Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the Eragon books or Movie, at all!!! I only wish I did. There are a few characters in this story that are fictional.

A/N: I'm not sure where I'm going with this. Probably some Eragon/Arya, the next chapter begins around the middle of the movie, and there are a lot of things I've played around with. Like Brom living… so let me know where to go with it. I really want to try a Brom/Eragon father son thing too. Sooooooo R&R please. Sorry so short.

TO TRUST A FRIEND

Chapter 1

It had been years since he'd been on a dragon. Now Brom had become the tutor of a brave young man, who, while headstrong in his ways, was

more than willing to learn. Night after endless night, visions and memories plagued his dreams. Fears that his own apprentice would be swayed by

Galbatorix, memories of his own failure and arrogance, his pride that took the life not only of a traitor, but of a beloved dragon. This was last of the

great beasts he had thought, save for the king's, until a young hunter, who tended a farm with his uncle in the settlement he had taken refuge in to hide

in shame, brought the time of the dragon riders upon him again. To Brom, this was not only hope for a peaceful future, but a chance to redeem

himself if not in the eyes of the Varden and riders he had left behind, but in his own eyes as well.

He knew with every ounce of his being that Eragon was the last hope at victory, and the defeat of the king. These were truths that everyone and

anyone who still had faith in the dragon riders knew. What had shocked him the most, was that the exceptional young man who had reluctantly

become a rider, had filled the place in his heart, of the son he never had.

"Eragon,?" Brom gently nudged the sleeping, snoring, lump that was his apprentice, "We have to get moving before dawn." he urged more aggressively.

"I already brought the eggs in Roran," Eragon grumbled and rolled over on his side.

Saphira sensing the urgency in Brom's voice slowly made her way to the camp, doing her best to make as little noise as possible. Lightly she nuzzled

her nose in the still quiet Eragon's neck.

"You must get up now, little one," she spoke, her tone soft. "You've already overslept."

"Saphira!" the young man groaned in his mind and after a few more prods from the insistent dragon, made his way down to the stream to wash up and get water to boil.

"I'm not going to let either one of you forget this," Eragon complained as he trudged up the bank of the stream with an old tin kettle for the fire that Brom had already

started.

"We can't spend too much time here, the rumors of the Shadeslayer are spreading quickly and I fear \we must join Arya in Ellesmera," Eragon sighed, feeling that his victory against

Durza both a blessing and a curse.

"Galbatorix will only see this as a reason to retaliate. Opposition of any kind is not acceptable to him." Brom sat stroking the rough stubble of his beard, deep in thought.

"You are wiser, and stronger than you give yourself credit for, Eragon. You have given the Varden hope, when they had none." Saphira tried to sound soothing.

"I have told you before, I will not be strong enough, until I am as strong as you," it came as a white hot flash in Saphira's mind.

"They trusted my leadership only because they had no one else, not because I'm wise, or...Oh, forget it Saphira. I'm just tired that's all." he truly felt doubt sinking in now.

"You must trust yourself, before you can expect trust from others, young one. In time you will gain the confidence you need to be a true leader."

So that's where I'm at, I think there will be a lot more soul searching on the way to Ellesmera, what do you think?