Disclaimer: I do not own Eragon, the books, the movie, the characters, or anything else.

Some of the characters in this story may be fictional.

A/N:I am rating this story T for now. To make sure I keep the fan base I have currently I may post an M version, completely separate from this

version, in the event that it may offend some readers. However for now I will stick to a cleaner version. Thanks for the positive feed back.

Chapter 5

"My strength is draining fast, I must hold on. Oh, little one, this is not going to be the end. I won't let it. Why didn't I feel that you were in

danger? I should have protected you. I'm so sorry. Please stay with me. Just a little longer"

Saphira, filled with anguish and hurt glides toward the city of Ellesmera. She can see it now, in the distance, a span that would have taken her just

seconds to cover under usual circumstances. Now it feels like a destination, reachable only in dreams. On her back, she carries Eragon's wounded

trainer, in her talons, she carries her mortally wounded rider, Eragon Shadeslayer. Rapidly her strength weakens and wanes from her rider's pain and

fading life force. Her only desire is to get them safely to the healers of Ellesmera. Her only hope is that it is not already too late.

"We're almost there Saphira, just a bit longer. I know you can make it," Brom felt the dragon's breathing becoming labored, her typically taught body

growing slack. He closed his eyes and silently began to recite an ancient prayer for those wounded in battle. He had nearly given up hope, feeling the

struggle that the great blue dragon was working so hard to overcome, when he suddenly felt the beast land and nearly fall. Sure that there was no way

he could take the boy on his own, he rested his head against Saphira's trembling body. Then he felt himself being pulled by strong hands down from

the saddle. People all around were speaking the ancient language, almost in a chant. With great effort he opened his eyes, the world spinning, blurry,

and found he was being carried by two strong elves. "Eragon?" he whispered and the world went black.

Saphira through sheer unwillingness to let the young rider die had made it to the city of Ellesmera. There she gently placed him on a woven cloth that

draped the stairs of the elder's meeting hall and fell with a great crash to her side. Dozens of elves were with her immediately, first lifting the rider, and

then tenderly comforting the ailing dragon. With her last ounce of energy, she gave one last call to her rider.

"Eragon, you are our last hope for freedom, but this battle is not for your people, this battle is for your life. I will be with you, suffer with

you, and lend you my strength. Right now I will share with you the strength of my heart, so that with your will to live we can put this

tragedy behind us and allow ourselves to grow closer because of it. I am always with you, Eragon. Now you must fight."

Her energy finally depleted, Saphira collapsed into the arms of the elves trying desperately to comfort her, and closed her eyes, feeling nothing but

sadness at what she considered was her own failure to protect the one person who still held onto a thin shred of hope.