A/N: Rïsa abr du Shur'tugalar: Rise of the Dragon Riders. Adventure/Romance featuring ExA.
Chapter 1 - Dawn
Eragon awoke in his tent aching and dazed from yesterday's events. He stumbled out of bed and remembered the loss of his mentor and the closest living being he could refer to as a fatherly figure. The sorrow of his loss still wracked his mind and he felt his eyes begin to water. I must be strong. He thought to himself. He began to search his tent for something to wear, before eventually settling on a blue elven shirt and leggings.
Oh, little one, do not dwell on the past. Do not think of the future, there is only the now you should be worrying about. Oromis and Glaedr were our friends and mentors, they will live on in our and the elves memories. Maybe soon we will be able to visit their bodies before they are laid to rest. Said Saphira, who gave him a comforting look. Perhaps you should go and speak to Arya? She was close to Oromis to.
Would you like to join me and watch the sunrise? I will ask Arya if she wishes to accompany us. He said thoughtfully.
As you wish. And he walked out into the cool morning air with the birds singing and the sun beginning its ascent. The air was beginning to heat up but wasn't too cold to cause him discomfort. The Varden camp was still mostly quiet at this time in the morning, allowing him and Saphira to contemplate the recent events without being hassled. The camp was sprawled out around Feinster with most sleeping in tents. Some nobles had attempted to seek shelter within the city itself. Saphira had removed her head from the tent and was watching him. He quickly went over to her before they departed and gave her a quick scratch behind her ears. Humming, contentedly, Saphira leapt into the sky as he began to run his way to Arya's tent, confident he could keep up with Saphira. He looked up to see where she was and saw her glimmering scales in the sunlight, knowing Saphira was the most beautiful dragon currently alive. Glancing around as he sprinted past the lines of tents, he wondered how many soldiers would survive the battle for Belatona to sleep in a proper bed again. Do not fret little one, although the losses may be great, what we shall gain from this is much greater than the losses we will endure along the way. Soothed Saphira.
If we could get a hold of the last egg, we may even be able to save the Dragons race. He said to Saphira.
Hopefully, little one. Their exchange was cut short as Saphira spotted Arya already leaving her tent from above the camp. Eragon quickly changed direction towards Arya and called out her name.
"Looking for me, Eragon?" She said turning towards him. Eragon noticed she had abandoned her black leather in favour of the green dress she had worn when she came looking for him after his visit to Helgrind. He also noticed her eyes were slightly puffy, looking as though she had recently been crying. Eragon sighed, wishing he had more than just a friendship with Arya and knowing that he would not dare push it further without risking everything he had with her. He hated seeing her upset, and the thought of her crying pained him.
"Would you like to walk with me? Saphira suggested we watch the sunrise, and the Varden are quiet this morning, allowing us for some quiet contemplation."
I thought it was you who said you wanted to cheer her up by walking with her. I don't think it wise to lie to the elven princess even if it is for good reason. Including not just him but also Arya to her words. Eragon could sense her amusement radiating from her as he scowled at her.
Arya gave him a suspicious look but relented. "Let us move away from the camps to allow Saphira to sit comfortably." She said, leading Eragon through the camps to the edge and up a small hill. Saphira landed beside them and rested on the ground behind them. Eragon sat with his back propped up against one of Saphira's legs. Arya sat next to him.
They sat, resting on the crest of the hill watching the sun beginning to climb above the Varden camp. He saw the shape of Saphira beginning to cast a long shadow behind her down to the bottom of the hill. Considering it was the day after the battle for Feinster, the Varden was unusually quiet and the singing of birds made the morning seem peaceful. It reminded him of when they had used to sit and watch the sunrise whilst they were journeying to Ellesméra. It had been a peaceful time for him. The peacefulness of the morning disguised the inevitability of what was soon to come.
He sat and watched the sunrise in silence, his mind turning to the past events and thinking about what Oromis' and Glaedr's death meant to him, and what new responsibilities he would have. Breaking the silence that had grown, he said cautiously to Arya, "I am worried about the future. With Oromis and Glaedr..." He broke off for a moment before continuing. "I am not sure what I should do. My mind is confused and I feel the path ahead darkening..."
Arya looked at him then, with a face filled with sorrow and said, "Not everything is clear to me either, Eragon. But do not falter, Alagaësia needs you." She said, turning away.
Eragon let the statement stand and allowed the silence to build around them. His thoughts began turning to his future tasks again, before he could stop himself, he began to think about the still unhatched egg. He knew that, unless he managed to break Murtagh from his bonds, all hope of rebuilding the dragon race lay in the last egg.
"I hope the last egg will hatch to someone sympathetic to our cause before Galbatorix has it hatch to another of his servants. And I hope that Murtagh can be severed from his bonds." He said, mentioning his thoughts to Arya.
"Family are sometimes the hardest to deal with, Eragon. And, not everyone may be as understanding to Murtagh as you are." A tone entered her voice that made Eragon look up and see sadness etched upon her face and her eyes watering slightly. "Remember, take hope from those dearest to you and fight for them."
"How has your mother been with you?" He asked, having noticed her sudden sadness.
"She will no longer argue with me but I see in her eyes she still disapproves with my decisions. However, she has begun to express some form of concern for me. Having spoken to her for the first time in almost seventy years and only being welcomed back to sate the other elves nervousness around the queen was a hard blow. And now, we have lost the elves rider, it... affects me more than I let on."
Arya could tell that the recent losses had affected Eragon greatly, just as they had affected her. One of the greatest things when she was around Eragon was that he could make her smile. As rare as it was, she smiled the most around him. And this was one of the things that confused her so. Why could she not just leave Eragon alone? She continually sought him out and walked with him. She knew that she should not encourage him so, but she couldn't help wondering at her own feelings. If I like him for his friendship, why do I always feel like this when I am around him or when he touches me?
Saphira must have noticed her distress and nudged her with her mind. What is the matter, little one? Arya noted the affection carried with the name.
I do not know, Saphira, but I feel so confused.
Why is that? Saphira asked. Arya said to her; I do not know, I feel terrible, but Eragon still has the ability to cheer me up. Will you tell Eragon what I have to say? She asked. No, he's currently unaware we're talking to. She responded.
Feeling a bit more comfortable, she continued nervously, I don't want to encourage him, but I'd like to spend more time with him, but I fear the consequences.
I think you underestimate Eragon. He knows not to push it, for fear of angering you again. Live life as you want. As I said to Eragon, don't dwell on the past, live in the current. She felt a bit taken aback, and realised that she may have over thought things. Thank you, Saphira, for your advice.
Saphira didn't end the connection but lapsed into silence. Although her mother was still her family, she didn't feel she trusted her enough to reveal her feelings or thoughts with her. She even trusted Eragon more than her mother. Their relationship was more superficial than anything else. She wished above all else that the war would end, the amount of losses she had taken staggered her and she could not think of them without her eyes beginning to water. Then, loneliness gripped her like never before. She had no one to relate to, her own mother alienated, father dead, friends dead and, now, one of the closest fatherly figures to her had died. She faltered for a moment and Saphira brushed her again.
Perhaps Saphira intoned gently, you should confide more in those around you. If you ever need to talk, Arya, I will have an ear for you. And so will Eragon. Arya smiled at the kindness Saphira was showing her. I find being able to share your problems with others helps remove the weight of them. This is one of the greatest gifts for me and Eragon, our company. Arya mentally nodded to Saphira and thanked her for her consideration.
Eragon is becoming slightly unnerved by out silence. Perhaps you should say something? Said Saphira to Arya and she heard a slight chuckle from behind her. She gave a nervous laugh then Eragon looked at the two of them suspiciously.
Later that day, a messenger came to Eragon telling him that Nasuada was requesting his presence at a war meeting. He quickly arrived at the tent, not wanting to delay the meeting. Inside the tent, seated around a table, was, Nasuada, who was sitting on her chair before the rest of the table, Jormundur, King Orrin and his many advisors and Arya. His eyes lingered on Arya for a moment and she smiled at him, before returning to a blank mask again. He sat at a chair and Saphira poked her head through the tent so she could join in on the discussion. The faces on those within were grim. No one was taking the war easily, but they knew it must be done. Whilst Galbatorix ruled, there could be no peace for these few.
The atmosphere within the tent was tense, all waiting to know what to do and what to expect in the upcoming couple of months.
As he sat down, Nasuada began; "Our next target is Belatona. We will attempt to capture the Lord of Belatona with as little bloodshed as possible. Once we have taken Belatona, we will meet up with the Elves before our attack on Dras-Leona. With the combined might of the Elves, Dras-Leona should fall quickly. Once that's done, we will march directly for the Black King." At Nasuada's mention of the impending attack on Urû`baen, fear gripped Eragon. The mere thought of challenging the king sent spikes of alarm up his back.
Be calm, little one. We will find a way to defeat him and take back the last egg. He was grateful for her soothing words but he could still sense some of her fear through their link.
If I could find out what the vault of souls is, or if we could steal the last egg and try to find it a rider, this would be all the easier.
Maybe we should inquire with Jeod and see if he has managed to find anything useful about Dras-Leona or Urû'baen that we can exploit. Said Saphira, reminding Eragon of Jeods current job.
He did say that the chance of finding anything would be remote. After this, he began to drift away from the conversation going around the table, and began to look at each member of the Varden's trusted in turn. There was, of course, Nasuada, who had changed so much since Eragon could remember her in Farthen Dûr. She had now become a strong promising leader for the Varden who, Eragon knew, would do anything to protect it. He wondered where the Varden would be without Nasuada there to guide them.
Then, there was Jormundur, still sitting on the right hand chair of Nasuada. He had quickly accepted Nasuada's rule of the Varden and no longer tried to use her as a puppet as the council had previously tried. In both Jormundur and Nasuada, subtle changes had occurred that showed their losses and the battles they had endured, and not just physical ones, but also mental battles. Their faces were etched with loss and sorrow.
There was also King Orrin at the table, occasionally adding to the conversation but mainly keeping to himself and his advisors. Tensions between the King of Surda and the Varden could be high sometimes, especially when Nasuada grew tired of his ranting and could be harsh with him.
He turned his gaze to Arya, she who had rejected his love but showed him the kindness of a friend. He pained in his heart to not be able to say and do the things he had long since wished he could do, but dared not endanger their friendship and make her angry. He had done that too many times to even think about trying to move their relationship any further. He had noticed changes in her though, as hard as she was to read, Eragon had an inkling of understanding and could tell when she was upset or happy. She had been happy for a while, but her happiness had left her at the dreadful news of his mentor's demise. It pained him to see her like this and be unable to comfort her without pushing it too far. Seeing her sad was a painful experience he had to endure. He knew she had endured great losses from the war. She was probably one of the strongest people he had met so far. She had lived through all of it. He had only just begun to recently become entangled in it, but he knew this stretched way back before he was born and had affected every step in his life. Considering the amount of pain and loss he had suffered from, he wondered how she felt and he began to wonder about her relationship with her mother again. He knew that, whilst they appeared to be friendly on the outside, she was troubled by her. She had freely admitted this to him earlier and he wondered if she had let him know more than she had wanted. He decided that tomorrow, he would spend the day with Arya and try to alleviate as much of her pain as possible. He began to think about the changes he had noticed in Arya. She seemed to be allowing him a deeper look into her feelings and he was glad she was beginning to trust him more but he was confused and could not work out how she held his relationship with her. It was a fragile thing and he could not make a mistake when judging her emotions or she may take offense. Sighing, he turned back to the meeting.
The meeting dragged on, until minor issues began to be addressed. He only wished for the meeting to end so that he may go and contemplate the impending battle of Urû`baen and how he would be able to separate Galbatorix from his Eldunarí or otherwise kill him. It was not a problem he wished to consider, but his entire life will hang on whether or not Galbatorix can be defeated or not.
"We will spend the next few days packing up the tents, and, in some cases recuperating." Nasuada said, shooting a glance at Arya and Eragon. "Once we are ready, we will march to Belatona and defeat them."
As the meeting drew to a close, Eragon stood and excused himself. The recent weight of the battle and the losses still preyed upon his mind and the thought of once again shedding blood in Dras-Leona made him feel ill. He walked with Saphira back to his tent, allowing her to soothe his mind through their link. Being able to share his pains through the link with Saphira was one of the best gifts of being a dragon rider. Without Saphira, he doubted he would ever have gotten through what he had so far. Saphira read these thoughts and sent a shower of love down their link. As he arrived at this tent, he realised how difficult it must be for Arya. He doubted that she had many close friends with which to talk to like he could with Saphira, and if she did, they were most likely among the Elves in Gil'Ead.
Visit her tomorrow, Eragon, and lend her your ear. But for now, you must rest.
Spirits slightly raised by Saphira's affection, Eragon slowly fell into his dream state where he was tortured with the images of his dying foes, Galbatorix and impending doom.
Oh little one. Said Saphira delving into Eragons dreams and remedying them by pulling him into her mind where she showed him nicer and brighter dreams. Eragon smiled slightly in his dreams.
The next morning Eragon awoke to one of his spells buzzing in his ear. The spell was much like the one Oromis had given him but smaller and more convenient. The spells main task was to awake him just before sunrise, but it also had other useful functions, such as; it would wake him if Saphira or anyone else needed him. It would also wake him in the event of immediate danger. Eragon quickly got dressed into an elven shirt and leggings. The inside of his tent shimmered blue from where the light reflected of off Saphiras deep blue scales. Walking out, Eragon saw that the sun was on its way to rising and Saphira was still asleep.
He walked out of the tent, greeting Blödhgarm on his way out. This morning was colder and he quickly rushed over to Saphira, waking her gently. Good morning, little one. Saphira said whilst stretching out like a cat. Watching Saphira stretch brought a smile to his face and he held back a laugh at her expense.
Let's visit Arya and then I want to catch up with Roran. He said, standing near to Saphira for her warmth. He jumped onto her back, remembering why he loved her so. Whilst they travelled the short distance to Arya's tent, he scratched her gently behind the ears and she hummed in contentment. As he sat on Saphiras back, he glanced around and saw, off into the distance, storm clouds beginning to form. Above him, the sky was showing a fair amount of blue with the occasional cloud crossing the path of the sun, causing the camp to darken. As he watched this happen, he laughed and compared it to events in his life. Sometimes life would seem bright and colourful, like when he was with Arya, or when he was flying with Saphira. And, other times, it would be darker and seem gloomy. The deaths of his masters currently had him in a dark state. He quickly shook his head of the thoughts and they continued travelling.
They quickly traversed the distance to Arya's tent and he knocked on the pole to see if she was awake or not. He heard murmuring from inside before Arya called for him to enter.
This was possibly the first time he had a good look at the inside of her tent, and, as he expected, it was clean and smelt of pine needles. He had always wondered why she smelt of pine needles but he could not discern the source of it from looking around. He noticed her cot in the corner of her tent was just as clean as the rest of the tent. In the rest of her tent, he saw her bags near her cot and the small table with chairs situated around it. Arya was sitting on a chair in front of the table which held a mirror on it; he also noticed she had placed a small flower in a vase there, a rose to be exact. Strangely enough, she was once again wearing her green dress. He would have thought she would be wearing her usual leather clothes, but, of course, he did not complain, it was nice to see her comfortable enough to wear it. Looking at the mirror, he could see Queen Islanzadi's image in the mirror. She raised her eyebrow at him and he greeted her with the elvish customs, she responded in kind and continued, "Would you join us? Arya has explained you already know and how you know. I do have a few things to discuss with you though, mainly concerning some of your new responsibilities."
Eragon nodded and Arya gestured to a chair and he took it. "Because you are the only sane rider left, with the passing or Oromis, you are now the Lead Rider and it will fall upon you to teach the next riders, if and when we can obtain the last egg. You will be thankful that Glaedr has given you his Eldunarí, for when the time comes that you are the mentors. Another matter is Naegling and what we will do with the late rider and his dragon. I would like to propose you join us in Gil'Ead for a day where we can celebrate everything they have done for us and remember them for who they were, before laying them to rest. We thought it would be best if you left after the battle for Belatona. Whilst there, we want to entrust you with Naegling, I am sure Oromis would have wanted you to have it. Is this agreeable, Eragon?"
"Yes, but... what will you do with their bodies?" Asked Eragon, trying not to think too hard about his masters.
"We were hoping you could burn them. It seems fitting that the fire from a dragon should scatter their ashes." She answered. "If Nasuada should object, inform her you are now lead rider, and above her authority. If needed, ask her to release you from her fealty. She must oblige. I also want you to bring Arya with you. It has been a long time since I have spoken with my daughter." She said looking from Eragon to Arya. Arya regarded her mother carefully. "Do not look so sceptically, Arya, although you may not think it, I do care for you and wish for your happiness and wellbeing."
At this, Arya sighed and nodded. "Is there anything else you require, mother?"
Islanzadi gave her a guarded look and said; "That will be all. I will see you soon." Arya sighed as the mirror cleared itself.
"Do you not wish to see her?" Eragon asked cautiously, watching her carefully.
"I am thankful for her express of concern, but I can see how the conversation will play out and I would rather she left me alone." She said, sadness hinting in her voice.
Not wanting to dwell on topics that would sadden her, he quickly stood up and asked; "Would you come for a walk with me?"
"Of course." She stood up to and began moving to the tent entrance. They walked out and their guards fell into step around the two. Saphira leapt into the sky and began to fly to the destination Eragon had in mind. By now, more of the Varden had begun to awaken and they began to crowd around him again, trying to ask him for favours he did not want to commit to. Some of them were outrageous, especially from some of the women, but his protectors did not allow them to come too close.
The further to the edge of the camp they got, the less of a crowd formed around him. Before long, the crowd dispersed and he visibly relaxed. He also noticed Arya gave out a small sigh when they left the Varden camp and began to walk towards the tree line. Once they entered the small forest, peace returned and Eragon breathed in the cool, moist air. Ever since he had stayed in Ellesméra he had found sitting amongst trees to be relaxing. Although the trees here were much smaller and more distant apart, it still felt good to Eragon. Soon, they could see Saphira sitting next to a large tree. The tree was large enough that they could both sit comfortably on its roots. He and Arya knelt down to sit and the guards noted their stop and distanced themselves but still kept close enough to keep a watchful eye, allowing them privacy to talk as they wished but still able to react quickly to any danger.
They sat there, under the forest canopy in silence enjoying the company of one another and resting against the large trunk of the tree they had chosen. He pondered about his thoughts last night and what Saphira had said to him. He thought about how he would voice his concerns to her without her getting angry at him. After a while, he decided to break the silence and began to carefully pick his words. "I do not know if you are close to anyone, Arya, but you can always share your conflicts with me, and I would be more than happy to help you. It pains me to see you sad."
"Your words are kind and being able to spend time with a friend is greatly appreciated, especially during such trying times." She said, gratefully. "Perhaps, we could walk more often? Being among friends is much less depressing." She said this more hesitantly and she quickly looked away. Then, Eragon wondered what it was that Arya did when she was not busy. She probably wants me to walk with her more often to remove her boredom to. He thought.
She feels she can trust you Eragon. Remember, you aren't close to many people within the Varden to. Saphira advised him. With her words of advice he said, "Of course I will spend more time with you. Being in your company is soothing."
"Thank you." Arya said with gratitude in her voice.
Eragon returned to silence for a while, thinking about their upcoming journey to the elves and the events that would occur there. The elves would be heavily affected by their loss, but they also seemed to want to celebrate his life. Knowing how Saphira was with celebrations, he knew they would definitely have to stay at least one night. Riding a drunken dragon is never a good idea.
Hey! I won't drink too much, Eragon. I am responsible for you. Eragon smirked at Saphiras response to his thoughts. He was surprised when Arya suddenly spoke, he was beginning to get used to the silence; "It will be sad to see Oromis and Glaedr put to rest. I do not wish to stay there too long, Eragon, lest my mother continually pester me or I feel it too hard to stay. Please do not overly prolong our stay."
"We can leave as soon as you want, providing Saphira is sober." He replied, easing her concern and bringing a touch of humour to the conversation. "Thank you."
They stayed there for a while longer before Eragon realised the day was beginning to get on and he still had to visit Roran. Reluctantly standing up, he said to her: "I cannot stay longer; I need to catch up with my cousin over recent events."
Sighing, she stood up to and they began to walk their way back to the Varden. As they reached the camp, Arya excused herself and walked off in a different direction. Saphira also seemed to decide she did not want to be caught up in 'two-legged nonsense' and went off to hunt, leaving Eragon alone with his guards. He briskly walked to Rorans tent after asking for directions and knocked on the pole to his tent. He heard Katrina say, "Come in" and he entered.
"Ah, Eragon!" Said Roran, treating him to a bear hug that felt like his ribs were being crushed. "Good to see you again, Eragon." Whilst Roran was leather clad, Katrina was wearing a beautiful dress and he noticed that Katrina had started to develop a bump on her stomach.
He exchanged some pointless nonsense with Roran, who made as many jokes as he could at Eragons expense. Eragon soon became interested in Katrina's wellbeing and offered to check on her soon to be baby. She nodded and he placed a hand on her stomach and felt around with his mind, quickly locating her baby and checking its health. He took his hand off of her and grinned.
"It's doing fine and I can already begin to sense its thoughts." Katrina and Roran grinned back at Eragon and Roran asked; "Would you be here when she gives birth, Eragon? To make sure everything is okay?"
Eragon looked at his cousin, concern flashing in his eyes. "Of course I will help my cousin's wife. I will be here and help her along the way." With the main reason for his visit over, Eragon eagerly chatted with his cousin and talked to him about the recent battle and what had occurred and bragged about what feats of strength they had managed. Roran wouldn't accept that he had counted in the fight against Varaug and claimed it was Arya's feat and not his. They laughed and joked for a while until Eragon began to bore. He quickly excused himself and left the tent.
When he was outside, Blödhgarm asked him what he planned to do next. He called to Saphira and asked her if she fancied flying with him for the remainder of the evening. She gladly accepted and began to angle her way towards the Varden. He told Blödhgarm he would be busy with Saphira for the rest of the evening and he could expect Eragon back by nightfall. Blödhgarm nodded and said, "Do not stray to far from the camp, we need to be able to protect you in case you run into trouble." Eragon agreed and began the walk back to his tent.
Eragon spent the rest of the evening on Saphiras back flying high above the camp, sharing everything that had occurred that day with her and enjoyed being in her presence. He felt at peace with Saphira, among the clouds. Before long he returned to his tent. That night he was no longer troubled by apparitions of his past and settled into a deep sleep.