(A.N.) Haven't really been doing much with my life lately other than writing, working on homework and going to work…on that sad note, I would like to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter (shurtgal88, Dessert Maniac, Elemental Dragon Slayer, Ienne4Puck, and xxPercyRoxxx).

Enjoy! XD

I'm not claiming any rights to The Inheritance Cycle…

Eragon

"Everyone!" Nasuada shouted as she stood up and grabbed her glass of wine. "Please enjoy yourselves to the utmost!" Everyone clapped their hands as servants rushed to bring out trays of food to pass around. Larger trays of boar, deer and other meats sizzled as they were placed on various tables throughout the large tent.

"Lady Nasuada has certainly done her best to provide an excellent festival." Roran commented.

Eragon nodded. "She always does."

More trays of food emerged from the corners of the room as servants rushed to bring the Elves their desired choice of meal; a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables. The aroma of such foods entered Eragon's senses and he closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath of delight.

Roran smirked. "There was a time when you wore that same expression upon your face at the mere sight of roast pork and wild boar."

Eragon smiled at Roran. "Not everything has changed, cousin."

"Something's certainly have." Roran replied as he eyed someone approaching.

Eragon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and turned around to see what his cousin was looking at. His heart stopped as his eyes fell upon the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Her raven hair flowed gracefully and part of it was held back in a braid. She moved with such grace and elegance that time had seemed to stop for the young rider. Arya walked up to the two men and greeted them both.

"Lady Arya." Roran said as he bowed to her.

"Please, Arya will do just fine." She replied with a kind smile. "It is good to see you, Roran. How does Katrina fair?" Arya asked.

"She is well. In fact she is probably looking for me, please excuse me." He said as he cleared his throat. "I should probably find her before she has my head." He turned and left, but not before winking at Eragon.

Eragon blushed lightly and glared at Roran. He shook off his embarrassment and turned to Arya. "For a moment there, I thought you were going to leave me here with all these people."

Both Eragon and Arya had changed into more elegant attire after meeting with Islanzadi but they arrived at the celebration at different times.

Arya's lips twitched into a something of a smirk. "You speak as if you have never seen these people before."

Eragon shrugged. "Some. Others are more…how should I say? Best avoided?" He laughed lightly. No sooner had the words his mouth that such a person walked up to him.

"Oh, Eragon! It is wonderful to see you!" Trianna said. She placed a hand on his chest. "My you look so handsome. I bet every girl in room can't keep their eyes off you, and that includes me." She whispered.

Eragon blushed. "T-Thank you Trianna. You look beautiful yourself." He replied awkwardly while eyeing Arya. She did not look happy.

Trianna smiled. "Do I? I am so glad you think so." She said, twirling in place. Arya gave a rather loud cough and Trainna turned to face her. "Oh, please forgive me fair elf, I did not notice you standing there."

"It is of little concern. Please excuse us, Eragon and I are needed elsewhere." Arya linked one of her arms with Eragon's and was about to walk away when she was pulled back. She turned and a look of anger flashed momentarily across her face when she saw that Trianna had grabbed Eragon's free arm.

"Eragon will meet with you when I am done with him; I wish to speak with him on lighter matters. An ambassador that holds duty above everything else, friendship included, would not understand." Trianna said coldly.

Arya let go of Eragon's arm and glared at Trianna. The look that Arya gave her could have easily killed a hundred men on the battle field. "You know nothing of what it is like to be a friend." She replied just as coldly. Arya turned and walked off towards a large wooden table where Nasuada and many other important leaders, including her mother, were sitting.

"Oh my, I seemed to have upset the mighty elf." Trianna mocked. She turned to Eragon but the smile on her face vanished when she saw the look of anger he was giving her.

Eragon tore his arm away from hers. "That was not a wise thing to say. It is never a good idea to make enemies with an elf, especially with Arya. And as for friendship, I am afraid that you will never understand the true meaning of it as well as she does." Eragon gave Trianna, whose mouth was now gaping open, a curt bow and caught up with Arya.

"Arya, wait!" Eragon grabbed her hand and she stopped walking and faced him. "I am sorry about Trianna. I know she can be rather annoying."

"Annoying? No, Angela is annoying. Trianna is a traitorous witch!" Arya spat. Eragon chuckled but he stopped once Arya glared at him. "You are partly to blame." She said.

Eragon blinked. "M-Me? What did I do?"

Arya's eyes widened in amazement. "You look beautiful yourself? Were you attempting to feed the animal even more?" Arya hissed.

Eragon gulped nervously. "C-Come now Arya, It would have been rude of me not to compliment her on her dress. If it means anything to you, I did not find her dress that appealing, I was too busy thinking about someone else." Eragon said, trying to be as charming as he could.

Arya blushed lightly and turned around quickly. "Fine, I will forgive you. But the next time I see that witch's hands all over you, the Du Vrang Gata will most certainly need a new leader."

Eragon chuckled nervously and nodded. They both walked through the tent, finally making their way towards Nasuada's large wooden dining table.

Nasuada sat at its head, while King Orrin sat to her right and Queen Islanzadi to her left. Several Elves, including Blodhgarm and the other twelve spellcasters, sat along side their Queen as they quietly enjoyed their meal.

Eragon and Arya each took a seat and a plate of fresh fruits and cooked vegetables were placed in front of them. A servant offered them some mead but they both declined. Everyone but Nasuada and King Orrin declined as well.

"Come now Eragon. Opportunities like this do not come very often! Drink and celebrate with us!" King Orrin yelled happily.

"I tend to get a little…excited…when I drink too much." Eragon chuckled as he waved off the offer. Arya gave no reason as to why she would not partake in drink, but her mouth twitched into a smile at her companions reply.

"So, Arya." Queen Islanzadi started as she took a bite into an apple. "Nasuada had told me that you and Eragon now share a tent?"

Arya

Her cheeks flushed as she dabbed her mouth with a napkin. Eragon choked on his food but managed to suppress the uncontrollable coughing fit as he downed a glass of water.

"Yes well, it is nothing that demands such attention. Eragon and I only found it helpful for Blodhgarm and the rest of the spellcaster's that not only protect Eragon, but myself as well, as they will not have to split up their forces by guarding two tents." Arya explained simply. She glanced over at Eragon, who was not looking too well.

"Oh, is that the only reason? Are you sure it is not because you and Era—" Islanzadi started to say.

"There is no other reason." Arya stated. She looked at Eragon once more and he took the hint.

"Oh yes, Saphira likes it a lot actually since I get to sleep next to her more often now." Eragon said, following Arya's lead.

Nasuada looked from Queen Islanzadi, to Eragon, to Arya and then back over the queen. She raised an eyebrow. "If I did not know any better, I would say that the two of you are hiding something, May I ask, what that might be?" She asked curiously.

Arya was about to say something, when Islanzadi cut in. "Arya has chosen Eragon as her life partner." She said without hesitation.

Thankfully Eragon had not eaten or drunk anything when Islanzadi spoke, otherwise he would have more than likely choked and fallen over. Arya looked mortified. "Mother!" Arya hissed, trying to keep her cool, which on the verge of snapping.

"What? It is true, is it not? And as leaders of the resistance it is our right to know the personal lives of our greatest warriors and the Leader of the Riders." Islanzadi defended. "Wouldn't you agree?" She said to King Orrin and Nasuada.

Nausada looked to be a little sick as she downed the remaining contents of her glass. "You are right, Queen Islanzadi. The news is well received. I congratulate the both of you." She said, nodding to Eragon and Arya.

"Please, it is not a big deal. We merely share each other's affections and chaste kisses, nothing more." Arya spoke gently. Eragon shifted awkwardly in his seat, but Arya chose to ignore him for now. She would not have other's believe that she was mating with Eragon; which, of course, she wasn't…at least not yet. Arya blushed lightly as the thought crossed her mind, and she quickly shook it off.

"What do you mean it is not a big deal! When will the ceremony begin?" King Orrin asked suddenly.

Arya raised a thin eyebrow. "I'm sorry? Ceremony?" She asked, slightly confused.

King Orrin laughed. "You two are to be joined together are you not?"

Arya's cheeks flushed and she shook her head. "You are mistaken, King Orrin. Elves do not marry. We do not share the same customs as humans or dwarves."

Eragon nodded. "Arya is right, we do not need rings or ceremony's to prove our affections to one another."

King Orrin waved it off. "It matters not. The important thing is that we must celebrate this joyous occasion! More wine!" King Orrin sputtered out. Arya sunk her head and sighed. It was going to be a long night.

Eragon

He fell on his bed, much too tired to even change. A cold breeze blew in into his tent as the flap opened up. Eragon lifted his head to see Arya storm inside.

"That man is so…URGH!" Arya sat next to Eragon on his cot and massaged her temples.

"Annoying?" Eragon offered with a chuckle.

"He is worse than that. He is so infuriating! The man thinks he knows everything, about everything!" Arya sighed in frustration.

Eragon chuckled and sat up and pressed his chest flush against Arya's back. "You just need to ignore him, that's all." He pressed his against her shoulders and began to massage them. Arya sighed in contentment and relaxed her shoulders. Just when Eragon thought she had settled down, Arya jumped up and faced him.

"And my mother! What she thinking when she decided to tell everyone about us?!" Arya placed both her hands on her hips and leaned to one side.

Eragon couldn't help but stare at her, and Arya had noticed. "What?" She snapped.

"N-Nothing!" Eragon said waving his hands. "It's just, you look so cute when you stand like that." Eragon blushed lightly.

Arya blinked twice and looked down at how she was standing. "Like this? I always stand like this Eragon."

Eragon smiled stupidly. "I know."

"Eragon! Pay attention!" Arya yelled as she found herself blushing.

"S-Sorry! Anyways, I don't know why your mother said that. But she did have a point, I suppose it was good to let Nasuada and King Orrin know of our situation. How would it look if something was to happen to one of us, and the other rushed over to make sure we were safe, only for one of us to be forced to explain our situation?" Eragon tried to reason. Arya shifted her weight to the other side and Eragon's eyes moved from her face to her hips. He quickly looked back at Arya before she took notice.

"We are friends Eragon, it would make sense that we would worry for each other…" Arya started to say, and when Eragon frowned she sighed. "But I understand what you are trying to say." She conceded. "This is exactly what I was worried about. We think more about these situation's rather than those of battle and the war."

Eragon stood up and placed his hands on Arya's hips, pulling her closer to him. "I think about these situations all the time, Arya." He whispered to her.

Arya blushed. "Eragon…"

Eragon pulled her in tighter she gasped. He leaned in closer and brushed his lips across hers. He could feel her breath quicken and he chuckled.

"How do you have such an effect on me Eragon?" Arya whispered.

"Because," Eragon begain, "You have the same effect on me." And with that he closed what little distance there was between them and locked his lips with hers. Arya moaned softly and slowly walked Eragon towards his bed. Eragon gasped as his legs hit the side of his cot and he fell over with Arya on top of him. She laughed and pulled the blankets over both of them.

Eragon yawned and stretched as he stood in the sparring ring. He felt surprisingly well rested. It seemed that his nightmares were becoming less and less frequent.

"It would seem that the cure to your nightmares was the warm body of the elf that stole your heart beside you in bed." Saphira teased.

"Saphira!" Eragon blushed. He looked over to see Arya blushing as well, and realized that Saphira had opened her conscience out to her.

"I am indeed happy for the both you, but we must begin your training Eragon. I will show you how to see your opponents better." Glaedr voice echoed through his mind and Eragon nodded.

He drew Brisingr and muttered a spell to dull the blade. Arya did the same and moved into her fighting stance. Eragon took a moment to study Arya. He tried to push all emotion from his mind and see her as the warrior that was standing in front of him rather than the beauty that enchanted him so many countless times.

"Good, that is a start." Glaedr said approvingly. "Now, begin!"

Arya rushed Eragon at top speed. Eragon switched to a defensive mode began to block her attacks. She was fierce as ever, throwing blow after blow without mercy. Eragon was able to block all of her attacks, but it was still not an easy task. Eragon threw in a few attacks himself to keep Arya on her toes but he stayed in a defense stance for most of the time. His goal was to read Arya's attacks and feel more comfortable with her. The problem was, Arya rarely ever used the same attack twice in a battle or a sparring match. How she was able to do such a thing was beyond Eragon. The good news was that there was a certain rhythm to how she attacked. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

Eragon blocked an attack to his right side and pushed Arya back. She stood tall and her relentless stare pierced through Eragon. "Did I ever tell you how grateful I am that we are not enemies?" Eragon said with a grin.

Arya lips twitched into a smile. "You have not, but you are right to think so." She rushed him again without warning, but Eragon was ready.

He blocked her attack and changed his footwork to a more offensive stance. It was much easier now to see how Arya reacted. It didn't matter how she actually went through the motions, just how her thought process worked. The battle grew increasingly in Eragon's favor, and just as he was about to deliver a finishing blow he felt another presence close by. Eragon quickly spun and threw up Brisingr as he barely blocked an attack from another curved blade, whose wielder was none other than the furry elf, Blodhgarm.

"Shadeslayer." Blodhgarm said, smiling devilishly.

"What is going on?" Eragon asked, completely baffled.

"In battle you must be focused on the enemy in front of you, but you must also be so alert that if another enemy attacks you, you will be ready to defend yourself." Glaedr said.

Eragon's eyes widened in shock. "You expect me to fight two elves?!" Eragon said in disbelief

"The battle will be much harder when you face Galbatorix!" Glaedr shouted.

Eragon gritted his teeth, but conceded. "Very well" He whispered. Eragon pushed Blodhgarm back and repositioned himself. He eyed both Arya and Blodhgarm as they circled him. One of them would take the initiative soon; all he had to do was wait. In no time, Arya charged at Eragon and threw up Brisingr.

Eragon groaned as he sat down under the shade of a tree. Despite the weather change, the sun was still shining brightly down on them and Eragon was sweating profusely. He unbuckled his scabbard and sheathed Brisingr.

"You did well, little one." Saphira said. She was laying by the same tree Eragon had fallen beside and lifted her head when he came near her.

"Well? Saphira they both threw me around like I was a piece of meat!" Eragon exclaimed.

"Today was only the first day Eragon. You will improve." Glaedr said.

Eragon said nothing as he laid down on the soft grass and closed his eyes. The smell of freshly crushed pine needles soon entered his sense of smell, and Eragon opened one eye to see Arya approach him. Her lithe body and swaying hips were enough to drive him insane, and the knowledge that he no longer had to hide his feelings was even more exciting.

"You will do better Eragon, do not worry." Arya said reassuringly. She sat down next to him and leaned her back against the tree.

"It brings me back to when I was in Ellesmera. When Oromis had me fight Vanir and everyday he would change his partner so I would not get used to their fighting styles." Eragon said.

He felt a sense of agreement flood his conscience. "You are correct Eragon. The goal is this training and that of your old training is quite similar. However, we have much less time to prepare you than when we in Ellesmera so long ago." Glaedr spoke.

"What do you mean Glaedr-elda?" Eragon asked.

"I will have you cycle through all the elven guard that have been sent to protect you, Eragon. You will fight them two at a time, as you just did with Arya and Blodhgarm. When you have fought them all we will change the routine again and add more to fight against you. Fighting Galbatorix will be nothing like any battle or anyone you have ever fought before." Glaedr said.

Eragon sighed. "The odds seem to be moving further and further away from me."

Arya gave him a weak smile and ran her hand through his hair, and Saphira rested her head beside him, enjoying the company or her Rider and his companion.

It did not take long for Eragon to fall asleep. His body was soar from the beating it had taken from both Arya and Blodhgarm. He fixed his eyes at the top of his tent, resting his head on his hands. Arya was resting peacefully beside him, but he couldn't help but wonder if she was truly asleep. After all elves hardly slept, and when they did it was more like a catnap. Eragon sighed and gently closed his eyes. He relaxed his body and mind as best as he could and son succumbed to the world of dreams.

Eragon flung his eyes open and quickly sat up. He was breathing heavily and beads of sweat covered his face and chest. What was it that he had been dreaming about? Eragon rubbed his face and tried to think clearly. The dream was…familiar to him, almost too familiar. It was strange, most of his dreams had held no meaning to him other than the one's he had about Arya before he had met her. But this dream…this dream was somehow…similar. Eragon tried to think clearly, but the images escaped him. It was as if the memory was right there, ready for him to reach out and take it, but yet it was so far away; a fleeting notion.

Eragon was about to lie back down; when he felt something…someone was in his tent. Eragon slowly reached to his side and pulled out a hunting dagger he had kept with him since he left Carvahall. He cautiously sat up and slowed his breathing so he could hear better. His keen eleven sense's could pick up nothing out of the ordinary, so he shrugged and laid back down. As he did, he caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure by his tent flap. Eragon sighed in relief and shook his head as Solumbum walked into his tent. The large cat started to lick his paws, and when Eragon said nothing he met his eyes.

"Well, are you coming?"

(A.N.) Good update? More fluff, but now I will start picking up the plot. Like what was Eragon's dream about? Obviously that will be important later on, also the way I'm having Eragon train right now. I know it's a lot like how he trained in the book Eldest, but I'm trying my best to tweek it up and make it more original will still trying to make sense.

Anyways, I hope it was good! XD

-Demonzmagic