been looking everywhere for you." Arya scolded him.
"Ahh, yes, the politics of the Varden." Eragon sighed, pressing the back of his head against the belly of Saphira and staring up at the bright blue sky. "How I wish I could just... disappear sometimes."
Arya's perfect brow lifted slightly at Eragon, "You know what sort of responsibilites you would have pressed against you once you became a dragon rider. So I suggest you try and act more like one and consult with Nasuada."
Eragon's own brows furrowed together, his face quickly turning towards Arya. He stared at her for some time before making a scoffing sound. "I know perfectly well what sort of responsibilites I hold, Arya. I don't get why you have to act like my mother and tell me what to do."
"Because if I don't, then where would you be, Eragon Shadeslayer? I only look out for you and try to do my best to make sure you are following the right path. You have nobody to guide you anymore with both Brom and Oromis gone." Arya seemed to flinch slightly at both of their names being mentioned after so long. She sighed, closing her eyes for a few seconds before opening them and looking once more at Eragon who was staring off into the distance with a saddened look. "When you are done sitting here, please meet with Nasuada as soon as possible." Arya turned her soft green eye upon Saphira who stared at her with a blank expression before turning upon her heel and walking back down the hill.
'She's right, you know.' Saphira's deep soothing voice penetrated through Eragon's mind.
'Right about what exactly? All she did was yell at me for relaxing for a small bit.' Eragon quickly retored back at his dragon.
'I meant about how you have nobody else here to help you on your way. Brom was your first teacher and then Oromis, both of them are gone now and you still have a long ways to go with your training. She is only trying to tell you the truth, it may be hurtful at times, but it is the truth no matter what, young one.' Saphira huffed, sending a burst of hot air in Eragon's direction.
She was right about everything, both her and Arya. It has been three months since the war where Oromis had been lost and Murtaugh had been so victorious even though the Varden had won that war. Since then Eragon had been known to sulk around camp and be found out in the middle of a field thinking to himself. What was there to do know though with his most recent mentor gone? Arya had been making sure he got to appointments with Nasuada on time, but even then she had to be cruel in her speechs, the last one being the most kind thing she's said to him since the war.
'I cannot sit here with you all day, young one.' Saphira's snout pressed against Eragon's side, trying to give him a hint that it was time to go.
'Your right. I better go find Nasuada before Arya comes back and decided to shove an arrows through my head.' Eragon smirked at his statement and Saphira made a throaty laughter.
Both rider and dragon lifted themselves from the ground and headed back to camp. It wasn't hard to find the tent of Nasuada's, it was the biggest of all the tents in the camp and also had the most guards around it. The guards at the flap of the tent bowed towards Eragon as he made his way into the already very busy tent. Nasuada was bent over a table with a large map laid across it, pointing to several places on it. Several higher ranked militia where trying to get her attention to a different part of the map, but weren't entirely succeding. Arya stood next to Nasuada, quiet and listenting contently.
"I've been told you were looking for me." Eragon interupted everyone, and the tent soon grew quiet as all attention was turned in his direction.
"Ahh, Eragon, so glad you could make it." Nasuada exclaimed, even though her voice sounded tired and obviously too aware of his 'I really don't want to be here' expression.
Arya glared at him for a few seconds before a soft smile broke across her lips. 'Try to look a little more like you want to be here, Eragon.'
Eragon sent a smile in her direction and decided to walk towards the table as the commotion broke out once more. He stared down at the map upon the table and saw several circles around a few villages. Most had X's drawn through them, while a very few of them still had large circles around them. Eragon's brows pulled together in a questioning manner and was about to open his mouth to ask about what the circles and X's meant before Saphira interupted into his mind.
'If you were paying any bit of attention in the last meeting you'd know that those circles represent who is with the Varden, while the X's mean those villages are still in control of Galbatorix.' Saphira reminded him while slithering her head through a flap that was in the side of the tent made especially for her.
'I never knew how many villages are still in the clutches of Galbotorix.' Eragon softly shook his head as he took in the enormity of it all.
"I suggest we move north from here. We should be able to take out-"
"No, that would just prove reckless. Too many of Galbatorix's men reside there we-"
"But you have to look at it like-"
"I don't care what way we look at it, it just won't happen."
The conversation continued like this throughout the whole meeting. Trying to figure out where they should go next so they could be that much closer to taking Galbatorix's down. Eragon grew weary and didn't really give his opinion much except when he was asked. He didn't know how long he had been there, but he did know that it was growing dark out by how the color of the sun made a pinkish hue illuminate the inside of the tent.
"I see that we are getting nowhere with this today. I will call this meeting over today. Go get dinner and relax, tomorrow we shall continue and hopefully come down with a conclusion." Nasuada tiredly announced as she rubbed her brows in mild aggitation before taking her leave from the tent. The other men slowly filed out of the tent after her, Arya almost out the door.
"Arya." Eragon called out her name just as she was about to exit.
Arya turned in his direction, her head tilted to the side. "What is it, Shadeslayer?"
"Would you mind eating dinner with me? I'd like to discuss some things with you."
Arya stared at him for a few seconds, obviously contemplating if it was a good idead to dine with him or not, but then slowly nodded her head. "As you wish."
Eragon moved to her side and they both walked out of the tent. They kept quite the whole way to the dinner tent and found a seat farther off from all the commotion of the camp. Saphira had made her leave awhile ago, off hunting in the forest for her own dinner so Eragon and Arya were alone for the most part.
"What is it you wanted to discuss, young dragon rider?" Arya broke the silence that had ensued throughout the whole dinner, turning her attention towards him.
Eragon broke gaze from her, it was always so hard to look at her and not become absorbed in her beauty. "First I want to apologize for my recent behavior. I just haven't felt the same ever since Saphira and I have lost Oromis and Glaedr. But, I should have controled my emotions better. They had given up their lives for the Varden and me. I need to get my mind straight, and I thank you for keeping me in step with all of the things that are going on." He finally turned his attention towards Arya who was staring at him with an expressionless gaze.
"The only reason I have been so cold towards you in the recent past is because you are all we have now. I must act the way I am because if we, the Varden, loose you, we loose everything. Eragon, you are the soul of the Varden, and if you slack off like you have been doing so recently, you will loose concentration of what your goal is and doing so will get you killed." She sighed softly, placing a hand against Eragon's cheek. "Hearing news that Oromis and Glaedr had been lost in battle nearly broke my heart in two. He had been with us for so long and he was a strong fighter... but if I ever heard news that you were killed, I don't know what would come of me."
Eragon's cheek had grown warm at her sympathy. She obviously cared deeply for him, but he knew that she did not love him the way he did her. She was his friend and wanted to never see him die in battle. "I thank you, Arya. It seems you and Saphira are all I have left now."
Arya nodded, pulling her hand from his cheek and staring off at the camp. It was dark now and the sounds of the midnight creatures was heavy in the air as the campsite started to die down as people went off to bed. Life from here on out won't be easy, Eragon knew, but he has Saphira and Arya at his side to help guide him, and also, the whole entity that is the Varden.
So ya, the first chapter is a bit short. I hope it's okay and the characters are as much in character with the ones in the book as possible. I can't believe how many times I had to refer to Wikipedia for names and such, so please correct me in certain places if I am wrong on a name or such. Please read and review.