The First of Many

"Is everyone here?"

"Yes Eragon, this is everyone."

Eragon glanced over the group of soldiers, who Eragon later learned where Varden spies that were smuggled into the Empirial army by the man known as officer. Eragon assumed Officer to be the man in the uniform similar to Arya's, after Eragon finished his sweep of the crowd before him, he started.

"This is the plan. Saphira and I will travel at night, with either you Officer or you Arya. You will switch every other night. This will give the illusion that they." Eragon motioned to the eight men behind them. "Are most likely on a scouting mission." He directed his words to officer. "Correct me if I'm wrong but it's not very common to see two high ranking officers leading a group of eight men, let along south."

Officer looked down in thought before replying.

"No, you are right. That would most likely draw more than needed attention."

"Ad for that reason you and Arya will travel with Saphira and I every other night."

Arya and Officer brought their head closer together and started whispering about something Eragon couldn't hear. After a few moments they looked back to him, Arya spoke first.

"It's a good plan if everything goes well we shouldn't have any difficulty."

Brom cut in. with an irritated voice.

"Except. Me with all your planning you forgot to include me."

"No, no I didn't. We're trance porting you south to one of the empires interrogation barracks."

He directed his attention back to Officer.

"That is, if the rumors of the king having interrogation barracks in the Hadarac Desert are true."

A large grin appeared on Officers face.

"Indeed they are."

He looked back to Brom.

"Of course we need to make it look convincing, so you'll be lightly shackled, so if you run in to trouble you'll be able to easily escape and defend yourself."

Brom lowered his head also deep in thought. After several long moments he looked back up and answered.

"I can see no fault in your plan, it's a solid plan."

Arya interrupted.

"How well we find you at night."

"I will place wards over Saphira and myself to only allow you, Arya to scry us."

Arya looked surprise at his understanding of magic.

"I did not realize Brom had taught you so much."

"He didn't. A side effect of the Rider's Wrath is that I gain an instinctual understanding of the ancient language."

This surprised Arya, but what surprised her more is that he replied in the ancient language. At a loss for words she only nodded. He continued in normal Alagaisian.

"Now if there are no more questions."

Eragon waited several moments looking around at the crowd before him.

"No? Good. Now Officer if you would like you can accompany Saphira and me first."

He nodded and walked over to where he stood. Before he climbed aboard Saphira, Eragon went and placed wards over himself. He turned to Arya.

"You might want to do the same with you and the soldiers."

"Yes, that would be a good idea."

Eragon nodded and showed Officer, how to climb up to the saddle. After they were positioned on the saddle, he turned to Arya.

"You'll meet us thirty eight leagues south east from here. That should be manageable?"

Arya nodded in response. Without a second though Saphira leapt in to the night air angling south east.

"And so it begins."

"Yes Saphira, the King time is counting down. And we shall be the ones to hand deliver him to the void."

Saphira snorted in satisfaction letting out a black plume of smoke, at least Eragon though it was black he couldn't tell in the night sky.

"So Officer what do you know about the empire?"

"The question is more like, what don't I know about the empire."

"Oh, well someones an over achiever." Eragon replied jokingly.

"For the past twenty five years I made it my obsession to learn all that I could about the empire. I went from being a foot soldier, to commanding entire armies, there's little I don't know about the empire. I even learned a few things no one else knows, except the king."

"Like what?"

"Now isn't the time. When the time is right I will reveal the information, and not a moment sooner."

"I understand."

"Thank you."

The rest of the flight went by without any issues. Officer told Eragon some of the more widely known secrets, and Eragon in return told him how he raised Saphira and what it was like. Saphira took great pleasure at remembering all the long walks through the forest Eragon took her on, talking to her and telling her about his child hood. She started to feel a slight tingling in the pit of her stomach. She was curious at what it meant, she never felt it before. Unconcerned she pushed it off and continued to listen, Eragon was now talking about what it was like when she first hated for him. As he spoke the tingling feeling returned with slightly greater intensity, although now she enjoyed it, it felt nice and she relaxed into the new feeling. It was another few hours of flying before they reached their destination. Saphira could have made it there in a much shorter time, but Eragon had convinced her not to exert too much energy when she didn't need to. Eragon's concern for her made her happy, but her pride would let him know that.

It was a medium size clearing about forty leagues south east of where they started. It was hidden by two hills. It took them little less than an hour to get fully unpacked and settled around a medium size fire, Eragon added an enchantment so there wouldn't did any smoke. After they finished their meal, a pot of soup Eragon made using the rest of his meat and wild vegetables, Eragon went over to Saphira's saddle and retrieved Varorumo & Blodhvandr, and brought them back over to the fire.

"What are those?" Officer motioned to his blades.

"They were a gift."

Officer looked at the red and blue blades with great interest.

"I've never seen such craftsmanship. What are their names?"

Eragon didn't see anything wrong with telling him their names.

"Varorumo & Blodhvandr"

Officer's face froze it pure amazement.

"Those…those are Varorumo & Blodhvandr? The blades created by sea serpents themselves?" He asked in a shaky voice.

"I'll tell you because you've proven you can be trusted, don't break my trust." Eragon said coldly.

Officer nodded in agreement.

"They were given to me by Brom, and to him by Vrael before Galbatorix murdered him. And I assume you already know the tall behind them."

"Aye, I do. I never truly believed it though, an old hermit traveling to the serpents, asking for their help, them agreeing, and let along using their own magical abilities to forge the single deadliest weapon in existence."

"Now, could you tell me how you know so much about these blades?"

"I spent a lot of time in Uru'baen, and when I had off time, which was quite often, I would spend it in the great library, and even spent a lot of time in the king personal library. I learned a great deal of things. But when I was in the king personal library, I spent most of my time looking through the ancient magics and magic theories."

Eragon gaped at him wide eyed.

"So you were allowed into is personal library?" Eragon said in disbelief. He even felt Saphira's surprise at his confession.

"Yes and when the time is right I will go with you to the elves and share my knowledge with them."

"How do know I'll go to the elves?"

"It's only to be expected, you're the first free dragon and rider to exist outside of the king control in over a century, of course the elves are going to want to meet you."

Eragon had to admit that his argument made sense. Eragon looked around the clearing and realized that the sun is already up and was about half way over the horizon. He directed his attention to Officer.

"We should get some rest; it's going to be a long night."

Officer looked at the sun.

"Aye, that we do. Alright see you tonight."

Eragon nodded and watched as Officer walked over and crawled into his one person sized tent. Eragon then strapped the two blades to his back, crossing them in an "X" form on his back. He then walked over to Saphira and crawled under her wing to go to sleep. It was a little before evening when Eragon felt Arya scry him, he fissured he must be close so he crawled out from under Saphira's wing.

"Good evening Little One."

"Good evening Saphira. How was your day?"

"Much the same as yours. When I wasn't sleeping, I was keeping watch."

"Anything unusual happen?"

"No."

Eragon sat down leaning against her shoulder and started to rub her neck and scratch behind her jaw, waiting for the others to arrive, Saphira started to hum with contentment as Eragon scratched. A few moments passed and Eragon heard the brush off to his side rustle, he looked over and saw Officer appear with two bucks. And a pouch of wild herbs and vegetables.

"Impressive, I know how heavy one buck can be, and come strolling on in here with two." Eragon said with a hint of amusement.

"Arya cooked the last few meals for the troops and myself, I only want to repay the favor."

"Here let me help."

Eragon walked over and took on of the bucks. After they carried them over to a clear spot off to the side of the clearing, they went ahead and gutted and bled the two deer. Eragon gave the innards to Saphira who happily gulped them down. They then built a large fire, big enough for the two deer, and using magic suspended them in the air using the fire as the magics fuel. Eragon then relight the smaller fire and made a pot of stewed vegetable for Arya, He then set an enchantment to send the smell to the meat to the soldiers and the stew to Arya to help guide them. It was only a few hour later when the sun was about half way below the horizon when the group appeared through the brush. Eragon could see the look of joy on the soldier's faces when they saw the deer cooking over the fire, even Brom looked relieved, And the look of surprise when Arya saw the stewed vegetables, she looked even more surprised when she saw the floating deer rotating.

"How did you do that?" she gestured to the deer.

"I used magic, and then I set an enchantment to draw energy from the fire and recycle it."

Arya frowned.

"That's not possible. The magic has to be drawn from the caster."

Eragon looked at her confused.

"And yet I did so."

Arya's eyes widened.

"Come now Arya, you've been traveling all day, you all have, come and eat we can talk about this later."

To his relief she agreed. She dismounted along with ever one else, and made their way over to the food. Eragon used magic to move the deer away from the fire so the troops could cut into it without burning themselves from the fire. Arya ladled the soup in to a bowl and eagerly started eating. She was surprised at how good it was, usually when people attempted to make a vegetarian meal it turned out horrid, so this was a pleasant surprise.

"Like it?"

She turned and saw Eragon sitting next to her with a plate of meat and vegetables.

"Yes it is good. Honestly I'm a little surprised. When someone other than an elf attempts to make a vegetarian dish it turn out horrid."

Eragon let out a small chuckle.

"When I was growing up we never had an abundance of meat. So most of the time we made what we grew and scavenged in the woods."

Arya swallowed the food she had in her mouth before she replied.

"Well, this is very good, thank you."

"Think not of it. I threw that together without much thought. I only wanted you to have something worth eating." He looked over at her threw the corner of his eye and smiled. "So, how did it smell?"

She looked at him startled.

"You did that?"

He let out a small chuckle.

"Aye, I sent the smell of the meat to the troops and Brom, and I sent the smell of the stew to you. I hoped it would find us."

"It certainly did we were traveling in the wrong direction when we caught the smell. At first I was confused because there was no wind, and I got even more confused when the troops smelled meat when I smelt the stew. But t our hunger got the best of use and we followed the smell, good thing to."

Eragon turned to look at her and she did the same, they locked their eyes on one another for several long moments before the sound of laughter broke them apart. To Eragon's surprise Officer was doing a little dance which was actually pretty funny to watch, Even Saphira was laughing a bit. After enjoying the evening's entertainment and everything was cleaned up, he tuned to Saphira.

"It's getting late we should be off soon."

Saphira looked up at the sky and saw he was right.

"I guess so. You should inform Arya and Officer."

He turned to look at Arya.

"We should be off soon, the night grows late and we have far to travel."

"Very well, go inform Officer. I'll get ready."

Eragon nodded and stood up, then walked over to Officer.

"We're leaving soon. Meet us around forty leagues south from here. When the day grows late I will send the smell of food to you, much like tonight."

"We will leave at first light."

Eragon nodded and started to walk away but Brom caught his arm.

"Eragon tomorrow ask Arya if she would continue your training. I can't do so, seeing I have to stay here."

"Very well, I will ask her when we land for the day."

Brom nodded and let go of his arm.

"I see you have accepted my gift."

Eragon looked at him confused.

"On your back Eragon"

Then he realized what he meant.

"Oh, of course I have. I would have to be a complete fool not to do so. Thank you again Brom, and have a good night's rest."

Brom bowed his head and Eragon walked over to Saphira, Arya was standing next to her all packed.

"Ready?"

"Yes, let's not waist any more time."

Arya nodded and watched As Eragon climbed up on Saphira's back, Arya mimicked his movement and settled behind him, and griped his waist as Saphira leapt into the air.