"What the hell," Eragon said outraged. "What haven't you been telling me?" He though he could trust Brom but now, now he didn't know what to do. How could he bring Brom with him now. Brom had looked after him as a child but now he was showing his true character what type of secretes was he hiding? why had he lied for 15 years?

"Eragon later, I'm sorry but I can't deal with this now. What happened to Faolin?" Brom asked dismissing Eragon flippantly.

Tears smarted to Eragon's eyes and he felt a surge of anger build up inside him as well as hurt at how Brom was ignoring what he had said without a second thought. After all this time he thought he might at least listen to him. "No I won't shut up give me answer." he demanded before regretting it as he realised how much of a spoilt child he sounded.

"Brom they captured him. Faolin's in Gil'ead they'll torture him, kill him," Arya pleaded her eyes shining with unshed tears. Eragon pitied her yes but Brom should give him answers first. Besides this girl Arya couldn't be any older than him and Brom had lived here his entire life so he didn't understand how she even knew him.

"What did you say about the village being on fire?" Roran asked his eyes flashing desperately.

"Eragon calm down your acting like a child, deep breathes. Arya you too calm down. We'll save Faolin it'll all work out Fine. I promise," Brom said trying to appease both parties while not hearing Roran in the cacophony of noises.

"What's happening to Katrina?" Roran demanded loudly everything else seeming to fall silent

Arya frowned sadly,"If she was in the village she's dead. I'm sorry,"

Roran broke down kneeling on the floor, hand pressed to his mouth to try to stop the tears but they kept pouring down his face. He looked up and etched on his face was misery

"Who were these pursuers?" Eragon asked. They had destroyed his family, his world they would pay. And they would pay soon.

"They are named the Ra'zac. They're still there though they will destroy you if you go back," Arya informed them sounding significantly unemontional

"Sorry to interrupt the happy families," Murtagh said sarcastically joining into the the conversation for the first time. "But while I'm fine with going after this 'Faolin' guy these 'ra'zac' just destroyed our village. We destroy theirs." Murtagh said smiling broadly at everyone as Vanilor let out a roar above him. "Deal."

Eragon was surprised but after Murtagh's suggestion everything simmered down. He didn't get the answers he wanted but if he was traveling with him for the next indefinite amount of time sooner or later Brom would crack. Roran had pulled himself together and decided to get revenge for Katrina and everyone else who had perished in the flames. Brom, well Brom was most bugged by the fact that he had lost his prized collection of pipes but he didn't really have anyone he cared about dead. And Arya well he didn't get what her problem was it was something to do with this 'Faolin' guy.

As Eragon pushed through some brambles watching Arya. She had said that she needed to show them something but Eraon couldn't help watching her; she was just so different to all the girls in Carvahall, even Katrina. Then a wave of sorrow washed through him all those girls he had known were dead and the children her had known Elmund, Nolfavrell and his siblings would never grow up and Elaine's baby would never be born. It was her fault he kept on thinking she didn't seem to care about all those people she had killed as surely as if she had had wielded the sword herself. The only person she felt pity was for her precious Faolin. She could at least pretend to care about everyone she had killed.

"Elf, where are we going," Roran asked coldly. He had been refusing to call Arya by her name because Eragon knew that Roran was blaming her for murdering Katrina and refused to forgive her. He had really loved her and now she was dead he was broken and couldn't build himself up again. Eragon tried to sympathise but he couldn't. He had never been in love unless you counted the traders daughter he had had a crush on when he was 13; he could scarcely remember her name it had begun with a B or a P and she had been beautiful. Murtagh was on the other hand soaring above on Vanilor happily or at least as happily as you could when your home had been burnt down while Saphira flew alongside. Murtagh did seem to be like a character in one of his favourite legends like Raclia the bloody dragon of Saryth the human so named for her blood red scales that were like drops of blood in the sky. He couldn't wait to be able to ride Saphira himself. He had ridden Vanilor once but Saphira was his dragon so when he got to ride her it would be awesome. He could imagine soaring through the sky on Saphira mucking around, having fun and flying for the sheer joy of flying.

"To somewhere amazing," Arya said smiling wilfully. Her long dark hair swirled around her face and Eragon thought with almost a tone of surprise that she looked happy.

They rounded a corner and then they saw it or maybe him. He was large, far bigger than Vanilor and Saphira put together. The scales on his sides and back were a deep forest green, while those upon his belly and pads of his feet were lighter some verging on being a white ivory colour. While his wings where pressed to his side, they were the colour of oak leaves and he could imagine when they were outstretched with the suns rays shining through them they would be like holly leaves. The only eye that a Eragon could see was like freshly cut grass in spring.

"This is Firnen," Arya said proudly.

"No, why does everyone have bloody dragons!" Roran yelled. "You don't have a dragon do you Brom." He questioned clasping Brom's shoulder desperately. Eragon hid a laugh Roran was truly outnumbered now with only Brom being dragonless.

"He's beautiful," Eragon said awestruck with a feeling like he finally was properly a dragon rider instead of just a farm boy from a tiny village in a forest.

"I prefer Vanilor," Murtagh said looking studiously unimpressed as he examined his finger nails before he spotted Eragon's incredulous expression. "I'm not biased but Firnen is pretty but Vani is epic

Vani Saphira joked

Eragon supressed a smile Murtagh and 'Vani' were definitely amusing. Eragon felt a wave of heat as Firnen blew fire into the sky and then full out laughed as he watched Arya mentally scold Firnen. "Jeez big guy temper tantrums are not cool. Just another reason why Vanilor is better," Murtagh commented offhandedly still not looking up. Eragon laughed again as Arya glared daggers at Murtagh's head while Murtagh attempted to seem unconcerned and instead looked idiotic as he snuck glances at the pissed off elf.

"Anyway but for travelling Firnen will carry me, Brom, Roran and Eragon while Murtagh will ride Vanilor and Saphira will fly alone understood?" Arya instructed.

"But we are going to kill the Ra'zac?" Eragon asked.

"Yes we will pick up supplies in Teirim then go to Dras Leona stop in at Gil'ead to save Faolin," Arya answered.

"Jeod?" Brom asked.

"Aye," Arya answered. "Go to bed boys. Brom we must talk." Arya implored.

Eragon sighed could they get anymore bloody cryptic. But right infront of three dragons lying on a hard earthy floor upon which every so often an ant or spider would creep on and after a few times he had been crawled over he felt like he really couldn't sleep so sitting up he heard Brom and Arya whispering and caught the odd word like "danger,", "death-trap,", "Varden," and all their names. Their talking about us Eragon thought dejected

Don't worry little one they just want whats best for you Saphira reassured

Thank you Eragon thought drifting off to sleep Don't let the bugs bite

...

The next morning Eragon awoke to the bright sunlight raining down on his face. Looking around blearily as his eyes adjusted to the bright light he spotted Brom awake with Arya stirring something in a pot which seemed to be part of an animal gut. Eragon sat up and pulling his tunic from the day before on he walked over to the two almost motionless figures. Looking inside the pot he grimaced seeing some type of porridge. Shaking Roran awake he moved over to Murtagh when he spotted the cold sweat that clung to his neck and then as he watched Murtagh began thrashing around in his bedroll. "Roran, Brom, Arya something's wrong with Murtagh this isn't the first time he's had these dreams. Arya and Brom shared a look. "What is it?' Eragon asked.

"It's his past," Arya said cryptically while Murtagh muttered words like Shruikan and Morzan and Galbatorix and then phrases which all seemed to follow the lines of an apology. Suddenly with a jolt Murtagh sat up sweat dripping from his forehead panting like he had just run a hundred miles and Vanilor let out a roar. "Leave him be," Arya commanded.

"Murtagh what's wrong?" Eragon whispered as soon as Arya turned around. "Please tell me."

"What you don't tell me your every dream why should I tell you?"Murtagh retorted turning away from Eragon and beginning to nibble on a bit of the porridge. Eragon sighed he knew Murtagh was right but he just wanted to help Murtagh. They were brothers weren't they; glaring at Murtagh's back he stalked over to Roran were they sat in a comfortable silence while Eragon mused on everything that had happened ever since Saphira hatched. He had gained a brother and he supposed glancing at Murtagh's turned back lost one, found the other half of his soul in Saphira, become part of something far greater and had his entire world go up in flames. It had been a very different world to this one he now found himself in. This one was full of fear and the way you felt like you were hunted like there was someone just behind who you couldn't see but was always there.

"Roran do you miss her?" Eragon asked tentatively.

"Who Katrina?" Roran responded

"No Aunt Marian. I never knew my mum; I wonder what she would say to all of this,"

"I didn't know Silena and have no idea what she would say but mum would say 'Inside now' " Roran said imitating his mother who had died in his early childhood. "And Garrow would say 'Idiot boys' and if he were in a bad mood 'bloody hell' " Roran imitated matching Garrows dry voice perfectly bringing a smile to Eragon's face. He would have hugged him but he didn't.

Eragon's eyes flicked over to Arya, "When do we leave?" he asked.

"At once,"

Eragon's pupils dilated and he nodded slowly. "Get a move on," Murtagh yelled perched atop Vanilor. "Before Galbatorix dies of old age,"

Arya gave Murtagh a frosty glance and appeared to bit back a retort while Eragon tried to hide a giggle he was going to be riding her dragon and it wouldn't be the best idea to piss her off before he even got on the dragon. "Uh Arya," Roran asked. "How do we actually get on Firnen?"

Eragon looked up and shrugged before saying,"With difficulty,"

"Human boys," Arya said in exasperation before uttering some swear words in elvish causing Eragon to be glad he didn't have a clue what she was saying especially given as Brom eyerows had raised in shock. "Watch and learn," Arya said mounting Firnen with a few agile leaps. Eragon nodded looking up at Firnen who seemed to reach the top of the trees and grabbing hold of his foot he began an ascent made up of something like rockclimbing and awkward clambering before seating himself behind Arya. Roran reached the top in a similar manner to Roran while Brom surprised everyone except Arya by reaching the top with far more grace than Eragon and Roran while complaining that he wasn't as young as he used to be.

Eragon tried to grip on with his legs like he was riding one of the horses on the farm thankful for the large extended saddle which covered Firnen's scales preventing them from skinning his legs. As Eragon struggled with maintaining his balance Firnen swooped down in a dive before re-joining Vanilor in the sky. Eragon begun to get the hang of it and asked Arya tentatively, "How many of us are there left?"

"5: Firnen and I; Vanilor and Murtagh; Vanir and Aelix; You and Saphira; Nasuada and a gold he-dragon whose name is eluding me."

"That means Saphira's the last female dragon right?" Eraon asked curiously.

"Aye, that's why I fear for her," Arya said.

"Why?" Eragon said. Everything seemed to get more confusing with every passing second.

"As the last female she will be the mother of he race and the Varden will make her have eggs the second she reaches sexual maturity so they have more dragons. Saphira's role will be to have eggs in this war even if she doesn't care for the other four dragons," Arya explained simply.

Eragon felt a wave of sorrow rush through him; Saphira deserved the best of everything not just to be a broodmare. Eragon with anger from this injustice rushing through him finally fell asleep. As he slept he saw a male elf with silver hair that reached the small of his back pleading with an unseen force before that image disappeared and he was know looking into a meadow in which he could see a jet black dragona little bit bigger than Saphira with a figure beside him and then a girl with skin like ebony standing beside a gold dragon that shimmered in the light of a gem that was above them. Before finally focusing on what seemed to be an old man atop a dragon missing a leg and felt a wave of sorrow at this magnificent beast handicapped in such a way. Then he felt like he was on Saphira and flew away from all the images that baffled him so much were they the other riders Arya had mentioned and then saw another image of a boy who was his age who looked a bit like him and appeared to have a similar nose as ridiculous as it sounded as well as looking a bit like Brom standing along side a dragon that looked like Saphira but was more turquoise instead the deep blue Saphira was. Eragon almost brought his hand up to reach for them when he was snapped out of his dream by screaming.

A.N. And here we have it the next chapter of dragon fire it's been a bit of a wait but it's quite long (2500 words aprox.) I am considering merging early chapters together to make longer ones. Do you know if I can do that without loosing all the reviews for that chapter as an individual. If so review. Feel so sorry for Roran and who are all those people Eragon sees in his dreams review with your ideas. I would like to upload the next chapter when I have 30 reviews so either I'll wait till I have 30 or post when I feel like it.

Morrigan