He stood upon the stone bridge looking at the rushing water below. Ice gathered on the banks of the stream as the cool winter water broke through it. A red rose that he had clipped this morning rested in his hand. This was the second year now that he had not been able to find her. Would she ever collide back into his life, the way he first met her? The way things had been going on with the King and country as a whole, she could very well be dead. He laid the rose on the rail of the bridge and turned his back. Snow began falling as he began the long trek back to the castle. One day he hoped she might be there as she once promised.

…...

She watched him from a copse of trees on the side of the road. Their son lay bundled up in her arms, sleeping his cares away. Should she go out there? Could she venture out of her hiding spot to confront him? Eragon turned in her arms, repositioning himself and jarring her from her train of thought. She shook her head and decided to follow him a few minutes behind. A chill winter wind passed through her while she waited. Not today she decided Eragon would not meet his father on this day. The harsh winter wind accompanied by the snow tore through the warmth of her woolen cloak. With the heavy snow starting to fall she decided to start the walk back to the village. The father of her son was far enough ahead; surely he would not notice her now.

The snow crunched beneath her leather boots as she walked. Why had she promised him this day to eventually meet up with him? It was always terribly cold after the start of the New Year. Poor planning was not the only thing she berated her old self for. Lost in her thoughts once again, she failed to notice the sound of hoof beats approaching behind her at a quick pace. The flesh of the horse brushed past her abruptly knocking her off her feet and throwing Eragon awake. She and Eragon let out a simultaneous cry of surprise as they tumbled off the side of the road into a snow bank. She saw Eragon flying from her arms as her head sank down into the soft snow…

…

The rude horseman brushed past him, nearly knocking him over. He started to yell after the horseman, but a dual scream caught his attention. That scream, it sounded slightly familiar, it couldn't be her... could it? He turned around and ran back to where he thought he heard the screams. Off to his left he saw two little feet half buried in a pile of snow and a woman a few feet away from the boy, laying on her front. The small feet started to wiggle and he saw a little boy, not even to his second name day yet, pop out of the snow. The boy looked around and cried "Mama!" as he saw her. He clambered over to her as fast as his limbs could carry him in the deep snow. With the accidental wash of snow from her presumable son, the woman shifted, appearing to wake up.

He rushed over to help the woman to her feet. As he got closer to her she looked up at the supposed stranger and her eyes widened. "No…" he whispered "It cannot possibly be you Selena."

All she managed to choke out was "Brom…"

The boy looked around confused as to what was going on with his mama and the strange man.

Selena stood up, ignoring the offered hand of Brom and picked up Eragon.

Still baffled by this new revelation Brom said "How is this possible? I thought you dead? Everyone thought you had died when you did not come back from your last errand for the blasted king."

"I am not dead my Brom I am very much alive. As for how I am alive and why I did not come back to the estate, the answer sits here in my arms." Selena spoke "Look well at this boy for he is your son."

Eragon as if knowing they were talking of him, looked over at Brom. The boy smiled at his father's funny looking appearance, with his long hook-nose and long bushy beard. He reached out of his mother's arms reaching for the luscious locks of his father's face.

"Truly?" Brom asked, taking a step closer and grasping his son's tiny hand with his rough calloused one.

"Truly, he is your son and the will be savior of this land." Selena smiled at her now reunited family. Perhaps today was the day to reunite her son with his father.