(A.N.) Sorry for the long wait! Happy (belated) New Year!

I would like to start this A/N by thanking every single person that reviewed this fic; whether you just started reading or have been reading since the beginning, your input has helped me a lot and has helped me to find the motivation to write XD. With that being said, I am happy to announce that I have accomplished a milestone in my goals of FF; this fic is my first story to reach over 100 reviews!

So this chapter will be dedicated to the 100th reviewer!

Elvendiath – Congratulations! You are my 100th reviewer! I'm really glad you liked the lemon! Well, more drama obviously! Haha! No, they didn't use protection…do people even have forms of protection in fantasy settings? Idk, maybe they do…and it's possible, but I won't say yes or no yet on the subject :P

Big thanks to everyone else that reviewed!

Elemental Dragon Slayer – Yeah…I really wish I was an expert at this language that CP created, then I could have done a better job with going in depth with how it works (which I will still attempt do as best as I can). Haha, yeah actually I'm not Christian either so idk why I said that, probably should have just said 'happy holidays' :P.

Dessert Maniac – I've been meaning to put something about that in the story, especially in Roran's POV's, but for some reason it kept slipping my mind. I'll address it this chapter.

Silverflair26 – Thanks a lot! Really, that means a lot :). And me too!

The Lucky One – Haha! Your enthusiasm makes me smile :). Glad you like my fic!

d-saintsation-b – like I said, might have gotten carried away with the lemon, but I suddenly just really got into it (not a perv by any means haha). Glad you liked the M/N scene, I was a little worried about it to be honest. Yes to both; there will be an epilogue and a sequel, though I'm not sure when I will start on it (I want to finish one of the other fics I'm currently writing before I start anything else)

LongLoreLover – Thanks for all of your help in pointing out my mistakes here and there, lol! I felt the same way, CP did a bad job in ending IC. I'm amazed you were able to catch up so quickly! I really appreciate every review you made, really it means a lot to me XD.

Lastly, I would like to thank RaphaeloftheDarkness for beta reading this chapter XD

Welp, it's another long chapter! Enjoy XD

*EDITED 04/11/13. Someone pointed out to me that Roran and Katrina were actually married in the third book, and since I am re-writing the fourth I figured I should probably change that in my story. So here is the revised version of this chapter. Katrina and Roran are happily married*

Chapter 17

Eragon

"Eragon…"

He shifted; moaning softly as he gently moved his body.

"Eragon…wake up."

If he had heard the voice inside of his head, he made no movement to show it. Though asleep, he could feel some warmth beside him, and in an attempt to get closer to it he shifted his body, grabbing the source gently as he pulled himself closer.

"Awaken!"

Eragon's eyes shot open and the first thing he was greeted by was total blackness. He released a soft moan and as he took in a deep breath the fresh scent of crushed pine cones entered his nose. He realized now that the source of the blackness was Arya's hair. He smiled and buried his face deeper into her soft, wavy hair, taking in as much of her scent as he could.

"Finally." Saphira snorted.

Eragon chuckled. "Sorry. I must have been very tired from…from…last night…" He blushed deeply as he realized that he was still naked; and he felt Saphira's amusement at his embarrassment.

"Do not be embarrassed little one. What you two did last night was long overdue, if you ask me." Saphira replied. She released a laugh as Eragon's blush spread over his body.

"What is it Saphira? Did someone come by to see me?" He asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Not someone…Roran. And he seemed very excited about something." Saphira replied.

Eragon frowned and gently sat up, doing his best not to awaken a peacefully sleeping elf that rested by his side. "What did he say?"

"Only that he wanted to speak with all of us urgently. He kept going on about something that he wanted us to see...it was annoying actually."

Eragon chuckled and gave Saphira a mental nod. "I will come when I can. Right now I...I have my hands full..."

He could feel Saphira's amusement, and it made him blush a little in embarrassment. "Perhaps you should wake up Arya and go to him. Although, she does look rather content the way she is."

Eragon chuckled and rubbed his face. "No you're right, I should probably wake her up. You know, I don't think I've ever seen Arya sleep this well before. Usually she's awake by now."

"Mmmm…" Saphira hummed. "Well, you two were very active last night, it doesn't surprise me—"

"—Saphira!"

"Sorry." She replied as a deep grumble emanated from her throat.

Eragon sighed and rubbed his face. "No you're not; you're having way too much fun. We'll be out soon."

He heard Saphira chuckle as she slowly withdrew her mind. "Do not take too long…"

Eragon sighed and slowly turned to the blissfully sleeping elf by his side. He smiled as he watched her shift in her sleep, a soft moan escaping her lips as she shifted more.

"Eragon…" She breathed; unconsciously reaching out with her body to seek his warmth; and she frowned slightly when she could not find it.

He found himself catching his breath once more at her behavior before he lay back down and hovered over her body; slowly inching his face to hers until his lips gently pressed against hers. "Arya…" His voice was barely a whisper; soft and gentle like the cool morning breeze that came in through their tent. Arya's eyes suddenly opened; slow and lazily. Her deep emerald eyes drank in his sight and Eragon felt his heart stop. Her eyelids closed as she took in a deep breath before she slowly opened them once more, and smiled at him.

"Arya…" He said again, suddenly finding some strength in his voice. Their bond had grown deeper; in one night everything had changed, and as the threat of the final battle loomed over Eragon, he found himself realizing that he did not care. He did not care what repercussions may happen because of what they had done. All that mattered was the stunning beauty that lay before him and the love they now shared.

Arya released a breath and gently raised one of her hands and touched his face; the tips of her fingers lightly tracing his cheek until they stopped at the crook of his neck. "Eragon…" She replied softly.

He tenderly grasped her back and pulled her closer to his, their naked bodies pressing tightly against each other. "Last night…" He couldn't finish his sentence. The night was too magical, too indescribable for words, so he leaned in and kissed her bottom lip; gently biting it until Arya moaned and he found himself pushing his face closer to hers in an effort to gain a more intense kiss. The heat of passion that had dimmed away suddenly came back, and he found himself grasping the hollow of her neck. He heard Arya moan against him and it brought back a flutter to his heart. He released one of his hands and gently brushed a lock of her hair that was draped across her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"I have never felt anything more wonderful in all of my years." Arya whispered.

"I wish we could stay like this forever." He whispered back to her, resting his forehead against hers.

Arya laughed and smiled widely, earning a smile from Eragon that he could not stop even if he had wanted to. "But then, that would be rather suspicious. Would it not?" She asked as she ran a hand through his messy hair; finally stopping to gently scratch his scalp with her nails.

"Indeed it would." Eragon replied. "Though, I do not think I could keep Roran waiting any longer than I already have."

His words earned a raised eyebrow and a confused expression from Arya as he moved her hands to his chest. "Roran?"

Eragon nodded. "What is more confusing is that he has also requested your presence. Saphira told me he seemed worried about something, though he would not say why."

Arya took in a deep breath and released it as she moved her hands from his bare chest lower and lower, until she stopped at his waist. "Well then, we should not keep him waiting."

Her voice was soft, yet it carried a melodious ring to it; one that never failed to capture Eragon's heart. Arya slowly drew herself up and Eragon followed; her arms still resting on his waist. The thick sheet that had once covered their naked bodies fell off as Eragon hoisted Arya up onto his lap and pressed his lips to hers, eliciting a moan from her as he pushed her body close to his.

They found themselves wanting more from the other, deepening the kiss and pushing each other to the brink of explosion until finally Arya gently pushed him back; laughing as he groaned in disappointment.

Arya

A wave of immeasurable joy radiated throughout her body as she watched Eragon slowly move off the bed. Her eyes became glued to his naked back, and she found herself shifting her gaze lower and lower, until it stopped at his butt.

"He has a pleasant butt…" She blushed deeply when the thought passed through her head.

When did she start having such inappropriate thoughts? Oh, that's right, since the night before when she had explored every inch of his body. A shiver ran down her body as the memories of their recent activity washed over her.

In all of her years of life, though she was still considered young, she had never experienced anything quite like what she had last night; and she knew Eragon had felt the same. What had amazed her, though, was just how much Eragon loved her. She knew in heart it was true, after all one cannot lie in the Ancient Language, but as the memories of last night washed over her yet again, she felt her heart jump as Eragon's face entered her mind. How tenderly he had touched her, with such reverence and adoration in his eyes. How gentle he was with her; how passionate and loving he had been. It was not something one would expect to experience for someone who had been thrust into a world of blood and death. But for all of the men he had killed, Eragon was able to love her. He was able to show her that he had not completely changed, that he had not allowed the effects of war to consume him. It was a wonderful piece of knowledge to know that such a man loved her.

She was taken from her thoughts when Eragon suddenly turned to her, now fully clothed. "I'll be waiting outside." He said while giving her a smile.

Arya nodded and flashed him a faint smile as he strode out of their tent. She stood up grabbed the fallen sheets, folding them and placing them neatly at the foot of the cot. She immediately closed her eyes and waved her hand from her face down her body as words of power left her lips. She sighed in contentment as she suddenly felt refreshed and clean. Picking out a set of comfortable yet combat-ready clothes, Arya soon changed and walked out of the tent; immediately catching site of Eragon and Saphira.

"Good morning Arya, did you sleep well?" Saphira asked her. The trace of suggestiveness that left her voice did not go unnoticed by Arya, and she found herself blushing lightly.

"I did, and you?" She replied, deciding to keep the conversation short and simple.

Saphira chuckled, or rather she grumbled; but the way her lips curled, showing her razor sharp teeth, suggested to Arya that Saphira was laughing. "I slept rather well, considering…" She replied in a suggestive tone.

"Saphira!" Eragon yelled.

Arya looked at him to see that his face was now beet red, and judging by the amount of heat that was coming to her face, she probably was too.

Saphria snorted. "You two-legs are no fun."

Eragon sighed and then turned to Arya. "Read to go?"

Arya nodded, and then followed both Eragon and Saphira to Roran's tent.

Eragon knocked swiftly on the wooden pole outside Roran's tent; the banners of the Varden Army were tied to the top, flapping gently in the breeze.

"Come in, come in!" They heard Roran yell before Eragon could make even three knocks on the pole. No doubt something was surely exciting the young commander.

Eragon entered first, and Arya followed gracefully behind him while Saphira rested under the shade of a tree; listening in through the minds of Eragon and herself.

Just as Eragon took a step inside, Roran rushed to him and threw his arms on his shoulders. Eragon's eyes widened and his hands jerked up at his cousin's sudden behavior.

"Eragon, Arya! I'm so glad the both of you could come!" Roran exclaimed; he did indeed seem quite jovial about something.

"R-Roran! What has happened?" Eragon asked, still slightly in shock from Roran's sudden out-burst of excitement.

"Please, have a seat…both of you." Roran motioned to a round table further inside his spacious quarters.

Arya and Eragon nodded and quickly took a seat while Roran sat across from them. He folded his hands and tried furiously to stop a slowly growing smile from forming on his face.

Arya watched as Eragon opened to his mouth to speak. "So, what is so exciting that you had to speak with us so urgently?" Eragon glanced around the room. "And where is Katrina?"

Roran's lips quirked into a grin. "She's with Elain right now. She's been...sick as of late." Roran replied as he licked his lips.

"Sick?" Eragon repeated. "What has ailed her?"

Roran's lips now broke into a wide grin. "Eragon...she's pregnant!"

Eragon

"P-pregnant!?" Eragon exclaimed. "H-How?! When?!" Eragon sputterd.

"A few months ago, around the time you left on your mission." Roran replied simply. He still looked rather flushed, but he found it difficult to battle off the smile that was covering his face.

Several long seconds of silence filled the room before Eragon broke into a wide grin and then stood up. "This is wonderful!"

Roran too stood up and Eragon quickly approached him to give his cousin a hug.

"Congratulations." Arya said kindly; a warm smile gracing her face.

Roran laughed. "THank you both, so much. Katrina should be back soon, do you mind waiting? I-I could make some tea if you like…though I don't know how good it will be." Roran offered.

The corners of Arya's lips rose slightly as she looked at Roran. "Tea would be much appreciated."

It had baffled Eragon that he had not noticed Katrina's slowly growing belly, although that could have been due to the fact that she was wearing baggy clothing; probably to avoid unwanted questions.

"I am surprised it took this long for Katrina to become pregnant." Saphira said.

"Why is that?" Eragon asked.

He felt Saphira scoff. "Because, Eragon, how long have they been together? How long were they separated from each other, finally to be reunited after you helped to save Katrina?"

"You have a good point, Saphira. I guess it just never really crossed my mind..."

Saphira hummed in response; her deep bellied voice rumbled through his mind. "Well, the same could be said about you and Arya. To think that she returned your feelings is one thing, but to mate with you when the final battle looms over our heads? That does not seem like the Arya we know, and there will surely be consequences for this."

Eragon swallowed hard; he had never thought about that. What would happen if Arya became pregnant? He still had no idea where he was going after this war ended. Would she come with him? Or would she stay to rule over her people?

"I suppose every action has its consequences…" Eragon mused as his eyes flicked to the room that separated him from Arya.

"Indeed, little one, but that does not mean that those actions are wrong. What you and Arya did was completely natural. Even she has urges and desires that must be fulfilled; even if she may think otherwise."

Katrina arrived later in the day and Eragon had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. The four most important people in his life were all in the same room, and were having a joyous time together. Not only that, but Arya...Arya had been beside him the entire time; holding his hand, or even watching Katrina as she prepared meals and tried to lend a hand where ever she could. He felt like he was finally building the family he had always wanted with her.

Eragon opened his mouth to speak but then closed it as he felt a familiar presence brush against his mind.

"Blodgharm…" Eragon said as he lowered his barriers.

"Forgive the intrusion, Shadeslayer, but Lady Nasuada requests your presence." Blodgharm replied.

"Of course, I will be there momentarily." Eragon felt Blodgharm give him a mental nod of acknowledgement as he slowly pulled his mind away.
Eragon turned to Roran and Katrina. "I must be going. Lady Nasuada wishes to see me."

He caught Arya's gaze as she threw him a questioning look, to which he responded with a shrug of his shoulders; indicating that he had no idea what the Varden leader wanted.

"Of course, I will see you both later then." Roran replied, glancing from Eragon to Arya.

Eragon gave his cousin a weak smile and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Aye, we will see you later in the day. No doubt Lady Nasuada will want to speak with us tonight."

"Aye, that she will." Roran said, nodding to Eragon.

"Eragon…"

"Yes, Saphira?"

"There is a man outside that wishes to see Roran."

"A man? Let him in."

Eragon turned towards the entrance flaps of Roran's tent as a soldier slowly entered. He was a little shaky; no doubt Saphira had scared away what courage he had.

"Forgive me, Shadeslayer…" The soldiers said while he bowed to Eragon. As he stood up straight, he noticed that Arya was also in the room. "S-Shadeslayer's, I-I mean…"

Eragon sighed and raised a hand. "It is alright. Speak, what is going on?"

The soldiers smiled weakly before addressing Roran. "My Lord, Lady Nasuada is calling everyone to her tent, she wishes to speak with us…the army I mean…"

"Thank you." Roran replied, flashing the soldier a smile. "We shall be there, you are dismissed."

The soldier brought his legs together tightly and fisted his right hand into a ball while pressing it to his chest. "Yes, my lord."

Eragon waited for the soldier to leave before he turned back to his cousin. "Well Roran, it looks like Lady Nasuada is ready to address her army."

Roran

He gave Katrina a kiss before he followed Eragon and Arya out of his tent. His eyes fell from their backs to their hands; fingers intertwined with the other. It made Roran feel a sense of happiness for his younger cousin. For all the hardships he has faced, it was good for Eragon to have finally found love. Though Arya was normally hard and spoke rather coldly sometimes, he and Katrina had grown close to the elf, and she with them. It was easy, really; after all they had bonded over the same person, Eragon. But with the news of Katrina being pregnant, Roran felt that Arya would help them just as much, or perhaps even more, than Eragon would. He wasn't sure exactly what had made him feel that way, but it gave him some comfort to know that Katrina would be looked after. It made him wonder, then, if Eragon and Arya would have children…or marry even. Did Elves even get married? He remembered one time that Eragon had explained to him that Elves take on mates, and that marriage wasn't practiced because they lived for so long.

So did that mean that Eragon and Arya were now considered, in human terms, married? A faint blush covered his cheek as he wondered whether the two had done…that yet. He shook his head and forced away the thoughts, such things were none of his business. They soon met up with Blodgharm and the other elven spell-casters that were assigned to protect Eragon and Saphira. He and the furry elf had conversed from time to time, and had become used to his presence. Though he was still wary about him; he didn't like the fact that Blodgharm released a scent that made women fall prey to him.

The large group now walked through the camp, which was now bustling with energy as all the soldiers now worked to gather before their leaders' tent. The large mass of soldiers had made it difficult to navigate through but, once they saw Saphira, the soldiers split down the center to form two sides allowing them to pass through.

The soldiers began to chant, "Hail Argetlam!" and Roran saw the look of annoyance that passed across his cousin's face, but there was also joy. Perhaps he had missed being praised while he had been gone.

Roran chuckled to himself as he made his way up the hill, spotting Nasuada immediately; King Orrin, Jormundur and Nar Garzhvog were all standing around her. Out of the group, only two leaders were missing; The Elven Queen, which he had yet to meet, and Orik, the new Dwarven King.

"Eragon, Arya, Roran…"

Roran was taken from his thoughts as Nasuada approached them with a small smile on her face.

"It is good to see all of you, and you as well, Saphira."

Roran clasped his hand to his chest and bowed. "My Lady."

Eragon, Arya and Blodhgarm merely dipped their heads in a show of deep respect.

"I hope that you and Saphira were able to rest." Nasuada said as she turned to Eragon. "I apologize for summoning you all so soon after your return, but I fear if we do not press on soon we may lose what little advantage we have."

Her eyes fell momentarily between Eragon and Arya and Roran wondered if she was looking at their hands.

"My Lady," Eragon started to say as his hands fell to his sides, "do not concern yourself with Saphira and I, for the rest we have gotten will suffice. Be assured that we will fight with our full strength, for the cause is too great. Besides, we can rest all we want once with war is over." He chuckled.

Roran found himself chuckling at his cousin's words. His stomach did a flip as he thought about what he could do after the war; he could finally raise a family with Katrina, and live peacefully. Perhaps, with the help of Eragon, they could rebuild Carvahall! The mere thought made him shiver with excitement.

He heard a deep rumbling sound that came from the direction of Saphira and he looked over to see her shifting her snout to Eragon. Was that a sign of affection? Blast, he could never tell when that dragon was teasing, angry, happy, laughing, or displaying any other emotion. He was, however, able to catch the smile that Arya gave to Eragon before Nasuada spoke. "That is good to hear."

Nasuada looked once at the large mass of soldiers before turning back to the group. "We shall speak in private later."

They all nodded and watched as Nasuada turned back to her men. Roran noticed that King Orrin's men were mixed in with the men of the Varden, and he guessed that their numbers were around fifteen to twenty thousand; would it be enough to break through the castle defenses?

"I am sure that all of you know why I have summoned you here this afternoon." Nasuada began; all eyes were on her now. She took in a breath before continuing, "Tomorrow at dawn, we march to Uru'Baen. You have all shown your quality by fighting to protect these lands from that mad king, but you have no obligation to fight." She paused momentarily. "And so I say this to you now, if you have no desire to fight, then you are free to go. I will not force you to fight…"

Silence covered the mass of soldiers, but they stood up straight with unwavering attention being given to their leader. Roran smiled at the display of loyalty they all gave, and as he glanced back to Nasuada he noticed a single tear that threatened to fall, but never did.

"I thank you all. It is one of most important reasons why we shall win this war, because we have something to fight for; our sons and daughter, mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, our families and friends. I will not tellyou rid yourselves of fear, for it can be a useful emotion. Instead, I ask that you go now and spend time with your loved ones, let them give you the strength to fight. Go now and rest. Tomorrow will decide all of our futures."

The mass of men erupted into a loud cheer as they chanted, "Lady Nasuada!" over and over again as they thrust their weapons in the air.

Arya

She watched as the sea of men cheered for their leader and then slowly dispersed to their tents; no doubt eager to cherish what could be their last moments with their loved ones.

Nasuada's eyes shifted from her to Roran and then to Eragon, Jormundur and Blodhgarm and Nar Garzhvog. All in equal understanding, they followed Nasuada into the meeting quarters of her tent; with Saphira resting just outside the entrance flap with her head lying on the ground.

"Queen Islanzadi is eager to hear your report, Eragon." Nasuada said as they all filed inside.

Eragon nodded. "And I would give it to her, may I?" He asked as he motioned to the large mirror that was propped up on a wooden table.

"You may." Nasuada replied. "We shall be in the other room; I would like to discuss some things with Roran." Eragon nodded and watched as Nasuada, Roran, Jormundur, Nar Garzhvog and King Orrin all left the current room.

As the last person left, Eragon turned back to the mirror and whispered the scrying words. Instantly the once clear reflection of the room with Arya, Eragon and Blodhgarm soon shimmered and rippled, revealing a stone-walled room and an older looking elf with long silver hair.

Arya placed two fingers to her lips as she recited the Elvish greeting. "Lord Dathedr, it is wonderful to see you."

Lord Dathedr smiled and repeated the Elvish greeting. "Indeed it is, Arya Drottnig." He looked over at Eragon. "And what an honor it is to be greeted by Eragon Shadeslayer."

Eragon bowed his head while he greeted Lord Dathedr.

"If we may, Eragon would like to give his report to the Queen, may we speak with her?" Arya asked coolly.

"Of course, let me fetch her." Lord Dathedr replied as he stood up and let their field of vision.

No sooner had he left, did the Queen appear. She was adorned in an elegant golden armor. Her hair was pushed back out of her face, a golden circlet held her bangs back. It was easy for anyone to see that Arya and the Queen were related, but luckily humans were too engrossed with their beauty to notice and Dwarves could care less about the matters of Elves.

"Queen Islanzadi." Arya said as she greeted her with the Evlish greeting.

Her mother frowned slightly but followed the greeting, as did Eragon and Blodhgarm.

"It is good to see you all." Queen Islanzadi said, smiling at the three before her.

"My Queen," Eragon started to say, "forgive me for not giving you my report earlier, the journey was rather tiring."

Queen Islanzadi waved her hand. "It is alright, we are here now. I am eager to hear what has transpired as of late."

Eragon nodded and then told the Queen all that happened, with Saphira helping him out. When he mentioned that he had discovered his true name, Arya felt a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach. She had known her true name her whole life but she never shared it with anyone…would she share it with Eragon?

"There is more, however I would like to share it once everyone is here." Eragon said.

Arya raised a questioning eyebrow, but said nothing. What more could there be?

The Queen seemed to having the same train of thought. "There is more? Very well, we shall wait for the others. In the meantime I would tell you all that is going on here. Currently, our forces are preparing to leave Gil'ead prison. As you all know, the size of the Elven army is small, but what we lack in numbers is made up in strength, agility and the use of magic."

They all nodded.

"We will be leaving very soon, and if all goes well that we shall meet you at the designated location outside the gates of Uru'Baen."

"Has there been any word from King Orik?" Eragon asked, his voice betraying a sense of hopefulness.

The Queen sighed and shook her head. "There has not, I only hope that they have come to some decision and left their mountain. Whether they will aid us or not, they are too far for us to communicate with, we are on our own I am afraid…"

Nasuada, Roran, Jormundur. Nar Garzhvog and King Orrin suddenly entered the room and looked from them to the Queen. Greeting her in their own way, everyone brought each other up to speed with the most current information they had.

"Now that we are all here, I am most interested in hearing what new information Eragon has to share with us." Queen Islanzadi said, staring intently at the rider.

Nasuada's eyebrows met a 'v'. "New information?"

Eragon nodded and withdrew two pulsing orbs from a pouch that was secured to his belt. The excitement of meeting Umaroth that flashed across the Queen's did not go unnoticed by the group.

"After Umaroth-elda spoke with us, he gave me something; something that will drastically put the war in our favor."

Everyone's eye grew wide and Arya took a step closer to Eragon.

He closed his eyes and then slowly opened them as a smile crept onto his face. "Umaroth-elda has given me a spell that was designed to break the connection one has with any Eldunari they posses."

Arya froze, as did everyone else around. How…how was this possible? "Oh!" She cried out in pure joy. "This is wonderful news indeed!"

"How is this possible?" Queen Islanzadi asked, her face frozen in shock.

"It was created long ago, just before the fall." Umaroth said. "Oromis and my rider, Vrael, created it along with the Rock of Kuthian and the Vault of Souls."

"Finally!" Nasuada shouted as he clenched her hands into fists. "We have a way to bring that mad man down from his height of immense power!"
"Are you positive this spell will work?" The Queen asked.

"It is a powerful spell, and I would be lying if I said that it would be easy to cast. However, Glaedr and I should be more than enough to aid Eragon in casting it."

"Even with this spell, how will Eragon enter the castle? Our forces are not large enough to break the lines of Uru'Baen." King Orrin piped up. "And it's not like the Elves are providing much support…" He grumbled.

"My Dear King of Surda," Queen Islanzadi started to say with a slight hint of displeasure. "Though my army is small in numbers, we do not fall as easily as humans do. A force of say five hundred elves would be equivalent to several thousand humans."

"Let us not forget that Nar Garzhvog and the Urgals are with us as well. Though a small force they are very strong and equal to several hundreds of humans as well." Nasuada pointed out.

Nar Garzhvog made a 'rut-rut' sound from the back of his throat. "We fight for Lady Nightstalker and Firesword to the very end."

Arya eyed the Surdan King, displaying not outwards emotions but a sense of displeasure too seemed to flow through her. King Orrin grumbled again but made no open retort.

"We don't really need to storm the city." Eragon started. "Though it would be greatly in our advantage, we only need to hold the city down long enough for me to get inside and face Galbatorix."

"And what will we do when the soldiers of the Empire realize that Saphira is not present?" Nasuada asked.

Eragon motioned to Blodhgarm. "The elves can create a shadow image of myself and Saphira, but if anything touches them the soldiers will find that it is only an illusion. It's a long shot but I think it's out best option."

"How do you plan on entering the castle?" Arya asked him. She stared intently into his eyes, with her arms folded across her chest as she leaned her weight to one side.

"I believe I can help with that." Nasuada replied. She looked at Jormundur who nodded and left the room, returning seconds later with two rolled up pieces of long paper. Nasuada took them and unrolled them on the table, revealing them to be maps of Uru'Baen; one encompassed the entire city and the surrounding land, while the other was a blown up version of the actually castle.

"We received this a few days ago from one of our spies." She said. Nasuada pointed at an outlying section outside of the walls of Uru'Baen. "We meet a few miles outside the walls of the city. From there we will reform our troops under each commander. Eragon," She now turned to face Eragon, "how will you and Saphira sneak into the castle unnoticed? I know you mentioned something about the elves creating an apparition of yourself and Saphira, but what about the real you?"

Arya looked from Nasuada to Eragon, she was curious to hear what he would say.

"A spell of concealment is no trouble; Saphira and myself can be rendered invisible—"

"—Saphira, you and I." She interjected.

Eragon jerked his eyes to Arya and opened his mouth to speak but then quickly shut it. "I—yes, forgive me Arya. A spell of concealment for the three of us will be no problem. The castle will be sure to have entrances big enough for dragon's to enter, we just need to find out where they are, and there-in lays our problem."

Arya understood instantly what he was talking about. "You're hoping that Thorn and Murtagh will come out and chase the fake Saphria, and then after casting the spell of concealment you hope to enter the caste through where they came out from." It wasn't a question; she knew exactly what he was thinking, literally.

"Yes." He replied simply.

"But if Galbatorix comes out instead—"

"—then we have a serious problem."

Arya paused momentarily, unfazed by how they had just competed each other sentence. "It may just work, because—"

"—Galbatorix won't leave his throne—

"—because he will not risk being so far away from his Eldunari."

Arya looked around the room and faint blush covered her cheeks as she saw everyone smirking at the two of them. She coughed lightly and then nodded again. "It is a good plan."

"It sounds risky." Nasuada said, slightly unconvinced. "Although it is true that Galbatorix won't leave his throne to fight you, there is still the possibility that he will."

Eragon shook his head. "I don't think so, my lady. Not when he already has a more-than-capable rider and dragon to fight us. He won't leave unless he truly must; for instance, if Murtagh and Thorn were to be killed."

Arya caught Eragon's gaze before he turned away. She furrowed her eyebrows slightly, what was that she felt just then from him? Was it grief? Pain? The emotion was gone as soon as she saw it. She would have to speak with him when they were alone.

"In either case." Eragon continued. "Saphira and I probably won't be able to avoid Murtagh and Thorn forever, but if we can confront Galbatorix first then perhaps we can…" He trailed off.

Arya took a step closer to him and grasped his hand, causing him to face her. "You still want to save him, don't you?" She mentally asked him, staring straight into his eyes.

A sparkle of agreement flashed in his brown swirls. "Yes…"

"I understand." Nasuada replied, drawing everyone's attention to her; which Arya was very grateful for. "Eragon, do you think you can fight Galbatorix once his mind has been severed from his Eldunari?"

Eragon blinked lazily. "It will not be an easy fight; Galbatorix is an incredibly powerful man and a skilled swordsman. Despite losing his vast source of magic he is also a powerful magician."

Nasuada frowned but Eragon gave her a reassuring smile. "In spite of all this, I do not think he will defeat me. I have been training hard as of late with Arya, Blodhgarm and the other twelve elven spell-casters, and Glaedr-elda believes me to be ready; and let us not forget that I will have both his help as well as the help of Umaroth-elda."

Queen Islanzadi, who had been silent up until now looked at Eragon. "What happens if Shurikan leaves the castle to fight us?"

Everyone turned to the Queen, and fleeting look of fear passed across Eragon's face. "We shall have to hope that he will not engage us…"

Everyone remained silent, all hoping the same thing.

Nasuada sighed. "We have much to hope and pray for. As it stands, we will have Roran, Marcus, Jormundur, Nar Garzhvog and myself will each control a battalion of the army. I know what you are thinking, for I am thinking it to," She stopped and glanced at everyone around the room, "there has still been no word from King Orik. We can only pray that they have come to some decision and is now marching with his army as we speak, if not then we cannot lay blame to him. He has done all he can and we must press on."

Every nodded.

"Go now and rest." She said to everyone. "For you will all certainly need it; we have a long day ahead of us."

Now being dismissed, everyone slowly left. Arya and Eragon were the last to leave, and just as she pulled open the flap of the tent Nasuada stopped them. "Eragon…please wait amount, I would like to speak with you."

"Of course." He replied, turning back to face her.

Arya stopped too and walked back into the room.

The features on Nasuada's face tightened and then relaxed. Her teeth clenched and relaxed and her he fist did the same. There was clear internal struggle going on with her.

"What it is Nasuada?" Eragon asked, sensing her distress.

She opened her mouth and then quickly closed it before turning around and gripping a wooden chair tightly. "While you were gone…someone came to see me…" She whispered.

"Why are you telling me this?" He asked her, cautiously taking a step closer to her.

Nasuada suddenly whipped around to face him. "Because…because it was Murtagh!" She said, raising her voice slightly.

"WHAT?!" Arya found herself yelling along with Eragon.

He now closed what little distance there was between himself and Nasuada and gripped her shoulders. "What do you mean Murtagh came to see you?!"
Nasuada's lips quivered slightly and Eragon's eyes softened as she gently released her. "What happened?" He asked, this time his voice was much more gentle.

Nasuada took in a deep sigh a recounted to them what had happened.

Eragon

They had just made it back to their tent, and Eragon quickly brushed past the flaps of his tent and paced around the room. Arya soon entered with Saphira resting just outside.

"This changes everything, Arya." He said to her with a frustrating sigh.

"You do not actually believe what he told Nasuada, do you?" Arya said with a hint a disbelief in her voice.

"Arya, he spoke to her in the Ancient Language! We cannot ignore something like that!" He let out a groan and fell on his bed, dropping his face into his hands.

He heard Arya walk over to him and kneel down in front of him. Her hands gently brushed up his thighs and up his arms, stopping at his hands. He allowed her to pull his hands away from his face and into each of hers. "Eragon, you must fight Murtagh and Thorn, you cannot avoid it." She said softly.

He knew she was right, but the words still stung. "Things are different now, Arya. I thought that he was beyond saving, but now I hear that he wants to be free! He doesn't serve Galbatorix willing Arya! He—"

Arya quickly stood up and sat next to him, placing a hand on his leg. "Eragon," she looked deep into his eyes, and he felt tears slowly prickle at his eyes. "You have done all you can for him. You cannot falter now, if Murtagh truly wants to be free then he will have to prove it himself by showing us just that. If you show him mercy then he may take advantage of that and—" She stopped herself and closed her eyes, slowly opening them and looking back into his eyes. She licked her lips and her mouth slowly parted.

"I can't do it Arya… he's my brother…" He replied as a tear fell from his face and landed on his breeches.

She reached for one of his hands and gripped it. "If you have to, then you must Eragon. I know that in your heart you understand that it is the way of things, and I am sorry for that Eragon, I truly am." She scooted closer to him. "But I want you to know that Saphira and I will always be with, we will never leave you."

Eragon's eyes widened and his mouth parted slightly. "Arya…" He took in a breath and then looked down at his lap. He suddenly felt her hand under his chin as she gently forced it up to face her. She swallowed and then slowly leaned into him, finally brushing her lips against his. A jolt of electricity shot through his body, no matter how he felt, Arya had this was of making him feel so loved. Her lips were so soft, and he soon found his hands in her hair. The long strands of wavy, raven black hair felt so good in his hands. She pushed her face into his, deepening the kiss and she broke off several times before coming back in to kiss him again and again. They slowed down after some time and Arya placed her head in the crock of his neck.

Eragon smiled as he wrapped his arms around her lithe form, taking in her intoxicating scent. "I love you Arya…" Silent tears fell down his face.

"And I you, Eragon…" She replied, hugging onto him even tighter.

They didn't need to brush their minds together, not after the previous night. No, now they were bound together, they were mates. Eragon felt Saphira's mind brush again his, and as she entered he sighed in relief. It felt wonderful to have the two most beautiful women in all the lands with him.

A wave of love, humor and satisfaction washed over him and he felt Saphira hum in response to his unvoiced feelings. "I love you, little one's…"

(A.N.) Wow, another chapter done! Writing this chapter was a big deal to me, because I had to wrap up everything that would come before the final battle. As I look back at my story, I can see that I left a few things out that I would have liked to mention or make clear, but it's alright; the basic story is down and I'm happy with what I've written so far.
So, will Eragon have to fight and kill Murtagh? Or will his half-brother find a way to break his oath to Galbatorix? Right now, I think the battle scene may or may not be split into two chapters. Regardless, there will be one last chapter after the final battle that will wrap everything up, and then the epilogue.

Hope you enjoyed the update! Please read and review! XD

- Demonzmagic