Shadows of the Past:

Eragon POV:

That night, Eragon sat staring at their meager fire, chewing on a dandelion leaf. Their dinner had consisted of an assortment of roots, seeds, greens that Arya had gathered from the surrounding countryside. Eaten uncooked and unseasoned, they were hardly appetizing, but he had refrained from augmenting the meal with a bird or rabbit, of which there was an abundance in the immediate vicinity, for he did not wish for Arya to regard him with disapproval. Moreover, after their fight with the soldiers, the thought of taking another life, even an animal's sickened him. It was late, and they would have to get an early start the next morning, but he made no move to retire, nor did Arya. She was situated at right angles to him, her legs pulled up, with her arms wrapped around them and her chin resting on her knees. The skirt of her dress spread outward, like the wind-battered petals of a flower.

*Skip*

Somewhere in the darkness surrounding them, a wolf howled. From various locations across the plains, a score of other wolves answered, raising their voices in a discordant melody. The eerie singing made Eragon's scalp tingle and goosebumps break out on his arms. Then, for a brief moment, the hols coalesced into a single tone that was similar to the battle-cry of a charging Kull.

Eragon shifted, uneasy.

"What's wrong?" asked Arya. "Is it the wolves? They shall not bother us, you know. They are teaching their pups how to hunt, and they won't allow their younglings near creatures who smell as strangely as we do."

"It is not the wolves out there, but the wolves in here." Eragon said tapping the middle of his forehead.

Arya nodded, "It is always thus. The monsters of the mind are far worse than the ones that actually exist. Fear, doubt and hate have hamstrung more people than beasts ever have."

"And love."

"And love. Also greed and jealousy and even other obsessive urge the sentient races are susceptible to."

"Does it bother you when you kill?"

"Neither I nor the rest of my people eat the flesh of animals because we cannot bear to hurt another creature to satisfy our hunger, and you hav the effrontery to ask if killing disturbs us? Do you really understand so little of us that you believe we are coldhearted murders?"

"No, of course not. That's not what I meant."

"Then say what you mean, and do not give insult unless it is your intention."

"Ii asked this of Roran before we attacked Helgrind, or a question very like it. What I want to know is, how do you feel when you kill? How are you supposed to feel? Do you see the warriors you have vanquished staring back at you as real as you are before me?"

Arya POV

I needs must distract him. He will go mad if he continues to dwell upon this. I have not a choice but to tell him of my feelings. "Eragon, you mustn't worry about this. If you dwell upon this, it will destroy you. When these thoughts enter your mind, think of this instead." she leaned forward and placed a kiss upon his lips. Not a peck, but a deep full kiss that conveyed everything she felt for him. She felt him stiffen in shock and pull away and say, "Arya, what was that?"

"Eragon, I love you. When I told you that I felt nothing more than friendship for you, I lied."

"But how?"

"In my mind, I meant the Rider Eragon, not Eragon who you are."

He smiled and kissed her again. Hesitantly he reached with his mind for hers. Once he had been granted access, he said, We need to get rest.

I agree my love. So she snuggled up closer to him, and went to sleep, with his arms around her.