In the corner of his mind Eragon was weakly aware of the two dragons floating around in the sky but he didn't have to listen closely, he just followed Saphiras state of mind to know how it was going. Meanwhile he was fully aware of the young man in front of him. Theo and Eragon had been training for the past hour while Saphira taught Mouch how to maneuver in a heavy storm, like the one they had found in the mountains. The field on which Eragon and Theo were standing was on the other side completely still. Not a leave moved before they did, and they didn't in the moment. Theo had changed his tactic into a more passive one. Now he was just waiting, waiting for Eragon to make the first move, not that it had giving him any victories, but on the other hand nor had his last one.

Eragon knew that Theo wasn't very patient, and therefore wouldn't be able to wait very much longer, so Eragon decided to just wait until Theo couldn't anymore. The time passed, and Eragon could almost see the suns movement over the sky. As the sun made its way t the horizon Eragon realized he had underestimated his opponent, and that was the first time Eragon felt like he was getting somewhere with the young man in front of him. And for a moment, only a tiny moment, Eragon felt proud. Theo had changed, he had become stronger in both mind and body, and now, Eragon knew, he was ready.

Eragon straightened his back from the attack possession he had been in and felt his muscles relaxed.

-Put away your sword, Theo, we're done for today.

Theo looked confused, almost disappointed, but he straightened up as well and a smile of relieve showed up on his face when his back loosened up.

-But master, we didn't even fight this last one?

-No, but you learned your lesson, Theo.

-What lesson? I toughed I was here to fight!

-Fight?! Did you really think that was the only reason why you were here?

-Yes, master, to fight like the riders did so I can do that back home!

-You are here to learn, Theo. Not just how to fight! You are here to learn how to prevent fighting, how to live a life in peace from the evils of these lands and mostly you are here to find the true you.

-The true me, master? I don't think I understand.

-The true you are the person that lives inside of you. The person you are, when you have a knife pressed at your throat, the you, you are when everything is taken away from you. The true you, Theo.

-But why master? Why do I need to know that now? Can't I just figure that out on the way?

-No, Theo. What if you aren't who you toughed you were? What if you are bad and figure that out where no one can help you? That could be dangerous, Theo. And you need to know with certainty, who you are, leaving no doubt in yourself. You need to know who you are before you can tell anyone else who they should be.

-If a rider needs to know who they are before they can teach anyone else who they are, then tell me this, master… Who are you?

That was a question Eragon hadn't been expecting. He wanted to tell Theo to mind his own business, but on the other hand, he deserved an answer. Since Theo came down here Eragon had told nothing about who he was or where he came from, and yet, he expected Theo to trust him with his life.

-I'm a farmer, Theo.

If Eragon toughed Theo had looked confused before then it was nothing compared to what he looked like now.

-A farmer, master? I don't think I understand…

-You don't need to understand, Theo, you just need to accept.

-I accept, master.

-Then we can move on to the…

-Move on to what, master?

-If you would let me speak, Theo, you would get your answers a lot faster.

-Sorry.

-You are forgiven, and now listen. It's time for you to see.

-See what?

-See the world, Theo, everything round you. You have learned to see with your mind, and you have learned how to fight with it, what you are going to learn now is how to observe.

-Observe what, master?

-As I said, Theo, the world, life.

For the third time today Theo looked utterly confused and Eragon had a hard time trying not laugh. It would, he toughed, ruin the respect he had gained from the boy to start laugh at him, so instead he tried explaining.

-Open your mind, Theo.

-Why?

-Do as you are told.

Theo closed his eyes and Eragon could feel the boys mind expanding.

-Now look around you, and tell me what you see.

Theo opened his eyes and turned his head.

-With your mind, Theo.

Theo closed his eyes again and tried to look around.

-What do you see, Theo?

-The lights. Small lights in the grass and a big one a few meters that way.

Theo pointed his finger in the exact direction to where Eragon were standing.

-That's me, Theo.

-Oh.

-What else? Just the lights in the grass?

-No, master, lights everywhere.

-And what are these lights, Theo?

-Minds, master.

-Good, but what are they?

-Animals?

-Yes, Theo, but what animals? And what are they during?

-I don't know master.

-Open your eyes, Theo.

Theo did as he said.

-Can you now tell me where the lights are?

Theo started to close his eyes.

-No, Theo, with your eyes opened.

-No master, I can't.

-This is what you need to learn, Theo. You need to learn how to see, how to observe. What if one f those lights had been a man trying to kill you?

-Then I would have killed him, master.

-That is not my point, Theo. How would you now if he was trying to kill you?

-I could check his mind, maser.

-You could, but what if you were in the middle of a city? How would you know who he was?

-I wouldn't, master.

-And that is why you need to learn how to observe. Come with me.

Eragon turned around and let the boy deep into the forest. On the way, Eragon made sure that Theo was aware of the path they walked on, so he could find his way back. After they had walked for about half an hour, they came to the edge of the cliff, on which Eragon had his home, just a few miles north from the cabin. The cliff here was still a part of the forest, so the view wasn't very clear from where they were standing. Eragon pushed a bush aside and showed off an overturned tree. He had found the spot only a few weeks after he found the spot where he and Saphira now were living, and had used it for his mediations ever since, even though he in the beginning had felt bad about doing it. It reminded him of Gleadr and Oromis, and how they died. They hadn't even been buried. By the time the elves had reached their death spot all they had fund were a big pile of ashes. But over the years, Eragon had come to appreciate the fact that his teachers at least had had a quick death. They hadn't suffered. And Gleadr had made sure that Eragon kept up his mediations by saying that anything else would be a disgrace on Oromis' memory.

-I want you to come out here, every morning before you join me at the field, and observe.

-What? Just sit here? For how long?

-An hour. And when you join me I want you to tell me what you've learned.

-But…

-No, Theo. You are here to learn, and you will do as you are told. You can start now.

-But, master…

-No, Theo. Take you place and then come join me, Saphira and Mouch on the field.

And then Eragon turned his back, and went into the dark shadows of the trees, and the smell of the pine trees. And for a moment he allowed himself to think about her, and miss her. For a moment he wondered, what she was doing, and if she missed him, like he missed her.