Eragon slowly paced the room. He was tired of all the noise and ruckus outside in Farthen Dûr. Just hours before, Eragon, Saphira, Arya, and Roran were in the battle of their lives. Galbatorix himself came and tried to defeat the Varden once and for all. He had no such luck, though. Since Galbatorix was there, with most of Alägaesia's army, hardly anyone was guarding the palace in Urû'baen.
Arya rushed into the room Eragon was currently occupying, not even bothering to knock. "I need you, Eragon, downstairs immediately," and then she was gone. Strange, thought Eragon. This behavior was slightly amusing, coming from Arya, but following her command; he slipped some of his Elvin clothes over his head and left with Saphira.
Now, Eragon knew what was so urgent, but he was also very confused. Right there, in front of him, lay the last dragon egg in all of Alägaesia. Eragon was so dumbfounded that he almost fainted right then and there. "An elf delivered it to us," Nasuada said with glee, "we don't know how the elf retrieved it or who this elf is, but it was someone of great importance if they could get their hands on this." She looked down at the egg in awe, "I just can't believe how someone could get this," she muttered under her breath.
Eragon had a huge know in his throat and was pleasantly surprised when he could talk with little difficulty. "Maybe…" He realized that Murtagh couldn't have taken it because of the oath he took to Galbatorix. Eragon swore quietly, hoping no one heard.
"What is it, who do you think it was?" Arya asked with a passion in her eyes Eragon hadn't witnessed since she first learned of Saphira.
"No, it was a foolish thought, just forget it." Eragon was trying to get his mind off of his old friend. Simultaneously, Roran barged into the tight room. The egg was quickly hidden but only partially.
"Joshua came to get me; he said I was needed?" just then, he saw the poorly hidden egg. Staring at it in awe, Roran asked, "What is that?" Since he had never seen a dragon egg before, the shape, color, and smooth texture of it amazed him.
Arya gasped and unexpectedly said, "Has anyone noticed that the eggs tend to hatch to one family at a time?"
Now it was everyone else's turn to gasp. Arya continued, "Since Roran is the only remaining family of Eragon, it would make sense for this egg to hatch for him!" Nasuada agreed with a sharp nod of her head, while Eragon replied verbally.
"I agree with both of you, but I am no entirely healthy at the moment and need rest. What about you Roran?" When Eragon looked at Roran, he had to fight the smirk off his face. Trying hard not to laugh at Roran's countenance, Eragon decided to speak to him in private, away from the egg. "Roran, will you accompany me outside? I think we need to talk."
Roran wasn't going to let himself open his mouth in fear he would laugh in front of the Lady and Arya, so as a reply, he nodded. Obviously he figured out what the mysterious shape was.
Outside, Roran let out the longest, loudest laugh Eragon had heard in a long time. But he was keeping a straight face, trying to convey the seriousness of the moment. Finally, Roran spoke, "…I'm sorry (more laughter)… but you really can't be saying that I am the next Rider?"
"Yes, Roran, that is what we are trying to say." Eragon replied impatiently, for he did not like to be laughed at, but he continued anyway, "Think about this, Roran, Morzan, my blood father, Murtagh, my blood brother, and I are all Riders, don't you see a pattern here? It would only be right if you became a Rider. You complete the cycle, Roran. At least see if the egg hatches to you." Then Eragon thought of something that would make Roran stop laughing and change his mind. "If you had a dragon, and you were a Rider, then wouldn't it make your rescue of Katrina that much easier?" Just as those dreaded words escaped Eragon's lips, Roran froze. He would do anything to get Katrina back, and if that meant becoming a Rider, then he would.
"Okay, I'll go back and see if the egg hatches for me, but this is only for Katrina, not because I really want to become a Rider." Roran said as he walked back to Nasuada's makeshift office.
"Well, have we reached a verdict?" Those were the welcoming words Roran and Eragon were greeted with as they walked through the cloth doorway.
Not trusting Roran to speak, Eragon hurriedly said, "Yes, we have, Roran has decided to see if the egg hatches for him."
"Are you sure, Roran? For if the egg does hatch, the dragon will become your responsibility, and you will have to learn to accept the glory and hardships being a Rider might present." Nasuada asked earnestly; she seemed a little frightened about having a rider chosen here and now.
"Yes, I am sure." Roran said with conviction and tears filling his eyes. Obviously this was all for Katrina.
"What's wrong, Roran-elda? Have we upset you in any way? Please tell us?" Those few words, coming from a caring woman, pushed Roran over the edge. He told his whole story, not leaving anything out, focusing mainly on Katrina. Once the long and epic story was completed, both Nasuada and Arya looked at him sympathetically. Only after a few minutes did Arya speak.
"Roran, I know how you feel, but becoming a Rider isn't the only way to save Katrina. It is probably the hardest way possible." Arya was choosing her words very carefully, as if she were trying to talk to a wounded dog. "Becoming a Rider only for a girl that you love is extremely dangerous. Even to reach Urû'baen would be challenging." Arya's words were sinking into Roran, but he was stubborn and once his mind was made up, there was no going back. Ever.
"I know it's difficult and time consuming, but I will rescue Katrina, hopefully on the back of this dragon, as a Rider." And that was the end of the conversation. Nasuada brought the egg from its partial hiding spot. It was a beautiful shade of emerald with white veins flowing in an undecipherable pattern across the surface. Eragon had no idea how Galbatorix could hide something so beautiful in a dark cellar for so long.
When the egg finally made its way into Roran's palms, Eragon felt a tingle on his hand with the gëtway insignia on it. Right then, he knew Galbatorix felt it also, as well as Ormis, Gladear, Murtagh, Thorn, and Saphira. Eragon knew that Roran was going to become a Rider; he knew that the hatchling would soon mate; he knew that Roran would help defeat the empire and restore peace to Alägaesia once again.