Hello, again :). 100 reviews. Wow. Quite a feat. Awesome, thanks guys. Anyway, this chapter is from Eragon's POV, don't worry, it's gonna turn back around to Nasuada and Murtagh next chapter. That one should be out soon. I'm feeling renewed vigor for this fic XD, So, cool. Chapter 27 will be from Arya's POV, so I hope y'all are anticipating that. I plan to shake things up a bit – well, no, actually a lot. XD. I think Eragon might actually be on his way out of being a reverse pedophile! REVIEW!

I originally started this fic with the intent of romance. But then all this – how can I say this? – Crap happened. So now I can finally start heading the right direction! Another thing: I just realized I've been spelling Borromeo wrong… Whoops. And I've haven't put the disclaimer in for a while either, so…

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inheritance Cycle or any of the characters, nor do I claim to. But I am prone to insulting them. A lot.

Lolz, forgot about Roran… guess he's been at the Varden the whole time. But I don't really care about him, because Katrina pisses me off (don't ask me why, or you will be pissing me off :P). And okay, I know there was probably a million different magical things Eragon could have done to get water, but I was just trying to make things more interesting.

Unamuni: I saw your review :). So I brought Arya back. Yay! Forgot about her… xD. I was about to put Orik back too… fail. I really need to read Brisingr again. xD. Um... Read!

Chapter 25

That wasn't a very productive meeting, Eragon observed. He was sitting outside the tent with Saphira at his side.

In a certain respect, Saphira agreed. The girl was very pretty.

Eragon scoffed. So you would approve of me pursuing Lady Borremeo?

Are you asking my permission?

No! I don't understand. You'll frighten off a perfectly respectable user of magic, and you'll practically forbid me from becoming involved with Arya, but she's alright?

Trianna is not a perfectly respectable –

That's not the point, Eragon argued. What is it with you and women? Do you never want me to have a family or wife?

Not this argument again, Saphira said. I see no point in this quarrel if you are so determined not to take my advice, Eragon.

Neither do I, then.

After a long moment of silence, Eragon finally asked, Why is it that we've never seen Lady Borremeo at other Council meeting, or around the Varden's camp?

She's a princess. Most likely she spends her days locked inside Borromeo Castle. Did you see the way she running after she left the tent? Like she'd never seen sunlight before.

She is awfully pale, Eragon agreed. Why do you think Orrin never mentioned he had a sister before?

Why do never mention that you have a cousin? He probably never thought it worth mention, Saphira replied.

Or he was trying to prevent her from being courted, Eragon noted. There's not an unmarried man in Alagaësia who'd scorn her in his right mind. Say, have you seen Roran lately?

I saw him yesterday when I was flying back from the river, talking to the man who pounds metal, Saphira recalled. What an awful racket he makes.

Horst? Eragon asked. He decided he should track Roran down for a chat. He hadn't given a thought to his cousin, since Murtagh's capture, much less spoken to him.

And then, of course, he thought to himself, there's the unsolved problem of my half-brother. Could he be trusted?

I think the old Murtagh, the one you first met as steadfast and loyal, is still inside him, Saphira said, unfurling her wings in preparation for takeoff.

Aye. But what about Thorn? I certainly don't feel like the same Eragon I was before I found your egg in the Spine.

Indeed. You're much wiser, and more levelheaded. Now go find your cousin. Saphira flapped her wings and cloud of dust rose in her wake.

I suppose I could scry Roran, Eragon thought. Saphira had taken his water skin with her, though, when she had taken off, so he headed for the well the people of the Varden drew their water from.

As he approached, he saw Angela leaning leisurely against the well, speaking to Arya, who had her arms crossed tightly over her chest, and an obstinate set in her shoulders. The young boys whose mothers' had sent them to fetch water were staring at her in amazement.

Every eye at the well, however, shifted to Eragon as he reached the cavity, with the exception of Angela and Arya.

"If you come again," Angela was saying, "perhaps I'll be able to tell you more about your future."

"I don't want to know anything else about my future, I want to know what you told Eragon," Arya snapped.

Eragon's ears perked up at his name. "What do you want to know about me?" he asked, hauling a bucket that a young girl had lent him, dipping his hand in, and handing it back to her.

Arya's cheeks colored slightly. "I wanted to know what Angela saw in your knucklebones at Teirm," she said.

It was Eragon's turn to blush. "I…"

"I told her to mind her manners and keep her nose out of business that wasn't her own," Angela interjected.

Eragon took a bucket from a boy and filled it for him using magic. "I'd rather not say," he admitted. "But Solembum told me to look under the Menoa Tree to find a weapon, while I was there, and now I have Brisingr."

"I know," Arya said impatiently.

"Look at the elf princess," Angela taunted. "All worked up. Well, I won't tell you anything." And with that, she fled the well.

Eragon looked at Arya. "Angela knew you were a princess?" he asked, filling another bucket.

"Doesn't everyone, now?"

"I meant before that."

Arya sighed. "She knew my father in Ellesmera, so, yes, she did know. What are you up to today, Eragon?"

Taken by surprise, Eragon floundered for a moment. "I… I wanted to talk to my cousin, Roran, but I haven't the slightest clue where he might be. I've decided to scry him." He held up the little pool of water in his palm.

Arya nodded, stoic, as Eragon uttered, draumr kópa.

The water darkened in the fading afternoon light, as if a cloud had rolledover its surface, and then showed Roran talking to Albreit, Horst's son. It wasn't hard to guess where they were – the little children scurrying around, and the plates that sat in I front of them.

"I suppose it is about suppertime," Eragon said to Arya. "Care to join me?" he added almost hopefully.

She shook her head. "I've already eaten. I will walk with you, if you'd like."

Eragon, thinking he'd like that very much, nodded. "You've heard Nasuada left for Feinster?"

Arya nodded solemnly. "Orrin sent me a messenger, yes. I only wish she'd consulted me before she'd left."

Eragon agreed in silence. That subject had been exhausted quickly. "Did you know Orrin had a sister?"

"Nasuada has spoken about her in passing. They were childhood friends." Eragon hadn't noticed the fast pace they had taken on. They were now at the dining plain.

"I'll say goodbye to you here, Eragon," Arya said, turning and sprinting away like a panther.

Eragon watched her go, wending his way through the maze of tables.

"Eragon!" Roran hailed his cousin, grinning from a table thirty yards away.

Eragon strode over and sat beside Roran. A few of his companions openly gaped.

"What duties has the mighty Shadeslayer had to attend to?" Roran asked, punching Eragon in the shoulder lightly.

"Well, my liege lord abandoned me yesterday."

"Feeling a little lost?" Roran asked teasingly. "Is that why you finally wandered over here to see your old cousin?"

"I've been busy," Eragon mumbled guiltily. "How is Katrina?"

"Frankly, I've been avoiding her as much as possible," Roran confided. "She's taken up work as a washwoman. She makes a considerable amount of money. I am worried though; she's seriously considering leaving the Varden with our child if things don't die down soon."

"I doubt things are going to "die down". Not anytime soon at least," Eragon remarked grimly. "Anyhow, tell her she mustn't work; I'll provide for her whatever it is she requires."

"Nonsense." In his pride, Roran waved the offer away. "Whatever she can't make money for herself, my salary will cover."

"I'm not so sure Katrina would decline my offer," Eragon said. "She shouldn't be working in any case, not in her state. How's your back?"

"I'm recuperating. It doesn't hurt much, now."

"If you'd just let me do a little healing on it, you feel much better."

"No, no. Your liege lord," Roran said, stressing the work in contempt, "ordered me to let it heal naturally."

"My liege lord was following proper procedure for insubordination," Eragon said defensively.

"You're saying I committed insubordination?" Roran demanded.

"No. It doesn't matter. But Nasuada is never here, she'll never know." Before Roran could object, Eragon spoke the words in the ancient language.

I'm gonna try to make this short because I've been doing excessive Author's Notes. Um... Thanks to Writer of the North for trying to beta this time, I've really appreciated that a bunch. About my other fic, The Other Side: I'm lazy. Just being frank. I don't feel like writing it right now, so I don't know when the next chapter is going to be out. Thanks to all my beautiful reviewers again! And... Read Sanctuaria's fics, they rule! LOLz. Review!

P.S: I just want to say, there is a good reason why the chapter ended where it did... and... Eragon's stupidity is going to backfire. But then it always does, so... Ha.

The end! :D

-Seastar