In a state of misery and sorrow Katrina slowly woke. She gazed down at the soft, tearstained bed. Her head was spinning and her eyes hurt. Slowly she roused up, realizing she'd need to tell others.

Eragon had been gone at the time when she'd made the terrible discovery. Now he lay across from her. She heaved a great sigh as she realized how much stress he'd been in. And now this…it wouldn't be too good. But it was only right that he should know…

"Eragon, wake up. I have something terribly important to talk with you about." Eragon slowly roused to her voice.

"Is he?" He asked, raising his head from the pillow.

"Yes." She answered solemnly. Without another word, Eragon dove his head back into the pillow and cried hard. Katrina stroked his hair, she herself crying silent tears. They both just sat for a long moment and cried together in silent solemn sadness.

Katrina finally turned to look at the bed where her fiancé's body lay. But it was gone… All that remained was a small puddle of throw up. She gave a puzzled and frustrated sigh when she looked but couldn't find him anywhere on that bed. She must have pushed him off the bed in the night, she told herself. She walked over and searched every crease and crevice on the bed. From the opposite bed, Eragon watched her with a worried expression on his face. He wasn't there. Or there. Or even there!

She grew worried. Maybe they were preparing him for burial. Her eyes grew wide with worry when she remembered that Eragon was still in bed. They won't take his body with out telling one of them, would they?

She suddenly stopped. A breeze chilled the air in the pavilion as the cotton door swung open. Light poured in; silhouetting the man in the door, turning him into that of an angel. She squinted to get a better look at him.

She could feel a pair of eyes on her; watching her every move. Her heart skipped a beat. She stared back to find herself in the gaze of two brown eyes. Two eyes have never been more beautiful; or more frightening.

There, staring at her, ragged in the entrance of the Dragon Rider's pavilion in the gardens of Aberon, the capital of Surda, bordering Alagaesia, stood Roran.

Katrina found herself in a state too shocked to scream. In fact, she couldn't say a word. She tried to walk forward, but her legs felt like frozen flowers and wobbly as a new born gazelle's. She felt like crying and laughing and keeping a straight face all at the same time. But instead, she just stood there, staring. Eragon seemed equally shocked.

How could he be alive? He was dead! She faintly remembered something. Something miraculous. But her head was too fuzzy to know what it was.

He moved towards her, a great beaming smile on his face. He grabbed her, tears streaming down his face. How she'd missed his sweet embrace. She buried herself into his warm, sour, musky body. In his arms she found more tears. She never wanted to leave his arms again.

Yet all great things must come to an end and they finally did when he let her go. "I love you." He whispered in her ear.

"Roran, you had me so worried. You almost died. Never do that again. I could never love another. Yet I could not raise our child alone. I would have to marry. And…." She started in hysterics.

"Whoa, wait, our child?"

"Roran, I think I'm pregnant." Roran beamed, his tongue tied. Eragon, who had finally regained motion, lost it again. His jaw was dropped so far, his lip was almost literally on the floor. Katrina simply shuffled her feet and blushed a bit, her secret finally out.

"How long have you known?" Roran finally asked.

"About three days. I started to wonder when we got to Aberon, but there were too many other things to worry about. I didn't want to add another."

"Congratulations." Eragon managed to spit out, his lip still on the floor, before falling over on his bed in shock.

A shadow crept into the barn. From within the confines of a very cave-like stall, there came a weak, soft, welcoming snarl. From inside the stall, Saphira raised her head as her rider approached. She yawned, licking her chomps submissively. She felt his mind reach out to hers long before she could see or smell him. In it, she could sense the presence of a new hatchling, though he hid that look from his outer self. But she knew exactly why…

Saphira! Roran's…

I know…

How? I felt you asleep before now. How could you possibly know unless….Saphira, what did you do?

Saphira heaved a sigh. I admit it. Roran would not be still alive if I had not acted. Last night, I practiced a technique I learned from a dear friend of mine many nights ago. It was terribly hard, but I was able to do it. It can allow me to direct my magic. Then I went to that tent and I performed a spell which would freeze him till I let the spell drop…

And that stopped the bleeding and gave his body time to seal it off. Eragon finished, amazed at how smart Saphira had been. She nodded and gave a weak snort.

I now know what you must do to keep those spells up. They really sap your strength. I cannot tell you how exhausted I am. Eragon noted for the first time how fast she was breathing.

He put is hand on her flank and padded it lightly. You did good, Saphira. You did good. But, you know, I would like to know who this friend is. I know you met him while you were alone.

Her you mean. Saphira snorted. She gave him a big toothy grin. She looked it his mind silently and discovered he was exited about something else as well. I cannot tell you…don't you have something else you want to add?

How could I have forgotten! You know how Katrina has been so moody? Well, she pregnant! And I got to tell her who's responsible for saving the father of her child. See you Saphira.

Before Eragon could even take a step, Saphira swept her tail at him, throwing him off his feet. He tried to get up, but Saphira's tail held him down.

What are you doing?

No. She said firmly. You shall not tell her. She'd think I was trying to kill him secretly or something. The girl has no common sense.

Eragon bit his lip. She was probably right. But Katrina should know… Eragon took a long moment then said out loud, "Fine."

Olta oathkla on. Oathkla on, Argetlam. (Then swear it. Swear it, Silver hand.) Saphira snarled, revering to the tongue of the ancients. Oathkla uno halloon uka lilte ehr.(Swear you shall not tell her.)

Eragon sighed. Eka halloon uka tiotei lilte ehr. Tulb uno halloon.(I shall not to tell her. But you should.) Is that good enough for you?

Saphira glared at him for a long moment. Then she lifted her tail, saying, I am content.

Good. Be ready. In about an hour and a half, I'll come back down with Roran. Then we need to get going. And with that, he left. This time, Saphira made no motion to stop him.

Two sets of eyes looked into one another, seeing each other's very souls. Every deed lay bare. Every sin forgiven. They both knew what they forever would miss were they to loose one another.

Hand in hand, the two walked through the gardens. Her eyes looking to her stomach and then to Roran and gave a soft giggle. Roran looked at her and then her stomach and smiled.

He took a deep breath, sighing when he reflected on how just a day before he had been barely breathing to the point of being seen as dead this morning to his fiancé. She had asked him several times how it was possible he was alive and he'd answered that all good things in life remain secrets, but in truth, that meant even he himself didn't know.

"Roran?" Katrina said softly, barely audible.

"Yes, my love?" Roran whispered back.

"When this war starts, promise me you won't fight." Her eyes beckoned him to hear her.

"That I cannot do. I must defend our freedom. I will not see our child enter a world in such a state." Roran answered.

"Why! You have no idea how hard it was. To sit there and watch you die. To realize your child may never know more of a father then a grave stone. I will not stand for it. Not when there are dozens of other men willing to fight. Come away with me. We can leave Alagaesia and only return once the men have beaten Galbatorix." She said, tears spilling out her eyes.

"Katrina, love, you are being rash. Do you not think the other men have wives? Or children? They go for the same reasons I do. To let their children know Alagaesia as the beautiful land it once was. I cannot stand by while the Empire grows ever closer to planning our demise."

Katrina fell into his arms, sobbing loudly. "I just don't want to see you dead, my love. I am sorry. I was selfish."

"You have right to be. As the fight is closer then you think." Roran answered while looking at the blazing sun, set in the middle of the sky.

Katrina glared up at him, "What do you mean?"

"Eragon has planned a secret mission I am to accompany him on. It leaves at noon. So, I am afraid this is goodbye, my love. Till I hold you in my arms again, I bid you adue, my fair maiden. Take care of our child." He said, poking her lightly in the stomach. She giggled and watched as he ran out of the gardens, leaving her to stand and wait. He ran swiftly down the corridor, but a voice saw him.

"Good to see you still breathing, Stronghammer." Roran turned to see Nasuada moving towards him.

"Great to see you again too, milady." Roran replied, bowing deeply to the Varden's leader. Then he added, "Have you seen my cousin?"

"Yes, he is currently in the conference room, adding the final details to the elders. I do not think they approve of the plan, but then, Eragon is not theirs to command. I am confident they shall see it our way." She smiled, and then added, "Follow me."

So Roran did and in no time was standing at the doorway. As Nasuada slowly opened the door, he gave a quick look around. There were many maps and charts on the walls. A board of several elderly looking people sat in chairs forming a semi-circle around a tall podium. At it stood Eragon. And, of course, right behind him, Saphira. Presently, he held a long wooden pointer directed at a chart on the wall. It looked like the map of the black palace of Kurmoshkow. One space, highlighted in a neon orange, was labeled target and Eragon's pointer was held firm to it.

"Now, an inside source who once worked at the palace, reported that the egg if kept in a vault in here. It's not more then two corridors or four hundred feet from here." He traced the path to an area highlighted in yellow with the word, start, in the center.

"So here's the game. We wait till the moment is just right. Saphira and Stronghammer, my cousin, shall wait in the court yard, taking care of anyone who sees us." Then, Eragon pulled out an elaborate costume. There were a few skin colored attachments, a black cloak, and a few vague items. He fixed it on, uttering a few magic words to keep the hood in place.

"In this, I shall impetrate the fortress and be as the red rider. I shall even have a red dragon." He said. He muttered another inaudible word and, with the, Saphira turned a slightly bluish red. "As you can see, I cannot hide everything. But by the time guard realize what hit them, they won't exactly be able to do anything."

"I still object!" said an elderly woman towards the middle.

Spotting Roran, Eragon started up again. "We go with or without this council's support. I merely wish to inform the Varden. This meeting is over. All our party is ready to go. And besides, Stronghammer's pregnant fiancé shall worm her way into coming if we do not leave soon." A chorus of chuckles ran through the group. No one argued though.

The council began to file out. Roran started to follow, but as soon as he got out, he felt a sharp tug on the back of his shirt, pushing him off balance. The hand yanked him to a secluded corner, where Roran turned to face a cloaked Eragon.

"Two things, Roran, before we go. One, you've seen my…" he saw and elder close be and did not continue. Roran nodded, knowing who he meant. "Well, does this look like him?" Eragon ripped off his hood to reveal almost exactly Murtagh. He was shorter and a bit pudgier looking. Anyone who personally knew then would see the difference, but still, the resemblance was uncanny.

"Yes."

"Good." He said, pulling his hood back up. "Now the second thing is, I thought you should know why you are still here." Eragon explained with the occasional confused comment from Roran. Roran was so happy to hear that it was Saphira, not Eragon, who save him.

"Why?"

"Because it could end the feud between her and Katrina. Have you told Katrina yet?"

"No, Saphira forbade me from it. She think Katrina will take it the wrong way."

"What? I know her. She may be rash, but she is not that evil."

"That's what I told Saphira."

"Well, she didn't forbid me, did she."

"No."

"I'm going to go tell her."

"Not now. Wait till we return."

We must go, now. Before the light fades…