Return

In the following days Eragon grew to know Martha, and even to respect her. She never let Gailbatorix near him without first making him promise not to hurt him. The girl seemed to be Gailbatorix's weak point. He visited Arya as often as he was allowed. Martha did everything she could to let him talk with her. Once she even let him go for the day without his drug so that he could take to Arya in his mind. He got insides on her own life. How Gailbatorix had brutally killed her mother, Freka, and how he had sworn in the Ancient Language, in a fit of drunkenness, to be the perfect and best of fathers to her. Since then he had been forced to do anything for her. In turn she grew to know him as well, to the point where it was uncomfortable for Eragon. She understood him so much that once she finished his sentence and another she guessed what he wanted for dinner, which was strange as he never had the same thing twice.

Days rolled by and before Eragon knew it two and a half weeks had passed. We'd be back with the Varden by now. He longed to run out of the city and go back, with Arya, to Saphira. Surely she must have laid her egg, or eggs, by now. We wanted to go back, yet some part of him wanted to stay in Uru'bean. That he could morn the potently departure from such a hated city, appalled him as well as disgusted. But at the same time it made sense. Martha did everything she could to make him comfortable, he was always well fed, there was never any bloodshed, and he got to see Arya whenever he wanted to. But there was one flaw. The hair he saw every morning was not the raven hair of Arya, but the blond hair of Martha. I should be spending my days with her, not Martha. Still he could not deny the girl's treatment of him. She seemed intent on making him, through gently prodding, want to stay in Uru'bean. Eragon spent most of his time looking out his window, at the dark prison in which his love resided. It was warm that day, so he lied down on his bed and slept.

All Eragon could see was silver. He sat up and realized he was sitting beside Eragon 1 on Bid'Daum. The elf had an angry, but mild angry face. As Eragon stirred he looked back at him.

"Well. Never thought I'd see you again. Were you ever planning on coming back here?" Eragon looked up at him, surprised, as he always was, by the elves youthful face combined with his age.

"What's wrong?" The elf spun around, his face turning furious. "'What's wrong!' You of all people should find the idea of spending two seconds in Uru'bean repulsive, not two weeks! What are you thinking!" He moved to hit Eragon but Eragon blocked it.

"What I am thinking is that, yes, I need to get out of here. But it's so nice here. Why must I go back?" Using his full-elven ability Eragon throw his hand past Eragon's and hit him.

"Why? You have exactly one week to get out of there, or else I will come back and do it for you, and let me tell you, you will not like the results!" Eragon sat up. He was lying in the large bed, Martha asleep about ten feet away. Eragon jumped out of the bed and went to where the contents of his pack which had gradually scattered across the room. In the process of doing so, he woke Martha. She sat up, drowsy with sleep. She yawned and said,

"What are you doing? It's too early to visit Arya." Eragon shook his head as he bent down and picked up Brisingr.

"I have to leave. I must get out of here and back to the Varden." Martha stood up and twirled a night gown around herself.

"Why would you do that?" He looked at her in shook. Her face was completely calm. She acutely means that.

"'Why must I leave?' Because the Varden are counting on me." Martha looked down at her hands.

"I just thought that maybe if I did enough that you would want to stay." Eragon looked down for a second to pick up one of his shirts.

"I could never stay here. I'm no more than a pampered captive here." He looked back down and was astonishment as Martha's hand touched his shoulder. How had she moved so quickly?

"Think about this. I can make Gailbatorix do anything for you. If you wanted you could lead his army, and he would have to treat you fairly. You wouldn't be just be a servant captured. If you wanted you could go anywhere, and you wouldn't have to take that drug, and-" she looked back down at her hands- "if you wanted, you could ask for a wife." Eragon pulled away from her, feeling odd that grief resided in his heart.

"I can not stay here. The Varden need me. If they lose then their will be no end to the war." She frowned for a long time, and then smiled confidently.

"Well then what can I do to help?"

*********

Eragon stealthily walked down the lane, his elven bow strung. He looked at every turn, his true vision returned with the return of his power word. Martha had shown him that hot water was the antidote, and now he could see with the power that it allowed. Martha walked behind him. They were in the opposite end of the castle, where Arya's, K'eray's, Kroger's, and Shadow's cells were. Eragon felt with his mind for the four of them, delighted to have to ability back. He felt K'eray's mind and moved to her cell. He laid a hand on the door and whispered, "Open," in his own language. The door creaked open. Lying on the ground was a shivering, crying young elf, cut and bruised and bleeding from her right temple. Eragon stared at her for a moment.

This is what others went through for your 'comfort'! The first Eragon's mind was filled with rage. Eragon mentally sighed, exasperated.

Is your acting like my conscious going to go on from now on? Eragon 1"s mind snapped back at him.

Probably, because you seem to lack one of your own! Eragon grunted and moved towards K'eray.

"K'eray, are you alright?" She opened one eye and then both her eyes popped open. She rushed forward and hugged him.

"Where in the world did you go?" Eragon was slightly surprised by her open display of friendship, as elves did not incline to it, and said,

"I've been gone for a while." She looked him over a couple of times. She sniffed three times.

"There's not a scratch on you, you have fresh cloths, and you smell like good food. I hope you will explain yourself." Eragon nodded and stood.

"Are you okay to walk?" She wobbled to a standing position.

"Depends. Are we going to go to the Varden now?" Eragon smiled.

"Want to see Brom?" K'eray raised her head and smiled to herself as the memory of Brom washed over her. With a clear voice that betrayed nothing of what she had gone through she said,

"Yes, I do." She walked with complete balance to the cell which held Kroger, raised her leg, and kicked the door with so much strength that it toppled inward. Kroger raised his head and sat up.

"Well finally. Thought you'd never get here. The food is awful. And for some reason they think that drug works." He got up and started to Arya's door, but Eragon stepped in his way.

"Allow me." Kroger lowered his arm, which he had been about the punch the door with and snarled,

"Well I'll go get Shadow then." He walked off and Eragon turned to Arya's cell.

"Open." The door slowly opened and Eragon realized there was a spell on it. Not set by Gailbatorix obviously so he decided it was of no threat. He waved a hand and it sung the rest of the way open. Arya sat stood by the door, her head turned to him. She pushed herself off the wall and walked towards him calmly.

Fresh wounds, some healed, covered her flesh. A small tear ran down her face. As she walked towards him she lost the will to control herself and ran to him, and hugged him. He hugged her back and out of the corner of his eye saw K'eray smile.

She must hope to have the same thing with Brom. Arya raised her head and kissed him. Then said,

"Come, we must leave." Kroger walked around the corner, his hand on Shadow's back.

"Got our escape device." Eragon walked over and kneeled before the boy. Although he wore the same cloths he had came in, he looked well fed, and completely alright.

"Didn't the soldiers hurt you? And how did you get fed so much?" The boy's mouth twisted in a smile.

"Didn't I tell you the shadows are my friends? The soldiers dare not hurt me, for fear of the repercussions, and my revenge. Oh, they tried, but they couldn't move thanks to my shadow." Eragon smiled at the boy. The more and more he learned about the boy's shadow, the more and more he wondered in awe what his two brothers could do.

"Your shadow can make food?" Shadow shook his head, raising his arms.

"No time for that now. Solders on the way." Again shadows formed dragged themselves off their owners and into a pile in front of Shadow, until a large one stood before him.

"Come on." K'eray, Kroger, Arya, and Shadow walked through the portal. Eragon looked back at Martha.

"Take care of yourself." Martha nodded.

"There's something I need you to know before you go." She raised the hair over her ear and pulled it back. Eragon gaped as he saw her half-way pointed ears.

"You're a half-elf?" Martha nodded. "Gailbatorix is and he gave it to me. There's one last thing. Gailbatorix is your-" At that exact moment a group of thirty solders ran out of the corner into the hall. Half drew swords and ran at them, yelling battle cries. The other half aimed crossbows and longbows at them. Martha jumped forward and pushed Eragon through the shadow. Eragon heard screaming and shooting, then nothing but calm. He opened his eyes to see the others standing up, looking over a rise of a hill. The new day sun was coming up and it shown on the five of them. Eragon stood up and walked to them. Over the hill was a mass of swarming tents. From the low east a blue and a red dot flew out from a mountain. The Varden's camp. Eragon smiled with joy at the sight.

"We made it." Two elves ran out from the Varden, one covered in blue fur and the other wearing a simple tunic and a sword waving at his belt. Eragon looked at the boy and realized that it was Brom. K'eray saw him and took off at a dead run, despite her injuries. They met about half a mile from Eragon and nearly knocked each other over. K'eray laughed as Brom spun her in the air with such happiness and joy even Eragon could not comprehend the love they shared. Brom set her down and looked her over.

"You're hurt." K'eray closed her eyes and laid her head against his chest.

"I will never be hurt when I'm with you." Brom hugged her. Arya walked up beside Eragon and whispered,

"Well looks like we've done our part." Eragon nodded.

"Looks like it." A low moan came from behind them. They both turned to see Shadow bending over at the waist and Kroger patting him.

"I have never moved so far. I'm exhausted!" Eragon picked the boy up and they started to the camp. As they walked he talked to Shadow.

"Don't worry; I know I'll be able to help you with your power. We'll start your training in two days, to let you rest." It took them around twenty minutes to get there, K'eray being carried by Brom, had it the easiest. When they got there they went straight to Nasuada's tent. She sat beside Elva, Angela, and Solembum. Sitting beside the werecat was Kolembum.

The werecat sat beside his twin brother like they had not been separated at all. The two served the group and started to whisper to each other. Nasuada stood and said,

"Welcome back Eragon. Who are all these elves you've brought with you?" Eragon proceeded to introduce them all to Nasuada.

"And finally this is Shadow. He has an uncommon power. He can move and dictate a person's shadow, create a shadow and turn into a real living thing, transport you through the shadow to another place and a lot more that would take a while to explain." Nasuada stared with interest at the small boy.

"And he's blind." Nasuada looked back at him and mouthed,

"Doesn't that make him useless?" Like a viper Shadow shoot forward, used his hand to through himself through the air, and landed in front of Nasuada.

"Just because I'm blind, doesn't mean I can't see. For example. You are tall, brown skinned women of perhaps twenty, wearing a green dress, depressed by all the weighs of the Varden, along with the wants of your flesh and those of your mate." The Nighthawks had been about to attack the boy, when they stopped. His description was perfect. It seemed to them he could not only see her, but see into her. The boy braced himself against the table, jumped back beside Eragon, and said,

"All to many people judge me for my blindness, when in actuality I see better then anyone in this tent. Eragon raised a hand.

"Excluding me." The boy nodded and looked up at his guardian.

"Can we go now, I'm tired." Elva stood up and walked to the small boy. Her charms had grown, even though Eragon had previously thought that that was impossible. She was now bordering on the beauty of Arya. She knelt before the boy and said,

"I understand your struggles for I have gone through much the same." She stood up and mouthed to Eragon,

"I understand," and walked back to her seat. Shadow pulled at Eragon's cloths. He bent down and the boy whispered,

"I like her. She's the first to even claim she had gone through something similar." Eragon stood up smiling. A laugh came from behind Eragon and he turned to see a tall dragon, dressed in what looked like human cloths.

"Were have you ran off to? Faolin and Murtagh barely make good opponents so I've been bored for almost a month." Gridor walked forward and took Eragon's hand in a rough but appropriate shake. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I didn't consider you wouldn't have anyone to blow up while I was gone." Gridor smiled. He pricked his ears to the ceiling and said, "Okay, got to go. Saphira's going to bit my head off if I don't get this done." He turned around, ran a few paces, and then took off with a blast of air. Just the name of Saphira reminded him that they were not connected due to Eragon keeping his mind closed. He opened up his mind and felt her.

Saphira! She was distracted by something but her joy and relief from hearing him alright washed over him. He smiled as she kindly asked for a few minutes. He turned his attention back to the tent and saw that Shadow had worked his way to the two werecat's. They stared at him with the same interest that he stared at them. In a quivering voice he said,

"H-Hyro? Fifrie?" The two werecat's grinned wolfishly and wavered. Their colors changed and Solembum turned into a small boy. Kolembum turned into what might have been a boy of perhaps 11. They both embraced Shadow. Kolembum or Hyro said,

"Kecra. Where were you all this time?" Shadow trembled as if with a cold.

"Kecra. My name is Kecra." Eragon walked to them. He looked at Solembum, or Fifrie. "Fifrie. So that's your real name. The one you mentioned in Teirm?" Solembum looked up at him and smiled. For the first time he heard Solembum speck out loud.

"Obviously." To his surprise Angelia seemed undisturbed at the werecat.

"You aren't surprised?" Angelia batted the air.

"Of course not, I'm not an idiot. Shadow sent Fifrie here to Teirm, where I had just started to live. He liked me, I liked him and so everything flowed naturally." A sharp word cut through the air.

"No." Eragon looked down at Shadow.

"My name isn't Shadow anymore. It's Kecra." He turned to the two boys.

"Brothers. What happened to you?" The two of them jumped down from the chair and Hyro his Kecra over the head, but playfully.

"You need to learn better control of your powers. Here watch this." He raised a hand and light shot up from his palm, and turned into a sword.

"It would be hard to find something that sharp." Eragon watched him. What else could these three do?

"Alright, Kecra, go on to your tent." The boy walked off with his two brothers, even though he didn't know where his tent was. Arya turned to K'eray.

"You can sleep in my tent if you want." K'eray huddled closer to Brom. "But-But I want to stay with Brom." Eragon almost laughed at the pleading look on his son's face. Eragon walked forward and laid a hand on Arya's back.

"Oh, come on, Arya. Let the two have a little peace and quiet together. Arya looked up at him and her eyes practically said,

"You know why I don't think it's a good idea." Eragon smiled and said to the two in front of him,

"Alright, Brom your mother will let you sleep in the same tent as her, and let you stay up and talk, and even hold each other lovingly, but her cloths and your cloths stay on your bodies.

Brom flushed with embarrassment and said,

"Yes, Father." He smiled to K'eray and picked her back up. They left and went straight to Brom's tent. Nasuada dismissed Eragon and Arya on the grounds that it was nearing night and they needed to sleep. The two went to a low rise and sat down side-by-side and watched the lowering sun.

"We made it. We're home." Arya laid her head on Eragon's shoulder.

"You're going to train the other two also?" Eragon nodded.

"The powers that those three posses, I have never seen in all my life." Arya smiled and said,

"They could be of great help." She looked down with her hawk like vision at Brom's tent.

"How long do you think it will take?" Eragon thought for a moment and trying to amuse her said,

"Thirty seconds." Arya laughed and said,

"I'm sure. But seriously how long do you think we have a hold on them?" Eragon thought. He thought about how long they had been apart and how that would affect the decision.

"I'd give it a week, maybe two." Eragon fit his head onto hers and said, "No matter. We're back with the Varden. With those three boy's powers this war will soon end." Arya smiled and whispered,

"You'll train those three and I'll train K'eray. I think that will work out okay." Eragon and Arya slept on the hill, holding each other.

"Good night Arya. I love you." She smiled and fell asleep. Eragon smiled at his love and he too fell asleep.

Sorry it took awhile. Now please review! Please! I'm sorry. Need a little motivation