Disclamer: I do in no way own any of the characters that are in the real books written by Christopher Paolini, though the characters and idea's that come from me I do own if you want to use them ask me.

I would like a lot of feed back people, I am using British spelling so please only comment on spelling if you know this kind of English. I would love feed back on grammar and any other thing but please don't ask me to speed up or slow down the pace.

chapter 1: Decisions to be made

It was the morning after the battle of Feinster and an hour after sunrise Eragon and Saphira where still siting on the battlements basking in the sun and sharing the grief of having lost Oromis with Glaedirs eldunari still in Eragon's arms held close to his chest though hidden in a linen cloth bag.

This is how Arya found them and joined them there looking over the fields color red and black with blood and dirt, all grass trampled by the soldiers of the varden during the siege.

All around them they could see the body's of dead soldiers both empire and varden alike. Behind them the city lay in runes well at least for the most part that is some buildings where saved. But fire was every where destroying house after house, soldiers where running about with buckets of water trying to stop the fire.

After a long time of silence arya asked, "Eragon what are we going to do, how can we win now that you are the only free rider left and we still have to contact my mother about all this"until then Eragon had not noticed Arya as lost in his thoughts and pain he was, but after she finished he told her with a tired and sad voice.

"Well I think we really should get some rest first you look terribly tired. After that we should contact your mother if she has not already done so by then.'

'To tell you the truth Eragon i think i will not be able to sleep with all we have bin trough today' she answered Eragon with the same sad voice. "Oromis was like a father for me, when my father died he took over his roll. As my father and Oromis were the best of friend's. As I grew older Oromis trained me in sword-fighting and magic. He taught me all he could even some secrets of the riders but never about the hearts of hearts though . It must be because of Galbatorix that he kept that from us." she ended with a deep sigh by this time a single tear found his way down her cheek in to the ground..

'Aye', Eragon answered. "That must be the reason, Arya. I feel the same as you. Though you have known Oromis longer then Saphira and I have, he is the third father I have lost thanks to this blasted war. I just wish that this war will end quickly and we can finally live in peace and for that I will do everything I can.

"Shadeslayers" They heard Blödhgarm call them.

"Yes Blödhgarm what can we do for you?" Arya asked.

"Lady Nightstalker would like to see you both in the command tent" Blödhgarm answered.

"Inform the messenger that we will be there shortly" Eragon told Blödhgarm.

Then Eragon rose to his feet and offered a hand to Arya while asking "well shall we?"

"Yes we shall Eragon"Arya told him while taking his hand briefly and then taking off down the stairs from the wall. "In to the fray once more, no rest of the restless" she thought walking besides Eragon to the red command tent situated in the center of the Varden camp it was one of the few colored tents in the over all mess off brown tents scattered all over the grounds.

As they arrived the nighthawks had seen them and announced them to Nasuada so they where omitted with out question. Inside Arya could see her mother in nasuada's scrying mirror next to the big square map table that took most of the space in the big red tent with chairs all around that table and a small walk way to Nasuada's private quarters .

She began to greet her mother but she was quickly interrupted by Islanzadi saying "Arya you can leave the formality's I have grave news for you, Eragon and his Guards yesterday...,"

Eragon interrupted her saying "We know my queen the morning sage is no more".

Islanzadi gave them a questioning look and Eragon quickly checked if the room was protected from listening ears when he was ensured it was he asked Islanzadi if her tent was protected as well and it was. Then he told here "Glaedr disgorged his eldunari to me, trough him I was witness of the fight while fighting a shade here in Feinster, it almost cost Arya her life. But I was back just in time to attack the shade mentally with the aid of Saphira and Arya. I managed to break in to his mind and immobilize him long enough for Arya to slay him" as Eragon took a short break to let it all sink in a look of shock and pride where evident in Islanzandi's eyes shock at coming close to losing her daughter and pride that now her daughter was a shadeslayer. 'But know this' Eragon continued in a emotion less voice to ensure they only got the facts "Murtagh might have held the sword that killed Oromis but he was not the slayer, that was Galbatorix he took control of Murtagh's body, I fear it was the same when Hrothgar was killed. So I think we can not blame Murtagh for there deaths."

"Thank you Eragon for your information but if Murtagh and Thorn are ever captured they would need to stand trail for what crimes they did commit."Islanzadi said 'But on other matters I would like it if you, saphira and arya would join us here in Gil'ead for the ceremony's in honor of Oromis and Gleadr'

Yes off course we will ...'Eragon was interrupted by Nasuada yelling

"No Eragon you will not go!, Islanzandi how can you ask that, he must stay here and defend the Varden he is our only weapon against Murtagh and Galbatorix. I can not let him go"

Eragon completely surprised by Nasuada's out burst and use of words was silent for some time as he thought of ways to make Nasuada see thing different 'My lady I have to go, not going would show that the Elves mean nothing to the Varden and not only that they where my masters and good friends. With out them I would not even be your so called weapon. Though I must object to that statement I am no weapon I am a human being, yes I might look elven but I am still human. I have feelings and desires just like any person human, dwarf, urgal or elf alike' Eragon told Nasuada in a angry and slightly raised voice at the end. Eragon took five seconds to regain his composure and then continued. "as for defending the Varden" Eragon pointed out. "you need not fear Murtagh for some while to come, Thorn was severely injured in the fight with Gleadr. Gleadr bit off the last three feet of thorns tail. No magic I know of can grow that back with in 3 weeks even that is every painful and energy consuming."Eragon took a moment of silent and before Nasuada would begin asking questions again Eragon continued not wanting to be interrupted. "Now as I can imagine that Galbatorix would not care about hurting Thorn. I would think we have at least 3 weeks before we might see Thorn and Murtagh again on the Field of battle, We need four to five days to go to Gil'ead as Saphira is only now resting from the battle and the flight to Feinster and three to four days to come back. Now how long would the ceremony's last my queen?'

'they would take four days in total' Queen Islanzadi answered. Well that would make a total of twelve days but I think that the day we arrive we would need to rest so that is one more day needed and we would leave the day after the celebrations or the day after that depending on the situation so at most we would be gone for 2 weeks' Eragon looking at Nasuada for a moment to see if here resolve was fading and it was' "a week less then I expect Thorn would need for healing and all the time we are gone to Gil'ead, my guards would still be here protecting the Varden as there is not enough time for them to go to Gil'ead and still join in with the ceremony's. As they would need a week to traverse the distance under the best of circumstances and these are hardly the best of times. But at least they can watch the ceremony with the aid of a scrying mirror that is all we can do" Eragon finally concluded and asked Nasuada "What do you think now Nasuada do you still want to risk losing the support of the elves?".

Nasuada spend sometime thinking it over but it was as Eragon pointed out to big a risk to loos the elf's, plus he him self might rebel against her and the Varden if she did not let him go so she had no other choice left' no eragon I will not risk loosing the support of the elf's you and saphira will go to Gil'ead but I ask arya to stay she is the most powerful of the elf's here" Nasuada told them.

At this Islanzandi got angry that she went against her wishes and told her that Arya will not stay with the Varden but come to Gil'ead with Eragon. Nasuada cringed and conceded at the anger of the elven queen.

As Eragon began to talk he was interrupted by Arya saying "Mother we will start to travel in one day both Eragon and I need sleep, we might come to Gil'ead this night but it depends on when we wake. As we haven't slept after the battle and I am a wake for almost two days now. I think its the same for Eragon"

"It is" Eragon told them.

"Well then" Islanzadi said "You both get some sleep I have nothing further to discuss that needs to be right now we can talk when you reach Gil'ead in five days" With that Eragon and Arya asked nasuada if she had anything else to talk about and said there goodbyes to the queen before the mirror became just a mirror again, as Nasuada had nothing else to discuss they also took there leave and headed for there group of tents. Blödhgarm and five other elf's surrounding them as the six other elf's of Eragon's guard where sleeping as the shifts rotated every twelve hours but most of the time Blödhgarm was there only sleeping when Eragon slept.

As they walked they where silent, when they got to there tents..Arya's tent only two feet away from eragon's tent so they could both be protected by the guards more easily as Eragon had asked of Blödhgarm because eragon could not bare the thought of something happening to Arya. Though he wished he would have a few more guards to ask them to protect Roran and Katrina but with only 12 guards to guard him and Arya he could not but while they where gone he would ask it of Blödhgarm.
Arya wished him good night even though it was midday by now and went in to her tent as he wished her the same and also got in to his tent. Where he undressed and lay down on his cot he quickly fell in to his sleep like state as he always did from the moment he was changed at the Agaetí Blödhren.

Always halve awake alert to all but still resting like a cat.

********************pov change*******************************

As Roran walked trough the camp on his way back to his tent, He was stopped by a messenger boy and Roran asked "yes what can I do for you boy?"

"lady Nasuada would like to speak to you in the command tent sir Stronghammer." The messenger boy told him.

"well then I shall know where the command tent is setup at the moment" Roran Answered.

"I will show you sir" the boy said. And so they walked to the mace of tents that was the Varden camp after a while Roran asked the boy his name. He was told the boy's name was Gerhart son of non. As he was a war orphan that grew up at the Varden and so he did not know his mother or his father. Roran was saddened by this as he would not have this happen to his own unborn child.

A moment later they where at the command tent and Roran was announced to nasuada by the nighthawks and let in after nasuada had given the order.

Lady Nightstalker, you requested my presence' Roran said "Yes Roran I have a mission for you but it is a dangerous one and one that can if successful have us in Belatona in 5 weeks with out a battle or at least with few casualty's on our side, so I ask you if you would accept it because you might very well lose your life if you accept, as to the details I will not give you any till you accept because its a deep secret mission and if you accept you cant even tell Katrina or members of your team what the mission entails" nasuada told him "my lady how long do I have to decide"

"I will give you till sun down to decide and I press you not to tell any one even if you don't accept only me." ended nasuada

"But that means I cant even say goodby to my wive if I accept" Roran objected "Yes" nasuada said "because if you do and they probe her mind she will give away that you are on a mission putting the empire on high alert for you"

"Very well" Roran told her "I will think about it you will have my answer by sun down" with that he turned and left the tent to walk back to his own

Katrina was in there tent making a lunch for her husband and her self when Roran walked in a though full expression on his face, she walked up to him and kissed him to try and bring him out of his thoughts and back to her and the food she prepared. It worked and she asked him to join her at the table in there brown medium sized tent, with a two persons cot on one site of the tent and a small fire stack with a stone chimney in the center to keep warm and prepare food and hot water there was a small table and 4 chairs on the other side of the fire stack and a bath tub in the back of the place a real small home but it had all they needed in these times of war, as long as they had each other they would not want for anything else except peace.

As they where seated at the table she gave her husband a loving smile and asked him how his morning has bin. Roran told her "I wish I never would have to fight an other man again if only to stop having to clean there body's of the streets the day after the stench is unbearable and every time I see there faces. They come back and haunt me.'Roran ended crying at this Katrina quickly got to her husband and hugged him and kissed him as to make him stop crying it hurt her so badly she would do anything just to stop it

Roran kissed his wive back and stopped his tears but the reason he had bin crying was that he really wanted to tell Katrina that he was asked to go on a mission that might cost his life. He wanted to talk to her so badly about it, but he could not because he would not endanger others or him self if he accepted or even when he did not accept the mission. But he was starting to think he had to go, here was his chance to stop blood from being shed all he had to do is take the mission and make it back alive.

After he finished the lunch he got to there cot and lay down to get some rest and also to think more.

Katrina joined him and together they fell a sleep for a while waking up just before sun set.

By then Roran had made up his mind as his wife was still a sleep he got up carefully not to wake her and walked to the command tent to tell nasuada he would accept. But only if she would tell Katrina when he was gone what he is going to do and how dangerous it was, after that she would protect Katrina and if anything would befall him and his team she would take care of Katrina and his teams loved once.

When he got there he did just that. Nasuada accepted his demands and told him "Roran you and a five team of men and woman of the Varden are to infiltrate the city of Belatona and find out there strong points and weaknesses, also try and find out if you can incite the people of Belatona against the empire so they might surrender with out a fight to us and join us against the dark king. As of now you and I are the only once who know this and we will be the only once who know this till you reach you destination. then and only then will you brief your team members on the mission at hand and only the details needed to infiltrate the city, only when you are passed the wall's you will tell them all they need to know. As I have reason to believe that there minds will be searched they have to be trained in protecting there minds only to show parts of there past that do not include the Varden or there mission. The team selection is up to you but you must select them here and now we will send for them and then you will leave to minimize the chance of your mind getting probed for information by spy's".

"Off course my lady as for my team members I would like Carn to join us and one of Du Vrangr Gata preferable female, Also I would like Nolfavrell to join us as he is quite young and can pass of as a child of Carn and his supposed wife and off course I need one more female that can pass of as my wife I would like her to be Trianna. Next I would like Gerhart join us as he can pass of as mine adopted son and help at the farm. We will train the boy's on the way as It will take a week to get to Belatona maybe longer as we are going to go by foot and want to look like refugees." Roran ended.

"Agreed I will have Gerhart gather them here and then you will leave and I will see you 3 days before we arrive at Belatona." and so it happened that Gerhart was summoned and he was asked to collect the rest of the team when they where all in the tent Roran asked them if they wanted to join him on a mission that might end up in getting them all killed as he would not want to force this on them like nasuada did not want to on him, they all accepted and off they went in to the darkness of night not knowing if they ever would come back or where they would go except for Roran.