To Udvum's immeasurable relief, Firnen heaved a great sigh and began breathing again. Udvum ran to Arya's side.

"I've killed it. The Deloiblaka is dead." He assured her. She looked up. "I couldn't feel Firnen's mind. I thought-" He stopped, imagining how he would feel if Gulmer had died.

"I had to cast a spell and conceal his consciousness. If the Deloiblaka overpowered both of you it might've come back for him, helpless as he was." Arya stroked Firnen's snout and whispered to him. Udvum pulled out Soluseitha. The topaz in the pommel had a great reserve of energy, for he had added much and it had already had some when he got it. He tapped into the great pool and fed it into Firnen. When Soluseitha was empty, Udvum repeated the process with Solusrisa. Once both were empty, Firnen managed to stand and flap his wings. Arya turned to Udvum.

"He tells me this was your doing?" She asked. Udvum nodded.

"I gave him the energy from my axes." Arya bowed her head toward him.

"Then you have my thanks, Udvum-vor." The honorific named Udvum a close friend to Arya. Udvum nodded and turned back toward Gulmer. Suddenly, Saphira landed directly in front of him, and Eragon leaped from her back before the dust had settled. He rolled as he landed, rushing to Arya's side and speaking quietly. Arya smiled at his concern, but Udvum couldn't hear what she said to reassure him. Arya turned to Udvum then. "I must get back to Ellesmera. You have found Eragon and his Rider fortress, and Firnen needs to recover." With that, Arya turned and walked alongside Firnen back the way they had come. Eragon waved at her back, and turned to Udvum.

"It is time to begin your advanced training. Let us start with a test. Ward the edges of your axes, please." Eragon drew his sword and muttered in the ancient language. In a few seconds, they were both ready. Eragon struck immediately, and Udvum blocked it. Eragon struck again, and many times after, getting faster and faster with his strikes. Udvum defended, easily at first, and when he sensed desperation coming he tried to hook Eragon's sword with his axe. Eragon pushed forward with a stab, though, and it ended up entangling Soluseitha instead of Eragon's sword. Now Udvum only had Solusrisa to block the stab, and he barely managed that. From that moment on, what with Eragon's constant and rapid increase in speed, Udvum was forced into desperate, fleeting blocks that left no time to counter and barely enough time to bring up his other axe to block the next stroke. Soon, Udvum couldn't defend anymore. When he realized that his blocks would be ineffective, he began leaping from side to side, back and forth, and trying to counter every chance he got. After a moment of this, Udvum saw an opening. He struck at Eragon's exposed abdomen, but the man brought his blue sword up faster than even Arya had when she had sparred with Udvum. As his sword moved, though, Udvum brought his other axe forward, striking Eragon's left leg. When Eragon bent slightly with the impact, bringing his sword down in a late block, Udvum swung back in with Solusrisa. Eragon tried to move his guard, but he was a second too late. Udvum's stroke landed directly into Eragon's chest.

"Better than Arya said." Eragon rubbed his chest. Udvum nodded.

"Thank you, ebrithil."

"May I see your axes?" Eragon had moved a bit closer to Udvum.

"Of course, ebrithil." Udvum handed over Solusrisa and Soluseitha. Eragon looked them over.

"How did you convince Rhunon to make these?" Eragon asked.

"Well, she said she'd sworn never to make a Rider sword, so I told her I wanted axes, not a sword. She simply made them." Eragon smiled at some memory unshared with Udvum. Then he spoke again.

"Sunrise and Sunset, eh? Mine's Brisingr." When Eragon said 'brisingr,' the blue sword slid several centimeters out of its sheath, and blue fire ran along its length. It slid back into the sheath after a moment, the fire dying off. Udvum decided he might show off his weapons as Eragon had. He mouthed "gath," barely using his voice at all. Eragon didn't appear to hear the word, as he began to return the axes to Udvum. Suddenly, right before Eragon's eyes, Udvum's two rings on his belt turned to one tube on his back, and Solusrisa and Soluseitha turned into the longer Solusbrisingr. Eragon looked shocked, still holding Solusbrisingr out toward Udvum, but Udvum simply took the axe and slid it into the tube.

"And how'd you get Rhunon to make it?" Udvum asked casually. Eragon looked at him blankly.

"What's happened, there?" Eragon asked. Udvum raised his eyebrow, then seemed to understand.

"Oh, that's Solusbrisingr. When I need a heavier weapon." Udvum then put his chin into his chest so Eragon couldn't see his mouth and reached back for Solusbrisingr. When he had it, he started to twirl it in his hand, mouthing "vrangr." As he twirled the axe, it turned into Solusrisa and Soluseitha, and he found himself twirling the axes into their rings on his belt. Eragon blinked several times.

"Was that Rhunon's doing?" He asked. Udvum nodded.

"And your sword?" Udvum asked. "How did you get Rhunon to make you a weapon?"

"Oh, that's a long story."

"I've got time." Udvum started to settle down and listen, but Eragon interrupted.

"No, you don't. Let's get moving."

The two mounted their dragons, who immediately took off. Saphira had to slow down in order for Gulmer to keep up, but they still made good time. They landed in the fortress, and Eragon and Udvum dismounted.

"I see you've some combat experience, which is only natural as a dwarf of Durgrumst Ingeitum. You have much more to learn, still. It seems as though you flew through your combat training, but your magic needs work. You also split with your dragon too easily. You obviously need to strengthen your bond. The fight with the Deloiblaka was successful-" Udvum drew himself up and started to smile at the praise. "-but it was purely luck. Had you flown a few centimeters higher, you wouldn't have been in its blind spot, and it would have killed you and Gulmer." Udvum frowned. "Welcome to six years of advanced training, Udvum, Gulmer. I am proud of your advancements in what Arya had to teach you, although most of that was prior knowledge from your dwarf life. I will not resume from where Arya left off, but rather start again. I will teach you everything in much greater detail, and it will take nearly ten times as long for each lesson. I say again, welcome to six years of training. If you are not prepared, it will overwhelm you. If it does that, you will be sent back to Arya for beginner's training again. I will not tolerate an incompetent Rider. So I ask you, are you prepared?"

"Yes, ebrithil." Udvum already found himself with an irrational desire to make Eragon proud. It would hinder him, he knew, but he could not help it. "Yes, I am ready."

Eragon seemed unconvinced. "Hm." He spun on his heel and strode from the monstrous courtyard. He reached a keep of sorts, and turned back to Udvum. "Off to a bad start!" he called. Udvum started and ran after his master.

The next three years flew by quickly. It was all repeat of what Arya had taught him, and Udvum was quick to learn any additional points Eragon mentioned. Eragon sped up Udvum's Rider transformation, and gave him armor to match his axes. It was scaled, but more like a snake than a dragon. It was simple, light, and strong, and therefore easy for Udvum to fight in. Then, nearly at the end of those three years, another dragon landed. This one was a purple male, and on its back an Urgal.

Over the next three years of training, Udvum struggled. There were two reasons for this. Even three years superior, the Urgal had had much more prior knowledge, even of magic, which Udvum found strange. He seemed to surpass Udvum in everything, although Gulmer was quite superior to the purple dragon. The other reason was that Eragon was teaching new things and Udvum couldn't seem to succeed. Finally, at the end of Udvum's training, he had a final spar with Eragon. This time, Eragon didn't start slow.

Eragon swung quickly, and both of Udvum's axes moved in order to block. This time, Udvum dodged and blocked, countered, and lost. He was disappointed in himself, especially when Eragon told him that he would remain training with the Urgal in combat. The Urgal was named Vugnak, and he used a sword-staff called Vrilvindr, or Whirlwind. It was aptly named, for he used it by spinning it and moving forward. The battle was short, and Udvum realized that he was superior in battle to Vugnak, but he couldn't seem to use the extent of his skill.

After the year was over, Eragon tested Udvum again. Over the year, Udvum had learned to suppress his unnecessary emotions during battle, and managed to beat Eragon once before he was beat. Eragon let Udvum "graduate" this time, and spent two more years training Vugnak. Udvum practiced all of his skills during this time, and was still a successful and competent Rider by the time Vugnak was finished.

"There is something that needs to be done," Eragon said, pacing before Udvum and Vugnak. The two new riders leaned unconsciously away from each other, and their dragons uttered low growls every once in a while. "You two have finished your training, and now must be posted in Alagaesia in order to keep order and laws there. Udvum! You will be posted near Gil'ead, at a fortress built on Isenstar. Watch over that area. Vugnak, between Uru'baen and Dras-Leona. Good luck to both of you." As they left, Udvum heard Eragon muttering.

"Hope they're not killed by the Ra'zac."