You must be tired young one, you can ride on me, said Thrindr

"Thank you" and Ethan vaulted onto Thrindr's back

As they neared Horsts the pungent smell of roast beef and fat reached him, he felt Thrindr drooling and chuckled, when they arrived everyone welcomed him with open arms, Garrow who had settled in shouted, "Ethan my boy how goes your day of training?"

"I've learnt a lot thanks to Master Anthrop today", said Ethan

"Anthrop?", asked Garrow, "Yes, Anthrop," said Ethan, "It's Sloan, his real name was Anthrop and he used to be a rider but his dragon was killed by the Ra'zac"

"Oh" sounded Garrow, "Never mind, lets go and eat"

Thrindr strode throught the crowd snapping up some meat here and finally arrived at a place with a huge plate Anthrop had carved with a weighty piece of tender steak in it.

Happiness rebounded over Ethan's link and Thrindr said, I could get used to this, and let out a low rumbling sound Ethan soon identified as laughing.

After a hearty dinner everyone gathered around the fire, Anthrop walked to the middle and spoke "Today has been a day of revelations and labor, tonight let us sleep with our stomachs full, also, one final announcment, Horst, you and your sons must help prepare armour and weapons for the villagers, and some bows and slings for the women and children."

With a nod Anthrop, Horst and his son's left along with Elain and headed towards the forge. The other villagers returned to their homes and Eragon decided to pay a visit to were Garrow settled in Carvahall. Garrow was already fast asleep so Thrindr said, Maybe we should go and see what Master Anthrop is up to, Ill fly you to the forge

Ethan nodded and hopped onto Thrindr, Thrindr felt his nervousness and chuckled, Don't worry little one he said with affection, Its one hell of an experience

Ethan smiled weakly and with a pump of his wings Thrindr took of into the night sky, after a short 30 seconds Thrindr landed with a thump, Ethan toppled off unerved by the first flight and walked into the forge slowly with Thrindr chuckling heavily outside.

Inside lay a huge pile of wood, metal, and several anvils with tools hanging on the wall. Anthrop along with Horst and his sons were in the center of the forge at the table. Ethan approached them and sat down. After getting to understand what they were talking about Anthrop made a final announcment. "I will first teach you how to craft finer weapons and armour and craft some myself with magic, after Ethan and I will imbue all the armour with protective spells that will protect the villagers from most harm and injuries" Ethan who had already had experience in the forge before along with Horst, Albriech and Baldor circled around Anthrop.

Anthrop had take the liberty of preparing all the supplies for the demonstrations and started. First he too a piece of steel and muttered, Brisingr Burth, all the fires in the forge lit up. "These fires will speed up the heating rate by three times while also not heating the metal so quick that it becomes to hard to mold." Next he cut the steel quickly into 2 strips and molded them together finally attaching a wooden hilt and a crossguard. "There," he said, Ethan an the others looked on in awe, Anthrop had finished the sword in nigh two minutes.

Seeing the astonishment on their faces Anthrop said, "Don't worry, one day you'll be able to do it to, I've only had three centuries of practice."

Upon hearing this the four descended into more shock, Anthrop quickly explained "being a rider slows down the aging process so I'm about 450 years old." The four decided they'd heard enough and Horst started making the swords and Albriech made the shields. Baldor and Eragon worked on the bows and arrows and Anthrop made the sword sheaths and imbued all items with protective spells or penetrating spells.

After a night of hard work, all all of them being masters "in a way" had finished 250 swords and sheaths, 10,000 arrows and 50 bows, 100 slings were quickly made in the morning and 8,000 stones were quarried using Anthrops magic. Before noon 400 sets of steel armour full with plate legs, helms and gaulets were made.

After all was distributed everyone was sent to training. Anthrop had quickly set up a swords arena were everyone trained with wooden items, an archery range with 20 lanes, along with a large vast area with seemingly continuously growing grass where 200 cows, 300 chickens, and a few wild animals were kept.

At two in the afternoon the trumpets of war were sounded, everyone rushed to their positions in the city and Anthrop along with Ethan climbed to the top of the defenses and saw a messanger from the empire.

"You villagers," he spat, "have harboured a dragon and its rider against the wills of Galbatorix taking up arms against the empire, you are to be destroyed with no mercy and salt will be sowed into your lands to ensure that your pathetic village will never be able to rise again."

From the distance Anthrop spotted a lone rider to the north. "It's Roran, Ethan shouted" Anthrop contacted Roran with his mind.

"What the hell is going on and who are you, what are you doing in my mind" said Roran

"I am Sloan but am really Anthrop, we will fill you up to date with the recent events but you must enter from the east side because the empire is on our west and you would not want to be discovered."

Roran nodded affirmative and changed his direction. Meanwhile Anthrop shouted to the messanger that Carvahall would never surrender.

"Then you die in two days time," said the messanger and galloped back towards the camp on his black horse."

Thrindr who had finally woken let out a deafening roar and rose up in the air.

The horse hearing it fell over and Thrindr heard a satisfying crack, the messanger had broken his neck.

Serves him right Thrindr mused

"Of course, all mighty one," said Ethan voice dripping with sarcasm.

Don't you take that tone with me young one, Anthrop has just assigned me to more laps around the village, you?

"I'm to practice my archery today with the other archers, Anthrop said we'll continue our magic lessons once the invasion is over"

Of course growled Thrindr and set off

Ethan jogged towards the archery range thinking why Thrindr was so aggressive, even angry. He located Anthrops mind and knocked on the "door" to his steel hard mental barriers. He was let in and told Anthrop of his predicament. "I think that he might just be sore you have been so wrapped up in your lessons your spending less and less time with him," said Anthrop

"I think your right," said Ethan, "I'll definetly make this up to him."

With that Ethan entered the archery range and gave the other archers some tips on how to be more accurate and associated himself with all of tehm establishing a chain of command. The night fell and Ethan finished dinner, he walked up to Thrindr and touched his flank. Thrindr turned around with a vicious snarl then went back to his original position.

"Thrindr I'm sorry, I promise to make all this up to you after this war is over, I'll even go flying with you even thought its kind of awkward, please, just forgive me."

Sigh, all right Ethan, I forgive you Thrindr said, but you'll need to promise to go flying with me as soon as we defeat these inglorius bastards(yeh de movie), ok?

"Of course, if we can't beat them, we can't even count as a dragon and a rider right?" Ethan chuckled

The battle is tomorrow, be careful little one

"I will"

With that Ethan fell asleep underneath Thrindr's outstretched wing.