Tears streamed down Eragon's face as he watched the great green dragon begin to disappear behind the bend as the boat drifted onwards, bringing him farther away from everything he held dear. Without realizing it, a keening cry, filled with all the sadness, desolation, and longing left his lips, stretching across the space that separated him from Arya and Roran. The cry put to sound all the feeling he could not convey. As it continued to fill the space around him and onwards, Saphira's own mourning keen joined and mingled with his, creating an almost beautiful and haunting melody. The cry dwindled off as Eragon felt the bleak numbness and exhaustion take place over himself. He prepared himself for an eternity of lethargic emptiness as he wiped away the tears still leaking from his eyes.
―
Arya felt her heart wrenching as the cries reached her ears. She placed her hand on Fírnen's thigh as he pulled himself forward as if to throw himself off the banks to pursue the receding ship.
Even as she did so, she felt and suppressed her own need to leap upon her dragon and follow after. The pain she heard in that cry was too resonating. Too real. She felt a cry of her own pushing its way up through her throat, but she bit it back, knowing it would only hurt Eragon more if he heard it. Finally, she understood how he had felt about her all this time and she mourned the lost time that could have been spent with him that she had denied him as well as herself.
For a wild moment, she considered calling out his true name, the one that held so much care for her, and ordering him back to her to stay by her side forever. She knew he would do it and not hate her for it. His true name proved as much. But, she reasoned, I would hate myself for him.
She turned away, unable to take the sight of the now almost invisible ship. Her gaze fell to Roran, tears flowing proudly down his cheeks as he mourned the loss of his brother. In doing so though, she recognized in him all at once the similarities he shared with Eragon that she had never before noticed. The strong nose and jaw, the thick eyebrows, and the slightly upturned mouth. She couldn't bear to look at him any longer.
"He loved you, you know." She heard the strangled pronouncement come from Roran and she turned back to him to see his almost accusatory gaze upon her. She lowered her eyes.
"We spoke of it in Helgrind," he smiled slightly as if it were a particularly amusing memory. "He was most reluctant. Though Saphira did confess that if he fancied you any more she'd be trying to kiss you herself."
Arya shifted uncomfortably, but Roran continued, "While you may not have felt the same, never forget that he was a good man. Is a good man. More so that I or anybody else with ever be. He's sacrificed all that he is for the greater good of Alagaësia. But even with all of that, I can't help but feel sometimes that he'd give it all up for you. I'd fear for the life of anyone who hurt you, even myself and Katrina included. I just want you to know what kind of man it is who loves you. Hold your head high and be proud. Requited or not, my brother's love is no trifle."
With this being said, Roran turned and began fidgeting with the straps on his pack, clearly uncomfortable with his speech.
Arya felt another wave of sadness wash over her as she again realized the extent of Eragon's love and how thoroughly she must have damaged him. With a sudden and terrible feeling, she realized that she had never truly told him that she felt the same. She would never again see him and he still believed that she looked upon his affections with something akin to disdain. She spun around to try to catch sight of the ship so she could chase it down and remedy her grievous oversight, but saw nothing but calm and peaceful waters. Her frantically searching eyes finally resigned themselves to the futility of their task and the wail that she had held back before finally escaped her lungs, echoing through the desolate landscape.