Chapter 7 – Za'roc

Eragon arrived to camp with Arya riding upon his back, Saphira appeared to be sleeping, and Brom was having dinner. Arya dismounted from his back and went towards her sleeping sack. He was warm enough and wasn't really hungry, as he had hunted while Arya had lunch, so he decided to just go to a corner of the camp and laid down. He wasn't even in the mood to talk to Brom, he was still mad at him. Suddenly he felt movement on his left flank, he turned his head and saw that Arya had lair her bedroll right against him. He stopped to look at her and she did the same, she seemed to be waiting for his permission to lie down besides him. He pressed his big nose to her forehead; she giggled, and understood that he had agreed to her sleeping beside him. He curled around her to keep her warm and fell asleep ignoring the looks directed at him by both Brom and Saphira.

He woke up and found that he was the first to open his eyes, but was wrong as he felt Saphira speak to him.

"Good morning little one she said and he detected a hint of smugness in her voice I see that things are going well for you and your elf.

That's not it Saphira, we are just friends he said, and he opened his mind completely so that she could see his memories. Saphira seemed to understand how he felt for Arya and left it at that.

Are you going to talk to Brom? she asked

I don't know, I still don't feel like doing it. he admitted But I'll definitely do it soon he said.

He felt Arya stir and looked at her as she started to wake up. She stood up and did the cutest thing he had seen her do, she yawned. The sound was soft and like a flute. He was taken aback and he started laughing at the princess in his deep rumbling wolf laugh. She seemed surprised by the sound.

"What?" she asked as she waited for his laughter to die down.

Nothing, you just looked so adorable when you yawned, he said and he started to laugh again and cute as well.

"You do realize I am a veteran warrior," she said with mock anger "I am dangerous and deadly"

Yes, deadly cute he said and started rolling around in laughter, Saphira decided to join him in his laughter, and all that just served to make Arya deeply blush.

Brom woke up sometime later and they decided to start making their way across the Hadarac and towards Farthen Dûr. Saphira was not strong enough to carry three people, so he decided to let Brom ride atop Saphira while Arya rode on top of him. They made good pace as Eragon could almost keep with the speed of his flying dragon. It took them three days but they managed to cross the dessert. They stopped at the lake formed by the Beartooth River for the night. Since the night that Eragon had heard of his uncle's death it had been a habit for Arya to sleep next to Eragon, even when he was in his human form, something he found completely natural because he felt comfortable with her and something both Saphira and Brom, whom he was on speaking terms again after apologizing, teased him about.

Eragon decided that from then on he was gong to travel as a human because, even though it wasn't as probable, people from the Varden may be around the Beor Mountains, and if they where, he didn't want them to see him as a big wolf. So he turned human and took his bedroll out and spread it on the floor. Brom went to hunt, as did Saphira, who hadn't had a decent meal while they were crossing the Hadarac, while he built a fire in close proximity to his bedroll. He wasn't surprised when Arya laid hers ride beside of his and promptly went to sleep. Brom returned to camp with some rabbits for him and Eragon to eat. After the meal came his lessons in swordsmanship and magic.

"I think that's it" Said Brom as he collapsed on the ground from the exhaustion, "I have nothing else to teach you, the rest will be up to your new teachers in Ellesmera"

"What new teachers?" He asked as he sat down on the ground

"When we reach the Varden, you'll have to travel with Arya and Saphira to her home, there you'll find your new teachers" he got up and walked to his sack and pulled a sword from it "Riders are supposed to have rider's swords that match their Dragon's color. Well this is the best I can do," he said as he passed the blade to him, Eragon unsheathed it and marveled at the iridescent red blade. "I took it from one of the forsworn, Morzan. Its name is Za'roc, misery, may it bring misery to your enemies"

"Thank you" he said truly grateful for such a gift "I will use it well."

With that Brom went to his side of the camp to sleep. Eragon approached his bedroll and quickly fell asleep with the elven princess beside him.