Temporary Peace

I've decided to start with a new story rather than continuing on with "Pain & Love". I hope you enjoy this story and have fun reading it; again I'm always looking on how I could better my stories so leave a review or PM me with your response.

The term dumbfounded wouldn't even come close to looks on the elves faces as they walked among the millennium old trees, the trunks ranged from several hundred feet and up, Eragon tried to count the width of one trunk by walking around it with one foot in front of another but gave up after 753. As Eragon looked around at his alien surroundings he made an observation to Saphira who was walking alongside them.

"These trees can easily be as high as a small mountain, although most of these trees look to be much taller." Eragon muttered through his gaping expression.

"I'm still having trouble comprehending what I'm seeing." Saphira was swinging her head in all directions trying to take in as much as she could.

"Agreed."

The small group traveled for what seemed like hours until something dawned on Eragon.

"Blodhgarm?"

The elf took several long moments before realizing Eragon had spoken to him.

"Yes Shadeslayer?"

"It wouldn't be wise to wonder too far from the ship. If you want Saphira and I could fly ahead to keep looking for a place for the riders. That will also give you the opportunity to share what we've witnessed here with Umaroth and the other Eldunari."

"Very well Shade slayer, we shall start our return to the ship. Will you and Saphira be back at night fall?"

Eragon turned to look at Saphira, he saw she had a slight gleam in her eyes, not entirely sure on what it could mean he pushed the thought from his mind and refocused on Blodhgarm.

"That depends on how far we explore. If we're not back by noon tomorrow then you may search for us. If we spend the night out we would sleep high in the branches."

"Of course, he will be expecting you two back tomorrow."

Eragon bid the elves a fare well before he eagerly climbed on Saphira's back, she was only too happy to take to the sky, or in this case among the trees. Eragon whooped with joy as Saphira leapt in to the air quickly gaining altitude among the trees, after a couple powerful wing beats Saphira was high above the ground weaving through and dodging branches Eragon hung on to the neck spike as tightly as he could to keep himself from being thrown off. First he was nervous but then he grew more comfortable, Eragon trusted Saphira with his life and he was more than confidant in her abilities, Saphira was more than a master flyer and she wouldn't let a couple branches get in the way. He realized that he was thinking this over their mental link and he felt how grateful Saphira was at what he thought.

"It's true and you know it."

"I know, just you acknowledging it makes it that much better."

Eragon lied down on Saphira as she weaved her way through two branches making a tight gap in the middle of them. Eragon decided it would be best if he would stay low so he stayed lying down and hugged Saphira's neck and waited until she was finished playing. It wasn't long after that when Saphira finally broke free of her head on dodging and took to open space.

"That was fu..fun." Eragon stuttered through his excitement.

"I'm Glad you enjoyed yourself."

Even though Saphira had straightened out into a leisurely flight Eragon was still hugging her neck.

"Eragon we're out of the dense forest."

"I know."

"So why are you still hugging my neck."

"Do you not want me to?" He replied sarcastically

Saphira thought for a moment before she started humming deep within her chest, signaling to Eragon she enjoyed his affection. Saphira slowly flew through the Great forest without a care in the world Eragon still hugging her neck and looking over her shoulder at the ground below, F flicker of movement below caught his attention.

"Saphira down there, in front of use."

He directed her sight with his thoughts.

"When was the last time you hunted?"

"Too long."

Before Eragon could respond Saphira angled straight for the unrespecting deer below. A dull thud signaled when Saphira struck the deer in the side and took its head in her jaw, she easily killed the deer with a quick pull of her head breaking it neck. She bent low to the ground so Eragon could hop off and relax as Saphira devoured her prey. It wasn't long until the deer was gone, only evidence was a blood stain from where it had once laid. Eragon rested his back against a two story root and patiently waited as Saphira cleaned the blood and gore from her talons and jaw.

"Ready?"

Saphira nodded and Eragon walked back over to her and climbed back onto her back. When Saphira was finally in the air Eragon had an idea.

"Saphira, how would you like an afternoon nap?"

"since when do you like afternoon naps?"

"Well it's always been a secrete pleasure for me." He replied in a joking tone, which made Saphira chuckle deep in her chest.

"Very well, I'll take part in your nap."

Eragon was happy that she agreed. For the mast three weeks his love for Saphira had grown from extremely close friends to something much more intimate and Eragon wanted to see if Saphira shared in his feelings. It wasn't long until Saphira found a huge sun covered branch high up in one of the trees and she angled up towards it to land. After a few counter wing beats Saphira gently landed on the sun bathed branch. Eragon hoped off Saphira's back and took a few steps away stretching his sleeping legs, after a few moments he turned to face Saphira. He froze in place at what he saw, as the sun radiated down from the tree top bathing her in its mystical light Saphira looked more beautiful, more majestic than he's ever witnessed before. The suns light reflecting off her scales making them seem to glow with a deep Sapphire blue. Nothing, he thought, nothing inexistence could compare to her beauty at this moment. Saphira cocked her head at him.

"What is the mater Little One."

Eragon tried to talk but no words came out, he gave that up after a few failed attempts.

"Nothing, It's just…It's just in this light your more beautiful than I thought possible."

He then sent her a mental image of how she looked and what he was feeling, luckily he still had enough sense to leave out any romantic feelings. He could see Saphira's face turn a slight hue of purple, Eragon only smiled at her blush.

"Now let's get on with this nap, my beautiful Saphira."

Saphira looked shocked by his last words but it wasn't a look of disgust but Surprise.

"So she does have feelings for me." He secretly thought to himself.

It took Saphira a few moments to return to reality, she was deep in thought at what he said and what it could have meant. She slowly laid down on the warm bark and Eragon silently joined her, She looked at him as he fell asleep thinking about what he said.

"Could he finally be accepting his feelings for me. He might be, but then again it might only be a coincidence, the Eldunari said it usually took weeks for a rider to accept his feelings. Eragon has only been acting different towards me for a few days. No matter what it might be I'm enjoying his affection."

Saphira then laid her head next to Eragon, but not too close to be considered romantic but more protective, Saphira slowly drifted into her dreams of what the future might hold for her and Eragon.

Eragon was the first to stir under the late mid-day, he slowly opened his eyes and saw Saphira had laid her head next to Eragon; a slight smile broke across his face. As gently as he could he slowly started to rub her neck, at the base of her head. It wasn't long until Saphira stirred; instead of picking her head right up like she usually did she leaned into his hand as it caressed her neck, She started humming with contentment as Eragon continued down her neck eventually reaching her shoulder, where he pulled away. Saphira looked at him with disappointment.

"Why did you stop?"

"We need to continue searching for a place to raise the riders and Dragons."

Saphira let out a disappointed snort, releasing a cloud of dark smoke. Eragon let out a deep sigh.

"If your sore then later on tonight I can give your neck a massage."

"I would like that Little One."

Eragon slowly rose to his feet followed by Saphira. They both stretched the weariness from their limbs and Eragon climbed on Saphira's back, she took flight angling deeper in the forest as they searched for a place for the riders. They didn't speak much but had their mind connected so they felt each other's emotions. Eragon thought to that as they flew further into the forest that the tree seemed to be getting even bigger, Saphira felt his though and realized the same thing.

"Just when you thought you've seen it all, there's another surprise to blow you away."

"Just think Eragon the great Menoa is a couple hundred years old. These trees here are easily four to six times bigger."

"At this point I've stopped trying to make sense of all this. I find the more I think about it the more confused I get."

"I know what you mean."

This ended their conversation and they returned to admiring their surroundings. They flew for hours until the sun began to set, Saphira was too caught up in the moment to realize this so Eragon warned her.

"Saphira we should find a place to sleep for the night it's getting late."

Saphira shook herself back to the present.

"Oh, you right it is getting late. I guess I was caught up more than I realized."

"It's alright, we should find a branch."

Even though they were surrounded by branches it took another hour before they found one straight enough and flat enough to sleep on. By now it was dark but surprisingly bright in the forest. The light of the full moon shown down through the tops of the trees, bathing the ground and trees in its silvery light, Saphira gently landed on the branch she was tired from flying all day. Eragon got off her back and walked over to her head, he placed a hand on her scaly cheek.

"You did good today."

"I know." She replied smugly

Eragon stood there for another few moments before Saphira spoke again.

"So, how about that massage now?"

Eragon smiled up at her.

"Lie your head down."

Saphira slowly lowered her head and out stretched her neck. Eragon waited until she was ready, when she was lying down Eragon approached her head and started with her face. Using his palm and thumbs he slowly massaged under her eyes, he worked his thumbs in small circles on the softer places he slowly worked his way around paying extreme attention to the more sensitive placed of her face not to hurt her by accident, he worked his way to the back of her head and spent the most time in that area for it had the most abuse, the constant flapping of Saphira's wings had caused the muscles to stricken and tense up the most. As Eragon worked his hands loosening and relaxing Saphira's tensed muscles she slowly started to hum, Eragon was surprised at it, he's herd Saphira hum before but this was different in sound and pitch, it was elegant and peaceful, yet there was hidden emotions in it, Eragon was only happy Saphira was starting to relax. Eragon continued kneading Saphira's tensed neck muscles, when he didn't feel any more tensed muscles he continued down her neck taking as much time as he could and putting in all his efforts to make her happy. Finally when he finished Saphira was fast asleep, lulled into a peaceful slumber by Eragons massage. Using magic he gently lifted her head and moved it into a more comfortable position, he would hate to see Saphira wake up with a sore neck for sleeping wrong. Eragon carefully crawled next to her and connected his mind with hers, he let his happiness mingle with Saphira's and he relaxed into a similar peaceful slumber.

When Saphira woke then next morning she was surprised at how well she felt, she remembered how long she flew yesterday and wondered why. She then remember Eragon taking care of her discomfort with that gentle and yet surprisingly intimate massage. Saphira also remember falling asleep with her head and neck out stretched not curled against her body. She realized Eragon must have moved her head when she was asleep to provide more comfort. Saphira's love for him only rose as she thought about how much he cared for her. Then she realized that Eragon was sleeping right next to her, she stared at her young ridded as he slept in a peaceful state, Saphira slowly nuzzled him, when that didn't work she slowly and gently licked his face, much like his massage the night before, Saphira enjoyed licking him it gave her a sense of affection she hadn't experienced before. Slowly and gently she licked his face until he finally stirred.

"That's nice Saphira."

"I'm glad you think so."

"Why?"

"I don't understand."

"Why such affection?"

"Well, consider it a thank you for your affection last night."

"You'd do the same for me if you could."

"And so I am."

Saphira started to gently ick his face again and slowly lower to his neck. To Eragon's surprise he was enjoying Saphira's treatment quite a bit. After a little while Eragon stopped her.

"Saphira, as much as it displeases me, we should be going soon."

"Why?"

"The elves." Eragon had an irritated tone in his voice, like he didn't want to go back but he knew if he wasn't they would come searching for him.

"Oh, right." Saphira shared in his annoyance.

If she could she'd keep Eragon to herself all day, but she knew she had to let him open up on his own.

"Saphira could we loop around to the ship instead of flying straight back?"

"I don't see why not. What about the elves if we loop around it'll take even longer."

"I know, I don't want to return straight there."

Eragon then pulled out a piece of parchment, he uttered a spell and writing appeared on it creating a letter. He then folded it and with a spell sent it flying in the direction of the elves, Saphira looked at him curiously.

"You planned this, didn't you?"

Eragon smiled

"Maybe." He replied slyly.

Saphira broke out in laughter, Eragon patiently waited for her mirth to subside. Finaly Saphira calmed down enough to speak.

"If you wanted to leave and explore then why not ask them?"

"Because then they would have been even more persistent at sending an elf with us or something along those lines, or would have made us return sooner then I wish."

"So you used the excuse to go exploring to get away."

"Aye, and there can be plenty more letters where that on came from."

Eragon reached into his pocket and pulled out several folded pieces of parchment. Saphira only stated laughing again this time Eragon joined her. After their mirth was spent Eragon replaced the wards around his legs to protect against Saphira's scales and climbed on her back.

"Let's head north west. When we get far enough we could go south and loop back around or continue west and follow the coast."

Saphira though about the options he had given her and she immediately chose one.

"Ever since we left Carvahall we've barley had any time by ourselves, lets travel north-west then south and loop around from there."

"My thoughts exactly. If all goes well it should be a two to three day trip, maybe four if we stretch it out."

"That sounds nice."

As Saphira angled north-west Eragon started thinking on how he could reveal to Saphira how much he loves her, he already knew she has feelings for him but for some reason hasn't revealed them to him. As Saphira flew he slowly put a plan together, but he would need energy and a lot of it, luckily the trees had more than enough, he could gather small amounts each time they landed.

"Yes that's what I'll do. I'll make it the best day of her life." Eragon secretly thought to himself.

Eragon then returned his attention back to Saphira before she suspected something.