Lights Out!!

Murtagh caught up with Arya in the halls of Farthen Dûr.

"Have you seen Eragon?" he asked. Arya shook her head.

"No. But he had better show up soon, I am supposed to show him to a meeting with the Council of Elders."

"I thought you said he could find his own way around," Murtagh taunted. Arya glared at him.

"I have a duty to fulfill, just as you should."

"Hey, I am getting out of here as soon as Tornac gets a new pair of shoes, which should be in about half a day. I was just looking for Eragon to say good bye. See ya later!" Murtagh started down the hall.

"You are just going to leave us when we need you the most?" Arya said, outraged. Obviously, Murtagh really was the sissy she had first thought.

Murtagh paused mid-step. "Uh, lets see, getting out of here now, before the Empire tries to get us again, or staying and helping to fight a hopeless cause," he pretended to measure the odds, "yeah, I would say I am going to leave. Goodbye, your highness." He smiled and walked away.

"You low down, no good fake!!" Arya yelled after him. Murtagh shook his head and kept walking.

*skip about a day and a half*

Eragon sat up in Angela's quarters. What was he doing here again? It seemed like just yesterday he had gotten out of the crazed herbalist's infirmary. Oh wait, it was just yesterday. He looked up when the door opened. Arya entered, and smiled when she saw him.

"You are recovering nicely," she said. He smiled.

"What happened?"

"You got into a little tussle with a fanghur."

"Oh. So that is what those dragon-like things are called."

"Yup."

The door opened again, this time letting Murtagh and Orik in. Saphira stuck her head inside the room.

"Hey kid. How ya feeling?" Murtagh said glibly. Eragon smiled at his friend.

"Like Saphira tossed me against a wall a few times."

"Too bad." Murtagh turned to Arya. "Well, it seems like you trapped me here for a little while longer. Happy?"

"I had nothing to do with it. Ajihad decided it would be best if everyone stayed in Tronjheim for now."

"Sure. Your words in the hall the other day had nothing to do with this, huh?" Murtagh was thoroughly enjoying making Arya squirm after all the times the elf had done the same to him.

Eragon looked at Murtagh quizzically. The older man smiled slyly.

"She confessed her true feelings for me," he explained. "Aww, come on your highness, you've already forgotten?"

Arya turned various shades of purple, red and white in quick succession.

"Why, you low-down, stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking sheep herder…" she sputtered in fury.

"Whose scruffy looking? I'll tell ya, sweetheart, I must've hit pretty close to the mark to get you hoppin' like this. Doesn't it look that way to you, Eragon?"

"Yeah," he said, looking at Arya, a puzzled expression on his face. "It does…kind of."

"Oh, it does, does it?" Arya said haughtily. "Well, I guess you don't understand everything about women, do you?"

Eragon nodded. He was just as surprised as Murtagh when Arya leaned forward and kissed him full on the mouth. Then she turned around and walked out, slamming the door after her.

The two men looked at each other for a few seconds. Then Murtagh punched Eragon so hard, the Rider was knocked out. Again.

**I do not own Eragon or any of the characters from the Eragon books or Star Wars**