This is the repost of Jsquared's fanfiction "Breoal" from the now extinct Inheritance Forum.

This is not my own work and I do not want any credit for uploading it; I am simply putting it up for people to enjoy one of my favourite ever fanfictions. There is over 140 Chapters in total and I will post them over the next couple of days.

There are elements of the story later on that are more M and not for the feint of heart. Sexual Scenes, Brutal Deaths etc.

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Chapter One- Mourning

It was a sunny day in Ellesmera. Two elves were having a playful conversation. It was ranging from anything from the birds in the sky, flowers, even the length of a dwarf's beard. One of the elves was a woman, fair faced, with dark hair and emerald eyes. Even among the elves she was considered beautiful. She was all smiles, laughing and having a good time. The man was tall, handsome, with silver hair. He, like the woman was having a good time. The pair seemed to be meant for each other. The man had to leave, saying he needed to tend to his father, who had just had a seizure. Before he left, he sung the woman the prettiest flower she ever saw. The two shared their first kiss.

Arya awoke from her dream, tears in her eyes. It had been two days since Oromis, her final memory of Faolin, had died. It had been two days, since she and Eragon had slain Varuag. Each time she had attempted to sleep this dream had appeared to her. It has been almost a year since Faolin's death, and now I have lost my only reminder of him, besides the flower he made for me. How I miss him. I still remember that dark day. She thought.

Arya got up, unable to go back to sleep. A few minutes later, she noticed that her mother had appeared in the mirror of her tent. In her last visit to Ellesmera she and her mother had reconciled as best they could. Her mother, having lost Evandar, was able to sympathize with Arya's loss. Like Arya, Evandar's death had done to her what Faolin's did to Arya. Islanzadi had been cold-hearted with everyone since the king's death. Her inability to get over his death partially was responsible for the argument that had separated mother and daughter for many years. Islanzadi, knowing how much Oromis meant to Arya, being Faolin's father, and a father figure to Arya, had done her best to comfort Arya the last two days. After many years of coldness though, there was only limited success.

"Hello mother," Arya said with a tired voice.

"How are you doing my daughter?" Islanzadi asked with uncharacteristic maternal concern.

"You know as well as I do." Arya answered with tiredly, "I have not slept well these last few days."

"It will pass in time." The queen tried to say soothingly.

"But how long will it take? I was starting to finally open up about my loss of Faolin and then Oromis died. It has opened up a painful wound. At times I wish I had died with him." Another tear fell from Arya's eye. Her mother looked at her daughter and touched the mirror as if she wanted to touch her daughter in her time of need.

"My daughter, you must be strong. So long as Galbatorix is alive we must not let these trials overcome us. To feel defeated is to surrender to the dark king. However, we must also not forget our feelings. There must be someone else you can converse with in the Varden to help cope with the loss. Someone who can understand you. Perhaps one of the twelve elven spell casters with you. Or Eragon perhaps, as he was close to Oromis as well. How is he?"

Arya thought about what her mother had said, realizing that for some reason, she could be more open with Eragon then anyone else. Eragon had not taken the death of his master well."In the same state as myself. At the moment he is flying with Saphira. He has not slept since he left Ellesmera."

"Perhaps the two of you can console each other. Like you, he cannot let this wound fester. Arya, I must leave, Lord Dathedr is giving me a report of what was in Gil'ead, along with a casualty report." And then the queen disappeared.

Arya sighed, and left her tent, not wanting to attempt to go back to sleep. She wandered around the camp outside Feinster and noticed Saphira returning with Eragon on her back. Arya inquired on how the dragon and rider were dealing with their loss.

Little one is not doing so well. He spoke little when we flew, and it did little to cheer him up. Saphira said to Arya. Perhaps you should speak with him.

It took 20 minutes for Arya to reach Eragon's tent. As she suspected, he was uneasy, sitting outside his tent. He looked tired, worn down, and had stubble on his chin. He looked miserable. Arya approached Eragon. They exchanged the Elven gestures for greetings.

"Arya, what brings you here at this hour?" Eragon inquired to her. Arya was not sure how to phrase her next statement.

"I...wanted to talk with you." She said dumbly. Eragon's eyes widened.

"About what?" He questioned.

"Oromis...Eragon he meant a lot to me." She said sadly.

"As he did with me as you well know." Eragon answered her. He was still looking down into the ground, his gentle brown eyes glossy and downcast.

"Has Glaedr said anything?" Arya gently asked. She was curious how the mighty dragon was dealing with the fall of his rider, and his body as well.

No, he is still in mourning. Saphira said. Arya had expected as much. She then looked at Eragon.

"Do you think you will be ready to march in a few days?" She herself was not sure of the answer she would give if Eragon had asked her that same question. He shook his head.

"I don't know Arya," He said bluntly. Arya looked at him with care now. Perhaps more care than she had ever shown him.

"Eragon, you cannot keep acting like this. Tomorrow is our last day of rest before we march for Belatona, we must be ready to leave. We can't wallow in our despair much longer."

"I will mourn for as long as I wish. No one has been stung by this death more than I." Eragon said tersely.

Arya was angered at the ignorance of Eragon's statement. She slapped Eragon. "Eragon! Oromis was like a father to me! Also, Oromis was Faolin's father!" She felt hot tears start to fall from her eyes.

Eragon looked at Arya, his right cheek red and puffy. He twisted his hand over his chest in a sign of respect.

"I am sorry." Eragon said shamefully."Oromis and Glaedr must have meant a lot to you...especially since you have nothing left of him." Arya knew he was inferring Faolin.

"Aye, I miss them both. When you were not training, Oromis and I often talked about him, though it did little to quell our pain. Faolin was his last memory of his mate, who had died 20 years before the fall. My father died not long after I was born, and seeing Faolin so often, Oromis was like my father." She answered. Eragon then took a deep breath.

He then started to tell her what he had meant to say by his statement."Arya, what I meant to say is, Oromis was like my 3rd father. He was a great teacher, and was patient in my impatience. And now Galbatorix has taken away all three of my fathers. And I am responsible for all of them."

"Eragon," Arya said, now having calmed down, tears in her eyes, "You know that is not true." Eragon looked at Arya with more sadness in his eyes.

"I never told you how Brom or Garrow died did I?" She shook her head. "Arya, it was all my fault the both of them died." He started to choke up and Arya knew he was on the brink of tears once again. "If I had been more careful with Saphira, perhaps the Ra'zac never would have targeted my home. And if I had been less ignorant of how weak I was when traveling with Brom, perhaps I would not have been so hellbent on killing the Ra'zac." He finished. Arya felt pity and remorse, and almost guilt for bringing up old wounds of Eragon. She looked at him and held her hand out to him as he once had before to her at the campfire.

"Eragon," She said quietly and soothingly, "You cannot and should not blame yourself for those actions. They were designed by fate. The only way to have made sure that would not have happened is to have never met Saphira. And you would not have wanted that." She answered.

To Arya's surprise, it was Eragon who signaled to her that the moment hand ended and she removed her hand. He then said to her, "Thank you." He paused for a moment before he said something else about Oromis and Glaedr. "What scares me the most, is that not only have I lost my father Arya, but one of the last things Glaedr said was alone. I am alone. Saphira and I are the last free riders which oppose the king. Oromis also told us that when the next egg hatches, we would have to teach them. On top of that, with Oromis gone, I am now the senior rider. I am not ready to do this alone..." Eragon could not continue speaking, as his tears had become a downpour.

One thing led to another, and Eragon was crying in Arya's arms. Arya just held him in silence, not knowing what to do. After a while, Arya decided that the kindest thing to do would be to let Eragon rest. She put her hand by his head, and said, "Slytha" Eragon plopped on the ground. She then added "May he have no dreams," in the ancient language. She put Eragon in his tent, and searched for Blodhgarm's mind, instructing him to allow nobody to disturb Eragon, and that she or he would wake him on the fourth day since the siege of Feinster., when they would leave for Belatona.

Arya then returned to her tent. She had felt a twinge of ease in her pain having spoken with Eragon. However, she was also confused. In such a short span of time twice she had opened up to Eragon, and twice they had hugged each other in comfort. They were only two other people that Arya had been as open with as she had been with Eragon. Her mother before the argument and when they reconciled, and Faolin. For a moment she pondered why she was so open around Eragon, happy that it distracted her from her thoughts of mourning. Finally overcome by weariness, she lied down on her cot. She then cast the same spell on her self to prevent dreams, wondering why she had not thought of it before, and then went to sleep. As she went to sleep though, she was also pondering Eragon's final words before he lost his composure. She quietly thought to herself, No Eragon, you are not alone.