"Is everything ready to go?" Eragon was in the kitchens speaking to the elves enquiring about the food that he and Arya would be taking with them, as the only weapons they were allowed to take was their riders swords. The wild ones had strict rules on what they were and were not allowed to bring with them on this trek. Also they had to carry the eggs from Vroengard that were to become new members of the wild ones. Taking care of those eggs would leave little time for hunting and gathering, so they settled on bringing enough food for the both of them for the trip.
"Yes Master Eragon. Our preparations will be complete for your departure and the feast for your return and the ceremony," Eragon nodded quickly, and bowed as he left those elves to their work.
It had been a couple days since the incident with Xanier and Frain, and Chester had been back a couple of times to visit his friends with no new information as to the magic and wood that had caused the incident. He had plans to speak to the wild ones on their journey, hoping that their collective knowledge would be able to spread some light, if they couldn't he planned to confer with the Eldunari. They, at least, would be able to help him.
In that time, he and Arya had had little alone time. Meals were the worst, especially dinner, when they would awkwardly walk back to their homes together. Their dragons would float up in the sky lazily together, their thoughts drifting down about how silly they were being, but neither he nor Arya gave their words any outward care. For all he knew, she gave no inward care either. She had been stoic and distant since that morning at Grassboat Bluff, and it was a return to the way that Eragon was used to being treated by her. While he was racked with inner turmoil and guilt and regret, she seemed to be cool and collected like the Queen Eragon knew her to be.
It seemed he would always be the lovesick teenager with regards to her.
But he had been watching her closely during the days, and saw that she was learning quickly, and she listened with rapt attention and was an excellent pupil. She and Firnen were able to fend well for themselves in arial combat after two embarrassing failures and she was able to single handedly best the other four students in both swordplay and hand to hand combat. She was a fine example of a warrior and an even better example of a rider, and though she had come to him for training, she was practically ready to serve as a rider.
Though under his regulations, this trip to the wild ones was the second last step in becoming a full rider. The other may not come to pass unless he could deem himself capable of facing her on the training grounds once more, but he knew he would face that when the time came. For now he would settle on the suddenly awkward four day trip into the wild, just the two of them.
Heading back to his tree house, Eragon slowly contemplated this trip when suddenly Saphira spoke in his mind, her voice absent since Fírnen's arrival, but her presence always there,
What is wrong little one? Your thoughts are whirling faster than a hurricane.
Would you believe me if I said nothing?
Eragon, I can read your thoughts, but with you two-legged little ones, I have found that talking things out seems to help.
You are wise beyond your years my lovely dragon.
You were expecting something different?
I suppose not.
Is it Arya? Eragon let her question sit, knowing that Saphira probably already knew the answer. When had he had a problem that hadn't in some way, centered on the elvin queen.
Yes. I'm worried about this trip.
You have been alone with her before, why is this time different?
True, but that was before we almost kissed, that was when being with her wasn't a possibility.
Is being with her now a possibility?
I... hadn't thought of that.
That is not an answer, partner of my heart and mind.
I guess not. No, I don't think she wants to be with me.
She remained silent for a while, the whole time filling his mind with her love and the ways she cared for him. He was grateful that she was there with him, and suddenly her shadow was over top of him, as she flew above him as they walked towards their home. For the last few days, Saphira had spent her free time with Fírnen, with Eragon's blessing, and her appearance at his side alone was so moving to Eragon that he embraced her mind with his, and continued their walk in silence.
Near their tree, Saphira landed softly in front of him, and he immediately went to her, wrapping his arms around her snout and holding her as tightly as he could.
She is a fool if she truly does not want you.
Perhaps I'm the fool for hanging on. Maybe it is time I let her go.
Whatever you decide, my little one, I will always be here for you.
[EA][EA][EA][EA]
The rain that was falling down upon them was so powerful and loud that talking out loud was impossible, even with their superior elvin hearing. However, Arya was not granted the solidarity of her own mind as Eragon's mind continued to stay pressed against her, leading her along their journey. No words or emotions or feelings of anything were shared, just a gentle direction of walking and leading her along.
Not that she minded in the least, no, she preferred it this way. The last few days since the accident with the dragon and more importantly their almost kiss, Arya couldn't handle talking to the man without feeling the overwhelming desire to actually kiss him. Which was something that she absolutely couldn't do. She wanted to, oh yes, deeply, but she was Queen of the elves and he was the lead rider, there were too many obstacles in their way. The least of which was the vast geographical distance their relationship suffered. She could not leave Du Weldenvarden, and he could not leave the home of the riders at this time. He was needed here, she was needed in her home. Logically she knew that she couldn't ever be with him, but her heart was not acting logically at this time. Nor, could she honestly say, were her thoughts. Because despite knowing that she could never be with him, it was a persistent thought that kept popping up at the most inopportune moments. Like this whole journey so far.
As the hours stretched from the home of the riders to the trip to the wild ones, Fírnen's presence in her mind dwindled until the emptiness of the threatened to consume her. It wasn't that he wasn't there, it was that he wasn't there and neither was Eragon. He'd told her that usually he did this journey alone, how he managed she wasn't entirely sure. But she knew without a doubt that he was much stronger than she knew. To bear being apart from Fírnen was nearly killing her this once, for him to go a week every six months, he must be incredibly strong of heart and mind.
And the presence against her mind told her nothing different. He truly was the Lead Rider, and no one could contest that fact.
Arya-Elda? Suddenly his voice filled her head, and she wanted to sigh at the sound of his voice, the soothing tones making her already broken heart ache with the knowledge that he was never to be hers.
Yes, Eragon-Elda? She responded, replying with the same honorific.
I think we should stop for the night. The egg I carry is growing cold, we need to build them a fire to keep them warm.
Yes, I can feel the distress from my egg as well. Do you have a spot in mind?
No, usually the cold isn't this bad. However, about a mile away we'll come across some natural caves, there we should be able to find shelter out of the rain and build a suitable fire.
Yes, Eragon-Elda, I will keep following you.
Thank you, it shouldn't be long now. With that, Arya felt him withdraw from her mind, but leave his presence there so she could keep following him.
In no time at all, they came to a cave that was deep and shallow enough that they had to crouch to get near the back. Fifty feet in, the cave ended abruptly and the wind kept howling through cooling off the air.
Arya watched as Eragon shook the water out of his hair, and undid his cloak, tunic, and undershirt and pull the egg from where it rested by his chest. Around his neck he wore a jewel of the deepest sapphire she had ever seen encased with a gold ring and a simple leather cord that tied the stone around his neck. She'd never seen this jewellery in him before, and it fascinated her now. Setting aside the curiosity she was feeling, she looked into his brown eyes and watched as he shifted his gaze away from her as he handed her the egg.
"Stay here and get a fire started, I'll go out and make a lean-to to stop the wind from coming in." His gaze shifted back to hers quickly, then he looked away again. The fact that he could not look her in the eye saddened her because his chocolate eyes were a huge part about the reasons she loved him.
"Okay." As she responded, he removed his cloak and laid it on the ground and whispered a spell that siphoned off the water from his cloak, leaving it as dry as it was when he first put it on this morning. He reached his hands towards her and she placed the egg he'd passed to her earlier in his hands and watched as he delicately wrapped it in half the cloak. She wasted no time in handing him the egg she carried and watched as he wrapped the second egg as delicately as the first.
When he was finished he stood and strode out of the cave without another glance at her. "I'll be right back."
Before she could answer, he was gone into the rain. Shaking her head and scolding her self for being stupid, and quickly set about gathering the dry kindling in the cave for the fire that would warm the eggs and them as well.
Once the fire was going Arya used the same spell on her own clothes and the bags that she and Eragon had carried with them to the cave. The minutes slipped by slowly as she waited for Eragon to return. Abruptly the wind cut off and the whistling in the cave quieted down leaving a roaring silence in its wake.
Eragon came into the cave hair dripping and a cut above his eyebrow that was bleeding into his left eye.
"Eragon!" Arya exclaimed rushing to him.
"I'm fine." He said, reaching up to wipe the blood and water away from his eye.
"You're not." She insisted, taking his elbow and leading him near the fire and the eggs. He smiled and she knew it was because like her, he could feel the contentment from the eggs emanating towards them.
He followed without complaint and sank to a sitting position against the wall. Arya quickly dried him off using magic and took his hand as she started singing in the ancient language, weaving the torn muscles and blood vessels back together, eventually sealing the layers of skin back together, sealing the wound and stopping the blood flow into his eye. His hair was still wet and as it dripped from his bangs is slowly washed away the blood that had gathered on his cheek.
His eyes followed her as she stood and retrieved one of his shirts to clean his face. As she dropped to her knees to get closer to him, she reached up with one hand and tucked some of his hair behind his ear and lightly washed his face of any remnants of blood off his cheeks. Arya wasn't sure how long she sat there wiping blood off his cheek, but after several long moments of wiping his clean cheek, her hand stilled as his came up and covered hers.
"It's clean now Arya." He whispered, slipping the rag from her fingers and dropping it to the floor. He took her fingers in his hand again giving them a light squeeze. Completely caught up in the moment she brought her free hand up to his face and grazed his cheek with the back of her fingers. She sucked in a small breath and watched as he did the same.
This was it; this was the moment that she had been waiting for, for a long while. She was going to kiss him and she knew that she wasn't going to listen to the logical side of her brain and not do it. Her soul yearned for his, longed for the connection that she hadn't felt in a long while and wanted it with him.
"Arya… I'm going to kiss you now." He whispered again, filling the silence. His body shifted slightly closer to her, his chest and profile turned closer to her, bringing them closer together in the process.
"I know." She whispered back, shifting herself closer to him.
Time stopped in that instant as their eyes connected. His brown hair was soft and chocolaty smooth and his eyes where shining with something she couldn't describe as she tilted her head closer to his. Her forehead rested against his and she could feel his breath on her cheeks and her lips and suddenly she couldn't wait any longer. Closing the distance between them she pressed her lips against his and in the briefest of chaste moments she knew that these were the lips she wanted to kiss for a very long time.