(A.N.) Well here's the next chapter, sorry it's still a bit slow and it's mostly Eragon and Arya.

As always I would like to give a big thanks to everyone who reviewed! noob101, Korungr, Dessert Maniac, Elemental Dragon Slayer and d-saintsation-b! It means a lot to me!

Disclaimer – I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or any of the characters besides my own OC and made up plot

The Empire: Book IV

Chapter 3

Eragon waited outside his tent for Arya to join him. The cool night breeze blew lightly in the surrounding area, causing some of the tent flaps to sway gently.

The night was calm; it was just what Eragon needed after all the months he had recently spent either fighting or planning to fight.

Eragon sighed; he knew this peace it wouldn't last long. Soon they would be on the move again, but to where he did not know. There were so many questions he needed answers to.

"If only Oromis were here…" the thought washed over him again and again, and each time his mind wandered to his lost master a piece him was lost. All he did know was that he had to return to Ellesmira. Not only for his master's funeral, but also because he felt that there was still much more he could learn from the densly wooded Elvin capitol.

This time however, he would have to find them on his own.

"You are not alone little one, I will always be here with you." Saphira said soothingly, but Eragon could hear the small hint of obviousness that rang through her voice.

He chuckled and leaned against her side, "I know you will always be here with me Saphira, we are both a part of each other. Don't take it the wrong way, I would not change the way things are now. It's just…" He trailed off for a moment.

Before he could finish Saphira interjected, "Do not fret over such things Eragon. We will have many more hardships to overcome and right now you need to rest, as do I. In the end it will be us to face Galbatorix and no one else."

Eragon sighed, it was true after all. Even if Oromis were still alive there would be little he could do to actually aid him in the fight. But the thought still lingered and all the questions he wanted to ask him resurfaced. He chuckled to himself; both Oromis and Brom had always chastised him for the numerous amounts of questions he had for them.

His thoughts continued to wander until they stopped on Arya. They hadn't really spoken to each other in quite some time and of the times they did, it had either been around Nasuada and King Orrin or on the battle field, where small talk wasn't such a good idea.

He grabbed a small twig and began to spin it absently in his fingers. He was nervous, nervous to see her, to speak with her. Although he knew, generally, how he should act around her now he still felt it difficult to hold back his feelings for her. Despite all of that, had learnt from his mistakes and had decided to just be her friend.

He continued to twirl the twig absently when he heard another one snap not far away. He dropped the twig and his hand quickly found its way to the hilt of Brisingr as he stood up.

"Did you think that all the Empire soldiers had escaped and were now running rampant around the camp?" He heard a familiar lilting voice ring out.

"Arya…" Eragon spoke as he watched her slowly approach him; now fully visible from the nearby lamps that were still lit.

She looked at him with an odd expression. Perhaps amused by his reaction. When she was only a few feet from him, she stopped and paused; one hand on her hip and the other to the side as she leaned to the other side. A signature pose she most often did.

A small grin played across her face and he let go of the hilt of his sword. Saphira was now eyeing the two of them, also looking amused but decided not to say anything and instead watched the two silently; their interaction was much more enjoyable for her to watch.

Eragon scratched the back of his head, mildly embarrassed. "I…well you see…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say. In truth he was simply in his own world and forgot where he had been in reality.

Arya laughed lightly and Eragon was completely mesmerized. Whenever she laughed it was as if the most beautiful melody had been playing, and it was all Eragon could hear; or rather, all he wanted to hear.

"It is quite alright Eragon. It is good to be on your guard even when danger may seem many leagues away. Just be mindful of the present." Arya said wisely.

Saphira snorted. "I tell him that every day."

Eragon ignored Saphira comment. Looking at Arya, he nodded and motioned ahead, "I know of a good place not far where we will not be disturbed…if, that is, it is alright with you, of course…" Eragon said, shifting a little.

Arya smiled lightly and gave a nod, "Of course Eragon, we are friends after all. I would hate for us to get disrupted."

"Friends…" The word lingered in Eragon's mind for a moment until he brushed it aside. It was better to be her friend than to be nothing to her at all. He knew this very well, and so he would act upon it.

He smiled at her, "In that case, let us be off."

He began to walk past Arya but she did not move, instead she looked at Saphira. "Is Saphira not going to join us?" She asked.

Saphira chose this moment to speak and answer Arya's question. "I will not be joining you two, little Elf. I much prefer to relax here. Besides, I am tired and I feel I will soon fall asleep."

"Oh, I see. Well we shall have to catch up sometime as well Saphira." Arya replied.

Saphira sent her a mental smile, "And we soon shall. Have fun."

Eragon blushed lightly at Saphira's playful comment. He knew Arya didn't sense it, but he certainly caught the slight teasing tone Saphira held in her voice. He was internally grateful she didn't catch Saphira's tone, and before walking off he sent her the equivalence of a heavy glare. Though Saphira made no attempt to reply.

Eragon and Arya were soon walking through the camp. Fires were alit in sections of the camp where men were still gathered. They conversed in hushed tones as many of the other men had already gone to bed. Eragon could see how weary everyone had been and it only made him think about the many battles that still lay ahead of them.

They soon made their way outside of the camp and Eragon led Arya just outside a largely wooded area. He stopped and stretched while Arya looked at him quizzically.

Eragon looked at her and grinned, "I don't to sprain a muscle when I beat you in this race." And without giving her a chance to respond her took off into the woods.

Arya looked perplexed for a moment, but soon she grinned cunningly and sped off after him.

Eragon gasped initially as cold air suddenly entered his lungs, but after a short amount of time it began to feel good. A cool breeze swept past his face and turned his cheeks red. Eragon loved to run like this; he felt free. It wasn't the same as running around in battle or as if they were being chased. In times like those he was always worried and kept his guard on high alert, but now he was free to do what he wanted. He could run for as long as he wished, or at least as far as his body would take him at one time (which was actually quite far). At first, he could never understand why Arya had enjoyed running for long distances, but after doing it so many times he could see how clear his mind felt afterward.

Eragon ran as fast as he could, trees passing him like one big blur. He felt Arya closing in on him and pushed his body to go faster. She was soon on top of him but he grinned internally, they were close now.

Eragon stopped suddenly in a wide clearing. He looked to his left as Arya slowed down and stopped beside him. He smiled at her and then looked at their surroundings. They were in a large clearing with lush grass surrounding them, but what Eragon had loved most of all about this particular area was not what was on the ground or around then directly.

Eragon laid down on the grass and took in deep breaths, relaxing his body. Arya soon joined him and after a few minutes their eyes met. Eragon smiled at her and pointed up at the night sky. Arya's eyes went from Eragon to the where he was pointing and she gasped.

It was possibly the best view of the night sky from anywhere in the surrounding area of Belatona; the sky was covered with stars. The best part however, was not the stars or the view itself entirely, but the tall trees around them formed a large circle causing the starlight to come down on them like a spotlight. They were completely illuminated in starlight where everywhere else in the woods had been relatively dark.

"I would often sit like this in Ellesmira when I was little…" Arya spoke softly.

Eragon said nothing and continued to look up at the night sky.

She paused for a few seconds before continuing. "After my father died I spent a lot of time alone in the woods. I would often think about all the time I had spent with him...all the games we would play together…"

Eragon still did not speak; he was honestly completely shocked that Arya was opening up to him so much. He didn't want to say anything and ruin what might be his only chance to learn more about her.

Arya sighed, "Oromis had found me and we talked about many things, but mostly about my father. We grew close and I soon found myself spending a lot of my time with him, which was quite uncommon for Oromis. He did not spend a lot of time outside of his hut due to the fact that his and Glaedr's existence was a secret. I could to talk to him about anything…about my father, about my mother and…about Faolin…" The last name put a strain on Arya's voice and she stopped talking.

Eragon took this moment to speak, "Forgive me, Arya, I didn't not know the extent of your relationship with Oromis."

Arya smiled and shook her head, "There is no need to apologize Eragon, you could not have known."

"But I could have." Eragon said, perhaps a bit more sharply than he had intended to. "Here I was telling you how much Oromis had meant to me and how much I missed him when I never stopped to think how this had been affecting you. I had never thought that the two of you could have been so close." Eragon tried to reason with her and with himself.

Arya turned her head to face Eragon and a light blush covered his cheeks. Her eyes had shown compassion and happiness and Eragon was taken aback by her sudden display of emotions. "Eragon, you are a good person. It is what makes you able to care for others so much." She paused before continuing. "I like that about you." She finished.

Eragon's blush grew a deeper red and he was forced to look away. "T-Thank you, Arya. You do not know how much that means to me" He slowly turned to look at her again and found that she was smiling back at him. He smiled in return and they both resumed looking at the stars.

Eragon wasn't sure how much time had passed, it could have been several hours or several minutes, but he soon found himself staring not at the stars but at Arya.

"She has changed so much…could it have been because of Oromis's death? Or is it because of something else?" Eragon continued to pounder Arya's sudden change in behavior, when he suddenly realized that she was staring back at him. He was about to look away when all of a sudden Arya stretched out her hand and cupped his cheek.

"Eragon…" Her voice was soft but still carried that melodious feeling it always did. The feeling of her soft hand on his cheek sent shivers throughout his body and he had to us all his strength to fight back the urge to just kiss her. He tried to speak, but no words came out.

"Eragon," she continued, "I am so sorry for all that you have lost. You have changed so much, but it is not a fate meant for a seventeen year old boy. No…you are not a boy any longer." She corrected herself. "You have changed Eragon, you are not the boy I had first met in Farthen Dur. You are a strong man now and have fulfilled all that we have asked and beyond."

Eragon was completely frozen, "Why was she saying this?" He thought to himself.

Arya released her hand and shook her head, "Forgive me; I do not know where that came from." She sat up and brushed her hair to the side.

Eragon followed and shook his head, "N-No, it is quite alright Arya. In fact I should be thanking you. Perhaps you may not realize it, but your words are the only ones that can soothe me besides Saphira's. We are friends after all, and your opinion means a great deal to me."

Arya blinked and looked to be frozen. She did not expect Eragon to respond in such a mature manner. True she believed him to have become a much stronger man on the outside as well as the inside, but his wisdom had indeed grown.

Arya closed her eyes and smiled, "You must forgive me yet again Eragon, I seem to have forgotten the extent of our friendship." She stood up and brushed herself off.

Eragon followed in suit, "There is nothing to forgive Arya, I cannot blame you for we have all been immensely busy these past few months."

Arya nodded, "Yes, we have. I look forward to having these next two weeks to relax, and I hope that I will see more of you."

Eragon smiled, "That is my wish as well."

As if in silent agreement they both made their way back to the Varden campsite.

[Arya]

Arya couldn't believe herself, what had made her act that way in front of Eragon? She had opened up too much and she even reached out to touch his face. The emotions she felt scared her, she didn't even know what emotions she was feeling right now. On a different note, she was amazed by how mature Eragon had acted throughout the whole ordeal. A year ago he would have thought she was trying woo him. Instead he understood the extent of their relationship and merely brushed it off as simple mistake.

But, was that necessarily a good thing? She did not know the answer to that question just yet.

They were in the Varden camp now and many of the fires had been put out, still a few lingered her and there as men were on guard duty. Arya bid Eragon goodnight and made her way back to her tent. She closed the flap and fell on her bed. Her mind was racing and she felt confused. Her feeling for Eragon had grown, that much was certain but to what extent? She knew she did not love him, or so she thought, but their relationship was something more than friendship. She was afraid of what might happen if they continued to spend time together, but it wasn't something she could avoid. She wouldn't admit, at least not now, but she a desire to be around Eragon. He was a great friend to her, and although he had made several passes at her, all of which had ended in tragedy for both of them, she still enjoyed his company. He understood her better than anyone else, which scared her even more.

Arya sighed and brushed all thought from her mind. Although she wasn't tired she decided to take a bit of a nap, at least she would get a few hours of sleep.

Arya woke the next day to the sound of light raping on the wooden post just outside of her tent. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her body before standing up to face her visitor. She opened the flap of her tent to see Eragon standing outide.

"Oh, Eragon? To what do I owe this very early visit?" She smiled at him but it wasn't her usual smile, rather it seemed to send a bit more emotion than she had wished to convey. Even Eragon was taken aback by her sudden display of happiness. "What are you doing?" Arya mentally berated herself before resuming her usual demeanor.

Eragon scratched the back of his head nervously, "Forgive me for coming to you at such an early hour Arya, I was only wondering if you would like to join me for a morning run. If this is a bad time I understand." He finished with a short bow.

Arya took a moment to look at Eragon. He was not fidgeting or acting nervous as he usually did around her. For some reason that had bothered her, but she somehow also liked it. It made Eragon seem more confident to be around her, but did that mean he had finally resigned himself to being just her friend? That shouldn't have bothered her but for some reason, it did.

Arya smiled lightly before saying, "Of course Eragon, I would love to go for a run. Just give me a moment." Eragon nodded and Arya went back into her tent. She slipped on her leather boots and grabbed her leather strap, carefully placing it around her forehead to hold her hair in place. She exited soon after to find Eragon conversing with Saphira. The great sapphire dragon spread her wings and stretched her neck. "She must have just landed here." Arya thought to herself.

When Eragon took noticed of her, he slowly walked towards her and she gave him a smile.

"Forgive me, Arya, but it seems we will have to reschedule our run." He said, looking slightly unhappy.

Arya cocked her head to the side slightly and gave him a look of curiosity. "It is no problem. What has happened, if I may ask?"

Eragon looked at Saphira, "Saphira wanted to go flying, as we have not had the chance to do so in quite some time." He said it almost annoyingly but there was a hint of playfulness in his tone.

"I believe that you were the one who got all excited when I asked if you would like to go flying. In fact, you were so excited that you were jumping around like an eight-year-old boy who had just received a present." Saphira teased.

Eragon's turned red and he glared at her. "Saphira! I did not!"

Arya laughed; it was hard not to. Watching Eragon and Saphira behave in this manner always made her laugh. Eragon looked over at Arya who was currently holding her stomach from laughing so much.

"It is not that funny…" He grumbled.

"Oh but it is! It sounds…just like…something…Eragon would do!" She tried to speak between laughs.

Eragon grinned at Arya's sudden amusement and walked over to Saphira, "Well, are you coming?" He spoke to Arya.

Arya stopped laughing and wiped a stray tear from her face, "Hmm? What do you mean, are you not going to fly with Saphira?"

Eragon smiled and nodded, "I am, and you are coming with us."

Arya looked at both Eragon and Saphira with wide eyes for a moment before calming herself down. She had always enjoyed riding on Saphira's back, but the height had always freighted her. Arya grew excited at the idea of flying but she knew she could not impose on them. She was sure Eragon and Saphira would prefer to spend time alone with each other.

"It is alright." She said with the raise of her hand. "You two go on, I have other matters to attend to." Arya replied as she slowly turned back to her tent.

She was surprised when it was Saphira, not Eragon who spoke next. "Are you saying, little elf, that you do not want to ride on my back with Eragon? You cannot fool me, Arya, I know you want to. Come, whatever it is you have to do can wait until later."

Arya was taken aback my Saphira's sudden invitation and as she saw Eragon nod, she realized that Saphira's words were not solely directed to her but Eragon had too been included in the conversation. Of course that was true on many occasions. Eragon and Saphira had included her in their conversations many times, and even though Eragon knew that for someone else to speak to ones dragon was either highly disrespectful or highly honored it did not seem to matter to either of them.

Arya sighed and thought for a moment, "I suppose it can't hurt, after all I do want to fly with them." With that she made up her mind and walked over to Eragon and Saphira.

Seeing Arya's decision, Eragon smiled and climbed atop Saphira's back and extended a hand out to Arya. She took it gratefully and Eragon swung her onto Saphira's back. She sat behind him and wrapped an arm around his waist loosely and let the other one fall to her side.

Saphira arched her back and prepared to take off. She dug her large claws into the dirt and pushed off hard. Her massive wings pushed them higher and higher. Arya gripped Eragon tighter as heavy gusts of wind blew past her. She silently hoped that Saphira wouldn't do anything too crazy.

But knowing Saphira, she probably would…

(A.N.) Well I hope it was good, don't worry the plot will pick up soon I promise! I'm still working on the major plot but I've got a pretty good idea of the basic outline right now. The next chapter will have more Roran and other villagers from Carvahall, as well as other characters we all love so much .

P.S. : The next update will take a little longer than usual because I have two exams on Thursday for my summer class . But don't worry, it won't be too long

- Demonzmagic