Thanks to Jack Skellington's Mistress for being my Beta

"It's so high up here," Anna remarked, "And so peaceful with no one around."

"Yes, I know," Eragon sighed, "I started here when I was training as a Dragon Rider."

"So what is it that you were going to show me?" asked Anna, curious.

"Look out the window" Eragon replied slyly.

Anna walked over to the window and looked out. There were trees as far out as she could see, birds were singing and everything was peaceful.

"Everything is just so beautiful." Anna smiled. "But there must be a reason for you bringing me here...?"

"Yeah, there is." Eragon paused. "It's to do with the King, or your father, isn't that right? The King is your father?"

"How did you know?" Anna asked slowly, dragging out every syllable.

"Well, when you jumped out the window with the dragon egg, someone helped you didn't they? That's why your body wasn't found?" queried Eragon.

"Yes, but what has that got to do with anything?" Anna was getting quite confused by now.

"Was it an elf?" asked Eragon.

"Yes but I never got her name." said Anna, "She just said to go to where the first Dragon Rider of our time lived and help would come."

"Her name was Arya" Eragon said simply. There was silence for a few moments before...

"You still haven't told me why you brought me here." said Anna.

"I know. Patience. Can I have your hand for a moment?" asked Eragon.

"What one?" asked Anna, slightly taken aback.

"Your right one." said Eragon, and Anna gave him her right hand, "This is why I brought you here, you see?"

Anna looked down and saw her mark of the Dragon Riders, "What about it, it's just a mark."

"You know just as well as I do it's not just a mark." said Eragon, looking fiercely into her deep blue eyes.

"Look... I know," Anna began, shaking slightly. "It's just-"

"What?" Eragon interrupted.

"I shouldn't even be here," Anna said abruptly, almost a whisper it was so quiet. "I should just go." she spun on her feet and headed for the door.

"No! Wait..." said Eragon, "You have every right to be here; you belong here just as much as what I do."

Anna paused at the door, but didn't face him. "No I don't."

Anna hurried down the ladder, Eragon close behind her calling things like "Wait" and "Please don't go," but that didn't stop her.

When she got to the bottom, Eragon yelled out "Don't go...I love you!"

She stopped so fast, she seemed to be frozen. No one had ever said that they loved her, not even her father on his good days.

"How can you say that, no one has loved me, not even my own father!" Anna swiveled around and screamed out to Eragon, who had came down from the tree house and was standing awkwardly at the bottom, "And your just said that to make me stay."

"Hey it worked didn't it?" asked Eragon, moving closer.

"Yes..." Anna grumbled, almost smiling despite herself. "But I know you don't like me at all."

"Then you don't know me very well." said Eragon, only a few inches away.

The wind was blowing in Anna's long brown hair as she looked up at Eragon's grin. She had tears of happiness rolling down her face. This was the first time that she was loved.

"Don't ever do a runner on me again" said Eragon, tentatively wrapping his muscled arms around her thin waist. "Alright?"

"Alright." Anna grinned and thinking 'This day hasn't turned out like I planed, it turned out better!'

Everything felt like a dream, slightly blurred and almost frayed at the edges. Then a gunshot sounded.

"Get down, Anna!" Eragon yelled pulling down Anna with him.

They landed with a crack in the bushes, branches snapping and breaking beneath them.

Anna felt wet, cold and sticky, not knowing why until a moment later Eragon said, "It's alright to go they have lefts us to be, I think. But be careful, you're bleeding badly."

"It's painful, can you do something about it?" asked Anna, wincing. She hadn't felt it until then, but thinking about it made her feel ill.

"I won't be able to fix it completely, but I can heal the skin." said Eragon, "Do you still want me to do it?"

"No, don't worry" said Anna, gasping slightly. What use was just the skin being healed?

"Here, let me help you up to the tree house, so if the gunman come back they won't be able to see us." He took her hand and walked her up into the tree-house.