Here is Chapter 5. I'd tell you more but I'd probably spoil it.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Characters, places, or Prior events found in the books of the Inheritance Cycle. All of those I attribute to Christopher Paolini. All current events, in this Chapter and all previous, are entirely my own, using the earlier works of Paolini to give it as much accuracy in way of places and Event reference. Character changes and development are my own.

Now that that's out of the way, Enjoy! Please R&R.

Chapter 5

Roran quickly strode through the tree of the elven capital.

The request of the elven queen for his presence in her courts was slightly worrying. He didn't know why she wanted him but he was sure it had something to do with Eragon and Saphira. He was sure that she was going to ask him to talk to Saphira in an attempt to reconcile her to agree to her plan. He understood both points of the view, Saphira's rigid determination to mate with only one for life and the elves desire to see the dragons returned, no matter the cost.

He wasn't far from the courts of Islanzadi but he was taking his time, mulling over possibilities of what it was she wanted. He was sure that Saphira's name was going to come up in the conversation and more than likely in the topic that she had already discussed with Saphira. He looked up into the treetops, thinking. He couldn't let the elves do what they wanted with Saphira regardless of what it might cost the dragon race in the future, he couldn't betray either Saphira or Eragon. Both were family and therefore required his support and regardless of what the elven queen wanted, he would never betray family.

He stopped as he passed the smithy and headed on to the courts of the queen. Things were happening faster than he would have cared, the mere fact that the elves rigid attitude of not interfering in the affairs of Eragon and Saphira had completely disappeared was point enough in this. It hadn't been a gradual occurrence it had happened literally over night. The pretences seemed had fallen away and now there was nothing left but the truth, the truth of their desires. It seemed that the fight to keep Saphira and Eragon alive had been leading up to this moment, the moment in which the elves made their life decisions for them. He couldn't hide his ever increasing disdain for the people of the elves for their treatment of Eragon and Saphira.
Neither was meant to be used, this was clear to many others. The changes that had happened to Eragon ans Saphira were remarkable and showed how much they were becoming like the other, his cousin becoming proud in his dragon and his own abilities, much like the dragon he rode. All the while Saphira grew more and more passionate about live and made aware of the beauty of everything around her, respecting love and wishing herself to feel and experience it.

He couldn't fault her; there was nothing more wondrous than experiencing true love. He understood her point of view better than he did the elves, if the reviving of the dragon race was so vastly important then why not simply wait for Saphira to find her life mate and build up the dragons from there, they certainly had the lifespan to wait. They had after all waited for nearly one hundred and twenty years for the time to peacefully revive the dragons and the riders to their former glory. He stopped by the forge on his way past the blacksmith; he didn't have much time to spare for the elven blacksmith. He merely smiled at the blade she was hammering away on, a sparring sword that had snapped in half. Roran knew it had snapped in half because it had been in his hands when it had happened.

He had been training with an elf when she had dealt a particularly vicious blow to his blade, snapping it in two and sending the blade spinning lethally by his head. It had scared him witless but it didn't take long for both he and the elf to break down laughing when they realized that Roran was unscathed. He smirked at the memory, admittedly he was relieved that the blade had cleaved his head in halve but the fact he was have a rematch was a happy prospect, he was thinking to 'borrow' Brisingr from the smithy for the rematch, it wouldn't work as it should in Eragon's hands but he was still likely to break the elf's sparring blade regardless.

His family relied on his strength to provide their safety and comfort, if he hadn't ever had the strength he would never have been able to survive the war. Now that he had a few moments to view the events of the war he was sure that his love for Katrina had supplied him with the drive and strength to survive… he was very confident that same thing was true of Eragon and Saphira. Though they didn't show much, he was sure that the pair of them were in love with each other, more than either was willing to admit. He knew it sounded strange but Roran had no qualms with this choice of romance at all. He normally would have advised against it but he could tell by the look in Eragon's eye that he would have chosen no differently than he had.
Roran had seen that same look in many soldiers eyes, usually among the younger ones, whose eyes had not yet adopted the deadened look that war so often brought. They had something to fight for, something to protect, a love that existed as part of them, of the people of the land, the land itself, or of one individual in that land. It was what made them unique and deadly as they we're willing to sacrifice everything to protect what mattered most to them. He was perfectly happy to accept the fact that he could well have a dragoness as a relative… well maybe not yet. As he approached the throne room he knew that no matter what was said, a little of the honor of a dragon had rubbed off on him, he would defend his family… dragon and all.

He continued on from the blacksmiths and within minutes he arrived in front of the gates of the courts and was greeted by two elven guards. They bowed to him slightly and showed him in. Upon entering the throne room the first thing he noticed were three grime stained elves in full war garb clustered around a raised dais of sorts that looked to have been recently built. Islanzadi drew his attention to her by clearing her throat. Roran looked at her and bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment rather than actually saying anything.
She stiffened slightly at this lack of respect but she knew why and where it was founded. He had reason to show no respect as she had ordered the imprisonment of Eragon only a few days previously. She normally wouldn't have done so, merely giving him her council or letting Saphira deal with him but there was never something as sad as a dragoness pained scream.

Islanzadi stood up and walked forward to Roran, putting a hand on his shoulder as she began to speak.
'I have called you here because there is a matter that I wish to discuss with you.'
Roran remained silent; the friendly gesture she gave him did nothing to shift his disposition on the elven queen. He felt that he'd rather let her speak her piece before he left. As he didn't know why she brought him there, she might want to talk about something else all together. But the temptation to leave with hearing a word was a strong one. She saw his change and knew that he was contemplating whether or not to leave without hearing what she had to say. She looked at the elven soldiers and motioned for them to move. As they did so Roran noticed that something resided upon the dais, he had thought something must but he had thought that whatever it was nothing that concerned him.

She guided him to the dais and said as she did so, 'I wanted to talk to you on a matter that does not concern you cousin or his dragon, this matter is different altogether' She gripped the cover of the object on the platform and pulled it off.
Roran gasped; underneath the silk covering was a green stone with veins of silver like substance running like spider webs all over it. He knew immediately what this object was, he had seen something like it before only that had been blue not green. Islanzadi smiled at Roran's dumbfounded face as she continued,
'My soldiers who remained in the capital city after your cousin killed Galbatorix searched through the castle before the people razed it to the ground, they were very nearly killed but these three were successful in finding this, the last remaining Dragon egg that Galbatorix had in his possession before he was killed.'

Roran looked at her with a look of amazement, the fact that she was telling him rather than Eragon or Saphira was a shock but he was now beginning to wonder what this had to do with him. She slowly walked around the dais keeping her eyes on Roran as he resumed staring at the egg, a wondrous look in his eye.
'I want to know if you would like to take this egg. The choice is yours.' Islanzadi's face was a mask, completely impassive as she stared at Roran, knowing what was to come next.
'What do you mean by take it? Surely you don't mean for me to keep it.' Roran's face registered nothing but disbelieve as he stared from the egg to Islanzadi and back again, trying to understand why she was doing this. She must surely have an ulterior motive behind her wanting him to have it but even as he thought these things she spoke again,
'Yes I do mean that you can have it, I have given it some thought and decided that I would ask you if you would like to have it. I said the choice is yours.' Roran thought hard about any possible hidden motives that the queen might have but as he could think of none he asked, 'What happens to it if I choose not to take it?'

Islanzadi sighed and said in a calm voice,
'If you choose not to take the egg then it will undergo the same process that Saphira did, it will be ferried from elven city to human city until its rider has been found, but I had a thought that I would let you have for a while to see if you could potentially be its rider.' She stroked the egg gently as she continued with a smile, 'I have a feeling that the gift of the rider runs in the family, no matter the relations. I want to see this young one go to a good man. One that'll treat him right.'
Roran looked at the egg and thought for a moment. This egg greatly interested him, it was beautiful certainly but something about it pulled at him. He longed to take it in his hands, as if by holding it would make it more real than it was. Roran nodded and reached out for the egg. He didn't know what about it interested him so much but he was eager to know what it was. He gently picked up the egg and held it in front of his face, staring at it with a wonder he couldn't explain. He pulled to his chest carefully, as if the faintest jostle would shatter the egg in his arms. He looked at the elven queen with a smile, like a little boy who saw the traders and their sweets and cakes for the first time.

He thanked her profoundly but was cut off by the queen as she said, 'No thanks is necessary just make sure you don't lose it.' Roran nodded and left the throne room as quickly and carefully as he could. Islanzadi smiled to herself, the act of giving the egg had two reasons, the first was the fact that she honestly felt that Roran was to be that dragon's rider, the look on his face when he had seen it made her think that she was right. The second of her reasons was that she wanted to show a sign of goodwill towards Eragon's family, a way of apology as it was. She hoped that it would help to mend the relations between the Rider and his dragon. It was unlikely to happen overnight but she was willing to try. If this dragon did hatch for Roran then the chance that the race of dragons could be rebuilt from the hatchling after it was grown up was a chance she was willing to take.

It was certainly more appealing of an option rather than forcing Saphira to do as they pleased. The idea was a monstrous thing, something that sickened Islanzadi to think about. She'd be no better than humans who dealt in flesh and she would not stoop that low, no matter the circumstance.
A voice whispered from the darkness of her mind as she resigned never to do such a thing,
'But why not? Do you really have time to wait for the egg to hatch and then grow? It may not even hatch for Roran so why risk it…' Islanzadi shook her head to dispel these thoughts, they had been there since Eragon and Saphira had arrived in Ellesméra and had only grown more incessant with each day she thought about it. Even though she was predisposed not to do anything of the sort, these thoughts did not fade as immediately as they should have.

She returned to the throne and looked at the door through which Roran had disappeared and thought wryly to herself, 'Why am I thinking these things?' No matter how she examined the thoughts that had flitted into her mind, they seemed to be resolutely her own. Maybe in time she would understand them better but for now she let her mind entertain thoughts that did not dwell on Saphira, Eragon, or the unhatched dragon egg.

Six is soon to come, Tell me your thoughts, Review it.

I can't Wait for the next book to come out!