Chapter 1: A Shared Loss

When Eragon woke up the next morning he felt better than he had the last three days because of his dreamless sleep. He had told Saphira to enter his mind and wake him up when she felt that he needed to, and that's what she did. Since he was going to have to face his responsibilities today he performed the Rimgar up to level two, showered, shaved with magic, and decided to read Domia abr Wyrda. Eragon had not had time to read it since Jeod had given him the book.

Eragon's tent was a dull tan color and had only a small desk, a chair, his cot, and a basin of water to wash with. Saphira would normally stick her head in through the front flap when they went to sleep so she could be close to him. The book was sitting on the desk beside the scroll Oromis had given him of his ballad about his fight with Durza. There was also a couple of blank sheets of paper and a pen that he could write with if he needed to. He picked up the old book written by Heslant the Monk and opened

As he was reading, he realized the utter destruction that Du Fryn Skulblaka, the war between elves and dragons, had caused. Oromis and Brom had told him that it had wreaked destruction upon both races, but Eragon had never realized the full scope of it. Before the war, there had been roughly twice the number of elves and dragons that there was during the time of the Riders. His namesake had truly saved both the races from becoming extinct, and only now did Eragon realize just how easily there could have been no elves in Alagäesia.

"Eragon, there is someone here to see you." Saphira told him.

"Who is it?" Eragon asked.

"Come see for yourself, Little One." She replied.

Eragon pushed aside the flap to the tent and was surprised to see Arya standing before him. "Arya, what are you doing here? I'm glad to see you, but you caught me by surprise." She looked just as beautiful as she always had, with her emerald eyes, beautifully sculpted face, and jet black hair. He loved the smell of pine needles that always followed her and he inhaled deeply.

"We are friends Eragon; it should be no surprise that I would like to see you on occasion." she joked. "I was hoping that we could discuss what happened at Feinster and the death of Oromis and Glaedr. You are my only friend besides my mother, and it always helps to talk about things that are so important."

"Arya is becoming more comfortable around me." Eragon realized. "That would be fine; would you like to come in? he asked.

"Yes, thank you for offering." Once they had taken their seats, Eragon on his cot and Arya on the lone chair, they began discussing what had happened. "Eragon, at Feinster when Blödhgarm and I were surrounded, you came to save us. Then when you, Saphira, and I were fighting Varaug in the keep, again you saved me when he had me in his clutches. I never got a chance to thank you properly because of the death of your masters. Thank you, Eragon, I don't know what I would have done if you had not been there for me."

Gratitude welled up inside Eragon. "Arya, there is nothing to thank me for, you have saved my life before and we are friends. If I had not tried to save you I would be ashamed to call myself a Rider. Even if it was somebody I hated I would have saved them because I am a Rider. Yes, I did save your life but you would have done the same thing for me." Eragon said. He could see that Arya was caught off guard by his response.

"Eragon has grown much since when he first rescued me from Durza. He has become much wiser." Arya said, "You have grown since we first met Eragon, back then you were not as wise as you are now. It seems that we have to rescue each other frequently since I met you, but recently it has been me who needed rescuing." She smiled at him and heard Eragon's heart start beating faster. "I still thank you, it would feel wrong if I never thanked the person who saved me."

"Well, if you insist then I accept your thanks, you are most welcome." Eragon said. "Now, what did you want to tell me about the deaths of Oromis and Glaedr, Arya?"

Arya took a deep breath and tried to calm her thoughts, but the grief was overwhelming. "Oromis was like a father to me after Evandar died, and Glaedr was always kind to me as well. They were the only people besides Faölin that comforted me after my father's death. My mother was too overcome with her own grief to ease mine. Now that they are gone I feel like I have nobody left to talk to, and who can give me advice when I need it."

"Arya, listen to me, I will always be here for you whether you need a friend or a Dragon Rider. Oromis was like a father to me as well, I loved him like I loved Garrow and Brom. When I saw him die it was just as painful as watching Brom take the knife that was meant for me, or Garrow with all the burns covered across his body. Now that he's dead there is only my cousin and you that I can truly confide in, Arya." Eragon responded.

She smiled her stunning smile at him. "Thank you, Eragon. I know you have suffered much since you met Saphira. Since you have decided to confide in me then I know that it was the right choice to come to you today." Arya walked over to Eragon's cot and started crying, rivers of tears flooding from her eyes. "It's just that…h-he was such a great man Eragon. With him not here anymore it feels like there is something profoundly wrong with the world." she confessed.

Eragon wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his chest. "I know, Arya. It feels like there is something wrong with the world because there is. If things were as they should be then the Riders would still be in power and I would have grown up knowing my father. But you and I of all people should know that life is hardly fair."

They sat together for a long time and Eragon's own tears joined Arya's as they let out all their grief and pain they had endured. After about an hour the tears stopped because they couldn't cry anymore. There was not enough water left in them to continue. Both of them felt like the weight of grief upon them had lessened enough for them to keep fighting against the Empire.

Eragon let go of Arya and they both stood up. He saw that Arya's eyes were red from crying and she saw the same red around his eyes. "Thank you." both of them said at the same time.
"Are we ready to keep fighting the Empire Arya?" he asked her.

"I think we are, Eragon. I suspect that Nasuada would like to speak with both of us now very much. Would you like to accompany me to her tent?" she asked in return.

"I would be honored to."