Disclaimer: I am so sorry for the long delays, I am in Hawaii and one of my mentors still expects me to complete my daily lessons. . I own nothing as usual.
Eragon felt his head swimming. He opened his eyes. Saphira's wing held him in a cocoon. Saphira, what happened?
You're awake, replied Saphira, surprised. She pulled her wing up and revealed Eragon. You lost much of your energy and passed out.
Did I succeed? He looked around at the dragon hold. His hand automatically reached for his sword.
Saphira nuzzled her Rider gently. And you should be proud, she growled soothingly. The dwarves are in celebration.
Eragon stood and swayed before gripping one of Saphira's neck spikes. How long was I out?
Not long, answered Saphira. A few hours at most.
That makes me feel loads better, Eragon grumbled. He sighed. Well, we had best get down to this little celebration. We will be expected to make an appearance.
Orik told me that you can rest for as long as you needed to, replied Saphira. You should really rest little one. The effects of your spell are not yet worn off.
Thank you, Saphira, but I will be fine, insisted Eragon. And I have you at my side. What can go wrong?
Ok, but you are not doing more walking than you have to, growled Saphira.
Eragon smiled and mounted his dragon. He gripped the nearest neck spike as Saphira glided down from the dragon roost. Saphira landed with a soft thud. Many of the dwarves looked up, surprised, and then went up in applause to welcome the Rider. Eragon accepted their cheer and dismounted. He strode forward to Orik. "King Orik," he murmured, bowing before his friend.
"Eragon!" exclaimed Orik cheerfully. "I am so glad that you were able to recover so quickly!"
"Thank you, King Orik," Eragon said softly. "Your concern for me moves me . . .. But I would not have recovered so quickly if it had not been for Saphira."
Orik inclined his head to Saphira. "So, I take it that you will be returning to Ellesmera soon then," he added in a sadder tone.
"Regrettably so, King Orik," replied Eragon. He walked through the crowd of celebrating dwarves with his friend. Saphira followed closely behind. "Arya will be needing my assistance training Tasha."
"I see," murmured Orik. "How is the girl's training going?"
"I know naught," Eragon confessed. "She collapsed mysteriously as Arya and I were on our way back to Ellesmera after we instated Roran's leadership role within the old Empire. She did not fully recover until just before you sent for me."
"Odd," whispered Orik. He looked up at Eragon and twisted his beard thoughtfully. "Has she revealed to you how she got captured in the first place?"
"She has not," answered Eragon. "Just the mere appearance of another dragon egg that no one knew about is odd. I wonder often how long Galbatorix must have had that egg and why no one knew of its existence."
"And I doubt that this girl can answer those questions," added Orik. "This is all very strange. Galbatorix was too easy to kill . . .."
And Shruikan was the one to kill Galbatorix, Saphira informed. That alone is very odd.
Orik shuddered uneasily. "I will look up possible answers in our libraries," he announced. "Eragon, Saphira, keep your guards up. Now that Galbatorix is dead, I feel even more uneasy."
"As do I," agreed Eragon. "Any word from my cousin Roran?"
"None," answered Orik. "I will send word to him in the morning, as well as King Orrin."
Eragon nodded and mused the newly acquired information. "Where is Nasuada?" he asked. "I wish to seek her council."
"She left shortly after arriving here," answered Orik. "I believe that she went to Surda where she can raise her unborn child. I expect that we will all be seeing her soon though. Her pregnancy will not last for much longer."
Eragon frowned. Why did she not send word to us?
Maybe she did not want you to become distracted, replied Saphira softly. She probably did not want to disturb you while you train Tasha.
Eragon felt a hand grip his shoulder. He turned and came face to face with Arya. "Arya!" he cried out in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Arya smiled slightly. "I heard that you succeeded in fixing the dwarves' star," Arya answered in the ancient language.
"What about our charge?"
"Do not worry, I brought her with me," laughed Arya. "And she is in the library studying with Amestat at her side." Saphira, Galzra is in the mountains hunting.
Of course, replied Saphira. She walked away from her Rider and his mate.
"I will leave you two then," murmured Orik.
Arya and Eragon inclined their heads to him. "When did you arrive?" asked Eragon.
"A few minutes ago," answered Arya. "I scryed you . . .."
Eragon pulled the love of his life closer to him and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I missed you," he whispered.
"And I you," agreed Arya. She returned the kiss with a fiery passion. This pupil is proving more difficult to teach than I had first thought.
I was much the same, replied Eragon. I am sure that I irritated Brom and Oromis on several occasions.
Arya smiled and leaned into his shoulder. Good, than you can focus on training her while I rule my country.
Eragon breathed in Arya's pinecone scent and allowed it to relax his muscles. He let all thought escape his mind. He held her close.
The dwarves began playing folk music and danced in a circle. Eragon and Arya joined them. The celebration went on for hours. Galzra and Saphira returned after they successfully killed. The two dragons watched their Riders carefully.
Eragon walked to the mead and drank several mugs. Saphira joined him and gulped down several kegs until she got drunk. Arya sipped on her mug and ignored it. "I only wish that I had brought a formal tunic with me," she sighed.
"Do't 'orry abou' it," replied Eragon, his words slurred over. "Yo 'ook 'ine."
Arya blushed brick red. "Eragon, you are drunk!" she laughed. She led him away. Galzra, help me get him to the dragon roost for the night.
"I'm 'ot 'runk," Eragon protested, smiling. "Saph'ra, 'ell A'ya t'at I'm 'ot 'runk!"
Arya laughed as she helped him into Galzra's saddle. I'll be up there waiting, she informed her dragon. She tightened the straps to keep Eragon in the saddle. Galzra took flight.
"Stay down here, Saphira," Arya ordered. "I will send Galzra down as soon as I get Eragon in bed."
I 'ill 'ait, replied Saphira.
Arya nodded and ran through the city. She ran up the stairs that led to the dragon roost and met Galzra there. She unbuckled Eragon and hoisted him to the bed. Go ahead and keep Saphira company for the night and keep her from drinking any more than she already has. I expect that we shall be on our way back to Ellesmera tomorrow.
What about the charge?
Send Orik for her and make sure that she is kept comfortable, replied Arya.
Galzra nuzzled his Rider affectionately before gliding out of the dragon roost.
Arya removed Eragon's belt and helped him into a silk night tunic. She also dressed herself for the night. They lay close to one another in the bed. Arya smelled the alcohol in Eragon's breath and grimaced. 'He should not get drunk like this,' she thought. Her thoughts turned to the child growing rapidly inside her. She sighed and went into her usual trance-like state.
Eragon woke early the next morning with a killing headache. His hangover hit him like a ton of bricks. He looked down at Arya and smiled. He remembered only a few events of the night before, but his memory went blank after his fifth mug.
Arya opened her eyes and looked up at Eragon. "Hey," she whispered.
"Hey," Eragon whispered back. He kissed her lightly on the lips. "Ugh! This hangover is killing me!"
Arya laughed at him. "Then you should not have drank so much mead," she chided playfully. "We need to get ready to leave either way though. You need to resume Tasha's training."
"How far is she?" asked Eragon.
"Not very," answered Arya. "But it is still only the beginning of her training. She is bonding with her dragon well enough though."
Eragon smiled. "That is a good sign," he agreed. He sighed and attempted to clear his mind. "What made me want to drink so much last night?" he grumbled.
"You were celebrating your success," replied Arya softly. "I would be hung-over with you if I had not been feeling so nauseous."
Eragon frowned and massaged Arya's stomach. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Do not worry over me, Eragon," said Arya stubbornly.
Eragon pulled her close to him and enjoyed the simple, yet peaceful moment that he could share with her. He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I will always worry for your welfare, Arya Drottingu," he whispered in her ear.
"Eragon, I am fine," Arya protested. "I am still very early in my pregnancy."
"I will always be worried about you though, Arya," repeated Eragon softly.
Disclaimer: Again I am sorry for the long delay. If you can, give me some ideas on what you think should happen next. I am cursed with a writer's block.