a/n: went ahead and added this, too, since i had this sitting here. just needed some tweaking.

have fun!


Around evening, Roran finally got up from his hiding place. He looked out his window to see that it was night. The sun had set, leaving the trees on the mountain to look menacing in the dark. He must have fallen asleep without realizing.

He remembered what he told Eragon then and couldn't suppress a groan.

Why had he blown up like that?

It had been three summers since the two had met.

Eragon was unlike the other boys from Carvahall. Nevertheless, Roran quickly grew to like the boy. He was blunt at times, even callous, and maybe a bit strange, but he had an obvious wealth of knowledge when it came to hunting. He knew how to create traps and follow animal trails in the forest. In some ways, he acted not quite human. He always muttered to himself, too, and Roran wondered at times if he was sane.

But he was also quite kind. He would try to hide it, acting cold, unapproachable, and conceited which often got them into small fistfights. Eragon said that the only reason he met with Roran was to keep him out of the Spine, but Roran was able to see through the facade. He knew the boy enjoyed spending time with him as much as Roran enjoyed spending time with Eragon. He decided not to point it out to preserve the boy's dignity. Roran would be so bold as to say that Eragon was like a little brother.

Eragon wouldn't understand how much the absence of his mother hurt. He didn't have his own, and it's not like he could read minds. Does he even know what death is? Regardless, Eragon had emotions, too. He would obviously be hurt by the things Roran had said. That didn't mean Roran was any less angry at the boy.

His eyes turned to the Spine in the darkness outside his window. Just the sight was intimidating, let alone thinking about entering. Let him stew for now, he thought, thinking he could find Eragon some other time. So with a sigh, he decided to let it rest. For now, he needed to find his father.