Disclaimer: See something familiar? Not mine.

After having the most action-packed (and heartbreaking) birthday ever, my update came in late. I'm so sorry about that.

Chapter 27: Frustration Against Excitement

Eragon was frustrated. The training that they were undergoing so far proved to be too big of a challenge for him. The first hurdle was the Rimgar. Though the entire team lacked the flexibility and grace to perform even the first level flawlessly, Eragon was doubly troubled by the way that his scar limited some of his movements. Thankfully, the Rimgar was challenging and yet did not tax too much.

Even Arya seemed to watch Ash's Rimgar performance with awed eyes, the elder Rider displaying strength, flexibility and grace that was so amazing. Her usually cheerful, eager face was a perfectly calm mask as she showed the different poses to them. She was calm and more patient than Brom yet was something of a perfectionist.

She let them freshen up with the help of the stream by Oromis' hut before he led the group one by one to different clearings. She left Eragon last with a single instruction of opening his mind to listen to everything that the forest could tell him.

It was difficult. Though he often conversed to Saphira, his friends and their dragons, it was easy for him due to their closeness. He could keep his connection with them while sealing his mind from threats. But intentionally opening his mind to something else was a challenge. It was like being overwhelmed by the conversations held around him by an unnaturally loud crowd.

Along with that came a vast feeling of vulnerability. Anyone who wished to harm and control him could easily do so at that moment. He fought hard to refrain himself from withdrawing his mind. Slowing his breathing, he did his best to sense everything in the area. Overwhelmed, amazed and curious, his mind began to flit through them. Primitive and instinctual their thoughts may be, he still learned a lot from them – especially the ants. These creatures fascinated him so much that he decided to follow them in their daily routine – or whatever kind of term was appropriate from it.

When he returned to Ash – who was seating cross-legged by her hut with a scroll in hand – he was the first. The half-elf raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That was fast," she said. "It only took you three hours."

Ash nodded as he began to eagerly explain her findings. "Focusing on one group of organisms for most of that time? I've never heard of many people who had the patience – or the skill – to do it. But having that is not enough," she said. "Do not despair. I admire your focus and patience, which is very useful when using your mind as a weapon. But while you followed these ants, have you gleaned anything from the other creatures in your location?"

"No, Master." Eragon bowed his head, disappointed that he missed the point of the exercise. "I'm sorry."

Ash smiled. "Do not be disappointed, Eragon-finiarel. Someday, you can learn how to watch one and know all," she murmured. She motioned to the door behind her. "We must all start somewhere. Not even the high and mighty elves were born with perfect skill and discipline. I believe that your friend, Arya, is the perfect example for that. But I am curious. Is she merely your friend?"

Eragon felt color rise to his cheeks. "She is a very good and precious friend, Master," he managed to choke out."

"Ah, I assume too much. Very well. I have prepared food inside my hut. You can have your midday meal inside while we wait for your other companions to join us."

Eragon was halfway through his meal when Arya and Murtagh joined him. Murtagh nodded to him with a crestfallen look. "It didn't go too well," he said.

"I noticed as much," Eragon noted. He took a bite of his bread. "Apparently, I focused too much on some ants. Well, I have learned many interesting things about those little creatures. Interesting, but not exactly relevant. What happened?"

Murtagh sat beside him and filled his bowl with berries and bread. "I lacked focus and concentration," he finally said after a few bites. "I flitted from one creature to another, barely having enough time to learn more about them. Well, what can I do? Everything was so interesting and I got easily distracted. I wanted to learn more about each and everyone of them."

"Maybe we could help each other. Apparently, I have too much focus. What about you, Arya?"

The elf smiled softly and it made her look prettier. Not that it was relevant. Ash's earlier question just bounced around the young Rider's head, that was all. "I managed to open my mind, but I couldn't hear anything properly. I could glean small things every now and then, but it was not satisfying. At least Master Ash said that we will learn to perfect it in time."

Eragon's blood seemed to sing as Arya flashed a smile in his direction. Warmth coursed within him, making his cheeks burn. He smiled back, hoping it didn't look as pained as he thought it would. "Maybe we could all try helping each other."

"That would be a good idea," agreed Murtagh, a mischievous smile spreading on his face. He finished the last of his bread. "I wouldn't mind getting help."

"From Nasuada?" Arya asked, all-too-innocently.

Murtagh turned almost as red as Thorn. He glared at the elf. "What do you know about it?"

Eragon patted his shoulder good-naturedly. "If you keep on acting that way whenever we imply such things, then it is truly evident that you are looking at Nasuada the way that we think you do." He paused with a slight grin. And it is difficult to hide such things from the people who know you so much, he added mentally.

I know, the same way I know that your blood burns when you see Arya.

After the entire team finished their meal, Ash arrived and told them that Oromis was waiting in his hut. Mentally and physically drained from their morning training, the six Riders let out a collective groan and rose from the table, careful not to disturb the piles of trinkets and scrolls nearby.

Inside Oromis' hut, the old elf was seated on his table, which was as neat as always. He inclined his head to acknowledge their arrival. "Come, join me. We have much to learn today."

The group sat around the table, and Nasuada found herself wedged between Arya and Katrina. The elf was giving her a strange look that made her nervous. She kept wondering whether Katrina did tell their other female friend about her interest in Murtagh.

Oromis did not give her much time to dwell on such a subject, as he distributed sheets of paper before the group, along with swan feather quills. He also set down bottles of black ink. "Though Brom, Arya and Faolin no doubt taught you all that you could possibly learn about the ancient language – enough to keep up conversation and find creative uses in spells, no doubt – I understand that your knowledge of it is sadly incomplete."

"But not everyone knows everything about the ancient language," argued Arya.

Oromis nodded in acknowledgement. "I know that, but we must know as much as we can not just about the words, but the grammar and structure. An incorrectly placed verb can kill as easily as a poorly defended mind."

Roran's eyes brightened up. "Are you going to teach us how to speak it the way that elves do? Well, elves aside from Arya, that is."

"I do not expect you to learn how to speak it the way we do even if you train for a year, Roran, for it takes a lifetime. Making you competent will help you follow the road to perfection, and this means that you must be capable of using it without thinking."

Oromis began to discuss the Liduen Kvaedhi, or the Poetic Script, the system of writing the ancient language. He also delved into the human Riders' shortcomings and the lack of refinement in Arya's methods. They all had different problems with the language, the way they all had different issues with Ash's earlier exercise. The patient elf did his best to fill in these gaps in their knowledge, and lamented the fact that Islanzadi neglected further education of her own daughter after Evandar's passing.

"Brom explained that we all have our different gifts in the ancient language," Katrina ventured out meekly. "We could do a variety of things with it, like me using jierda to destroy the Isidar Mithrim – with help from the dragons – while Eragon could use it to destroy bridges. We only use many of its words when we needed to cast very precise spells and when we blessed the orphan in Farthen Dur."

"Do not worry about it, Master," Arya said quickly. "I instructed them and we said it together, so I am sure that the blessing was worded correctly."

Oromis looked wary. "Still I wish for you to recite it for me, word for word." Arya did, and the old elf looked very much relieved. "It is good that you knew the right words to use, else the child – and you, by extension – might end up facing disastrous consequences. With these words, you have spoken a true blessing. I am glad to hear that you have asked a more knowledgeable person of the right words to use."

"We were to do it together, or not at all," explained Nasuada, remembering a coversation with Murtagh that felt like lifetimes ago. "What do you think will this blessing do to the child."

"Blessings are very curious things. Even though worded exactly the same, no two blessings give the same effects. This applies even if they were uttered by the same person. I believe though, that in general, this blessing shall protect this child from becoming the plaything of fate."

"I wonder if the dragons also caused some kind of effect on our blessing," murmured Murtagh. "They did something which marked her on the brow – similar to the way they marked our palms with the gedwey ignasia. It was shaped like a star, though."

Though she traveled with two elves and considered Arya as someone who was like a sister to her, Nasuada never saw a dumbstruck elf before. Oromis' sea-blue eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. He clutched the arms of his seat, and the wood groaned. "A child who bears the sign of the Riders, and yet is not one of them?" he finally said. "I have spent so many years in this world, but never before have I encountered people like you and your dragons. All the decisions you make and the roads you take cause a great impact beyond what even the greatest Riders and dragons have done – aside from the first Eragon himself. The world changes according to your whims."

Katrina's shoulder's slumped. "Is that good or bad?"

"Neither. It is what it is. Where is the child now?"

"She is in Farthen Dur, or maybe Surda, if the Varden already managed to move."

Arya nodded in excitement. "Do you think that the dragons' mark will further help her?"

Oromis closed his eyes. "I know not, as this has never happened before. We cannot draw upon past events for wisdom in this situation. Forgive me, Arya Drottningu."

The sense of excitement and pride among the younger Riders permeated until the end of their afternoon with Oromis. Nasuada credited the elated atmosphere to their good performance when Serylda checked their swordfighting skills by letting them partner up for a brief sparring session. Oromis and Ash even joined them in the clearing, watching their progress with passive eyes.

This quiet sense of happiness was still their when the nine dragons arrived, buffeting the trees with a massive, furious gale caused by their wings. Solaris' eyes shone with glee as she headed for Nasuada, her jaws open in a draconic smile.

Glaedr glanced at her with one of his dinner-plate eyes. What are the rules three for spotting downdrafts, and the rules five for escaping them?

Blinking, Nasuada took one step back. "I don't know."

Oromis turned to Solaris. "What is the difference between skolir and skoliro?"

I do not have any idea. If Solaris were human or elf, she would have raised an eyebrow.

The elder Riders continued to question the younger dragons, while the elder dragons questioned the younger Riders about things that only their partners would know. A flash of irritation passed both Oromis and Serylda's pale faces. Before they could speak though, Ash seemed to sense what was happening and spoke first.

"We have all seen and heard of the great feats that you have done together," she said quickly. She did not sounded angry. As a matter of fact, she sounded more like disappointed. "Hear me on this, for this is the most important lesson of being Shur'tugal. You must share everything with your partner. You cannot cut off your right arm, or fly with only one wing. Do not ignore the bond that links you, the bond that changed you, for you are rejecting your greatest gift – and an advantage to your opponent."

Nasuada bowed her head, drinking in the words. She heard one of her friends mumble an apology.

"It is not just about talking with your minds, but melding your consciousness together to act and think as one. Learn everything that the otherh as also learned."

Eragon stepped forward. "But what about our privacy?"

Keep your thoughts to yourself if you need to once you leave. While you are under our tutelage, there is no such thing as privacy, growled Brand.

While Eragon and Saphira seemed to be having a silent argument, Nasuada turned to Solaris. I'm sorry. I'll do better than this.

It was not only you, the golden dragon said. Humility coming from her felt strange. We shall have to do better. Together.

The Riders uttered apologies on behalf of their dragons, promising to improve their bonds. In return, their teachers promised to test them again the following day, and presented the Riders with enchanted wood baubles that would awaken them at the proper time each morning if they wound it at night.

After a few more instructions, the Riders mounted their dragons and took to the sky. Though she was eager to talk to Solaris – who was carrying her new saddle between her front claws – she was afraid that Solaris might be too preoccupied with thoughts of either Aegar or Brand. Eventually, both began opening their minds and sharing everything that transpired that day.

Nasuada wolfed down the dinner of berries, cheese and mushroom pies. She was exhausted from the day's work – though not as exhausted as she was when they were on the run. She was starting to miss meat, and drank some water to calm herself instead. She was just finished when someone rapped on the opening to her room.

"Enter," she called out.

Arya strode in, a smile on her face. She wasn't wearing her favored leather headband, letting her hair tumble loose around her face, over her shoulders and down her back. She flashed a small grin. "The others await us outside. I promised myself that I would show all of you the wonders of Ellesmera if I had the chance. We've been here for three days, and yet I have shown you nothing."

Nasuada nodded. Grabbing and belting Skymning, she followed the elf out of her own home. The others were already waiting for them, with the dragons soaring above. Katrina handed Arya her sword, and the elf belted it on quickly. Their scales glittered faintly with the light of the dying sunlight.

"Well, where are we heading to today?" Roran asked, his eyes gleaming in excitement.

Arya winked. "You'll see," she answered with a small chuckle.

I'm glad to see your feedback regarding the previous chapter's question, and I do agree that two pairs seem more likely to get the first kiss in this story!

Sorry for not updating as quickly as I'd like to, I really have a bad attention span. Urgh. As much as I'd like to squeeze in the fluff, I also think that I might end up overdoing it, which is why I tend to dish it out in small dozes, so I'm sorry if I left you parched.

What do you think will they be up to next chapter? Will they meet... interesting... elves?

Read and review, as always!