A month and a week or two passed by. But don't worry nothing really happened. I didn't see Aranel a lot, unfortunately. I only saw her about three to two times a week. And what happened with my father and I? Honestly, I have only seen him once throughout this time span. He has been so busy with the whole dragon rider business that I never got to see him, but I know when he is around. If I hear a scream down a hallway or the sound of bones crushing; that would be my father. Yes, I have not seen him for about a month, until the night that made my life worth living for. My life was of a simple shade trapped in Gil'ead and destined to follow his father's footsteps, but tonight changed everything. Tonight is when I started to actually live.

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It was early morning so you should know by now what I do in the early mornings. As Aranel and I lied down in the corner of her cell I imagined the starry night sky in place of the ugly ceiling. We were huddled very close together for it was cold. I acted cold so she could huddle closer to me and share her warmth but in truth, I never get cold. My arms were wrapped tightly around her torso as we sat in silence for a moment or two until she finally turned to me and said,

"Any warmer than before?" I smiled and nodded as I said,

"Yes. How could I ever be cold around you?" She smiled and kissed me gently on my lips. I wished that the kiss was longer, so I did what my instincts told me. I reached to her chin and kissed her and obviously she knew what I wanted for that kiss did not stop there. Without breaking away from her I moved on top of her and my hand voyaged the slopes of her beautiful body. She, too, could not keep her hands off of me and in fact she attempted to take my shirt off. And I did what she wanted. Quickly breaking away from her lips and ripped my shirt off of my pale body. Her warm hands sent chills down my spine, but I had been away from her lips for too long. I met her lips as she eagerly did the same. So much adrenaline was me that I just could not stop, but I did not want to either. I traced my hand up her body and to her shoulders as I shifted one side of her tunic to the other side, leaving one shoulder bare and beautiful. I kissed down her soft neck that, may I add, still smelled like the sweet forest.

But some part of me did not want to do this. Not here and not now. I did not want to make love in this grotesque cell. It was not fair for her and if it was not fair for her then it was not fair for me. And then I wondered why was she still here? Why was she still in this prison when I have promised to set her free? I stopped caressing her with my kisses and looked at her. She smiled and chuckled,

"What?" I smiled back, maybe she was happy. Maybe tonight is not the night for an escape but for something else. It's funny how my mind changes rapidly with just the sight of her smile. I ignored the negative thoughts that I had and reunited my lips with hers. And this time I would not let go. Now I do not how to describe this part because it happened in all of a quick blur, but I will do my best to fill you in.

As I kissed down her sweet neck the ground shook beneath me as ceiling sand drizzled down to the shaking floors. Oh god, what is happening? Hope it's not my father. I looked to Aranel suspecting her to be scared, but she was quite the opposite. She looked at the ceiling and smiled. What? This was not a good thing! Then I heard something most fowl but delightful to my ears. It was shrieking like a falcon in the sky but broad and loud like a lion. Now what was this creature? Aranel smiled even more and said,

"He's here Kobal! The next dragon rider!" Oh god! He's here? Well he will not be any longer. I bared my teeth just thinking about this foolish boy for showing up here in Gil'ead. Aranel saw my face and her smile disappeared, but right now I did not care. I stood up with my fists balled up and my jaw clenched. I looked outside the door and saw guards rushing upstairs and I tried to follow them, but something held me back.

"No, Kobal, don't!" I turned to her furiously and said,

"Why not? He is a disgrace! He deserves to know that this was not the right place to come!" I snapped my wrist away from her hand and walked violently out the door, but then I felt another tug at my bare arm, I turned around and said in a vicious voice,

"What?" It was Gilmor and he was out of breath, a very odd appearance to see on a shade. He also had a shocked look on and said,

"What were you doing in there?" I looked down and realized that my shirt was off, but I did not care. I said in an impatient voice,

"What do you want, Gilmor? Hurry it up because I want to be done with this rider once and for all." Gilmor shook his head,

"No, not now." What the hell?

"What are you talking about? This is the perfect time to do so!" He shook his head and said,

"No. It's the perfect time to get Aranel out of here." The perfect time to get Aranel out of here. He was absolutely right, it was perfect. No one would be guarding the doors since they would be upstairs fighting. Brilliant! I ran back to her cell with Gilmor following me as he explained,

"Now you must hurry up. The guards are distracted by Eragon, but your father is not easily fooled. Hurry!" I ran into her cell and I took her hand and said,

"Come we must hurry!" She ran with me as she said,

"What? What's going on?" I ran even faster as I muttered,

"I am getting you out of here. This is the time Aranel and now you must do everything I tell you to do, do you understand?" I looked to her face as I saw her shake her head. Gilmor ran beside us as he said,

"I will distract your father as much as I can, but hurry!" He ran the other way now as Aranel and I barely touched the ground as we ran down different hallways. The exit was just around the corner. We will make it! But as we made the turn the ceiling was already falling apart with Gil'ead's walls tumbling down, but there was a chance we could make it. There was no time to head for the other exit which was on the other side of Gil'ead. This was the only way out.

Aranel tried to do her best to keep up with my incredible speed, but with her old injuries she could not keep up with my rapid pace. I picked her up as I said quite loudly so I was heard over the tumbling rocks,

"You don't let go! You here me? Don't you dare!" She nodded as she tucked her face into my bare chest. I kissed her head just before I was about to dodge the falling walls, but someone called out and it was just the someone I was not hoping to see,

"Kobal!" I turned around and it was my father right down the hall his face was calm and expressionless, but once he witnessed what was in my arms his face was far from expressionless. He looked hurt but furious at the same time. He took a few steps as he said,

"What are you doing?" The ground rumbled below my feet as the chunks of Gil'ead fell to the ground. I looked up to the ceiling and it looked like it was about the next thing to go. I answered without any hesitation,

"I'm saving her." And those three words burned into my father's skin, I could tell. It looked like he got stabbed as I said that but he managed to keep a straight posture, but his lips could not help but tighten as he said,

"And why are you doing this, Kobal? She is an elf! My son does not save any prisoners, especially elves. What has gotten into you?" I looked to the ceiling again and in a matter of seconds it would crumble over all three of us. I said the truth,

"Love. I found love within her. I love her." All the anger was washed away with my father's face and it was replaced with pain. The ceiling was cracking and breaking away tiny rocks. There was only one way to get out now and it was not the exit, it was something much riskier. I held Aranel close as I yelled to her,

"Lend me your magic, I am not strong enough to do this myself!" She out her hand to my chest as green magic flowed from her hand and into my chest. I looked to my father one more time. I could barely see him with all the sand and rocks that poured down around us, but I heard him yell,

"NO!" And just before the ceiling fell Aranel and I were on the forest's floor. You may think it was a good thing but I had never felt so much before in my life. I heard Aranel say my name so many times along with other things, but I was in so much pain that I could not hear much. It felt like all my insides were shutting down, I couldn't breathe. Were my lungs down? Did they detonate along with everything else? What was this? I grabbed a handful of grass as I huddled on the ground hoping the earth's dust would be some sort of medicine. But it wasn't.

I tried to scream, oh how I tried, but my throat was closing up. Was I dying? If I was, I wanted to be done with it right away just to get he pain out. But the pain started to recede as I felt a cool breeze rush over my body. I looked to my arms and saw green glowing vines embracing me. Each vein was like cooling water pouring all of my body, it healed everything. My insides didn't burn, instead my body went to its normal temperature. I felt another thing embrace me, but this time it was warm instead of the cooing water. I looked up to find I was in Aranel's arms as she said over and over,

"Kobal! Are you alright? Kobal, say something!" I smiled at her care and worry for me. No one was ever this scared for me. If it were my father he would tell me to suck it up and get on my feet. But she cares and loves me, and I care and love her. She grabbed my face lightly as she said again,

"Kobal, please say something." I reached my hand over to the back of her head as I said softly,

"I love you." Then I pulled her in for a kiss, and that could heal anything. As we broke away from that kiss we both heard another loud crash and the same odd roar from the dragon. We were at the same place Gilmor took me a few months ago so we could see everything that was happening. The dragon was absolutely gorgeous. Its scales glistened in the newly awakened sun peaking over the trees. Her wings were magnificent and showed great muscle with each flap she took. She was a sight to see especially when she took off and flew over Aranel and I with great speed. And then I saw a glimpse of this Eragon. He was a boy with dark brunette hair and he held high a red blade and it looked familiar, but that was all I saw. Even though I hated him and still do to this very day I couldn't help but thank him for Aranel's escape. I said softly under my breath as I watched them fly away,

"Thank you."

A/N: Thanks for reviewing guys and I hope you liked this chapter. For those who have not been reviewing, review! Thanks.