Eragon took in a slow, deep breath. He felt energized. Alive. That was good. He would need all his strength for what waited for him. He shook out his hands, the clamminess making them uncomfortable. He took another deep breath for safe measure. He definitely felt alive, maybe too alive. The butterflies in his stomach were relentless.

"I want to thank you all for coming this morning," he said more confidently than he felt. Hundreds off eyes focused on him. All the chatter stopped.

Eragon's heart was beating so loud that the crowd must have been able to hear it. Eragon looked off to his left at Saphira, who gave him a nod of approval.

He could do this.

His gaze fell on the front row before him on a woman dressed in black, eyes red from fresh tears. Jorn's wife looked up at him expectantly.

He had to do this.

"We are here today because brave men and women sacrificed their lives so that we may keep ours. They acted out of selflessness, and out of love. Our lives have new meaning because of their actions. Each and every one of us owe a debt of gratitude to these people, these brave souls that believed in something bigger than themselves. It is our duty, our responsibility, to make sure their memory lives on. We are here today to pay our respects to those that have gone before us. We are here to say thank you."

Eragon stepped down from the temporary stage that had been erected in the market square. A glance to the right showed him Nasuada and her guards. To her side were Murtagh and Thorn. Eragon looked at his half-brother, wondering what he had been doing since the battle. Murtagh gave Eragon a small tilt of the head. Eragon was thankful for his support. Down from them was Orik and a group of dwarves. Eragon gave them a nod of the head, a silent thank you for coming.

The funeral ceremony was open to everyone that fought in the war, but the other groups each had their own way of paying tribute to their dead. It heartened him to know that his friends were here to show their support and give their respects to those that they lost. Ahead of him were rows and rows of seats, holding people of the Empire and Varden a like. Eragon walked up to the front row and reached his hand out for Jorn's wife. She held a rose in her hand and extended it to Eragon. Eragon grasped the hand with the rose while helping her up with the other. Together the pair walked up to the stage, each holding onto the rose with care. They gently placed the flower on the stage and turned to face the crowd. Together they said, "For Jorn!" Eragon then walked her back to her seat and made his way over to the left by Saphira's side.

That was very honorable, she said to him.

Thank you. The man deserves so much for what he did. This only begins to cover it. Eragon looked back at Jorn's wife. She was holding herself together well. The tough spirit that Jorn showed Eragon might run in the family. Jorn died so that I wouldn't give up my fight. I owe him my life. In return, I will see to it that his wife is always taken care of, Eragon told her.

You have helped her and hundreds of others say good-bye to those they lost. That is a very good start.

Eragon watched as one by one the crowd came forward with a flower representing a lost loved one, placed it in the pile on stage, turned and said the name of the one that had gone before them. Some barely got the name out through the tears, others bellowed it out to the heavens. The nerves Eragon felt earlier had fallen away. He was left with a sense of accomplishment, a notion that he had done something good. He was sure everyone would have paid their respects in their own unique way, but to bring everyone together so that they could all pay tribute as a group, reminded him that they were all in it together.

When the last person had deposited their flower, and said their name, Eragon looked up to Saphira. She nodded and the two walked up to the stage. Eragon knew what he wanted to do, but there were just so many roses. He couldn't doubt himself now, not when so many were counting on him. A mess up could ruin the atmosphere of respect they had created. They reached the stage, Eragon directly in front of the massive pile of flowers, Saphira a few feet away. This was it. He had to do it right. There was no other option.

Eragon took a slow, deliberate breath in as he closed his eyes. He reached out with his mind, expanding his consciousness forward. He could sense the flowers before him, hundreds piled on the stage. He thought about how each one of these flowers was a person who had died fighting with him, fighting for him. They were all heroes, each and every one of them. He wanted to lift them all up, raise them high so they could be celebrated as the warriors they were. Eragon used this urge, this desire to change the world around him. He opened his eyes and extended his palms to the floral mass. No words were needed. He knew exactly what he wanted to happen and his magic obeyed. The flowers began lifting into the air, one after another, as they congregated above Eragon's head. Once the last flower was drifting in the sphere above him, he turned to face the crowd, his right hand raised skyward.

"These brave souls will forever be remembered as rising above the obstacles and dangers in their way. Their memories will burn in our hearts till the end of days!" he projected to crowd before him.

Now, he said to Saphira. She looked up at the sphere of flowers suspended above him and loosed a blue fireball. The sphere lit up instantly, shimmering with sapphire light. Eragon concentrated, holding the mass together as it burned up sending little pieces of ash into the wind. He could see some in the crowd release fresh tears. Others stood, pride shimmering in their eyes. Someone in the very back began to clap. Those in front of them took up the beat, adding their own percussion until the entire crowd was applauding. They honored the dead with a roar of gratitude. The fire eventually died down and Eragon released his hold. The remaining ash floated up into the sky, like the souls of the ones they lost going to their rest in the heavens.

The next hour or so was a blur of thank-yous from members of the crowd coming up to him and his condolences for their losses in return. Many expressed their gratitude for everything he had done, not just for setting up the funeral ceremony. It warmed him to know how much they appreciated his actions, and to put faces to the people he had fought to free.

Eragon's mood was on a high when the crowds finally dissipated until he looked over and saw Nasuada walking towards him and remembered the note he had sent her earlier. He needed to have this conversation but he couldn't help but dread it.

"Eragon, thank you. Thank you so much for that. It was… amazing," she told him as she brought him into a hug. "I am so glad you are here. You are the one constant keeping me and everyone else together during all this aftermath." Eragon's heart sank even lower into his stomach. This was going to be hard.

"You're welcome. I wanted a way to honor everyone and thought a big ceremony would be the least I could do."

"You've done so much. I don't know how you do it."

"It's because he likes to show off," said Murtagh as he walked up to join them. "Just have to have the whole spotlight to yourself."

"I would be glad to share it. I could definitely use a break," he told Murtagh.

"Nah, you seem like your doing a good enough job. I'd rather watch from the sides and judge you. Makes me feel better," Murtagh said smiling.

"It's good to know I'm so entertaining." Eragon got a smile out but it was a struggle. "Listen guys, I wanted to talk to you all after the ceremony about something important.

"Eragon, what's going on?" Nasuada asked, concern coloring her face. He hated the plan but it was for the greater good. He couldn't think about himself anymore, or his friends. He had to think of the future dragons, and the future riders. This was for them.

"Well… we are leaving," he said glancing over to Saphira. She was resting on the ground adjacent to them. Lending her support to Eragon with her presence.

"Then why did you tell us to wait up after the ceremony if you are leaving," asked Murtagh.

"No, I mean we are going to leave Alagaesia."

"What?" the two of them said in unison.

"Let me explain. Please. If you have any ideas you can tell me after," he pleaded. They didn't object. Eragon took a deep breath and then began.

"As you guys know, Saphira and I discovered hundreds of dragon eggs in the Vault of Souls. It is now our responsibility to care for these eggs. Not only are they the key to bringing back the dragons, but also the key to bringing back the Dragon Riders. Well, I can't keep them in the city because they would be too vulnerable. I know we could probably come up with good safety measures to ensure that no one could steal or harm the eggs, but there is always a chance someone could slip through the cracks. My next thought was to move them to the middle of the Hadarac. They would be away from most people, but still there would be the chance that they'd be vulnerable.

The other problem is once the dragons start to hatch. When they are growing and feeding, I don't know if I can control them. Saphira and I have never dealt with wild dragons, and we may not be able to stop them if they decide to eat someone's livestock. What if someone crosses a dragon, and it kills in retaliation? I can't let anything happen to them, but there is no truly safe place for them here." Eragon stole a glance at Saphira. She nodded in turn. "So Saphira and I have decided to take the eggs and Eldunari and leave Alagaesia in search of a place that the dragons can call home. We will leave a few of the eggs marked for riders here, and they must be guarded at all costs. When the riders are chosen, they will have to be given basic training until they are strong enough to make it out to my location."

"But what about Vroengard?" Murtagh asked. "The old riders lived there, and the dragons. Why can't you just go there?"

"Exactly!" Nasuada said. "You can be away from everyone but close enough that you can come back anytime you want."

"Guys, the island isn't safe. The contamination is strong and only getting worse. Saphira and I were only able to stay for a short while. Any longer and we would get sick, and not even a rider can come back from that."

Nasuada looked sternly at him. "Eragon. You single handedly killed Galbatorix-"

"-Well.." Murtagh started to cut in but she shot a hand up and stopped him.

"You did what everyone said was impossible. If anyone can fix the island, it would be you. Can't you just say a spell and make it go back to the way it was?" She begged him with her eyes.

Eragon laughed to himself. "You're not the first person to suggest that… but I am afraid that won't happen. To pull off that kind of spell, I would need a lot of energy. What I did yesterday was an exception, not the norm. I was really close to losing it, killing myself before I could hurt Galbatorix. It was just luck that he was the one to fall and not me."

Murtagh shifted his feet and Nasuada looked defeated. Her eyes were searching him, looking for anything that she could use. It was no use, he had already looked everywhere for a better solution. Tapping into the raw energy of the world was dangerous, and down right scary. He did it on accident, action taken out of necessity, not conscious thought. To go through that again would mean suicide, wouldn't it?

"Eragon, you've helped out so much. Just look around us," Nasuada said as she gestured to the waning crowd. "None of this would have happened without you. You are the Kingkiller, people are looking to you to lead. What kind of message does that send them if you leave us?"

"I will stay for the crowning ceremony. The people will know that I support you. You are such a strong leader, even if you don't think so. You were the one who got us here, without you there would be no Varden, no war, no victory. The people of this city will look to you for guidance, not me. You'll be fine."

"Eragon, I still need your help. You are now the strongest magic user. I need you to help me with the rogue magicians."

"Rogue magicians?" Eragon asked her.

"Yes," Nasuada sighed. "You are my only chance of bringing order to the magic users that decide they would rather do things their way instead of my way. Even the weakest magician can overpower my best-trained soldiers. If you were here, I would have a way to fight them, beat them at their own game. If you leave, who would help me keep those who can do magic in line?"

Eragon looked at Murtagh. He averted his eyes. "Well?" Eragon said to his half brother.

"Well what?"

Nasuada looked at him, curiosity spreading across her face.

"Will you help her with any rogue magicians in my place?"

"I don't know," he said stealing a glance at Nasuada and then finding his feet. "I am not sure if I am staying either…" Nasuada features fell, as if her fears had been realized. Eragon didn't understand. He knew Murtagh cared for her, a lot. That had been the only reason he could have changed his true name. So why did he want to leave when Nasuada obviously felt similar?

"Murtagh, I will not tell you what to do. But I want to make sure you are aware of everything that is going on. You are needed here, more than you realize. Not only can you help Nasuada with any problems, but you have to be my ambassador."

Murtagh looked up at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean when I am gone and a new rider is discovered, someone has to give that rider basic training, or they will never be able to make it out to where I end up. You and Thorn have to be their first teachers to show them the basics. You and I are the only two riders left; you are a part of this just as much as I am."

Murtagh shifted his weight. Eragon could sense the wheels turning in his head.

"Okay," Murtagh said softly. Nasuada looked up, eyes wide.

"You'll stay for me?" Eragon asked.

"No."

"No?"

"No, I will not stay. But Thorn and I will be near enough that when a new rider is discovered, we will be able to go to them and begin their training."

Eragon just barely noticed Nasuada's shoulders slump.

"And we will be close enough that if any magicians start to cause trouble we will be able to help," He said towards Nasuada. She looked up at him, her face a perfect mask of calm. She nodded her consent to his plan.

"Look, Eragon, I have to go," Murtagh said to him. "I don't like that you have to leave, but I understand. I'll help you out with the new riders, but don't expect me to become a teacher at some rider school." And with that Murtagh left them there as he disappeared in a passing crowd. Some people gave him wary glances, while others avoided his path completely. Eragon realized there was a lot more going on with him than he thought.

"I find it very hard to believe that you two are related," Nasuada told him as she watched Murtagh leave.

"I do too sometimes." Eragon looked at her, her eyes already seemed tired and it was not even midday. "It's going to be okay, Nasuada. We won the war."

"So why do I feel like we are still fighting?"

"Give it some time."

"So have you told anyone else your plans?"

"Well Angela, if that counts. But she sort of guessed it before I could actually tell her."

"She's a strange one," Nasauda said.

"You have no idea."

"What about Roran, Orik, and Arya?" Eragon tensed at hearing Arya's name. Nasuada must of seen it. "Oh, sorry. Things aren't good between you two?"

"Apparently," Eragon said through a sigh. "Except I feel like I am in the dark about why. I was hoping she would come to the ceremony, so I could talk to her with you all. At least Orik politely declined."

"Politely declined?"

"Things aren't settled between him and Murtagh."

"Oh, I see."

"I'll talk to him this afternoon when he has some free time. I am going to go find Roran and Katrina after this."

"But you are not going to go find Arya?" Nasuada asked.

"I don't think she really wants to talk to me. She practically ran away from me after the meeting in Orrin's tent."

"Eragon, I think despite whatever is going on, she would want to know that you plan on leaving Alagaesia."

"Ill tell her, eventually. I guess, I am kind of afraid she won't care," Eragon said glancing at the crowd to avoid Nasuada.

"Eragon, of course she cares! Why would you think that?" Nasuada demanded.

"Because it feels like she doesn't care about me now…"

"Oh Eragon, she does. She is just a complicated person. To not tell her this would be wrong."

"Alright, I'll tell her," Eragon said softly.

"Cheer up Eragon, remember, we won the war," Nasuada said, nudging his ribs with her elbow.

"Yet it still feels like I'm fighting, I know," He replied giving her a half smile. They said their goodbyes and he watched her walk back to her protective group of bodyguards. She will make an incredible leader.

Saphira was still waiting for him on the ground. She waited for him to get on and with a mighty jump took to the air.

Roran's tent wasn't too far away. Eragon lost himself in the morning sun and the crisp air high above the city. Saphira angled herself down and within seconds they were slowing to a graceful landing. Katrina was sitting outside the tent in a makeshift wooden chair, rocking the baby. Her face lit up when they landed and she called to the tent. Roran's face popped out and a smile lit his face.

"Well if it isn't my little cousin, the hero of the world," Roran said as he walked up and brought Eragon into a bear hug.

"Quite the compliment coming from the mighty Stronghammer," Eragon said patting him on the back.

"Eragon, how are you?" Katrina asked as he made his way over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm doing well," he told her. "And how is Miss Ismira doing?" He asked as he stroked the baby's head.

"Sleeping for once," Katrina said through a grateful sigh. "Saphira, it's good to see you."

It is a nice to see you as well, Saphira said in their minds.

"Keeping Eragon out of trouble I assume," Roran said to her.

As usual.

"So, are you here for a little while? I was planning on trying my hand at cooking for lunch," Roran said.

"As much as I would like to see that, I have to meet some others in a little while."

"I figured you would be busy. The ceremony was inspiring by the way. It's all anyone has been talking about."

"Thanks, I appreciate that. I was actually pretty nervous," Eragon said.

"The great and powerful Eragon afraid of a little public speaking?" Roran asked with a smirk.

"Be nice Roran, he did a good job," Katrina said from her seat.

Roran clapped him on the shoulder. "He did a great job,"

"So, the reason for us stopping by was so that I could get a chance to talk to you two before things got too crazy with Nasuada's crowning coming up," Eragon told them. Saphira lay down and Eragon sat on her forepaw, his hand naturally rising to scratch under her chin. "First, I want to start by telling you guys something pretty incredible." Roran looked at Eragon and arched an eyebrow.

"When Saphira and I went to Vroengard and found the Eldunari, we were put under a powerful spell. It was designed to protect the other things there. The way the spell worked was that when someone visited the island and found its secret, they would instantly forget they discovered it when they left. The spell could only be undone if Galbatorix was defeated."

Roran had walked over and sat by his wife, both transfixed on Eragon.

"What Saphira and I discovered, along with the Eldunari, were dragon eggs, hundreds of them. The dragons aren't going to be extinct, quite the opposite really. They will come back like they were before the fall of the riders. And… when the dragons come back, so will the riders."

"Eragon…" Katrina started to say but couldn't finish.

"That's amazing," Roran said slowly. "The dragon riders will come back, just like Brom's old stories."

Eragon nodded. "And as you know, Murtagh and I are the only riders so it's up to us to train the next generation."

"You're going to make a great teacher, Eragon," Katrina said.

"Well there is a catch with all of this happening, and it's why I came over here."

"I don't like the way that sounds," Roran said.

"You see, it's also up to me to deal with the wild dragons that hatch. They need a safe home to hatch and to grow."

"Why not on that island? They are already there," Katrina asked. Eragon again let his mind wander to the fantasy of building the home of the riders where the first generation once lived. He reluctantly pushed it aside, remembering that he shouldn't get his hopes up.

"The are in a vault, protected from the contamination that infects the island. Any prolonged exposure will kill you," Eragon told her.

"I see," she said.

"And the dragons cannot be raised in any cities. It's too dangerous to have dragon eggs around potential thieves. Even in remote areas like the middle of the Hadarac they would still be in danger. Then there is the problem of when they do start to hatch. They are wild dragons. They do not follow any laws but their own. What is to stop them from eating people's livestock? Or even worse, what if someone crosses a wild dragon? An entire war was started because an elf killed a wild dragon. I can't take that chance."

"So if there is no place here that you can raise the dragons…" Katrina started but couldn't finish. Eragon nodded and tears started to form in her eyes. "Eragon, no…"

"What? What is it?" Roran asked.

"He's going to leave. He's going to leave to find a place for the dragons," she said softly.

"But you'll come back right? After you find them a home, you'll come back," Roran said to him. Eragon slowly shook his head. "But why can't you come back? They are wild dragons, why would they need you after you find them a place to live?"

"I have to go for the dragons, I have to stay for the riders. The next generation of riders needs a place to live and learn and train. I have to guide the new riders and I cannot do that here."

"But Brom taught you as you traveled across Alagaesia. And Oromis taught you from a hut! Why do you have to leave us to teach the new riders?" Roran said. He was now on his feet and pacing.

"That was done out of necessity. It isn't supposed to be like that. The old riders were taught on Vroengard. They learned and grew on that island. That is what I have to give the next generation."

"So Murtagh is going too?" Roran asked.

"No."

"No?! Why does he get to stay but you have to leave?"

"I need him here. Someone has to give the newly discovered riders basic training before they will be strong enough to make the journey to wherever I end up."

"This sucks," Roran said and sat back down, his features falling.

"I know, I wanted to tell you guys as soon as I could."

"When are you leaving then?" Katrina asked.

Eragon took a deep breath. "The day after Nasuada's crowning."

"So soon? Ismira is going to grow up without knowing who her uncle is," she said looking at the sleeping baby. "I'd really thought you'd be a part of her life."

"Believe me, I wanted to."

"Promise me something, Eragon," Roran said. "We will see you again before you leave."

"I promise. How about Saphira and I come back tonight for dinner? I'll help you cook something that will probably taste terrible."

"It's a date," Roran said standing up. Eragon got up and embraced his older cousin. He was going to miss them. He said goodbye to a tearful Katrina and kissed the baby. His heart ached at the thought of leaving his family. The idea of seeing them for family dinners, watching his niece grow up, it made him realize how much he was sacrificing. But it had to be this way. His path led in a different direction. He hoped it would be worth it one day.

So that was kind of a somber chapter... But I still thought it was important. This was more of a bridge chapter for me to get us to the crowning ceremony. I almost did away with it completely, but didn't for two reasons. 1) Jorn's sacrifice was important to Eragon and he deserved a good funeral which inspired Eragon to help everyone else say goodbye. 2) It buys me some more time to get the crowning ceremony chapter finished. I have it all written, but I underestimated how long editing takes ;p

So hopefully this shorter chapter will be enough to hold you over to the next one. I want to do it right and take my time because the next one changes everything. As of right now, Eragon's future is going in one direction. There will be a change that will shift it into another. What is that change you might be wondering? Well, Eragon is going to get something worth fighting for. I did promise ExA didn't I?