Finally I could see it, looming just above us. The great mountain that housed the Varden.

"Okay, so remember, they will probably want to check your memories. That will most likely be done by the Twins." She shivered unconsciously as she said that, "Also, your skill of getting people away from certain things may come in handy. Do not let them near anything having to do with your Father."

I ground my teeth, fighting against the urge to scream that he wasn't my father, just some crazy lunatic who thinks that he is my father. It took every ounce of my self control.

"Vanyali has grown a bit-"

A bit?! Her thoughts flew into our heads showing just how much she thought she had grown, which was maybe a foot. I was sure that was being generous, but there are some things better left unsaid, especially with my short-tempered little dragon.

Aramae laughed. "Alright, she has grown more than a bit. However, she still is vulnerable, even if she can put up quite a fight."

I turned to her, grinning. See that, Lili, she thinks you can give a better fight than your average cat.

She hissed, causing me to laugh and add, Don't worry, I think you could do better than that. You could probably take on the average pig and walk away with minimal scratches.

Cats are better than pigs. She growled, Besides, I could probably take three bears and walk away with no scratches what-so-ever.

"Whatever you say Lili." I said aloud, trying not to laugh again.

Aramae glanced over curiously. "What did you call her?"

"Oh, Lili? It's just a nickname for her. It's the last syllable of her name twice."

"That is very strange. Do you make up nicknames for everyone?"

"Most people. Or things. Yeah, pretty much anything."

"So what would mine be?"

"Ari."

"How did you come up with that?"

"I have no idea. It just sounds right and is shorter than Aramae."

"Oh. So what would you call King Galbatorix?"

I called to mind all of the names I had previously called him. At least those that I could remember. "King Crazy, King Nut-job, anything along those lines."

"Why do they sound so different from the ones you gave me and Vanyali?"

"The nicknames for you two are terms of endearment, like for friends. People you like. For the Royal Lunatic, they are more about showing what I think of him, you know, his inner Galby."

She laughed, then asked "May I try?"

"Umm, you don't really have to ask me if you can randomly call things by something other than their real names."

"Oh, okay, I think I get it now."

I shook my head as I realized how foreign these ideas were to her.

"I am going to call that deer..." She screwed up her face, thinking very, very hard about this, "Feodora."

I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing.

"What?" She asked, completely confused by my uncontrollable laughter. I tried really, really hard to stop, but with limited success. Very limited. "What?!" She asked again, more insistent.

I finally managed to quell my laughter long enough to choke out "That's not a nickname."

"So what is it?" She asked, not understanding what was so funny. She furrowed her brow.

"That's a real name."

"I do not get why that's amusing to you. I do realize that I am not you, however I still don't understand."

"I have no idea." I gasped, still laughing uncontrollably, "Make it stop, make it stop!"

"What? Stop what?" She sounded worried about me now, probably my mental state more than anything else.

"Lili! Lili stop! Tickling....not....good!"

Aramae looked relieved. "Vanyali is just, what did you say, tickling you? That does not sound very bad at all."

"Yes...it....is! Horrible....torture! Vanyali!" With a great deal of effort, I reached to my side, picked her up, and attempted to shove her in her saddle bag. Or, as I liked to call it, her time-out corner. It didn't work, she was too big now.

She growled in annoyance. I decided not to risk setting her back next to me, so I made her a leash out of some extra rope and tied it around her neck. I thought better of it, thinking, for one thing, it would be way too easy for her to get out of, and two, she might accidentally strangle herself with it. So, I took it off and tied it around her body, which she loathed, since I had been correct in assuming that she was going to attempt to free herself.

"Okay then, well in about an hour you might want to let her go." Aramae had that OMG-she-is-mental look on again.

"I will, when she learns that tickling people is only to be done to people that are evil." I glanced at her, reconsidering, then added, "Or at least people who aren't me."

Got it? I asked, so that only she could hear.

Fine, but for the record, I am not happy about this at all.

Noted.