Sorry it took so long to get up. I had to go on a vacation

Freedom

Two days after he was contacted by Nasuada, Arya gave birth. It took about two hours for her breathing to calm. Eragon was more worried then

he could ever remember being. If Arya died he could think of no reason to go on living, save for Saphira. So it came as physical relief when Arya

started to talk coherently again. She first did when an elf doctor by the name of Falora came and told her, "You are lucky. You're travels have not

hurt the child in any way. You have a son, by the way." Arya then sat up and looked at Eragon with a look of such tender love that he could

scarily comprehend how much she loved him. "We have a son, Eragon. I am a mother." The concept seemed to both frighten and put her in a

trance of joy. Leaning over to her and kissing her on the forehead he said, "What do you think we should name him?" She looked at him, her

look of love not diminishing at all. "Whatdo you think we should name him? I do not have the energy to think of good names right now." Without

a second thought and without hesitation he put one hand on her forehead and one on the belt of Beloth the Wise and transferred all the energy
he dared into her.

He would gladly empty the belt and Aren and all but a scrap of his own strength if it meant she would live. When he was done she looked at him

with a warm smile and said, "Foolish. But I thank you." Then she closed her eyes. After two minutes she still did not open them. Eragon became

to worry. "Arya?" She did not move. "Arya!" Her eyes flashed open. "Yes Eragon?"

Eragon sat back down with a sigh of relief. "Just thought something was happening. What do you think he should name our son?" He felt a

surge of happiness at being able to say that. He was finally with the women that he loved and had loved since that fateful morning on their way

to Du Weldenvarden. When he had walked up the hill where she and Saphira were standing and felt something jolt inside him. She looked into

the distance and then a thought seemed to leap into her mind. Her eyes popped open for a moment and then half closed again. "What do you

think of Brom?" That she would want to name her child after Brom surprised him. "That is a good name." He was about to say more when a

slight pressure started tugging at his mind. He was so tired from traveling that he did not notice at once. Once he did the pressure had grown to
a huge amount. He recognized the mind touching his. He had fought it off twice before. Murtagh. Standing up so fast that he knocked back the

chair he was sitting in he ran, fast as an elf, to the window. Far on the distant horizon their flow, fast as an eagle, a deep red patch. "What is it

Eragon?" Eragon ran back to her. Grapping Brisingr from where it laid on the shelf he said, "Murtagh and Thorn." Without waiting to explain

further he went back to the window and with complete disregard to his own safety, jumped out of the window into a four hundred foot drop.

Halfway down he shouted over the wind, "Letta, Fram!" In the span of two seconds he stopped and started to fly towards his enemy's, Murtagh

and Thorn.

Without Saphira there to help him he was at a disadvantage. Although he did have some engorgement that he did not think he would have had.

Arya and there new born child. If Murtagh even so much as thought of putting a scratch on either of them he would rip him apart, limp by limp.

His thought almost frightened him, for it was completely unprovoked. But he new it was true. Drawing Brisingr, for they were less then a

hundred feet of each other, he prepared to shout a spell, lased with all of the death words, when to his astonishment Murtagh stood up in the

saddle and shouted, with magic, "Eragon, wait! We just want to talk!" Suspicion clawed at Eragon but he said, "I've nothing to say to traitorous

fiend like you." To Eragon's puzzlement Murtagh nodded his head and said, "I know Eragon. And you should not have to but we need to talk.

Just hear me out." Eragon glared at him and said, "If we're going to talk, you'll do it without weapons, and we'll do it on the ground." Then he

motioned with Brisingr at Zar'roc he said, "Losna du knifr, sitja eka lam." "Loosen the knife, sit it in my hand." Zar'roc jumped out of its sheath

and landed in Eragon's hand. In less then five minutes they were on the ground.

Standing between him and Arya, who was almost a mile away, he said to Murtagh," Now what do you have to tell me?" Panting for breath, Thorn

looked at him with great excitement. Murtagh said, "Eragon, we no longer serve Gailbatorix! It worked. The advice you gave me worked!"

Eragon blanched at his unexpected response. He at first felt joy but then he scowled. "How do I know you're not lying?" Murtagh shock his head.

"Vel eïnradhin iet ai Shur'tugal." Eragon lowered Brisingr. "Come with me." Eragon took them to Glaedr and Oromis. Upon reaching the mountain

the lived on he said, "Now you're going to fly up there and not try anything." Murtagh nodded. "I will do whatever you say to convince you that I

bore you no ill will." Thorn took off. Eragon summoned to energy inside himself and said powerfully, "Risa!" He floated upward and right before

they reached the edge he said through his mind to Murtagh, Wait here and if you so much as fly within three hundred feet on that tree over there-

he motioned to the tree where Arya was, then I swear upon my son's blood that I will personally torture and kill you. Murtagh seemed surprised by

him saying upon my son's blood.

Then he twisted the magic keeping him in the air so that it floated him up onto the mountain. Oromis was sitting on a chair looking at Ellesmera.

He turned his head as Glaedr growled, to show that Eragon was there, and said, "Ah, Eragon. To what do I owe the pleasant surprise of you

visiting?" Eragon walked over and bowed to him. "Master, I have brought you two traitors, so that you may judge what I am to do with them, for

they are of our order." Oromis seemed a little confused until he realized whom he was talking about. "I see. Where is the pair?" Eragon pointed

his mind towards Murtagh and said, "Come up now." Thorn flow out and landed on the rock.

Oromis and walked over to them. Expecting that he would be furious at them, and privately looking forward to the anger outburst, Eragon

watched. Oromis stopped in front of Murtagh, who had fallen to his knees, he looked at him. Murtagh went down and bowed as low as a slave

who was about to be whipped and was bagging to be spared. Oromis raised an arm. Eragon closed his eyes and fought off a smile of glee.

Finally Murtagh was to be given a full measure of punishment for his actions. He opened one eye and the other jolted open by itself. Oromis laid

his hands on Murtagh shoulders and said, "Well done, Murtagh. Well done, indeed." Both Eragon's and Murtagh's face shoot up in disbelieve on

Eragon's part, and stunned awe and gratitude on Murtagh. Oromis continued. "You have done well, very well, with the circumstances that fate

has placed upon you. Now rise, Rider. The ground is not a place for one of our order, who fly aside the Mighty Dragons." Murtagh staggered to

his feet.

His face showed that he could not believe what was happening and that forgiveness was the last thing that he had expected to receive. Then

Glaedr snaked his head around and placed the tip of his snout of the center of Thorn's scaly forehead. You too deserve to be praised for your

actions. You have done exceedingly well for one that has been forced to destroy others. Well done. Eragon couldn't belive what he was hearing.

They had slauthered thousands of the Varden and Glaedr and Oromis were congratulating them. Murtagh half-coughed, half-sobbed out the

words, "Thank you. Thank you so much." Oromis's face went into a look of compation that until that moment Eragon had only seen him direct at

him. The sight enraged Eragon. He was infuriated when Oromis lifted an arm towards his hut and said, "Please come and see my home." Then

he looked at Eragon and said, "Eragon, please get my chair, carry it back inside, and then find a good one for Murtagh." The order enraged him

to the point of bubbling over. But he obeyed.

Ten minutes later Murtagh was clothed in the finest elf cloths Oromis could get. In other words he was put in cloths Eragon would have deemed

fit for a king to wear. Then he sat at the table as Oromis filled three bowls filled to the brim with soup. Then he got a fresh loaf of bread and cut

into thirds. Then he sat and watched as Murtagh wolfed down the food. Another fifteen minutes elapsed, in which Oromis refilled his bowl six

times, until Murtagh was full. Oromis leaned back in his chair. "Tell me, Murtagh, why have you come to Ellesmera?" Murtagh looked at him like

Oromis was his undying master and would never betray him. "To escape the Empire and Gailbatorix."

Oromis nodded. "What do you think of the idea of learning under Glaedr and me, until you are fit to leave the safety of this forest?" Murtagh's

face light up in radiant joy. "Would you be willing to?" Oromis nodded his head, slow and cool. "I would. However first you must swear to me in

the Ancient Language that you are truly free of Gailbatorix, and that you wish the Varden to win the war." Murtagh swore in the Ancient

Language that all those things were so. Oromis nodded in approval. He smiled. "Well then, welcome to you're first day of being my apprentice."

Eragon could not contain himself anymore. He stood up so fast that the table rocked back and forth until falling back on its legs. "Master, may I

speak with you, in private?" Oromis looked at Murtagh and stood and walked to the scroll ridden wall of the hut. Selecting one he walked back

and gave it to Murtagh. "Here is you're first assignment. On that are the 42 glyphs that form the Ancient Language. Read and memorize them."

Then he walked out of the hut after a infuriated Eragon. Oromis closed the door, and instead of addressing Eragon, he talked to Glaedr and

Thorn. He told Glaedr that Thorn was his new apprentice and to teach him in the ways past. Then he turned to Eragon. "Now what did you need

to talk to me-" He was cut off as Eragon roared, "What are you thinking! You can not seriously intend to teach that puppet of Gailbatorix the

secrets of the Riders! With which he could end this war!" Hard anger leapt into Oromis's eyes. "After being my apprentice for so long do you

really believe that I mean to cripple the Varden? He swore in the Ancient Language that he is no longer under Gailbatorix's control. I trust

that."

In a kinder tone he said, "Remember you're answer to the question I gave you. You said that killing Gailbatorix is the only way to revive the

dragons. Here is the opportunity. If Saphira mates with Thorn we will not need to get the last egg, though we still will." Rage swept through

Eragon. "First you teach a traitor our secrets, and then you expect Saphira to mate with that abomination?" Oromis shock his head. "Do not ever

again call a dragon an abomination, Eragon. It is not his fault for what he did. Gailbatorix forced him."

"As for Saphira and Thorn mating, at least let them meet each other, when they are not trying to rip each others tails off. Who knows, Saphira

may decide she loves Thorn. Who can say for certain? Now if you will excuse me, my pupil is waiting." Eragon took what Oromis said and decided

that he was right.