Chapter 35: Daughter

Author Notes: OMG!! Brom is dyslexic!! Take that Thorin!!! Now what do you think of your precious Brom? At least Eldrey has had some real turmoil in his life!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inheritance series. Just the charries that come from my mind.

*Two years later*

Brom glared at the papers in front of him. As much as he hated the rebels that kept attacking the villages of Alagaësia, as much as he hated Eldrey, there was one thing he hated more. Paperwork.

Currently, he was working on a report for the council about the latest attack the rebels had launched. He rubbed his eyes and picked up his pen. Bloody letters. They swam in front of his eyes; making weird words that he knew weren't really words. It had always been that way; he had always had trouble reading and writing. He hated reading. When he and Eldrey had been in school, Eldrey had always read the lesson out loud, so Brom could understand it. If he read it himself, he often got a completely different story than what everyone else was reading.

But Eldrey wasn't here to help him now and that was that.

After about two hours of struggling to write his report, Brom threw the pen across the room in frustration. It stuck in the door frame.

A second later, someone knocked on the door and opened it. Zera eyed the quivering pen that was stuck at eye level and sighed.

"Trouble?" she asked airily. Brom looked at her mutinously.

"You could say that," he hissed, giving the papers in front of him a death-glare. "I hate paperwork," he said sourly, crossing his arms. Zera had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. He reminded her of their daughter. She came up behind him and rubbed his back.

"How about you dictate and I'll write it out?" she suggested, easing the knots in his shoulders.

"That sounds good. Oh, right there!" He leaned back, enjoying the massage. Zera leaned over his shoulder, pressed her cheek against his.

"After we are done, your grandmother invited us to dinner."

He grunted. "Do we have to go?"

"Yes. We have passed on two other invitations in the past few weeks. We have to go." She paused, her hands sliding over his shoulders to rest on his chest, making small circles. "Mat is supposed to be there.

He sighed. He knew he was caught. "Fine."

Zera smiled and kissed his cheek before taking up a new pen and shooing him out of the chair. "Tell me what to write."

An hour later, the report was finished, ready to send to the council. Brom sank into a chair and closed his eyes.

"Come on, Rider," Zera teased, opening the door. "Get ready to go. We are leaving in an hour." She closed the door softly and Brom was left to himself. He hurried down the stairs from his study to the bedroom he shared with Zera. He listened carefully, his sensitive hearing picking up Zera and Zaahira's chatter. He smiled as he closed the door to the washroom and started the water.

You are happy today, little one, Vervada commented, her voice happy.

Yes I am, he said as he shaved with magic. Has Mat arrived yet?

Yes. Yali is here in the Dragonhold. She says hello.

Give her my greetings. Are you and Beroa going to take us to Tialdarí Hall? He felt her mental eye roll.

Of course.

He fell silent for several minutes, washing and thinking. Zera had become far more affectionate towards him in the three years since Zaahira's birth than she had ever been before. He liked it, he loved her more than ever, but he wondered if she really cared for him as much as he did for her.

How did I get stuck with such an insecure Rider? Vervada asked, exasperated, having heard his thoughts. For someone who is so well educated, you can be so dense! Hello, do you see the way she looks at you?

What does it matter how she looks at me? Brom said, confused.

Vervada laughed. You might be an all powerful Rider, but you're so naïve…

I am not! he protested hotly.

Yes you are, she said smugly.

Am not!

Are too!

Am not!

Knock, knock, knock.

"Brom, are you ready?"

Aah!! I'm not dressed!!

She rolled her eyes. Wow. That was more than I needed to know.

Get over yourself, Vada.

She gave his a fleeting vision of her dragon-grinning before she said, broadcasting to let Zera hear her, Well, then you should stop waving that brush around like a manic and get dressed, shouldn't you?

Vervada!!! Brom shouted both mentally and vocally. Behind the door, he heard Zera laughing. Pulling on his trousers and tunic, he stomped out of the washroom, muttering under his breathe about dragons who needed to mind their own business. Zera came up behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder.

"She likes teasing you, that one," she said softly. He smiled and brought her around to face him, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Aye. Where's Zaahira?"

"Daddy!!"

"Never mind," he laughed, releasing his lover just in time to catch the little girl who launched herself at him. She was dressed up in a sapphire blue tunic with blue ribbons twined through her golden curls. Brom laughed when the little girl made a silly face at him.

"Go see gramma?" she demanded. He laughed and sent a mental message to Vervada to meet them at the foot of their tree. He hoisted Zaahira over his shoulder and beckoned to Zera to take his hand.

"We're going to see her right now," he informed his daughter as they headed down the stairs to the ground. Vervada was waiting for them, her scales gleaming in the filtered light.

Little one, she said, lowering her head to Brom's level. Zaahira squealed with delight when the dragon blew hot air in her face.

"Vada, Vada!!" she crowed, patting Vervada's snout. The dragon closed her eyes. Brom got a feeling of contentment from the dragon and grinned.

Getting old already Vervada? he teased. She snorted.

If I am getting old, you are older, she retorted. Laughing, Brom set his daughter down and swung into the dragon's saddle, reaching down for Zera to hand him Zaahira.

Come on, let's race Zera and Beroa to the Hall, Brom suggested as Vervada heaved her bulk off the forest floor and flapped her great wings, sending a shower of leaves down. She nodded her great head and hovered for a moment, waiting for her mate to take off before darting away towards the Hall. With a challenging roar, the great green dragon took after them. Zaahira squealed as the wind rushed over them. Brom held her tight, binding her legs to the saddle with magic. Behind them, he could hear Beroa's playful roaring. Suddenly, Vervada flipped in the air and took a straight dive towards the ground, to a large clearing designated for landings. Brom's stomach dropped as the ground rushed up to them and Zaahira screamed. Just before Brom though they would crash, Vervada spread her glittering, opal wings and pulled out of the dive. She landed gracefully and tucked her wings against her body, neck arching playfully.

You great lizard!! Brom scolded her as he and Zaahira tumbled off her back, Zaahira securely held against her father so she wouldn't hurt herself. Before Vervada could answer, before Brom had a chance to do more than jump under Vervada for protection, Beroa landed and Zera was next to them, laughing. Her hair had come out of its braid and it tumbled around her shoulders. He grinned.

"A little wind tossed, huh?" he teased. She rolled her eyes and quickly redid her braid.

"Well, I hope you three are done playing around," a man drawled behind them. Turning, Brom grinned and clasped hands with the black haired man behind him.

"Mat! Good to see you!"

"Greetings, cousin," Mat smiled at Zera before scooping Zaahira up and tossing her in the air. The little girl squealed and wrapped her chubby arms around Mat's neck.

"Unka Mat!" she cried. "Unka Mat, Unka Mat!!"

"Hello, princess," he crooned, giving her a peck on the cheek. Zaahira adored Mat, a sentiment he returned in spades. More that once, Brom had come back from a trip across Alagaësia and found his daughter clutching a new toy or showing him some small treasure she had not possessed before. After the first three times, he had learned to simply smile and say, "Mat came by, didn't he?" when he saw his mate.

"Okay Mat, I already told you, you can't marry her for two hundred years," Brom joked, nodding to the older rider. Mat laughed and hoisted Zaahira over his shoulder, much to her delight.

"Who said anything about marrying?" he joked, enjoying teasing Brom. "I might just keep her and never let you see her again."

"And I would be forced to kick your ass for that," Brom said jovially.

As they strolled to the Hall, the adults continued joking around while Zaahira laughed. Caleb and Dail were waiting for them just inside the doors. Caleb captured his granddaughter from Mat, much to the little girl's delight. Dail greeted her cousin warmly, grabbing him in a fierce hug.

"How are things in Vroengard?" Caleb asked as they hurried to the dining hall. Mat shrugged.

"Same as always. The council is still debating on how to best cut off the rebels." He gave another shrug and made a silly face at Zaahira over Caleb's shoulder. "I don't think they are really trying to stop them."

"I'm sure they are trying. Any news on the rebels themselves?" Dail questioned. Mat shook his head.

"No. They've effectively disappeared. No one has seen hide or hair of them in two years."

"They'll show up," Brom said firmly. "Eldrey's to proud to stay in hiding for long. I'm surprised it's lasted this long."

By this time, they had reached the dining hall and gone in. Arya and Eragon, who was visiting briefly, greeted the Riders, making a fuss over Zaahira. Dinner was quiet, a rare meal of only family. Stories from Vroengard and Ellesmera were swapped, laughter rang out frequently.

"We should go home," Zera said eventually, nodding to Zaahira, who had fallen asleep in Eragon's lap, fingers hooked around the belt of Beloth the Wise. Arya regard the child with amusement glinting in her emerald eyes.

"She's such a sweet child," she murmured, reaching out to stroke the girl's golden hair. "She reminds me of Jorium. He had eyes of gold as well." She bit her lip.

"Matera," Dail said softly, resting a hand on her mother's shoulder. Zera shifted, unsure of what to say.

"She's a Shadeslayer, Grandmom," Brom said lightly. "She's exceptional in everyway."

Eragon grinned at his mate, a mischievous smile Zera instantly recognized, having seen it many times on his grandson's face.

"Of course she's special," he said as he gently pried Zaahira's fingers from his belt. "And with her bloodline, I've no doubt she'll be a Rider." He gently picked her up and passed her to her father, who easily took her weight. "And even if she doesn't, no way will she ever be ordinary."