So sorry that it keeps taking longer and longer to update. Read and review. Also…I have yet another poll that I am conjuring up to increase the likableness of this story. Enjoy

Chapter 61: Reconstruction

The three men surrounded the silver dragonet, sneering and cracking their knuckles as they circled around her.

"Are you mad?" Nasuada asked Covin'thra, who was growling at the three soldiers. "Run!"

"My brother never did," Covin'thra hissed. "I will fight like he does."

"But he is almost four times larger than you!" Nasuada replied. She was quickly stifled by a strict backhand slap from one of the intruders.

"You will pay for that one," Covin'thra growled. Suddenly, she opened up her maw and attempted to roar. To her surprise, her gentle chirp had vanished and was replaced with a deep, fearful screech. The three soldiers hopped back, shocked at the sound of the little dragon's voice. It was not long before all three converged on her. Instead of panicking, Covin'thra quickly began chomping off bits of flesh from the soldiers with her teeth, ripping them off and spitting them out on the floor. Because of her size, she was unable to attack the men's most vital areas, but missing flesh at the ankle region was painful enough.

"I have not even begun to use my claws yet," Covin'thra mocked. "Do you still wish to continue?"

"She must be the daughter of a demon," on of the men whispered to the leader. "Stave told us that they do not attack." Suddenly, the S marks on their foreheads vanished. The three men looked at each other briefly and then collapsed on the ground.

"Wow," Nasuada said breathlessly. "I am surprised at your battle tactics."

"You can thank my brother."

- - - - - - -

"Well," Murtagh said with a satisfied chuckle as he, Eragon, and Saphira gathered around the headless body of their once known enemy. "Now that he is gone, what else is there to do?"

"Be free," Eragon muttered, as he softly kicked Stave's head away. They watched as it rolled down the hill, crashing against the rocks on the ground as it tumbled. Saphira padded up closer to her husband and placed her head on his shoulder as Murtagh began walking away towards Thorn.

You have protected us…again, she told him. I thank you dearly, love.

It is my job to protect this family, Eragon replied, stroking her brow with his marked palm. You know there is no need to thank me for this. After all, you helped too.

How so? Saphira asked, widening her eyes slightly. Eragon smiled and took his hand away from her brow.

"Wounding our child hurt," Eragon explained out loud, "but it opened up a new opportunity for me to strike."

That is right, Saphira sighed. Stave showed no affection to his previous dragon. You were able to strike before his wound worsened.

"Speaking of whom," Eragon mentioned, turning his head towards the forest. "Where is our child?"

"I am here," Draken suddenly said behind them. Eragon turned around quickly to see his child limping over towards him. His chest was bloody from Eragon's attack and the scales of his underbelly were ripped and torn. His front leg appeared to be broken and his hind leg was scratched with a large branch from an oak tree sticking out of his wound.

I am sorry, son, Eragon told him, as he stepped forward towards his wounded son. What you did was very brave.

"Where is she?" Draken asked worriedly. Eragon knew that he was referring to Equinox and smiled at his son's concern for his sister.

She is safe, he replied. She was handed over to Ebath and Royan shortly after you lost consciousness. They were in the fight as well.

"Mother," Draken said, turning to face her. "I have news that you and Father need to know. Equinox was killed."

"What?" Eragon asked with a look of disbelief plastered across his face. Saphira was dumbstruck as well.

"Stave tossed her down from the cliffs," Draken explained. "I saw her body, Father, and I never want to see a sight like that again. She was gone."

But Equinox is alive, Saphira replied worriedly. We scooped her up in the forest and Eragon cradled her in his arms.

"I know this is going to sound crazy," Draken muttered, as he slid down to his paws slowly to avoid damaging his already sore limbs. "Father, Stave saved her."

"What do you mean?" Eragon asked. "He wanted nothing to do with our family. Why would he waste his time to help?"

"She was already dead," Draken said back, snorting as he spoke. "He told me that he had the power to ressurect her. I made the trade then: he brought her back and I pledged loyalty to him. It was foolish, but if I had not, Equinox would still be lying still on the ground." Eragon and Saphira stood in complete shock over what their wounded son had told them. Their enemy revived their daughter…and received Draken in return.

Son, Saphira struggled to say. You sacrificed yourself for your sister? You knew that your allegiance would have led to your downfall, correct?

"I knew," Draken admitted. "The reason I had this knowledge was because I am not as good of a fighter as you or Father. No matter how powerful Stave claimed that he could have made me, I still would have been defeated by you two."

"You went to the gallows for Equinox," Eragon said, placing his marked palm on his broken limb. "We are glad that we did not lose you to him."

"As am I," Draken replied. He flinched as Eragon lifted up his broken forearm. Eragon chanted the two familiar words and began piecing together the shattered bone. As he moved about his son's body healing wounds, Saphira gazed into her son's eyes. There was something there that just broke her heart.

His eyes look so sad, she told Eragon. I can feel his shame, love. We must comfort him on this.

How? Eragon replied.

"I betrayed you, Mother," Draken whimpered. "Instead of thinking logically, I rushed in and got myself in this issue. This…is all…my fault."

No, Saphira cooed to her child, as if he were still a small hatchling. You did what was needed. It was hard fighting against my own youngling, but it was an ultimate sacrifice and it was one that you willingly made. This is no one's fault but Stave's.

"It is not the point," Draken snapped. "I was raised in the nest to show respect and honor to my family, but I ended up disgracing our names by fighting with that wretched demon astride my backside!"

"Draken," Eragon attempted to sooth him. "Mother is right. This was something that was just. There was no disgrace involved, son. You traded places to save your sister…and that is very honorable, is it not?" He stopped talking to finish healing the rest of his son's injuries. "Son, what you did was very stupid, but it was also quite noble. Looking back over it, I see no other way that it could have been resolved. I suggest that we drop this entire issue and just celebrate the fact that we are all together again."

Well said, Saphira replied, padding forward to rub her scaled muzzle against Eragon's soft fleshy skin. She did it gently to avoid cutting him with the spikes beside her chin.

"What a nice family moment," Murtagh suddenly chimed in above them. Eragon looked up to see Thorn flapping his wings in a hover with Murtagh mounted on his back. "I suppose it can wait until we get home? Have you forgotten that Covin'thra has been alone all of this time?" Eragon turned to Draken, who was climbing up quickly to his feet.

"No," Eragon chuckled. "A nice bed sounds lovely right now, anyways."

- - - - - - -

"What happened?" Covin'thra asked worriedly, as she cautiously padded over to inspect the unconscious men. She sniffed one of them and flinched when the man groaned.

"Wha…what happened?" he asked. Covin'thra inched closer to the man, glaring at his hands to make sure that he did not attempt to harm her. As she drew closer, a strange feeling of peace settled in her chest.

"This is strange," Covin'thra said to Nasuada. "Come here. Do you feel it too?" Nasuada carefully approached the silver dragonet and quickly placed her right hand over her heart as she stopped.

"It is…peaceful," she said, kneeling down beside the former soldier. "I have never felt anything like it before."

"Me either," Covin'thra admitted. "Do you suppose that these men are no longer threats?"

"I still would not trust them," Nasuada warned. "This feeling is still very awkward." Suddenly, the air was filled with the loud thumps of Covin'thra's returning family. She quickly rushed outside with Nasuada following close behind her.

"Mother!" she called out as Saphira touched down with Eragon astride her. Draken landed next to her, and Murtagh touched down with Thorn behind them. Eragon hopped off and ran towards her, scooping her up in his arms.

"Look at you!" he exclaimed happily. "You have grown plenty in just one day. Soon, you will be as large as Draken."

"She is already as brave," Nasuada stepped in. She walked over to Murtagh and placed her hand on his cheek. The family of dragons watched for the first time as Nasuada pressed her soft lips to Murtagh's in a long passionate kiss.

"Glad to see you made it back," she told him. Murtagh smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I always will," he chuckled out. Nasuada turned to face Eragon again and walked towards him.

"Covin'thra attacked three of Stave's men," she explained. "I was shocked at how well she was defending us too. Before things got out of hand, all three of the soldiers collapsed."

"It was the same on the battlefield," Eragon pointed out with a smile. "Stave is finally dead."

"He is gone?" Nasuada asked. "Thank the heavens!"

"No," Eragon laughed. "Thank Angela. She supplied me with the weapon to kill him. On the flight here we saw her again, so I returned it."

I hope what she told us never comes true, Saphira whimpered to him. Eragon sighed and attempted to ignore it, but his heart was heavy in the issue as well.

I pray that we stay like this forever, love, Eragon told her. It will never end…at least I hope.

"If you excuse us," Eragon said politely. "My wife and I are very hungry and we also wish to see our daughter Equinox. Has she arrived yet?"

"No she has not," Nasuada replied. "No one but Stave's men has been here."

Okay poll time!

1). To increase the bloodline a bit, I would like to add in a "secretive" wild female dragon and have some good romance scenes between Draken and her. Can you imagine the shock he would have of finding out that he was not the first wild dragon, but one of two? Lol. Also, I have a name planned out from an individual who gave it earlier…Lunalese. Whoever it is, you know :)

2). I need a new villain or some other difficult plot to obtain here. My idea so far is have Nasuada gain the throne and hire Eragon and Murtagh to be "mounted patrol officers" to keep the peace between the cities. What do you think?

I think that covers it.

PEACE!