AAAHHH! I am getting really impatient here…I want to get back to Delsin and Ayasha but my stupid brain won't let me!

Just a quick little note, I made a typo in the last chapter. Eragon is supposed to be 17 almost 18. Not 16.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone from the Inheritance Cycle…but I do own everyone else. The Inheritance Cycle characters belong to the ever- amazing Christopher Paolini.

And, Christopher, if you are, by some strange chance reading this, me and a couple million others have just one question for you…. you almost done with the book yet?

Chapter 4

Escape: Part One

Present

Eragon, Arya, Blödhgarm, and Saphira waited by the boulder for the sun to set. Two days ago, Arya, Saphira, and Eragon had found the "wall of rock" mentioned in Tenga's poem. Afterwards, they went to Nasuada and told her of their findings. When they had first told Nasuada of their findings, she had looked at Eragon and Arya with her steely, dispassionate gaze and said, "You should have come to me before leaving. What if we had needed you, Eragon? Or you, Arya? We would have been unable to contact you."

To this Arya responded, "What is done, is done. There is nothing gained by reprimanding us like children. If we had gone to you, we would have spent our time here debating whether or not we should go now or later. Or who would accompany us. We needed to find out as soon as possible, and we did, so let's stop dwelling on the past and figure out a strategy." Eragon mentally winced at the tone of her voice, but kept his face impassive. He saw Nasuada's eyes flare briefly with anger, and then she regained control of her emotions and just nodded.

"Very well, I see your point," Nasuada said, "What do you propose we do?"

For the next few hours Nasuada, Arya, Eragon, and Saphira drew out their plans for the mission that lay ahead.

Eragon's attention drew back to the present, where the last rays of light were quickly disappearing. The color of Saphira's scales seemed to deepen, making her scales so dark they were almost the color of the night sky. The fading light accentuated the curve of Arya's cheeks and made her dark hair shine. But the light also made Blödhgarm look like a terrible, mythical beast. They waited a few more minutes for the first few stars to come out, and then they would have to wait for the sound of horns announcing the gate closing before they moved the rock.

In the few minutes they were waiting for the horns, Eragon's heart rate increased and he could feel it thudding in his chest. He could feel Saphira touching his mind, trying to soothe him. Everything was so much richer; he tried to drink it all in, attempting to remember these few minutes of peace. Then a horn sounded in the distance, breaking the evening silence. Saphira moved toward the boulder and used her shoulders and neck to roll the stone out of the way, below they saw a small hole just large enough for a human to fit through. Eragon looked at all of them and nodded. Arya slid herself in feet first, Blödhgarm followed as soon as he heard Arya's feet hit the bottom. After he was through, Eragon moved toward the hole and turned back to Saphira. They looked at each other for a moment before Saphira said, Good luck, little one. Hurry back.

Eragon could feel his throat tightening and said, I will. He turned away from Saphira and slipped through the hole. He only fell a few feet before he hit the floor with a soft thud! He took in his surroundings, there was still enough light coming through the hole to see a few feet ahead, but he could see Arya and Blödhgarm waiting for him at the edge of the light. Arya was adjusting the pack she was wearing that would be used to carry the egg during their return to the Varden, and Blödhgarm was looking at the walls of the tunnel with mild interest.

He walked forward to where they were standing and said, "Garjzla", a small blue light appeared just over his gedwëy ignasia. They started to walk down the long winding tunnel, looking out for any sign that they were almost there. They walked for what seemed like hours but was probably only a few minutes, before they hit a dead end. Eragon shone his light on the walls and the ceiling, when the light hit the ceiling he saw a small handle sticking out of one of the rocks. He slowly reached up and grabbed the cold, rusty handle.

He pulled. Nothing happened. Then he tried to push the door open, but again nothing happened. He pulled again with all the strength he had, but to no avail. Now he was starting to get worried, what if they could not even get inside, after all the years of searching?

"Maybe you need a key?" said Arya.

Eragon shook his head, "No. Tenga never said anything about a key in his poem. Besides, I do not see a keyhole." Eragon looked closer at the little door. He did not see any keyholes but around the handle he saw scuff marks, like when you dragged a chair back and forth across a floor often. Could it really be that simple?, he thought to himself.

He reached up to the handle and turned it. The bolt made a noise as it popped out of place, a thin sprinkling of dust showered him and the door's weight was supported with his hands. He looked to Arya and Blödhgarm and reached out to them with his mind. Are you ready?

I have waited a long time for this moment, said Arya

With all due respect, Shadeslayer, if I was not ready I would not be here now would I? said Blödgharm.

Eragon nodded and pulled down on the door. Light flooded the dark tunnel; Eragon grabbed the edge of the doorway and pulled himself up silently and looked around. He was in a circular room with old barrels and some chains and other odds and ends. This must be a storage room of some kind. He heard the others silently crawl out of the tunnel and he heard the trapdoor being pulled closed. The bolt snapped into place with an ominous bang!

"Well…I guess we are not going out the way we came in," said Blödhgarm. Eragon saw that the trapdoor they had just come out of had seemed to disappear amongst the wood-paneled floor.

"We will have to worry about that later," said Arya, "but now let's go and do what we came here to do."

I can't believe I did this again! I have been so busy it isn't even funny. I am sooooooooo sorry that it has taken me this long to get this out and it isn't even the full chapter! I'll put out part two ASAP, I double pinky promise!

Again please R&R, I know that this chapter is shorter than my other ones but I don't want to keep you people who have been reading my story waiting any longer.

Live long and prosper!

~xXrock4lifeXx~