Chapter 7

Eragon was talking about feelings. Something he like most other men was terrible at doing. Saphira was getting impatient. She had spent three hours pulling shreds of information out of Eragon. She had made it into a kind of game to entertain herself. Eragon had to shield his feelings from her and tell her himself. However three hours was enough to get bored of a game and Eragon opened his mind. The flood of emotions hit Saphira so hard she almost squealed, but gradually they subsided into one; fear.

"What did Elva mean?" Eragon said aloud, startling a crowd of birds.

Saphira looked at him, ask her.

She is not exactly on good terms with me, Eragon reminded her

She is not on bad terms with you either, she pointed out. Eragon frowned. Saphira felt his shame of the mistake he had made.

Arya burst through the undergrowth which startled Eragon. Saphira had been aware of the girl for quite some time because of the wind direction, but not warned Eragon for reason's she did not know, but believed to be important.

"Eragon!" Arya called as if she had not just run a number of leagues. "The camp is moving, you two better catch up"

Eragon was standing upright in a flash. "Would you like a lift?" He asked as if her answer did not matter to him, which Saphira could tell, it did.

Arya nodded "That would be appreciated"

Finally a sign of weariness! Saphira grinned to herself.

Eragon clambered on to her and helped Arya up, who did not decline his outstretched hand. Then she set off and an uncomfortable silence loomed between the two. No one seemed willing to break the silence until finally Arya gave in.

"Nasuada's plan is unbelievable!" she moaned "while The Varden is attacking Dras-Leona, we are going to be sneaking into the mad man's castle and stealing the egg! What is she going to do when Murtagh appears in Dras-Leona! What if her spies are wrong and He is still at the castle. What if Galbatorix has found a way to shield his castle from any flying animal BUT Thorn?"

Both Saphira and Eragon were surprised at the usually cold and dismissing elf ranting about her worries. Her worries, what about Eragon's worries! Then it was Saphira's turn alone to be surprised, for what streamed from Eragon was joy, JOY. The Elf was giving him hope only to take it away again!

Saphira wobbled in her flight, silencing the elf.

"Aye" Eragon said. "I know"

Though she was not sure whether it was to Arya or herself.

~O~

Arya had no idea where the words came from. Dozens of them poured out of her mouth like a waterfall.

Time to be quiet now, she thought to herself then as Saphira jostled. It had felt so good! Speaking her mind to someone who understood. It sent happiness through her veins when Eragon answered his rather short but effective answer. Are you sure that it is just relief? The voice in the back of her head cautioned. She shut it out. Perhaps that was what Faolin had thought after admitting his love for her in a long and metaphor filled poem.

After a while they spotted the Varden in the distance, riding or walking in a large crowd.

It's beautiful up here, Arya sent to Eragon, for Saphira had picked up speed and the wind was so loud it was impossible to hear anything. Saphira flew higher, over the clouds and the wind calmed a little.

Eragon turned his head so that he could look at her. "aye, beautiful,"

Arya looked down at the clouds. Why did she have the urge to smile back at him? Saphira seemed to stop in mid-air. Then they were falling. Unable to grab anything else Arya put her arms around Eragon's waste, who, equally stunned, was fumbling with the wrist straps.

Saphira, what's going on!

The dragoness spread out her wings rapidly and soared less than a mile above the ground.

Nothing, she replied and shielded her mind.

Arya blinked and realised she was still clinging to Eragon's waist. She slid her hands to her sides. "sorry" she muttered. Saphira snorted.

~O~

Eragon was cheerful. He taught Saphira several tunes he had sung when he was back in Carvahall, and gave her numerous riddles to puzzle about. In his mind though, he was wondering why Saphira had really decided to dive downwards, a stunt that easily could have had both him and Arya killed.

They had let Arya down as soon as they had reached the Varden and were soaring high over their heads. It was late afternoon and the sun stood behind them.

"I have one for you:

What does man love more than life

Fear more than death or mortal strife,

What the poor have, the rich require,

and what contented men desire,

What the miser spends and the spendthrift saves

And all men carry to their graves?"

Eragon asked. He heard Saphira thinking.

Nothing, she reckoned after a while, I'm getting good at this aren't I?

I have another riddle for you o clever beauty of the skies, Eragon revealed dramatically, It is that of a dragon, who when a girl we'll call A, and a boy we'll call B, climbed onto her, taking that it was a she, the dragon decided to imitate falling without warning, to which the boy reacted in desperate knot-tying and the girl to desperate squeeze-the-life-out-of-the-person-in-front-of-you-ing. Is there an explanation to this odd event?

Saphira was still for a while. Yes, she answered swiftly, but said no more.

Okay, did you like it? Hopefully you did, because I missed my dinner because of it…(long story short; I've been writing for a while and my mum came in and told e to stop, and I didn't so I didn't get food, except, my mum's not good at punishments that involve long term staying in your room/house, so she's making me cheese toast now (no need for childline!(joking)))

Justmeagain123: I want to make it shorter to 'jma' but it reminds me to much of 'jimjams' which is what I used to call pygamas, anyway, I'm working on it, and I need to get Solembum to appear and remind him about certain things…no not what you think, please don't kill me

CouldBe