Pain. Excruciating, unrelenting pain. He reached to his back and found the source of the pain: a scar. The scar. The scar that Durza gave him at the end of the Battle of Tronjheim. From it came an obliterating pain that coursed through his entire body, blocking out all other senses. This isn't right, the scar and the pain are supposed to be gone! The dragons got rid of it during the Agaeti Blodhren! It isn't supposed to be here! Despite his presumptions that it wasn't real, the pain persisted, almost as if it was demanding to be recognized as real.

Then, during a particularly strong bout of pain, it just disappeared; brushed away by some mighty, benevolent presence. Then a voice came from the being that wiped away his pain, Peace, little one, it was just a nightmare. Rest easily for I am here. Recognizing the voice as Saphira's, he settled back into better dreams. He rested easier, for Saphira's mind remained in Eragon's, soothing him mentally.

Slowly, he opened his eyes to reveal a tent canvas over him, and a blanket covering him. Neither my tent nor blanket, though, he realized. After a minute of just laying there, he sat up and saw someone relatively unexpected sitting in a chair next to his side. "Arya?" he whispered. She moved slightly in her chair at the mention of her name, but that was it. She's asleep, he thought, but why am I in her… oh. At that moment, all of his memories came rushing back to him. She must have managed to save me, he deduced. After looking around for a while, Eragon realized that it was dark outside, and he wondered how long he had slept.

Eragon stood slowly and quietly, not wanting to wake her, but as soon as he took a step towards the exit, he bumped into her chair. Wincing at the sound of the noise, he hoped that she hadn't heard it. Unfortunately she had heard it, and she woke with a start. "Eragon?" she whispered when her emerald eyes met his brown ones. Before he could respond, though, she was up out of her chain, and was pulling him into a tight embrace. Extremely confused, he just stood there. About a minute later, she released him and backed up. He looked at her, and could have sworn she was blushing. She didn't look away though, and he could see that besides the slight embarrassment, she looked happy, if a bit surprised.

Still a bit confused about her uncharacteristic show of emotion, he asked her, "How long was I asleep?" She then sat back down in her chair, and motioned for him to sit back on the bed.

"Almost a week," she replied. Almost a week! I am surprised I am alive at all. Eragon stared at her then, and was surprised to find that she looked very tired and starved. He wondered if she had eaten more than a meal the whole week. He was about to voice his observations, when he remembered the state Elaine and her baby were in when he had passed out.

"How is Elaine doing? If I remember correctly she was having problems with her baby," Eragon added, with a knowing grin on his face. He reasoned that if he was still alive, then the spell must have worked.

Slightly grinning, Arya responded, "She is doing quite well, thanks to you, and had her baby three days ago. They decided to name the baby girl Selena, after your mother." Eragon was stunned, but yet honored. Still, he was going to give protest when Arya cut him off, explaining, "At the time nobody knew whether you would make it or not. They were extremely grateful for what you did for them," she added quickly, but almost as an after thought.

"I owe Horst and his family more than I can count. They shouldn't feel grateful, they should just know that I was paying back part of my debt," Eragon muttered, but more to himself than to Arya. Before any more could be said, Saphira interrupted with a loud mental shout. Eragon! You've finally awakened. He could tell that she had said that so Arya could hear as well; she was wearing a slight grin on her face and shook her head slightly as Saphira attempted to squeeze into her tent. Finally, she resigned to the fact that she could only fit her neck into the small tent. He was only barely able to contain his laughter at her expense. Ignoring his suppressed merriment, which flowed painfully easily through their bond, she managed to stretch her neck out so that her head rested on the bed near Eragon.

Through their mental link, Eragon received waves of joy from Saphira, joy that threatened to overwhelm him and block out everything else. He sent his happiness through their link as well, and for a moment they just sat there, reveling in the presence of each other's mind. It was a few minutes before he remembered Arya was sitting there in front of him. When he looked at her, he noticed the look in her eyes was mixed with confusion and amusement, with her head tilted slightly to the side. It was then that he realized that Saphira hadn't remembered to cut off her connection to Arya. Shielding their conversation now from the elf, Eragon was terrified when he thought to his dragon; "Barzul! She was observing our mental embrace a few minutes ago!"

Oh, don't be so afraid that she saw your sensitive side. I allowed her to view it on purpose, though she believes it was an accident. Now scowling both physically and mentally to Saphira, Eragon demanded,
"Why would you do that?" he shouted at her, extremely irritated and angry.

I was attempting to help you by showing her what type a person you truly are, locked in the confines of your, and my, minds. This swept away his anger at her, but a hint of confusion remained, which he pondered for a minute. Then he felt extremely embarrassed when he looked up again and realized that a full ten minutes had passed since he last said anything to Arya.

"I apologize for leaving you out of the conversation; there were just a few things that I had to talk to Saphira about first." She dipped her head in a quick motion of assent, accepting his apology. In response he smiled at her, then asked, both to Arya and Saphira, "What all has happened while I was asleep?"

He sat back and listened intently as Arya explained various details of the Varden over the past week. They were still camped outside of Feinster, supposedly because of his injury. He then listened as Saphira explained how she allowed no one, not even Roran or Nasuada, entry to see him. He was a bit shocked, but in response to his unspoken question she explained that Arya had told her to. He cast a curious sideways glance at Arya, and noticed that she shifted uncomfortably when Saphira spoke about her. He then learned from Arya how she heard Horst yell out for her at the top of his lungs. She was confused, but Horst had mentioned that you needed help, so she came running. She had found himself on the ground of Horst's tent, unconscious. She had quickly moved him back to her own tent, and was greeted by a scared Saphira half an hour later.

Saphira finished the tale by telling how he got better: Arya casted healing magic over him, while she pumped energy into him. He was surprised when, in the private confines of their minds, she told him that Arya hadn't left his side the whole time, never eating, and only fell asleep around an hour before he woke up, and only then because Saphira was able to convince her that Eragon was cured and was just sleeping. He turned his head to look at Arya then, and just stared into her beautiful emerald eyes for what seemed like and eternity.

Saphira finally snapped him out of his trance, and asked him if there was anything else he wanted to know about the previous week. He was going to say no, but at the last second he remembered something and asked "What happened to Trianna?" At that Saphira gave a hearty chuckle, then, once again projecting her thoughts so Arya could hear as well, replied,

Horst told me what happened, so I flew around until I found her. Looking extremely proud of herself, she continued. I then picked her up in my claws, not to gently I might add, and flew off towards Nasuada. When Nasuada was informed of what had happened, she ordered Angela, who recently arrived back with Elva, to search Trianna's mind. She found the conclusive evidence that she was looking for, so I ripped Trianna to shreds! He was a bit surprised, but happy nonetheless that Trianna got what she deserved.

He soon focused his attention back on Arya, and said "Thank you, Arya, for all you have done for me." It was in a weary voice that she replied,

"It was the least I could do. I-" she paused then, appearing to want to say more, but not knowing how to say it. Oblivious, Eragon said

"We will talk more in the morning, ok? Please rest tonight, you need it, and eat plenty in the morning, as you look starved. Wiol pomnuria ilian." For my happiness. After that he went for the exit, when a hand softly grabbed his wrist. He turned around, and saw Arya holding him still, a weird look in her eyes. Then, she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips, just for a second, then broke contact.