Okay… I promised that this chapter would have more Eragon and Arya. I'm keeping that promise! c: You guys have been awesome, and definitely deserve a treat. I hope this chapter is enjoyable to you.

ALSO: I listened to Jon McLaughin's "So Close" like 10,000 times writing this chapter. If you don't know it, it was in the movie 'Enchanted', and you NEED TO LISTEN TO IT! It's sooooo perfect for this chapter. SERIOUSLY. PERFECT.

Thanks for all of your reviews!

Disclaimer: You should be seeing a theme about this by now… take a wild guess about my ownership (or lack thereof) concerning this…. Go on… I dare ya.

Chapter 10: Life's Jigsaw

Eragon couldn't think; he couldn't even catch his breath. His feet moved. He knew that because the world beyond her face was a blur of color. She said his name, spoke to her in that melodic voice of hers that always seemed to make him want to drown in her.

When he did not respond to his greeting, she tipped her head to one side and let her gaze run over his face. "It has been a long time, hasn't it?"

He nodded. He wanted to hold her closer, to bring her body closer to his. One of her hands touched his shoulder, her arm lying on top of his, and her other hand gripped his in a light embrace. Wherever her body came into contact with his, he felt as though his body was on fire. A warm sensation ran through him, sending tingles down his spine. "It has," he croaked, swallowing past the lump in this throat.

He longed to pull her body closer, to feel her length fit next to his. And yet he wanted to rage at her. To throw her from her, scream at her! He wanted to cry, show her all the desperation in his soul. He wanted to show his frustration, his pain, his despair, his joy at seeing her again, and his overwhelming love for her all at once. His rapid heartbeat surely belied his calm exterior. Surely she could see his heart pounding against his chest, feel the heat coming off his body.

His eyes traced her face. Every contour, every detail standing out as clearly as it had the first time he had seen her in his dreams: her eyes that never ceased to captivate him, her delicate pale skin that seemed to glow, and her lips… uuuuuuhhh, her lips! How many times had he awoke from a dream, his heart pounding, sweat soaking through his clothes all from imagining her lips against his?

When his eyes returned to hers, their gazes locked. He moved through the dance, every minute it continued, the tension between them grew. It wasn't a bad tension. It wasn't an angry tension either. It was more than frustration and anger and all of those emotions. He didn't want to admit it, but his feelings for her ran rampant through his body, furiously urging him to act on them. Please, don't let me do something stupid. I can't ruin this again… I can't stand to lose her again.

He was painfully aware that this could be his last chance to salvage any type of relationship between them beyond that of a politically inclined acquaintanceship. That one thought tore through him, leaving only devastation in its wake.

His hands went to her waste as the dance demanded. They encircled her thin frame, and lifted her, pushing her through the air from one side of him to the other while turning in a small circle. She put her arms on his shoulders, helping him to lift her higher. As he brought it down, he felt his slim body brush against his, and he felt as though he would faint. The pleasure that ran through him, this absolute bliss seemed to make all the torment he had endured at her hands worth it a thousand times over. Nothing compared to that phenomenon. The rush, the marvel, the miracle that was Arya seemed to seep into every bit of his being.

They came together again, in a tight embrace before parting again. Their hands clasped together until the very last instant; he wanted this moment to last…. Then they parted and stood in their lines again; the world rocked back into place. For an instant Arya, an emotion had flickered over Arya's features. Eragon couldn't quite place it. Regret? Longing? Sorrow? No one emotion seemed to fit. Or maybe there had been nothing there, and he had simply seen his own reflection in her eyes.

Eragon's breathing was heavy, he was nearly panting as the dance came to an end. The crowd cheered and clapped, but Eragon hardly heard it. He stiffly returned to his seat on the dais. He fell into his chair, resisting the urge to put his elbows on his knees and bury his face in his hands. He felt lightheaded. ]

Around him, the jubilee burst into full swing. People from the crowd jumped in to join in the next dance, a jig of some sort. Eragon didn't really know, and frankly, he didn't care.

Eragon, are you alright? He smiled. Saphira's concern was blatant.

Yes… I think so. I just… it's all a bit overwhelming truth be told.

Was it awful?

No… and yes. It was so many things… I hardly know what to think. I thought… I didn't think it was possible for me to still feel this way, Saphira. That it would be this strong; I'm quite possible going to make a total fool of myself… again.

Oh dear one… perhaps things are not as bad as they seem?

Eragon snorted. Saphira, I fear they are worse than ever.

Feeling the breeze and brush of cloth as someone sat next to him, Eragon's heart leapt. Had Arya come to speak with him? His head still bowed, he looked at the person's knees. A dress! Arya had come! But no… the color was wrong. This dress was a soft jade color.

A hand lighted on his doublet. Slowly, cautiously, Eragon turned to peer at his visitor. Petrya. Her eyes searched his, for what he knew not.

"Did you enjoy the dance?" she asked.

He nodded. Had he ever! He still felt the rush from it all, almost as though he were high, drunk from the adrenaline coursing through his veins. "I did. It was nicely done this year."

She smiled at him. "I thought it was quite lovely as well… You dance well, Eragon." Giving a little laugh, she turned to look at the crowd. "I came to dance with Murtagh through one of the rounds. He was so stiff I thought he would fall over at any moment like a tree in a wind storm!"

Eragon chuckled quietly. If there was anything to be said about Petrya, she did make him feel comfortable. Her manner was usually quite calming to him. It was nice to have a friend, a woman friend, who didn't make him feel as though he was going crazy at every turn. "It has been an interesting event, that much I will admit."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "An interesting event? It has only just begun! There is plenty more to come, and many a revelry to take part in." Her hand returned to his sleeve, softly, almost as though she were afraid to touch him. "I hope I will be able to see more of you soon. It has been a long time since we've spent any time together. After your cousin died… you seemed to disappear for awhile. I know it must have been a hard time for you. It was just… different. Before you had been around so often, telling me and Verdenci what we were doing wrong this time. It seemed almost… lonely without you around."

There was something in her voice that made Eragon instantly wary. She hadn't said anything wrong. Surely he was imagining the catch in her voice. It was friendly chatter. He knew she cared about him; of course she did. He cared about her too. He had spent a good part of the past half decade training her and her dragon. They were friends.

"I'm sorry if I abandoned you. You're right… they were hard years; I should not have cut myself off from the world so much. I guess I just figured that you and Murtagh could handle everything. You're more than prepared. Perhaps I got carried away with the idea that the people no longer depended on me for everything with you two around." He gave her a wry smile.

Her hand left his arm, and casually made its way down to rest within his. She squeezed it lightly. "I hope… that is, maybe if you came around more often… if you saw more of us, we could help you with your pain. You do not have to suffer alone, Eragon."

He gave her hand a squeeze in return, and a small shake. "Thank you, Petrya. I'm glad I can rely on you. You have done well."

A shy smile crossed her lips, and a blush rose in her cheeks. Quickly, before Eragon could even react, she leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek. It was not even a quick kiss. She lingered, her lips pressed against his skin, just at the corner of his mouth. It lasted just long enough for Eragon to feel uncomfortable. This was uncharted territory with them, and Eragon did not want to go there.

He sat up straighter in his chair, his body become taut. Petrya sensed this and broke off the kiss. The color in her cheeks was even more noticeable. She gave him a weak smile, stood, and walked away to be lost in the crowd.

Eragon sat frozen, shocked beyond belief. Someone please tell me that was just a friendly gesture. Petrya could not possibly have crossed that line. They were friends, and she had only meant to give him a reassuring… something. His brow furrowed as he tried to pick the whole situation apart.

Well came Saphira's voice that was certainly interesting. Tonight is shaping up to be even more eventful than I had originally anticipated.

You and I both…

Sighing, Eragon let his body go limp. He looked out in the crowd. Murtagh leaned against one of the supporting poles of the tent, glowering. He looked distracted, lost in some turbulent thought or another. Petrya seemed to appear at his elbow, seemingly out of nowhere. She said something, her face lighting up with a giggle. Murtagh gave her a look Eragon couldn't place, and then watched as Petrya drug him once more into the dancing.

Searching elsewhere, his eyes alighted on Arya. She stood not far away, her arms crossed across her chest. Did she see Petrya… had she watched as the young Dragon Rider kissed him? His face distorted into a worried frown. Arya's only response was a slow blink.

She saw. Eragon longed to run over and explain everything to her. It's not what you think! I didn't know she would do that… the kiss meant nothing. And yet… Arya wouldn't care. She didn't want anything to do with him in that manner. Perhaps she was even gladly watching as Eragon 'moved on' from her.

Life conspires against me.

Honestly, Eragon, you're being a bit melodramatic.

After a long pause, Eragon began again. Have you noticed that nothing ever seems to fall into place for us, Saphira? It's close sometimes, but the edges never quite fit. And the more you force it, the most hopeless it seems.

Perhaps… perhaps it is simply a matter of time. Eventually the right pieces will fall into your lap… you just have to be patient enough to wait for the right situation to shape itself.

There you go being wise again. This whole concept of time is confusing to me. I never dreamed I would have so much of it.

Saphira gave a 'tsk'. Nonsense! You just never realized that you would actually have to learn to be patient. It's been a lesson that is long overdue if you ask me.

No one did.

Don't be snide. Try to have fun tonight. Thorn, Verdenci, and I are going to fly. It is too hard to move around here with all these people. I am going to squish a child underfoot, I just know it. With that, she took off into the night. A few moments later, he heard the telltale buffs of wind as the other two dragons took off. The crowd looked up in awe as the three of them rose in the air. They all clapped and cheered.

Eragon got up, deciding it was time to do what must be done. He steeled himself as he walked from the platform and made his way through the crowd to where the elf maiden was standing.

"Atra esterní ono thelduin, Arya Drottningu," he said softly.

A smile graced her mouth, and Eragon's heart skipped a beat. I don't know how I'll survive this without a heart attack or two… "Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr, Shur'tugal," she responded.

Eragon took a deep breath, studied his feet for a moment, and said, "I would like it if we could talk… about everything." He raised his eyes to meet hers, searching for some hint of familiarity, some chance of hope.

Arya considered him a moment and nodded. "Soon. Not tonight, but soon."

"When?"

"Before the festival has ended."

Eragon set his jaw. "Tomorrow. Outside the north gate, two miles from the city. Meet me on the hill we stood on with our troops below us, urging them to be brave. Do you remember it?"

She nodded. "Of course I do." Her voice was so soft, so sensuous. He took a deep breath to clear his head. Now was not the time to be drunk on her.

"Meet me there. Tomorrow. Three hours past noon." Eragon turned on his heel and walked away. I've faced Galbatorix, and yet I still feel that telling her that was the bravest thing I have ever done. He shook his head, then stopped in his tracks.

Turning his head ever slightly, he said back over his shoulder, "Please." He whispered it, knowing that Arya would hear him. All he could do now was trust her; he prayed with all his heart she would show and something would come of this.

Let this be the piece I have been looking for. If this piece falls into place, perhaps I can start to put more pieces together. Maybe this is the start I have been waiting for. Please…. Please he begged to whomever was listening. Anyone… everyone… anything… someone.

And there you have it!

Did you like it? I hope so! Please review and know that you all rock so much! I couldn't keep this up (at least at this pace) without all your encouragement!

lml/ Kess