"If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger."

- Emily Brontë

When All Is Forgotten

Chapter 10: Most Definitely

At the bottom of this page I'll add the author's not that was here before.

Disclaimer: I do not own Eragon or Inuyasha, nor do I own anything directly quoted from the book in this chapter. I own the plot of this story and the OC that will later be added.


Kagome screamed until hands pushed against her mouth, muffling the sounds, and cold snow was poured on her head.

She was still looking for her dragon's mind, but her beautiful baby… had disappeared.

The hysteria fell away and left her feeling numb.

"Kagome," someone was grabbing her face tightly, shaking her, "calm down."

She peered at him through a mixture of water and tears, finally seeing Brom's grizzly face.

He seemed relieved that her eyes had focused on him, and his tight grip loosened, "Where is your dragon?" his voice was soft and his eyes softer, even more so when he didn't get an answer. "Has something happened?" seeing her tiny nod and the quivering lip he sighed and pressed his hands against her shoulders, then he looked back to where she could see Eragon holding a bow. "We need to leave, now."

She saw Eragon's eyes flash to her, then back to Brom, "Where will we go?"

"We should settle somewhere for the night." Brom answered, he pulled Kagome into an awkward embrace, "somewhere safe that no one knows of. We need to get this sorted out."

Eragon nodded firmly, but Kagome could see how shaken he was, even with her head crammed against Brom's chest. "Follow me."

So they did.

Brom's grip around her shoulder never loosened and she clung to his waist in return. In that moment, letting go wasn't an option. She needed something to hold onto.

Even Brom's comfort couldn't stop her mind's questions though. Dreadful pictures of her dragon's lifeless body filled her mind, of torture and pain. She tried to reassure herself, perhaps he'd crash-landed; he would surely connect with her mind complaining about his sore wing soon?

She remembered, however, the tired, cold feeling he'd given off. He wasn't in pain for most of their connection, but the pain that came was sudden and excruciating. Someone hurt him; it had to be.

A hand brushed against her cheek, wiping tears away and she blinked at Brom's unusually gentle face. She hadn't realized she was crying.

"The cat; what will you name it?" He asked softly, and Kagome dully noticed the little creature walking closely behind Eragon's feet.

"Sindile."

"And your dragon," He looked away from her, "Cinder was it? I don't recall a dragon with that name." he stared at his staff, which he picked up from the ground before they left, "Why did you decide to give it that name?"

"I named him that," She let go of his waist long enough to brush away the rest of her tears, but her arms were back in an instant, "because his fire won't go out."

"Even a dragon's fire can be wiped away." Brom muttered back and he began to walk faster as Eragon stopped on the edge of a clearing.

Kagome's arms tightened around him and she said, "He isn't dead; I would know if he was."

They reached Eragon, who was looking back at them urgently, and peered into the clearing.

Kagome recognized it immediately. He'd cleared the area of deadwood and other such things a long time ago and showed it to her. He made her promise not to tell anyone about it.

Saphira landed gracefully not far from them and Kagome felt her heart pang. She longed for Cinder to do the same.

"Impressive," Brom nodded toward Eragon and she focused on their conversation, "and no one else knows of this place?"

"Only Kagome, it's safe here." Eragon confirmed and she looked around the little area again. It was just large enough for two people, a dragon, and a fire. It will be a squeeze with the three of us here. She thought to herself, but she didn't say anything outwardly.

Eragon and Brom fell into light conversation and Kagome, finally, could take no more. She was beginning to get stir-crazy. She stood and went into the forest, ignoring the questioning and cautious looks and gathered wood.

It didn't take her long to build a fire in the center of the clearing, then she looked toward her companions, "Did anyone have the forethought to bring a pot?"

Eragon, it seemed, had. She accepted it wordlessly and filled it with snow, before setting it over the fire to melt. Brom examined Saphira while she waited for the water to heat.

When it had, Eragon tore off chunks of meat and dropped them into the pot with a lump of salt, the both of them staring at their meal grimly. It's a far cry from Elaine's cooking. She glumly thought and her wandering mind snidely reminded her how much Cinder would have enjoyed having it hand fed to him.

The stew simmered quietly, the only sound in an otherwise quiet clearing, and it spread a rich aroma through the clearing. The tip of Saphira's tongue snaked out and tasted the air.

When the meat was tender, Brom sat beside them and Eragon served the food. They ate silently, avoiding eye contact and a mewl behind them called Kagome's attention to a little hungry kitten.

Eragon stood silently, taking a small amount of meat –plenty for a tiny kitten- and allowed it to cool before giving it to the little creature. He tore through it with vengeance and looked for more.

Kagome blew on hers for several minutes and handed it over.

"I'm not hungry." She muttered, seeing the looks her traveling companions gave her.

No one said anything for several minutes, the sound of a cat gnawing on meat being the only noise, until finally Brom spoke.

"Tell me about your encounter with Cinder."

She didn't meet his eyes, "He didn't say anything."

"I wasn't asking if he talked." Brom snorted, "How did he feel?"

"He was cold." Kagome replied quietly, "tired too, but he felt cold more than anything." Her throat felt thick, "Something happened and it hurt him."

Brom nodded thoughtfully, "He was probably drugged."

"If someone attacked him he would have called me sooner."

"It was probably an ambush," Brom said, raising an eyebrow and pointing to his head, "the Ra'zac are fond of those. I'd assume he contacted you immediately after, meaning the drug must have been extremely potent to have such a fast effect."

There was silence for a few minutes until Eragon finally asked, "Is he… alive?"

"Of course he is." Kagome snapped back, but the question dug itself into her heart. What if he wasn't?

"If he wasn't," Brom started, as if reading her mind, "we wouldn't be talking about it. A rider knows when its dragon dies; it's the most painful experience a rider can endure. He wasn't killed, but he was taken."

"How can we find him? We don't even know for certain who took him." Eragon questioned and Kagome was beginning to get irritated with her crushes endless curiosity.

Perhaps because he was asking the questions she was too afraid to.

"The Ra'zac were already in the area and I haven't heard of any Urgals or soldiers nearby. Furthermore, assuming he's a fairly healthy young dragon it would take power and practice to carry out an ambush so skillfully." Brom deduced, "We should assume they have him until proven otherwise." He looked down on them from over his hooked nose, "As for finding him, where was he when he disappeared?"

"North." Kagome muttered, hooking her arms under her toes. In doing so, she was able to create more space between her shoulder and Eragon's. "I don't know where exactly." Seeing Brom's sharp, incredulous look, she added, "He flew me away when the Ra'zac first appeared and I dropped something. He went back to get it."

"Idiot!" Brom scolded, "After the Ra'zac's attack you shouldn't have gone so far from him! Was this possession worth your dragon's life?"

"I don't know." She snapped, "It wasn't mine!" she added quietly, "it was yours." Brom scowled and opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. "It was a little black book. It translated another lan-"

"You took my book." He seemed more exasperated than upset, but she still wished for a few more feet between them in case he went into a rage. "It was an accident."

He shook his head, muttering something unintelligible under his breath, before saying, "Let us sleep now, rather than dawdle tomorrow."

"But you never told me," Eragon interrupted, "how can you talk to Saphira?"

Brom took his time putting more cardus weed in his pipe. Once it was relit and firmly in his mouth, he said, "Very well, if it's answers you want, it's answers you'll get, but you may not like them."

He stood and went to his pack, taking out a long object wrapped in cloth. It was about three and a half feet long and heavy, judging by his grip on it. It was also, quite obviously, a sword.

He peeled away the cloth, earning a sharp gasp from Kagome.

It was beautiful.

The golden pommel was shaped like a teardrop with the sides cut away, revealing a ruby the size of a small egg. The hilt, wrapped in silver wire, was burnished until it gleamed like starlight. The sheath was wine red and smooth as glass, adorned solely by a strange black symbol. Next to the sword was a leather belt with a heavy looking buckle.

Not that Kagome cared about its weight. She reached for it desperately, but Brom ignored her wanting hands to hand it to Eragon.

He raised a brow at her, "Haven't you seen a sword before?" as if to mock her, he patted his leg, where a sword hung, "Didn't you notice this one?"

She shot him a glare, relieved when Eragon, amused, handed her the sword. She smiled at his gratefully and gripped it in her right hand, as he had done. It felt odd, but natural. She drew the sword and it slid out soundlessly. The flat blade was iridescent red and shimmered in the firelight. The keen edges curved gracefully to a sharp point. A duplicate of the black symbol was inscribed on the metal. The balance of the sword was nearly perfect, but she could feel that it wasn't right for her.

It felt lighter than what she was used to, having spent years working as an apprentice in her father's shop.

The craft was something she had never seen, however, and the metal of which it was made was unknown to her. After working so hard to remember the names and basic characteristics of all workable metals, it stung her pride.

By looking at it, she could tell it was unbelievably sharp, but, needing confirmation, she held it gently to her pinky finger. Without any pressure, it sliced deeply into her skin and, seconds later, the blade was snatched from her hands.

A rough hand smacked the back of her head and she jolted forward, crying out. "Hey!"

"Foolish girl," Brom scoffed, pulling away the sheath and putting it back swiftly.

She ignored his insult and took the blade from him, meeting little resistance, "Who forged this blade?" she asked and she was embarrassed when her voice came out breathless. "It hasn't been done in a manner I've seen before."

Brom raised a brow suspiciously and she rolled her eyes. She was raised by a blacksmith, what did he expect? "It's of elfish make." He replied, "It was once a rider's blade." Brom said gravely, "When a rider finished its training, they were presented a sword. The method of its forging has always remained a secret."

Kagome snorted, taking it out of the sheath again, "Not just the method, the metal as well." She showed him the blade, "look at the blade. It's like no iron or steel I've seen. What is its make?"

"Another elvish secret." Brom muttered, he held his hand out for the blade and she gave it back to him hesitantly, "I didn't expect you to know the difference between this and a regular sword." He looked her up and down once, "Where did you learn?"

"Horst is a blacksmith." She replied blankly, watching as a faint smile fell on his lips and he replaced the sword in his pack.

"Smithing is not a trade typically taught to daughters."

A squeaking kitten wormed its way into her lap and Kagome smiled down at it faintly, remembering Cinder doing something similar, "I wanted to learn and he was too kind to refuse me." She shook her head, "I've been his assistant for years."

Brom seemed interested and Kagome inwardly scoffed. He'd never seemed interested before. He assumed her a dull child who never left the house. "Have you smithed a sword?"

"Yes."

"Where did you get it?" asked Eragon, interrupting their brief conversation. At some point, he'd taken the sword from Brom and was inspecting it with an awed expression.

Kagome waited expectantly for his answer and Brom, seeing their expressions, said, "It doesn't matter." he seemed thoughtful for a moment before adding, "I will only say that it took me a series of nasty and dangerous adventures to obtain it." Eragon tried to interrupt, but Brom glared at him until he was quiet. Kagome watched on curiously, "Now if you must know, anyone can learn how to speak to a dragon if they have the proper training."

"Where did you learn?" Eragon asked incredulously and Brom sent him a scathing look.

"I know more about dragons and their abilities than anyone else. On your own, it might take years to learn what I can teach you. I'm offering you my knowledge as a shortcut. As for how I know so much, I'll keep that to myself." He drawled.

Eragon, finally out of his seemingly endless questions, quieted.

Now it was Kagome's turn, "Who are the Ra'zac?"

"I thought you would ask that." Brom sighed, his eyes pitied her, "Little or nothing is known about them, but I can tell you this: they aren't human. When I glimpsed one's head, it appeared to have something resembling a beak and black eyes as large as my fist – though how they manage to speak is a mystery to me. Doubtless the rest of their bodies are just as twisted. That is why they cover themselves at all times.

"As for their powers, they are stronger than any man and can jump incredible heights, but they cannot use magic. Be thankful for that, if they could, you would be in their grasp – as your dragon is."

"How many are there?" Eragon asked and Kagome caught sight of his concerned expression. She wondered if it was for their revenge or her dragon.

"Only the two you saw, to my knowledge." Brom blew out a series of smoke rings and watched them float between the branches.

Kagome followed his gaze and gasped; they were changing color and darting around. She looked back at Brom and he winked slyly.

"How did they find out about the dragons?" Eragon questioned, "Even with all that, why Carvahall?"

"They're the king's personal dragon hunters; they have experience. Why don't you tell me where you got the eggs and how your dragons were raised – that might clarify the issue."

Eragon took a deep breath and began his story, instantly enrapturing his audience.

He told of finding the eggs in the Spine while hunting a doe, trying to barter Saphira's egg at Sloan's, her hatching in the barn, taking her to the forest and raising her, and finally he told of meeting Cinder and revealing his dragon to Kagome.

Brom nodded thoughtfully, then his eyes landed on Kagome, "And your story?" He seemed patient for her answer despite his tone.

"It started when Eragon gave me the egg." As she told her tale, she noticed the similarities between her story and Eragon's. She was almost amazed that they had both kept it a secret from their families; to her, it had been a hard decision, but the right one.

"It's unlikely that anyone from Carvahall could have informed the king. The information must have come from someone outside the valley – one who is probably dead by now... you've both handled your situations incredibly. I'm impressed." He shook his head, setting his pipe aside, "Now, let us sleep, this old man needs to rest his weary bones."

Eragon stared nodded blankly into the distance, a stark contrast to Kagome's more open expression. As Brom looked at the two riders, he couldn't help but notice how different they truly were; yet so similar.

Eragon with his endless barrage of questions, his quick temper, and his independent nature, always intrigued him. Kagome with her easy cheerfulness, innocent ways, and dependent nature; always relying on Eragon to help her out of stressful situations. He had watched them grow around each other, as if completing a puzzle.

Eragon was a simple piece, he had long since decided. The boy was raised in such a way that he had little secret talents.

The girl however, was quickly becoming a mystery. He had never once suspected her of being a blacksmith's apprentice, once; he would have thought the only thing less likely was for her to be a rider.

He had always noticed the girl flitting around the village as a child, so cheerful and full of life. She was easily the most likeable person in the village and he'd noticed her silver tongue even then. She was always smiling, big and wide, and chatting off the ear of whoever would listen. Once upon a time, he had enjoyed testing how far he could push her before it disappeared; once upon a time, it never did.

As years passed by, however, he noticed her smile was quicker to fade, especially around him. He noticed how the boy coaxed the girl into situations she wanted nothing of, remaining happily unaware of her ever-fading smile, hidden behind the mask of one. The boy would never see her quick-witted solutions of escape – believing he had saved them from death time and time again.

It was Brom's growing suspicion, that she was smiling for Eragon's sake. He began to wonder if the 'easy' cheerfulness she displayed for the village was truly so… easy. She had grown from a simple creature to a complex puzzle – in his perspective- the older she became.

She couldn't be trusted, he had decided. Now, however, he believed it part of her charm; it was strange the way he could see passed her smile. She smiled for Eragon, he knew, but he saw the pain behind her eyes.

Her dragon had disappeared; she was worried, scared, confused, and smiling.

He couldn't help but pity her decision to live such a masked existence.

"Night Gnome." He heard Eragon whisper and looked up in time to see the boy turning on his side, away from 'Gnome'.

"Goodnight."

The look in the girl's eyes surprised Brom. He had been witness to the expression only a few times in his long life.

He knew then, there was a time when he would have worn such a mask for the sake of someone he deeply loved.


When Kagome's eyes opened, she was being shaken lightly. Her eyes focused on Eragon's familiar face and she noticed tear stains. He'd been crying.

"Good morning," he said softly, and he smiled. It didn't reach his eyes, "Brom's made breakfast." He moved to sit by the fire and jammed his fingers in his armpits.

She moved to sit up; surprised when she felt a little furry creature snuggled up to her side. Her eyes locked onto a kitten whose nose sniffed the air more and more as it woke.

It took nearly a minute for her to recognize the little thing, "Oh Sindile."

After, they ate breakfast quickly, hoping to finish before the cold could snatch away its warmth. She forced herself to ignore Brom's disapproving stare as she fed the majority of her meat to Sindile – who could eat twice his size in meat.

When they finished Kagome joined Eragon in washing her bowl with snow, watching curiously, as he then spread leather on the ground.

"What are you going to do with that?" she asked, poking at it lightly only to shove her hands in her armpits, as Eragon had done previously, "We can't carry it with us." She shivered against the cold as she spoke, ignoring his concerned look.

"I'm going to make a saddle for Saphira – and one for Cinder."

Her heart swelled, "Eragon," She was at a loss for words, unsure of how to react to his sweet gesture. It brought forth her worries and gave her hope at the same time, "thank you."

"Mmmm," said Brom, moving forward and distracting them both, "Well, dragons used to have two kinds of saddles. The first resembled a horse's saddle – but those take time and tools to make, neither of which we have. The other was thin and lightly padded with nothing more than an extra layer between the Rider and dragon. Those saddles were used whenever speed and flexibility were important, though they weren't nearly as comfortable as the molded ones."

"Do you know what they looked like?" asked Eragon.

"Better, I can make one."

"Then please do." Said Eragon, standing aside.

"Very well, but the both of you should pay attention. Someday you may have to do this for yourselves." With Saphira's permission, Brom measured her neck and chest. "I'm afraid we'll have to wait until we've recovered Cinder to make him a saddle."

Then he took three of the six hides and began to work. First, he cut five bands out of the leather and outlined a dozen or so shapes on the hides. Once the pieces had been sliced out, he cut what remained of the hides into long cords.

Brom used the cords to sew everything together, but for each stitch, two holes had to be bored through the leather. He requested help from both Eragon and Kagome in doing so. Intricate knots were rigged in place of buckles and every strap was made extra-long so the saddle would still fit Saphira in the coming months.

The main part of the saddle was assembled from three identical sections sewn together with padding between them. Attached to the front was a thick loop that would fit snugly around one of Saphira's neck spikes, while wide bands sewn on either side would wrap around her belly and tie underneath. Taking the place of stirrup were a series of loops running down both bands. Tightened, they would hold Eragon's legs in place. A long strap was constructed to pass between Saphira's front legs, split in two, and then come up behind her front legs to rejoin with the saddle.

While Brom worked and Kagome eagerly watched, helping whenever she could, Eragon repaired his pack and organized their supplies.

The day was spent by the time their tasks were complete.

Kagome could see the weariness on Brom's he put the Saddle on Saphira and checked to see that the straps fit. He made some small adjustments, murmuring the reasoning behind them for her benefit, and finally took it off, satisfied.

"You did a good job," Eragon acknowledged, grudgingly.

Kagome smiled, feeling cold, but cheery despite it. She was looking forward to making one for Cinder – by herself if she could remember, "He did an amazing job."

Brom inclined his head, to both of them, "One tries his best. It should serve you well; the leather's sturdy enough."

Dinner was made quickly. It tasted good even though it was simple. While they ate, Brom looked over the fire at Eragon and asked, "Will we leave tomorrow?"

"There isn't any reason to stay."

"I suppose not…" he shifted, "Eragon, Kagome, I must apologize about how events have turned out. I never wished for this to happen. Eragon, your family did not deserve such a tragedy and Kagome, your dragon shouldn't have been forced away. If there were anything I could do to reverse it, I would. This is a terrible situation for all of us." A silence passed over the makeshift campsite and Brom said, "We're going to need horses."

"Maybe you two do, but I have Saphira." Eragon muttered grumpily.

Brom shook his head, "There isn't a horse alive that can outrun a flying dragon, and Saphira is too young to carry two of us and there are three. Besides, it'll be safer if we stay together, and riding is faster than walking."

Eragon thought it over, looking at Kagome and back at Brom, finally, he begrudgingly replied, "All right, but you'll buy them. I don't have any money and I don't want to steal again; it's wrong."

"That depends on your point of view," corrected Brom with a slight smile. "Before you set out on this venture, remember that your enemies, the Ra'zac, are the king's servants. They will be protected wherever they go. Laws do not stop them. In cities, they'll have access to abundant resources and willing servants. Also, keep in mind that nothing is more important to Galbatorix than recruiting or killing you both – though word of your existence probably hasn't reached him yet. The longer you evade the Ra'zac, the most desperate he'll become. He'll know that every day you'll be growing stronger and that each passing moment will give you another chance to join his enemies. You must be very careful, as you may easily turn from the hunter into the hunted."

Eragon was subdued by the strong words and he noticed that Kagome didn't seem keen on conversation. Pensive, he rolled a twig between his fingers.

"Enough talk," said Brom. "It's late; we'll say more tomorrow." Eragon nodded and banked the fire, ignoring Kagome's gaze on him.

He wanted to look back at her, perhaps steal her away for a moment and confess his feelings. He certainly dreamed enough about doing so.

However, he could not, at least, not until the Ra'zac were dead and her dragon was safely by her side.

"'Night Eragon."

"Night Gnome."

"Night Sindile," He saw the kitten snuggle into her side and watched her wrap it closer to her chest, pulling her small blanket higher for it and heard her whisper, "goodnight Cinder."


i luv niki4444

WOOOO IT'S HERE X'D

Now, I want to apologize (again) for how close this is to the actual book. My reasoning is that everything Paolini put in his books was there for a reason (and boy did he give out information) so, I wanted to have Kagome and Eragon learn rather than be characters that somehow know it all without being told.

I can garrantee these chapters are numbered. Three or four more chapters and I'll be able to expand however I like :D

Well not however I like, but you get it! xD


It's that time of year again! Nano Wrimo started yesterday! :D

Now, if you don't know what Nano Wrimo is, basically, you have to write 50,000 words in the month of November. You don't get anything, but it's a challenge that I, as a writer like to meet every year.

Last time, I focused on my original story, butttt this time! :D I'm focusing on mainly When All Is Forgotten and Dancing in the Dark (revisement). – Which is why I'm already almost half done with the next chapter!

The reason for this announcement, however, is because I'm putting up a poll for When All Is Forgotten. :D I'll encourage you to check it out and vote on it so you get to have a say! xP

Keep in mind I won't post the results (so you won't see the answer) just to keep it as a surprise when it comes up in the story. ;P

Also, feel free to leave me a PM with the reasons for choosing what you did along with a reason for not liking a certain answer – it could affect my choice in the long run.


Thank you guys so much for all the reviews/favorites/follows! I love that everyone was so worried about Cinder! x'D THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SOOOO MUCH!

I hope you guys like this and I'll make sure to update again real soon!

-Niki