Title: To the Edge and Beyond
Summary: Eragon is leaving Alagaësia to never return. The question is if he will let her go with him.
Rating: K+
A/N: It was a while since I read the last book, but after re-reading book one I felt a sudden need to write this up. Hope you like it and think it's mostly in character.
A/N 2: Nomb is Arya's dragon - because I would bet most of my college trust fund - that the third egg hatches for her.
It was funny how things happen to make you change your mind. The adoring eyes of Eragon had been something she had taken for granted during all the time they had known each other. But now it seemed she would lose not just those eyes, but all of him.
"Are you truly leaving?" Arya asked as she stood by the young rider.
"Yes." Eragon looked out over the vast sea that was crashing against the cliffs below them. "The ship is being readied as we speak."
"Then you must let me and Nonb come with you. We will sail together to the lands beyond Alagaësia." Arya said without a thought. "Saphira will not want to be separated from him." She then added more softly."I do not wish us to be separated either."
Eragon kept looking out over the water as she reached out for her dragon's consciousness. He was not too far away with Saphira, the green and the blue dragons had been inseparable since the defeat of Galbatorix. The contact with his mind soothed her but could not completely take away the worry she had felt since she had heard of Eragon's decision to leave.
"You cannot come with me, Arya Drottningu." He said formally still not looking at her. She blanched.
"You cannot expect me to just watch you sail away from these lands to never return. Saphira is the only other dragon left." Arya said with conviction. "We need her for the future of the dragon race."
"The time of the dragon riders is over, Arya. You and I are the only ones that remain. One day we, too, will die and our dragons with us." His voice was solemn and her gut twisted at the thought of no more dragons. Or perhaps it was the memory of those seconds after Galbatorix's defeat when she had thought Eragon had given his own life to defeat the mad king. The image of his bloody broken body had haunted her waking dreams ever since that day.
"I do not believe you." She said, putting a hand on his arm as if that would make him see what he was saying was wrong. That, they together as the new dragon riders could once again bring peace to the lands.
"Believe what you will." His words were harsh. "I am leaving and you will not be coming with me." He pulled away from her gentle touch, crossing his arms over his chest. He had finally turned to her his eyes as stormy as the sea below them.
"I do not understand what you wish to accomplish by this Eragon." Arya said her voice tired. What he wanted to do was idiocy, even more than that, it was utter madness. No one that attempted to cross the sea ever returned – and Eragon had to return. He had to return to her for there was no other way she could imagine her life without him in it.
"It is what I must do." He said, his voice flat as he once more turned to stare out over the sea.
"The ship sails in an hour my lady." One of the sturdy sailors told her, while looking at her reverently. She glared at the great big ship that would take Eragon away from her. Saphira away from Nonb. An irrational desire to burn the great vessel made her raise her finger a few inches before realizing the foolishness of what she was contemplating doing.
"Perhaps I will return to see it go then." She said with an empty voice, her stomach tight. She could not shake the feeling of impending doom. It was an irrational fear of course, for the king had been killed and people everywhere were celebrating. A new ruler would soon be found, but Arya no longer had an interest in whom it would be. She and Nonb would return to the forest of Ellesméra as soon as the ship in front of her had left the dock. Perhaps even before that, for she did not think she was strong enough to watch him sail away from her.
Where is Eragon? She asked Nonb, hoping he could find out from Saphira.
The reply came almost immediately. He is with Roran and the tiny human in their tenth.
Eragon watched the babe sleep in his cousin's arm and couldn't help but to be jealous of Roran. He had what every man wished for, a beautiful wife and a beautiful child. Eragon had long given up he would have it with anyone, least of all the person he wished it with, but he still felt the world was unjust. He had gone through so much, yet the one he wished to be with did not want him. It simply felt unfair.
"What will you name her?" Eragon asked looking over at the half awake Katrina.
"I heard of your leaving Eragon and I can think of no better way to honor you and your dragon's memory than to name her Saphira." Katrina said with a tired smile. "It is only thanks to you she was born into a free world and for that I will always be in your debt." She added her voice suddenly strong.
"Thank you, I imagine Saphira will be more than pleased to hear someone so precious have been named after her." Eragon refrained from reaching out with his mind to Saphira to tell her the news. She was upset with him for making them leave. She and Arya's dragon, though not yet mates, for Nonb was still very young, were very close. They were the last of their race and leaving was not what Saphira wished to do, yet she understood his reasons.
Eragon could not stay in Alagaësia; he had seen too much blood seep into the ground of his mother land. He could not go with Arya to the elves because the longing to be with her grew stronger every day instead of fading like he had started to hope it would. He could not stay because people expected too much of him, many looked to him to be the new leader of the lands. He could not stay because despite having spent his whole life in Alagaësia it was no longer his home.
"Eragon?" Arya's voice from outside made his smile disappear. "May I enter?" She asked softly.
"Of course, come in." Roran said as he moved over to the tenth's flap parting the way for the elf. Eragon turned slightly away from the entrance watching a candle flicker on the table. The thought of not seeing Arya ever again made his whole body cold.
"Your child is most beautiful." Arya said and Eragon had to turn to watch her stroke the babe's cheek. "May your life be filled with joy and happiness." She whispered in the ancient language touching the child's forehead. Eragon watched the small face of the babe change and her eyes opened. But instead of a cry for food, the child who would be Saphira's namesake, stared up with big dark eyes at Arya. The babe was yet to young to smile but her small eyes seemed to show the joy her mouth could not. Eragon suddenly wished to leave the tenth, for his head was suddenly filled with an image of Arya holding her own child. A child that would not be his.
"Would you like to take this conversation elsewhere, Arya Svit-Krona?" Eragon took a step forward, drawing the elf's attention from the babe.
"Yes Eragon, let us walk." The soft demeanor she had adapted briefly while watching baby-Saphira disappeared and once more became the emotionless mask she almost always wore.
They walked in silence for a few moments and he was about to ask what she had wanted with her visit when she spoke.
"You wish for what your cousin has. I could see it in your eyes as you watched the babe." Her voice was soft but despite the bustle of the camp all around them he had no trouble hearing her.
"Does not every man wish for the same?" He tried to keep his tone calm and emotionless. They were nearly at the trees, where no soldiers camped for fear of ambushes.
"I, for the first time in many years, find myself wishing for it too." Arya said, surprising him and making the image of her with a faceless beautiful elf man and a babe of her own suddenly invade his thoughts again, this time the image was much stronger than before. It amazed him that his own consciousness could conjure up the scene with such ease and clarity. "I no longer have a war to fight, now I merely wish to know of all the things I have missed." She said, her eyes almost wistful.
"Will you return to Ellesméra then?" He asked, as they settled on a fallen tree not far from a small spring.
"Yes. As soon as the waves have taken you away to unknown lands I will fly." He nodded.
"Then I wish you the best of luck. Stay safe. Wiol pomnuria ilian" For my happiness, he said and got up. The ship that would take him and a select group of people across the sea was probably waiting, unable to leave without him.
"Atra du evarínya ono varda." And may the stars watch over you. She whispered so low he almost did not hear. "I will not come with you to the shore." He stopped and turned back to her.
"Then this is goodbye." He felt as if a part of him might die as he watched her stand.
"It is." She leaned up on her tip toes and kissed him lightly on the side of his mouth. It made his whole body freeze, yet tingle with warmth at the same time. "Goodbye Eragon, my dearest friend. I will forever miss you." She did not look up at him but left swiftly, disappearing into the forest the way only an elf could. Yet for a moment he could have sworn her eyes were glistering with tears. He wished he could go after her, but knowing it would not change anything, he turned and walked towards the ship that would take him from Alagaësia, from Arya and from everything he had ever known. Still he kept on walking for he knew not what else to do.
End
This could be just a one-shot but I might write up a few more chapters with a slightly happier ending. It's hard to write happy ExA, though, so I'm not sure I will continue it. Still I hope you liked this chapter! Atra gülai un ilian taught ono un atra ono waíse sköliro frá rauthr. Let luck and happiness follow you and may you be shielded from misfortune.