The Last Dragons

Chapter 10; Brothers

Caleb hadn't tried to find Murtagh that day since he figured he'd be kicked out before he'd even managed a greeting. Eragon had told Caleb everything that had happened to him apart from some major gaps in his story that he seemed to regret having to hide. The Egg had come to him around the time that Caleb and Murtagh had guessed that the Elf-courier - Arya - had been captured. She'd tried to send it to Brom but failed and Eragon had found it. He'd tried to sell it for money but it had hatched before his family could. He'd stowed Saphira away in the forest as she grew throughout winter.

Caleb had always defended Eragon's need to hide Saphira's presence from Roran and he still agreed with it. Islanzadi had always taught him about looking after Dragons partly, Caleb thought, so that if a Dragon appeared in the Empire Caleb could go after it for the Elves and help whoever the Rider was to learn magic and raise the Dragon without being found out. He was Islanzadi's spy in the Empire and it had grated on him ever since he had realised that after she had stopped contacting him. He couldn't blame Eragon for being scared, by the sounds of it Eragon was still scared.

They had travelled down through the Empire to Teirm trying to track the Ra'zac but had had to abandon the search when Brom was killed by the Ra'zac and Murtagh had found them and driven the beasts away. Murtagh and Eragon had then rescued Arya from Gil'ead and run South. Caleb admitted that he had been the one to scope out the magical defences and relay them to Murtagh and that Murtagh had paused in the Hadarac desert for the entire day to wait for Caleb who had just been captured by Galbatorix. The pair had joined the Varden and fought in the battle where Murtagh had been captured and without his friend, Eragon had travelled with Arya and Orik up to Du Weldenvarden. That was where things got vague and evidently Eragon and Saphira had both been bound not to reveal what had happened in their training.

Eragon had been gifted at the Blood-Oath Ceremony by being turned into a kind of magical cross between an Elf and Human. He still had the muscle and build of his human kin but he was faster and stronger, his magic had increased and he now slept like Caleb did.

The rest of it Caleb already knew and as night fell Caleb had Lucus land on a ledge in the southern part of the spine. No human Magician or bounty hunter could possibly find or reach them there. Caleb slipped off of Lucus with a grateful sigh and popped his joints.

"I need to get you a saddle, my dear Lucus." He told his Dragon in amusement.

"Do you know how to make one?" Eragon asked.

"I know how to work leather but I admit the shape would take some trial and error." Caleb grinned at Eragon as he sat ungracefully on the ground.

"I'll help you. We can probably use some of the Varden's leather." Eragon told him. "We should try and find some Armour for Lucus too."

Caleb watched Eragon as he slowly approached Lucus under Saphira's watchful eye. Caleb would have returned the gesture and gone to say hello to Saphira but his chest was hurting. The old ache and scar of the Ra'zac wound, damaged again during his captivity had been partly cut by Zar'roc so the badly healed wound really ached. They'd stopped the bleeding and healed the skin to an angry red scar but not healed much of the damage to his lungs or muscles.

"The Elfling is still wounded, Eragon." Saphira's words rumbled across Caleb's mind and he looked at her in amusement.

"You're still hurt!" Eragon ran to him in an instant. "Nasuada and Arya promised me that you were fully healed!"

"Then they lied to you." Caleb told him. "Whether through sheer ineptitude or unwillingness those human magicians have barely closed the wound." Caleb lifted his shirt free of his head looking at the blood in disgust even if it was his own. It had been bothering his nose all day. He glanced down at the angry red scar that was the sword wound superimposed over the bite mark of the Ra'zac. His wounds from his captivity had been healed completely but no magic could completely heal over a Ra'zac scar unless a lot of magic was used very quickly hence why Caleb had insisted on healing Roran so quickly.

"This is going to sting, Lucus. Do you want me to shield the bond?" Caleb looked up at his Dragon lying beside Saphira. The two were evidently enjoying each others company. Lucus lifted his head and snorted out a cloud of smoke. "No then." Caleb chuckled. He muttered a few Ancient words under his breath and hissed in pain as his magic split open the wound again. Blood flowed out onto his skin and Lucus growled as he felt the same pain. Caleb began a stream of magic to clean the cut, close the internal damage, re knit the muscles, heal the cracked bones and finally seal the wound. After he had finished there wasn't a blemish on the skin.

"What about that scar?" Eragon asked.

"A Ra'zac wound, if you don't heal them with enough magic straight away they can't be healed by magic at all and the scar can't be removed." Caleb told him eyeing his shirt in disgust. "This is the one that I told you about."

"Why couldn't you heal it after you got it?" Eragon frowned. "You healed Roran's easily enough."

Caleb smiled sadly at him. "Ever since I moved to the Castle as the King's ward I've had to hide my magic from the king. He knew I'd been injured and he would have known about my magical powers if I had healed it."

"Was it a hard life?" Eragon asked.

Caleb stood and walked to the edge of the ledge and stared out into the darkness. "Murtagh is all I had for fifteen years. Our mother," Caleb winced and corrected himself, "Sorry, Murtagh and your mother died when we were five after she got back from giving birth to you. I had known since the day before she left when I sensed you inside her and she told me where she was going and made me promise to never tell Murtagh that you even existed. I think she knew she'd die soon and didn't want Murtagh to think she had betrayed him by giving you a chance at a happy life when she couldn't give him the same thing."

Caleb hung his head and leaned into Lucus when he pushed his head and neck up at his side. Eragon came to stand on his other side. "When she returned I knew there was something wrong with her health and she slowly got more and more ill until she died. I was at her side when she died and I remember running for the roof and Murtagh hugging me even before I told him his mother had died. She was the only thing that made our lives good. Morzan was a bastard in all things, he killed without caring, he was disgusted by any sign of compassion and he tried his hardest to split us apart." Caleb paused to breathe deeply for a few moment and Eragon just waited in silence knowing that Caleb needed to tell him all of this. "We pledged to never be like him and we did it. Neither of us grew to be anything like him. It was around then that Islanzadi found me and realised who I was. She decided to train me in the Ancient language, Elvish fighting and magic so that I could resist the temptations if Morzan or the King tried to get my help by teaching me magic."

"What happened after Morzan died?" Eragon prompted him as Caleb went silent. Caleb looked at him in surprised having almost forgotten he was there.

"The King took us in and hid us in his castle. The entire staff at the estate where we had lived were killed because they knew what I was and only a few maids knew that two boys were locked in the castle and none but Murtagh and the King knew that I was an Elf." Caleb shook his head at the measures. "We grew up, I taught Murtagh a smattering of the Ancient language and everything I knew about fighting. He's the only one that has ever come close to beating me. When the King began trying to manipulate us with his stories of a better world we both swore a powerful oath to never betray each other. I bound it with my magic. The only betrayal allowed under the spell was the promise to keep you hidden from him."

"When I contacted you the first time it was after we learned that an Elf had been captured. I knew that the Elf's couriered Saphira's egg and it was likely that was her. I couldn't track her but when I was looking I decided to check on you." Caleb told him. "When stories of a Dragon Rider began to spread we made a plan to come find whoever it was and try to help them. Keep them out of the Empire's gaze. Sneaking out of the castle had become easy for us but we didn't have a solid lead until I talked to you in Teirm while Saphira was too far away to block me quickly. I was wounded and couldn't have left at the time so I told Murtagh to go."

"You sent him to find me even though you knew we were brothers?" Eragon asked.

"I didn't care whether you found out about each other at that point, only that you were hunting the Ra'zac without proper training and that you needed Murtagh to keep you safe since I couldn't go myself." Caleb told him as he turned to him. "Murtagh had no idea he had any family so there was no reason for him to suspect. I met Saphira the night Murtagh rescued you and she nearly got me caught using magic by the Ra'zac. I learnt what I did to Islanzadi then."

He leant on Lucus as Saphira tipped herself off of the ledge and went hunting for the both of them. "When Murtagh told me you were going to rescue Arya I decided to try to steal the two remaining eggs. Basically to buy our way into the Varden's good graces since we knew they wouldn't accept either of us otherwise. Morzan's son and both of us raised by King Galbatorix himself. I made my move when news of her escape reached the King and I managed to get both eggs but Shruikan found me and even though I managed to send Lucus' egg to safety with the same spell that Arya had used on Saphira's egg I wasn't able to do the same with the red egg."

"So you woke up and managed to escape?" Eragon asked.

"I managed to free myself and kill my guards without the Ancient language as I'm sure you've been told is possible though extremely dangerous if you're not a Dragon." Caleb told him. "I made it to where Jet, my horse, was waiting for me along with the silver Egg and we ran north after contacting you in the Beor Mountains. Lucus hatched for me a week before we arrived in Carvahall and from there we helped to fight off the soldiers and fled with the rest of Carvahall."

"Roran told me the rest." Eragon told him. "Why did you try to rescue Roran?"

Caleb turned to stare at him. "When I made the decision you were the only person I had left in the world. Murtagh was on his way to be bound to the King, Islanzadi had been ignoring me ever since Arya had been captured and I knew that when you two found out about each other you'd probably try to kill me." Caleb snorted in self-derision.

"Do you still think that?" Eragon asked.

"I don't know. Are you going to kill me, Eragon?" Caleb asked.

"I know why you did what you did. I love the idea of Murtagh being my brother." Eragon turned to Caleb and dropped his head. "I just can't accept Morzan being my father."

"It's something we all unfortunately have in common but remember this." Caleb told him. "Brom knew who your father was, I think that was why he was in Carvahall in the first place. He still trained you in magic regardless. You are who you make yourself, Eragon, not who your father was, or who raised you."

"I was raised by Garrow." Eragon said into the night air with a determined tone.

"And Murtagh and I were raised by each other." Caleb told him.

They stood in silence for a time before Eragon spoke again. "Thank you for protecting Roran."

"He's become a good friend and a worthy man." Caleb old him. "He's a good leader, somebody this world is going to need in the long run."

"He blames me for losing Katrina." Eragon told him.

"It might have been because of you that the Ra'zac went there but it is hardly your fault." Caleb told him. "I promised Roran that we'd help rescue her and hopefully Murtagh will as well."

"Thank you." Eragon sighed. Caleb turned to him and drew him into a heartfelt hug.

"You really are like your mother, Eragon. I know you never met her but she was an honest and loving person that loved you from the moment you were born to the moment she died and your mother wouldn't have wanted you to be apart from Murtagh now that you know about each other."

"Our mother." Eragon told him.

"Yeah, she's both you and Murtagh's mother." Caleb nodded.

"No, I mean, she all of ours mother." Eragon told him and Caleb looked at him in shock. "You've been Murtagh's brother for twenty years, I'm hardly going to want that to change now that I know." Eragon told him. "And I've only known Murtagh for a few months and if I'm going to consider him a brother then you are just as likely to share that place for me."

Caleb looked at him in shock. "You're serious."

"I am." Eragon nodded. "I will back you and Murtagh up when it comes to the Varden. If they want Murtagh punished then they'll have to go through me first."

"And me." Saphira's voice rumbled through the minds as she swooped down to land with a deer in her mouth. It wriggled slightly and Caleb took a step away from it noticing that Eragon did as well, proving just how much training he had had in magic.

"They'll have to kill me and Lucus too." Lucus growled in agreement and danced across the ledge to join Saphira in killing the deer properly. "Saphira, please kill your food before bring it back. Now that I'm away from the King I don't plan on eating meat again."

She snapped it's neck rather cleanly and growled low in apology. Caleb laughed and turned to Eragon. "I see you've been trained to link with everything's mind."

"Yes." Eragon again refused to say more and Caleb dipped his head in acceptance to this. "What did you mean about now that you're away from the King?"

"Refusal to eat meat outside of normal Elvish culture belies a certain level of magical training. A level that I couldn't afford to show the King. So every time Murtagh and I had dinner with the King I had to eat the meat there and it made me violently sick every time we left." Eragon gazed at him in sympathy but Caleb just shrugged. "I'll try to search for the red Dragon and Murtagh at Dawn."

"He's called Thorn." Eragon told him.

"Oh, ok." Caleb grinned. "Trust Murtagh to come up with something like that."

"You love him don't you?" Eragon asked him.

"He was the only thing in this world that I had." Caleb admitted. "Arya is the only Elf I have ever met and an Elf isn't supposed to live an isolated life. It messes with us especially when I had to feel the Blood-Oath Ceremony but not take part."

"Oh god." Eragon remembered the feelings and the happiness of the Ceremony and couldn't imagine missing it again. They stood in silence again for a time before Eragon spoke up. "I made a promise to Islanzadi and my…mentor… that I would return to the Elves as soon as the crisis here was finished. To finish my training."

"We need to stick together. The elves will simply have to accept myself and Murtagh into their midst." Caleb told him. "Don't forget I'm a fully trained Elvish Spellcaster. I was amongst their most powerful before I bonded with Lucus. I wasn't as powerful as Islanzadi but I am more so now. They can't stop me from doing what I want."

"If they refuse you two then I wont stay there. You could train me right?"

"I intend to teach Murtagh so I could teach you as well. The Elves would not be happy with that, nor would the Varden." Caleb chuckled.

"I shall take the first watch." Lucus told both of them and Saphira.

"Get some rest, Eragon." Caleb told him before heading for where Lucus was lying with his head near the edge of the ledge. Lucus lifted a wing and Caleb sat on the floor and leaned his back against his warm side. He knew that Eragon was lying with Saphira near the wall. Caleb drifted off into the state that Elves called sleep after ten minutes where Lucus sent every comforting thought that he could at the Elf outcast.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Lucus sent a prod at Caleb a few hours before dawn to wake him up and Caleb rolled out of the tent made by Lucus' collapsed wing and let the Dragon roll up properly and sleep. They didn't share any words and Caleb kept his mind carefully closed so that his reaching mind wouldn't wake Eragon. He walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down, unable to use Lucus' eyesight over his own he could only just make out the ground and the plains of Surda below them.

Instead of just standing there he decided to 'play' with his magic. It had been a bit unruly ever since his bond with Murtagh had attacked them both. He had sacrificed his own health to stop the bond from killing Murtagh by concentrating on all of his own betrayals, mainly the secret of Murtagh having a brother and his magic was still being a bit wild.

He concentrated on his magic and then on lifting a stone nearby. It lifted into the air and shot straight off the side of the cliff. He wasn't using Ancient words and he had looked passed the stone and down to the bottom of the valley and so the magic had sent the stone that way. He focused again and a different stone rose to waist height. He concentrated solely on that stone and it spun as he focused on its different features.

For the next two hours he added to his floating stone, sometimes he'd lose concentration and drop them or crumble them but by the time Eragon woke Caleb had half a dozen stones floating around him. He released the magic instantly before his focus was directed at Eragon and soon after felt Eragon's mind stretch out over everything in the area. Saphira and Lucus both woke at the touch. Lucus more dramatically than Saphira who was obviously used to such a wake up call.

"We need to work on that, Eragon." Caleb told the sixteen year old.

"What?" He frowned and glanced at Saphira.

"When you wake up you instantly spread out your mind and it alerts everyone with an attuned mind to your state." Caleb explained. "You woke up Saphira and Lucus. Saphira may be used to it by Lucus isn't. You'll make him grumpy."

Lucus turned his head and blew a cloud of smoke directly into Caleb's face. "I see what you mean." Eragon chuckled.

"If you are a captive it also alerts your guards that you are awake." Caleb told him seriously.

"Oh…" Eragon blushed ever so slightly and changed the subject. "What were you doing? Levitating stones?"

"Practicing my magic." Caleb told him simply.

Eragon frowned and looked at one of the stones. "Stenr reise!" The stones lifted two feet off the ground and held steady.

"As long as you focus on the stones you don't need to use their word 'Stenr'. You're not actually manipulating the stones themselves, just raising them." Caleb told him.

"Reise!" The stones rose again steadily. Obviously Eragon had already known that.

"Are you trying to impress me?" Caleb asked. Eragon let the stones fall to the floor. Caleb raised an eyebrow at his smug look and glanced at the stones.

"Reise." Caleb thought without projecting his words. His magic lifted the stones to head height and spun them in a languid circle. "Silent casting."

"I haven't got that far yet." Eragon admitted. "Though I saw an elf do it. He was rather rude during our practice sparring and I lashed out with my magic and silenced him. He just cast magic back at me without words and then released himself."

"Was he teaching you sword fighting?" Caleb asked.

"Yes."

"Then he was seriously in the wrong. A mentor or trainer should never use their position to insult or abuse their student." Caleb was irritated. Who could have the nerve to insult the abilities of someone like Eragon. That was rather obvious now that he thought about it. He couldn't imagine many of the Elves being happy that their new hope was a human. Caleb wondered how they would feel if they knew that the other eggs had hatched for the other son of Morzan and an Elvish exile both raised by the King.

"He apologised after I was changed and beat him in a sword fight." Eragon told him.

"That makes no difference. I'm going to look forward to meeting him." Caleb grinned nastily.

"So why were you practicing casting silent spells if you can already do it?" Eragon asked.

"I was doing it without words." Caleb said simply and grinned at Eragon's shocked expression. "I'll teach you how to do it when you've been using magic for as long as I have."

"Which would be when?" Eragon asked in amusement.

"Well you've had magic for a year now, so that means you've got to wait until you're at least thirty." Caleb laughed at him before turning back to the open air. "Shield your mind so you don't distract me. I'm going to try to cast the dream spell to find Murtagh and talk to him. I'll be completely defenceless."

Eragon nodded solemnly understanding Caleb's show of trust in him. Caleb uttered the words so that Eragon didn't hear them and reached out into the world. He found Eragon's closed off mind and flowed around it and reached out slowly in all directions in search of Murtagh's familiar mind. When he found it he had to study it in surprise for a time. It had changed, it was still Murtagh but now it was closer to Eragon's mind than it had been before.

He connected with it and found himself in a dark cave, flickering light reflected off of a stream in the middle of the cave gave the only light in the cavern but Caleb couldn't see where that light came from. Across the stream Murtagh was hunched on his knees staring at the water. Caleb doubted he had even noticed Caleb's intrusion yet. Thorn had though and appeared between Caleb and Murtagh with a growl and two rows of very sharp teeth.

Caleb didn't speak but just eyed the Dragon. "You again."

"Me again." Caleb agreed. "I still mean him no harm and if you are having to protect his mind from intrusion then telling me where you are is in his best interests."

"He made me swear to keep him away from those he could hurt."

"Then let me try to talk to him here where he can't cause me any harm." Caleb pointed out logically.

"He doesn't want you to leave him." Thorn told him. "He thinks that the King changed him and now that he's a Dragon Rider they wont let him fight with you anymore."

"Nobody can tell a Dragon Rider what to do and nobody can stop two Dragon Riders from fighting side by side." Caleb told him.

"Eragon and Saphira will never fight by my side now." Murtagh spoke quietly and Thorn stepped to one side. Caleb approached the stream and sat cross legged on the opposite side. Murtagh didn't look at him.

"They will, Eragon has already told me so. He knows why you had to do what you did and he forgives you for it." Caleb promised.

"But who'll train me, the Varden wont take me in, nor your kind, where will I go when Eragon goes back to the Varden and what will I do when you go back to your kind?" Murtagh's voice broke even in his own mind.

"Eragon won't go back to the Varden unless they accept us and the Elves are no more my kind than the humans are." Caleb told him. "The Varden will need your help, so will the Dwarves and the Elves if they want freedom from the Empire."

"But they'll want me to fight and I'll have to leave you." Murtagh finally looked up at him and Caleb gladly met his gaze with a loving one.

"Not when we're both Dragon Riders." Caleb told him with a grin. "Lucus is about a week older than Thorn. You've got the kid of the bunch, Murtagh."

"The Silver Egg hatched for you?" Murtagh gasped. "Why isn't that a surprise?"

Caleb chuckled and glanced at Thorn who had approached eagerly at the mention of a Dragon on their side that he hadn't attacked. "Tell me where you are and me and Eragon will come find you. You can meet Lucus."

"But I betrayed him." Murtagh groaned and Caleb felt his mind preparing to shut Caleb out. Caleb jumped the stream and bent so his face was in his brother's view. He grabbed Murtagh's mental shoulder and refrained from shaking him.

"Do you know whose the least worthy of forgiveness around here, Murtagh!?" Caleb almost roared in his face. "Me, Murtagh. I kept you miserable and alone for fifteen years. I knew you had a brother and I kept him from you."

Anger spread across Murtagh's face and in an instant they were both standing. "You broke our oath before we'd even started it!"

"And unless you tell me where you are there is nothing you can do about it!" Caleb told him. He really didn't want to rile him up but there was little choice.

Murtagh's eyes narrowed and Caleb's mind was filled with images of the route from the Varden camp to the cave from Thorn's perspective. Caleb withdrew before Murtagh could think to have Thorn trap him there.

He found himself back on the ledge. "He's not happy with me." Caleb told Eragon. "But I know where he is."

"What's wrong?" Eragon asked.

"He didn't want us to know where he was because he didn't think you'd accept him after what you did so I reminded him about my own betrayal." Caleb sighed. "He was angry."

Lucus sent comforting feelings to him and Caleb sent reassuring ones back. "Let's just go and talk to him. He'll forgive you once your back together again." Eragon assured him.

Lucus nudged him and he swung himself up onto his back and pulled his blood stained shirt from his waist band. As they took off into the air following Thorn's directions Caleb thought about wearing the shirt as it was a reminder to Murtagh of stabbing him but knew he couldn't do that to his brother. He set to work re knitting it with magic and cleaning it before he slid it over him half an hour later.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

They only had to fly for two hours but still they covered almost a hundred leagues in a general south-easterly direction. Caleb directed the two Dragons down to the end of a valley where a small stream fell from a small cave entrance just large enough for Lucus to climb into and Saphira and squeeze through. As Lucus landed and Caleb slid off his back so he could crawl through Caleb found himself feeling glad that Saphira wasn't wearing her armour. The only reason Thorn had managed it was because he was smaller than the year old blue Dragon.

Caleb felt himself getting more and more nervous as they walked into the cave with Eragon at his shoulder and their bonded's eyes over their own to see better in the darkness. Before Caleb could start to wonder if this was the right place they emerged into the large open cavern that he had seen in Murtagh's mind and before Caleb could call out a man was launching himself at Caleb.

Caleb forced himself not to dodge but evidently Lucus wasn't going to be as cooperative in Caleb's beating. Lucus' spike tail sent Murtagh flying away from them before his head dropped down between them with a growl. Thorn could be heard growling as his bonded was attacked and was in front of Murtagh in a second, his red bulk still armoured. Eragon was still at Caleb's shoulder with Saphira behind them growling very lowly as if warning two young children to stop fighting.

"Enough!" Caleb yelled over the echoing growls. "Lucus, back off!"

Lucus swung his head to look at Caleb and he ran his hand gently down his face and nodded in reassurance. Lucus backed out of the way but only propped himself on his hunches. Thorn stared at Caleb for a moment before allowing Murtagh to pass him. Caleb turned to Eragon and Saphira and nodded, asking silently for them to back off. They backed away a few metres and waited though Saphira actually lay on the cave's floor properly.

Caleb turned back to face Murtagh only to find a fist flying towards him. He let it land and felt himself propelled backwards onto the floor as it cracked across his cheek. Caleb shook the lingering effects off and forced himself to his feet gesturing for Lucus to back off as the Dragon looked ready to take Murtagh's head off. As soon as he was on his feet again Murtagh punched him but this time Caleb retained his balance as he accepted it.

"Stop it!" Eragon's voice echoed across the cavern.

"Defend yourself you bloody prat!" Murtagh spat. Caleb just shook his head and Murtagh threw himself forwards into Caleb hitting him twice in the side of his chest before he was forcibly tugged away by Eragon.

"Let him go, Eragon. I deserve this." Caleb told him feeling blood leak from the side of his mouth. Murtagh evidently saw it too and went pale. Caleb figured he was remembering the blood that had leaked out of his mouth after Murtagh had impaled him.

"I don't care." Eragon was doing a good job of holding Murtagh since Caleb and Murtagh had five years on him but Murtagh hadn't been changed partly into an Elf. "We're brothers, we don't go around beating each other up!"

"He's not our brother." Murtagh spat and Caleb felt the words drive home harder than any of the punches before hand. He recoiled again and his view was blocked as Lucus lunged forwards between the two of them. He snapped at Murtagh viciously and would have actually taken off his head if he was going for his prey. Thorn lunged forwards and slammed into Lucus' side, his bulk and armour throwing Caleb's bonded out of the way. Lucus twisted nimbly, using Thorn's slow and armoured body to lunge over him and pin him to the ground.

Saphira's roar and massive form made Lucus back off and let Thorn get up but as soon as he was up the red Dragon lunged for Lucus who darted backwards. Thorn was brought up as Saphira jumped between the two and bathed the floor of the cavern with fire.

Lucus took the opportunity to settle on his hunches behind Caleb, his wings wrapped around the silent and frozen Elf hiding him from everyone's view. Eragon shoved at his blood brother in anger. "How can you say that to him after everything he's done for both of us?"

"Done for us!" Murtagh swore. "He kept you a secret from me, made me think he was the only family I had when I could have grown up with you all this time, with my Brother, Uncle and Cousin!"

"He was five, you were both five and he promised our mother to keep me a secret!" Eragon argued. "If our mother had made you promise something on her deathbed when you were that age would you have broken it?"

"If it was about having a brother then yes!" Murtagh spat.

"He was scared that you'd abandon him for a real brother." Eragon told him.

"Maybe I would have." Murtagh told him.

"Would you really have done something like that?" Eragon asked. "Because that would have been a worse betrayal than stabbing him."

Murtagh came up short. "Ok, no, I wouldn't but it wasn't his place to keep it a secret."

"I'm not saying it was the best thing for us but does it matter now?" Eragon asked. "We know now if not in the best way and we're all together again. Does it really matter if he kept the last promise he made our mother? What could you have done about it if he'd told you five years ago? Without the Dragons we couldn't have run from the Empire to be a family. Now we can."

There was silence for a time as Murtagh stared at the ground thoughtfully. Thorn went to sit on the far side of the room and it was obvious by his attention on his bonded that they were talking together. Eragon made to walk up to Caleb but Lucus just flipped his tail to warn him off. Saphira growled at the threatening gesture but didn't make a move to argue it. Eragon settled on the ground beside the stream with a sigh.

"He hates me." Caleb told Eragon mentally but it was clear that Lucus was also there by the power behind the words. They were fully entwined. Caleb had watched and listened to everything that had been said though his Dragon's eyes and ears.

"No he doesn't." Eragon assured him. "He stabbed you and was so ready to have you hate him for it that he's trying to turn the tables."

"He has every right to hate me." Caleb pointed out, this time without Lucus' backing.

"Not hate you, be annoyed maybe like I was when I found out you'd kept it from me but he should see why you did it." Eragon told him sternly.

"I'm sorry." Caleb told him rather feebly.

"I know you are but it's in the past and we can't afford to linger on it." Eragon told him. "Saphira knew I had a brother and you knew him and I understand why she didn't tell me."

Caleb tapped on Lucus' wings and they opened and let him out. He walked across the cavern and sat gingerly beside Murtagh who noticed his presence but said nothing. "When we were younger I didn't want to break my promise to our mother but then I didn't want you to do something stupid in some rescue quest and let the King know that Morzan had two sons. When all of this started I didn't want you to abandon me like Islanzadi did."

"I wouldn't have abandoned you, Caleb." Murtagh told him lifting his dark eyes to meet Caleb's violet ones. "And not just because of the oath. I wouldn't have wanted any life without you."

Caleb flopped over backwards onto the ground and sighed, Murtagh leaned back as well. Eragon joined them with a relieved smile and Lucus growled happily and lay down with Saphira in the entrance way to the cavern. Saphira grunted at Thorn who nervously edged towards the two Dragons before lying down next to Lucus. Saphira grunted in acceptance and Lucus lifted his head and lay his neck over Thorn's.

"What do you want to do with that armour, Murtagh?" Caleb asked.

"It's Empire made and made in a hurry." Murtagh muttered. "We might as well leave it here."

"Bad armour is better than no armour." Eragon pointed out.

"We could ask the Elves for armour lighter than Saphira's or see if the Dwarves can be convinced to make some." Caleb suggested.

"Either way I'd rather not fly with that stuff again." Murtagh said with a shudder.

"Discard it then." Caleb summarised with satisfaction. He stood elegantly and winced. Murtagh looked up guiltily but Caleb just muttered a healing spell and his bruises vanished. "Thorn, could you come here, please?"

Thorn looked up and then looked to Saphira for permission. Saphira snorted in amusement and Thorn scrambled up. "What are you going to do?" Eragon asked.

"Remove it." Caleb shrugged.

"Want help?" Eragon asked.

"Not really. I'm not going to touch it." Caleb said. "Thorn, don't move."

Thorn nodded his head and Murtagh whistled low in encouragement to his Dragon. Caleb raised his hands and focused on the armour, knowing where each of its leather ties were. "Jierda!" The ties snapped all at once and with a great clamour they fell to the floor around the Dragon which flapped it's wings once to get clear of the dented metal. Saphira stood and sniffed at the armour in contempt as Thorn made his way to Murtagh to have his scales rubbed glad to be free of the armour.

"This would not have lasted more than a few fights." Saphira agreed.

"Or one fight against me." Caleb boasted. "Jierda!" He snapped and a great rendering crack echoed through the air as the pieces split into four parts each. Eragon and Murtagh jumped and stared in shock. Caleb felt the drain ebb at him for matching the energy needed to split forged metal. "Thrysta!" The metal screeched against itself as it folded and crumpled in on itself shrinking into a jumbled pile of shrapnel.

The three Dragon's growled low at the pile probably imagining what would have happened to them inside of it. "It wouldn't have been pleasant." Caleb told them in amusement before staggering slightly. "Though I doubt even a normal Elvish Spellcaster could have done that without killing themselves."

"Could you do that to Dwarven armour?" Eragon asked thinking about Saphira's own armour.

"I doubt it, most Dwarven armour is far too strong to do that to and the armour is included in any wards you have on her to prevent magical damage." Caleb explained as he sat and accepted a canteen of water that Eragon had been smart enough to bring. "The Elves make their armour to resist magic."

"All magic?" Murtagh asked.

"Yes, it means you can't repair it with magic but it's safer for the Dragon." Caleb told them. "We need to head back."

"To the Varden?" Murtagh went pale. Caleb stood and turned to him grasping his shoulders.

"I'll kill them all before they try anything against you." Caleb promised.

"Besides their leader is bound to listen to my advice just like I am bound to take her orders." Eragon told him. "I can't see her attacking or even arresting you with three Dragons facing her."

Saphira and Lucus grunted their agreement and Thorn sidled into Lucus in gratitude. "All the same I will set the strongest wards I have around Lucus and Thorn and I wont let them separate us." Caleb told them. "If we run into trouble find the Carvahall villagers on the Dragon Wing and tell them to protect you. They owe me."

They headed for the cavern entrance and Saphira and Eragon took off first. Lucus crouched at the entrance for Caleb to climb on but Murtagh grabbed his arm and yanked him back. Caleb turned in the hug and rested his head on his side. "I wanted to kill myself after I realised I had stabbed you."

"I know." Caleb told him. "That's why you're my brother. Just remember I did that to break the oath to the King not to make you stab me."

"Oh, god." Murtagh gasped. "The Dwarves will want my head."

Caleb pulled back. "Why?"

"I killed their King." Murtagh told him as if it was obvious.

"Actually you didn't." Caleb grinned. "You got cocky and didn't check it worked. I used my own ward to block it. He should be fully recovered by the time we return."

"He's still going to want my head." Murtagh told him.

Caleb hugged him again. "I wont let that happen and he now owes me directly for his life. Even if he didn't I'd kill him to stop him ordering that."

"Are you two coming?" Eragon asked in their open minds. They all trusted each other so kept their minds open looking for other threats.

Caleb let his brother go and leapt onto Lucus' back who swooped out into the sky. Thorn and Murtagh followed them up. Lucus nipped on the end of Saphira's tail for fun and Caleb almost fell off in surprise as Lucus rolled in the air to dodge Saphira retaliatory strike of her wing. Thorn roared in happiness and Caleb kindly reminded them both that they had saddles and he didn't.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

That afternoon

The Varden camp spread out below them as they skimmed the clouds. Saphira was far lower than Thorn and Lucus were flying so that the humans and Dwarves could only see her and Eragon and not the other four. All of their minds were wide open and every magician in the Varden or Surdan army could feel them and all were shut up rather tightly. Saphira dipped down low and the central arena of the army opened up as people cleared the way. Saphira landed with a thud that Lucus' and Thorn's advanced hearing could hear.

Cheers erupted from the troops on the ground as they cleared a space for their saviour unaware of the other threat lingering above them. As soon as Eragon had dismounted he started to shout for all there to back away and clear the rest of the arena back to the ring of tents that demarked the edge of the space. Eragon answered to none but Nasuada and possibly King Hrothgar and King Orrin so nobody questioned his orders and soon the rest of the space was clear. Eragon sent his brothers a mental signal that all of magicians and Spellcasters below felt.

If it wasn't for Eragon's and Saphira's calmness the troops would have panicked at the sight of a silver and red dragon and their Riders falling from the sky to land in the newly cleared area. As it was shouts of alarm were sent rippling through the entire coalition of armies and they began to form up around the arena ready for battle. Lucus landed extremely gently just in front of Saphira but behind Eragon whilst Thorn landed at Saphira's side with less elegance though that wasn't saying much since Dragons were rarely ungraceful.

Saphira made a point of not caring that the Dragon that had been attacking them earlier was standing beside her or that the red helmed soldier sitting on its back was staring at everyone uncaringly. In truth, Murtagh was too frightened to move even with the extensive wards that Caleb had just placed around Thorn and Lucus that covered them too as long as they stayed on their backs. Not that Murtagh was a weakling on the ground but up against an army he wasn't that strong a magician. More powerful than any in Du Vrangr Gata but still vulnerable to somebody like Arya though she was weaker in power levels.

Caleb slowly dismounted and Lucus lowered himself to the ground to let him slide off with dignity rather than simply jump. His sword was proudly displayed against his hip and his bow was drawn and slung over his shoulder ready to be used. By the time Caleb had moved to stand beside Eragon the army they faced was getting anxious mainly from the sight of Lucus and Thorn who had both attacked them in the recent past.

A group of soldiers bustled out from the wall even as archers took aim at Lucus, Thorn and Caleb. Eragon took half a step forwards to cover Caleb from the wall but Caleb gently pushed him back. "I'd rather they learn that I don't need protection."

Eragon nodded to his mental request and stepped back into place as if the move had been planed. The approaching soldiers surrounded them and one stepped forwards. "My Lord Eragon, please move passed us to safety."

"I am perfectly safe where I stand. Neither of these two Riders nor their Dragons will allow harm to come to me." Eragon told him simply.

"Lady Nasuada has ordered that the two Riders be cuffed as well as their Dragons." The man told Eragon simply. "She has ordered that you help us."

"I don't take orders from you. If my Liege Lady wishes that of me she can come and ask it of me herself." Eragon spoke loudly and everyone there heard his words. "And I will still refuse." A ripple of muttering rose up and spread as word of his defection spread.

"We still need to restrain these Dragons." The man told Eragon. "Do not intervene, my Lord. Or we will have to restrain you as well."

Caleb started laughing which had the added advantage of reminding them all that he was an elf. "If any man here wishes to try to restrain my Dragon or Thorn then I will urge them to try."

Eragon snorted and they turned in surprise as five men broke away from the side of the Arena and headed for Lucus with chains and large cuffs designed to tether Beor Mountain beasts which Caleb knew were large. Lucus glanced at Caleb in concern but Caleb just mentally nudged him. Lucus, normally a rather calm Dragon reared up onto his hind legs and flared his wings and thudded them down enough to almost completely lift him from the ground. The five rather brave, and idiotic, men were blown backwards off of the floor and a massive wave of air blasted through them and into the nearby tents which clattered into the ground.

Caleb had to remind himself of what he might do in their position when faced with two Dragons that he didn't know or trust and he had to give them some slack. Though this was all an insult to Eragon since he had already told them that they were allies and was doing so once again.

"Lucus will not allow any of the Varden, Surdan or Dwarven army near him until I say otherwise." Caleb announced. "That was a warning strike and I now give him permission to kill any that try to attack or restrain him."

"Permission that I second in regards to both Lucus and Thorn or their Riders." Eragon announced loudly. "By my word and that of my Liege Lady's. If she contests this then she must be here to do so."

"Nice move." Caleb complimented since this would force Nasuada to come out here to counter his order on her behalf.

"By the name given to me by my parents as an Elf and by the honour of Islanzadi Drottningu I call upon her daughter, Arya, to aid me now or answer to her peril." His words held power and they rippled over the area. Eragon looked at him in surprise but Caleb just grinned. As long as he could claim that Islanzadi had given permission to use this summons and that his parents were loyal Elves, Arya would have to at least hear him out or by the customs of the Elves she would be banished from Du Weldenvarden.

Arya appeared with a furious expression several tense minutes later followed by Nasuada, Orrin and to Murtagh's horror, King Hrothgar. Caleb reached out with his mind to check for any deceit and felt the Magicians retreat rapidly. He also sensed several closed minds sneaking up on Thorn from behind. He warned Murtagh but an amused Murtagh had already seen them but were going to let them make their earlier point.

"You have no right to request my aid." Arya snapped rapidly.

"I have every right, Arya Drottningu. You mother promised me the aid of any Elf under her rule should I run into them. Are you an elf under her rule?" Caleb asked her.

She glared. "What do you want?"

"Only for you to listen to us without trying to subdue or kill. Neither myself, Murtagh, Thorn or Lucus want to aid King Galbatorix and if those you are allied with would stop trying to capture us we could even get around to helping you one day." Her eyes widened as he made his claim in a language he couldn't lie about. She turned to Nasuada and whispered in her ear.

"That red Dragon attacked our army." She pointed out. "He and his Rider have committed crimes against us."

"As have you against me. You tied me up, drugged me and wounded me when I had made no offensive move against any in your army." Caleb told her seriously. "Am I to continue this relationship based on that first instance where I should rightly insist that Arya and any other Elves leave you army immediately and that you write a formal apology to the queen of Elves?"

Nasuada opened and closed her mouth a few times but was saved from answering when Thorn reared up and around with Murtagh gripping tight to his back. He sent a dozen men reeling backwards in panic as he picked one up in his jaw though Caleb could see he was only holding him loosely by the tunic he was wearing. Saphira reared around at the same time and sent a wave of fire at the nearest group of men. Lucus snorted out a cloud of smoke in amusement but didn't take his eyes of the mean now at Thorn's back. Thorn turned slowly and trotted over to Caleb and Eragon. The guards that had been surrounding them fled in all directions but to their credit the two Kings, Lady and Spellcaster didn't retreat.

Murtagh jumped down from his back with a clank of armour and made his way to Caleb. "You could probably let him down now, Thorn." Caleb spoke simply and the man fell the six feet to the ground. Eragon crouched over him.

"That was a very stupid thing to do." He muttered and helped the man to his feet and sent him running to the nearest part of the wall of troops around the room. Thorn looked forlornly at his escaping meal but settled on his hunches instead of retreating to the other Dragons so that he could protect his rider.

Murtagh meanwhile knelt in front of Hrothgar with his head bowed. Caleb moved to stand behind him. "King Hrothgar, you owe me for your life." Caleb told the King simply. "I ask only that you wait till a more private venue before desiring Murtagh to beg his forgiveness. His actions were by his own choice but still a necessary evil."

"He attacked King Hrothgar and killed the majority of his Magicians." Nasuada accused.

"As I said his crimes are not against you." Caleb spoke simply but loudly before turning to publicly address Arya. "Do you disagree that I could penetrate your mind at this time, Arya Drottningu?"

She watched him for a few moments but shook her head to admit that with Lucus at his back he probably could. "And once I had control of you mind I could force you to draw your sword and kill King Hrothgar, King Orrin and Lady Nasuada without you being able to resist."

Nasuada turned to Arya with a stunned expression whilst, to their credit, the Dwarf and man just blinked at him in surprise at their sudden theoretical demise. Arya nodded.

"Would you, Lady Nasuada, then blame her for her actions or accept that she was simply overpowered by a greater source of power?" Caleb said and finally Eragon grinned as he caught on to Caleb's way of thinking.

Nasuada was forced to agree with him on this point. "Even if that is true I don't see the relevance." She told him.

"I would say that King Galbatorix would be considered a power greater and more overwhelming than Murtagh even after Thorn hatched for him." Caleb told him. "He was forced to take an oath in the Ancient language to serve the Empire's King and then ordered to win the battle here in the quickest possible manner."

Caleb turned to King Hrothgar. "I was in the battle and the point where it turned in the Varden and Surdan's favour was when you joined the battle. Removing you was the quickest way to remove the Dwarves as a formidable fighting force and then distracting Eragon and Saphira from the battle should have allowed the battle to turn back in the Empire's favour."

"One death instead of the hundreds he would have had to kill to complete his oath otherwise." Eragon told them. "You once told me, King Hrothgar, that you would gladly sacrifice your own life to save that of your race."

"You can prove he was acting under an oath?" Nasuada asked.

"Murtagh's actions were solely due to the limitations set by King Galbatorix in the Oath he was forced to recite." Caleb told Arya simply. "An oath superseded by an act of betrayal against myself that nullified any other binding to King Galbatorix though that is a matter of Elven secrets."

Arya nodded in acceptance and explained his first sentence to Nasuada who nodded in acceptance. She turned to King Orrin. "Do you have a problem accepting Thorn, Lucus and their respective Riders within this army?"

"With recent proof, I do not." The King spoke up for the first time.

"King Hrothgar?" Nasuada prompted.

"Rise and remove your helmet." Murtagh did as the Dwarven King ordered and Hrothgar grunted. "I remember you from your deeds within my city. I am willing to look passed your attempt at my life as I understand the need for such a move and because the one responsible for my survival has vouched for you so adamantly." Hrothgar turned to Nasuada and nodded his acceptance.

"As do I." She said and raised her voice. "If there is any hear that disagree with this ruling then speak up now and you will be listened to." Nobody spoke and Lucus let out a snort of smoke over the nearest of the troops. "So be it. Murtagh, Caleb, Thorne and Lucus will be given the same courtesy and acceptance as is given to Eragon and Saphira."

Saphira reared up onto her back legs and let out a burst of flames and Caleb shared an amused smile to a still rather pale Murtagh. "My Lady, may I request that food be brought out for the three Dragons as well as for my brothers."

Nasuada snapped out an order to the wall of troops which broke apart to start finding food for a large banquet out in the arena. "Brothers?" She asked as she turned back to them.

"I told you after the battle what Murtagh told me about our father." Eragon told her and she looked solemn. "Caleb was raised with Murtagh for the entirety of his life after his parents were murdered by Urgals and his mother and him found by the Empire. Caleb was born there. Murtagh is my brother by blood and Caleb through his life and actions."

Nasuada nodded and looked at Caleb with a new light. "Yes, I'm an Elvish exile. As you have probably guessed from Arya's treatment of me. I learned magic from Islanzadi though I have never met her."

"How is that possible?" Nasuada asked him.

"That is a matter between Elves." Arya cut in disapprovingly. "He is still enough of an Elf to be subject to our laws over what secrets we teach others."

"But not enough of an Elf to be shown the right courtesy by yourself even though your own mother was the one to accept me and teach me." Caleb retorted. "I have never betrayed the Elves secrets before and I don't intend to but not because of any sense of loyalty to your kind."

"Her kind?" Nasuada asked.

"I am Shur'tagal. If I could I would denounce that the Elves were my Kin but to do so would be a slight against my deceased parents, Uncle and my mother's friend." Caleb told the royalty before him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Tables were brought out into the open and Saphira lit a pile of wood gathered in the centre of the Arena so that they had light and warmth even though the orange tinted clouds gave them enough light to see by. The three Dragons were sat in the centre together eating through Hogs that the hunters had recently caught. Caleb sat at the central table with his brothers. Nobody sat at the end of the table since there were too many powerful people here. Nasuada sat at one end with Eragon beside her, Hrothgar was on his other side with Murtagh next to him. Opposite Nasuada sat King Orrin and then Arya, then Caleb and Roran. The Dwarf Orik sat beyond that with a Witch called Angela who had hit it off with Murtagh regardless of his history. They were followed by a few Captains, both Dwarven, Surdan and Varden and then a vast chunk of Carvahall's men, Du Vrangr Gata and then others that Caleb didn't care to know.

"What do you plan to do now?" Eragon asked Nasuada when they hit a lull in conversation. Caleb had spent much of his time talking to Roran beside him about things between himself, Eragon and Roran's new cousin Murtagh but was happy to stop to listen to what she had to stay.

"We have agreed that moving the army to Duath for the time being would be the best option so that we can better deal with the wounded and rebuild what we lost." She told them all.

"I've already heard that we have refugees passing across the borders. News of Murtagh's defection and the appearance of all three Dragons together within our army has greatly affected my countries moral for the better and seems to be calling more to our cause." Orrin told them.

"Do you think it will be some time before the Empire tries another strike?" Eragon asked.

"With things as they are I would give us a year at least before Galbatorix has the strength to build another army to threaten us." Orrin told them.

"And we intend to take the fight to him before that." Hrothgar pointed out.

"With the Elves attacking from the other side things are looking up for us." Nasuada pointed out.

"I am glad to hear it." Caleb told them. "When do you plan to make your incursions into the Empire?"

"Perhaps not for a few months so we can consolidate our forces after this battle. We hope that the Elves will make a push before that and then we can make our own press so that they can rest without fear of being driven out." Orrin told them honestly. Caleb shared a look with Arya and she nodded.

"I will pass that message onto the Queen tonight and see if it is a possibility." Caleb told the three leaders.

"Once the Elven contingent arrive tomorrow they will give you the ability to communicate with our own forces in the North." Arya told him. "I of course will remain here to lead them."

"Good, then the Varden, Surdan and Dwarven armies will have sufficient magical protection while we are gone." Caleb dropped his bombshell.

"Are you leaving?" Nasuada asked in shock. Caleb gave her a smirk of amusement at her change of attitude.

"Eragon, Murtagh, Roran and I had business to deal with." Caleb told him.

"You have not mentioned this to me." Nasuada turned on Eragon.

"Roran's fiancé was kidnapped by the Ra'zac and I have agreed that since it is basically my own fault that she was targeted then I should be the one to rescue her." Eragon told them.

"Murtagh and I have our own long term grievances against the Ra'zac and have agreed that three Dragons and their Riders cannot be matched by two Lethr-blaka and their spawn." Caleb spat the last part. For once Arya seemed to agree with him.

"It's about time those scum were destroyed." The Witch, Angela, agreed with gusto.

"Since you do not need us at this time the best thing we can do is sow doubt amongst the Empire. Keep people in awe of us." Murtagh told her. "With all due respect, Caleb and I were raised in Uru-baen, we know exactly how to sow fear in the Empire and weaken it."

"We should probably do some damage to Dras Leona while we are there and that will pave the way for your eventual invasion." Caleb told Orrin, Hrothgar and Nasuada. "We shall go with or without your permission but go we must."

"I promised the Elves that I would return as soon as you were safe to complete my training. I can't sit here for several months when I should be learning more." Eragon pointed out. "You need only give us two or three days warning for us to reach you in any event and the arriving Elvish Spellcasters can do that easily enough."

"Very well. Do what you must." Nasuada relented.

"And do it nosily." Orrin grinned maliciously. "The more of the Empire's population that see three powerful Dragons destroying everything to do with the Empire the more loyal troops will travel down to our army."

"Don't let us do all the work for you." Caleb muttered just loud enough for Roran to hear just as he went to drink and ended up choking.

"Do you have room for a passenger?" Angela asked Caleb.

"Each of us can carry one extra person but only to Dras Leona." Caleb said slowly. "With Roran with us and the need to return with Katrina we can allow for one other person but it cannot simply be a passenger."

"Trust me when I say that my cat and I can be of great use in a situation like this." Angela smirked at him.

Caleb glanced at Eragon and got a decisive nod in return. "Very well." Caleb nodded before turning to Nasuada. "I'll need to see your leather worker before we retire for the evening. I'll need a sturdy saddle before we leave."

"I'll send word now." She nodded and did just that.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter