Inheritance Cycle 1. Chapter 1

The Thruth in a Name

Eragon join Arya where she stood, waiting for him by the two rows of elves. They stared at each other for a handful of heartbeats, and then Arya said, "Eragon." She had drawn her cowl as well. Eragon could she little of her face in the pale moonlight.

"Arya." He looked down the silvery river and then back at Arya. He gripped the hilt of Brisingr. He was so full of emotion, he did not want to leave, but he knew he must. "Stay with me-"

Her gaze darted up. "I cannot"

"...stay with me until the first curve in the river."

She hesitated, then nodded. He held out his arm, and she looped hers through his. Together they made their way towards the ship and stood on the prow. The elves followed shortly behind. Once all were aboard the gangplank was pulled up. Without wind or oars, the ship moved away from the stony shore and began to drift down the long, flat river.

On the beach, Roran stood alone, watching them go. Then he threw back his head and uttered a long, aching cry, and the night echoed with the sounds of his loss.

For several minutes, Eragon stood next to Arya, and neither spoke as the watched the first curve in the river approach. At last Eragon turned to see her, and he pushed away from her face to see her eyes. "Arya," he said.

There was someting in her eyes, something he had not seen before. He decided it was not of importance. _"It must just be this situation. Having the dragons leave Alagaesia and not knowing when they will return," _he thought.

She whispered his true name in response, and a shiver ran through him. He whispered her true name, nothing happened. Puzzled, he repeated her true name, still nothing.

Arya then took a step closer and whisper in his ear, "Eragon, stop. No matter how many times you say that name it won't work. My name has changed."

He only stood there, stunned. "What? How? I mean, when did this happen?"

"Before we left, I had time to reflect. Reflect on the war...and about you. Afterward I tried to say my true name in order to remind myself that I had no feelings for you other than those of a friend. However, I soon realized that it had no effect on me. I spent the next night pondering what my true name could be, and now I know." She told him her true name.

In her name he heard everything he had already knew about her, but in it he also learned something more. She loved him. She loved him almost as much as he loved her.

"So, what will become of us? I asume you will have to return to Du Weldevarden soon."

"I renounced my role as queen, declaring that I was a rider and thus had to be a seperate entity from all nations and races. Reluctantly they agreed and now I am a rider above everything, except your mate, and I'd never leave my mate," she said with a smile.

"M-Mate? You mean, you'll stay?" He barely managed to choke out.

"Yes, I will my love, I'll stay with you until the end of time."

They smiled, tears running down their faces. Above them Saphira and Firnen roared, dancing around each other in a dance only the could do. Shooting fire every few seconds, setting the sky ablaze with streaks of blue and green.

The fateful curve that was to seperate them now lay far behind them. It had not seperated them, instead it had united them forever. It was then that Eragon remembered Angela's fortune. Eragon's thoughts came forth unbidden, "It ended well, a love with a princess that ended in happiness."

"What?"

"Long ago, the witch Angela told me my fortune. She said I'd have a romance with a princess but she didn't know if it would end well. She also said I was doomed to leave Alagaesia and never return." Upon saying this he lowered his head in defeat.

"Oh. Wait, why must you leave?"

"There is no home for the dragons. I searched everywhere, but I couldn't find anything suitable for the dragons."

"What about the Hadarac Desert? We could sing to the land and revive it, and it would be the perfect place."

At the thought of this Eragon contacted Saphira. _"What do you think?"_

_"Yes! Of course! I can't believe I hadn't thought of it. If the elves were to sing to the land and with help from the Eldunari, it's very possible that it could be the perfect home for the dragons. It was their ancient home."_

_"So it's settled, we'll stay." _As he returned to himself he noticed Arya was staring at him intently. "We'll stay."


	2. Chapter 2

"You will?" Arya said.

"We will. On one condition," replied Eragon.

"Oh?"

"We need the elves to help us sing the desert back to life."

"Oh...I'm sorry, I can't promise that. I'm no longer queen," Arya said sadly, "but I'm sure my kin will help. They have to, right?"

"I do not know...but even if they did, there's still one problem with the location we'd have to solve. The Hadarac desert is sorrounded by the three nations. The young dragons, or maybe the wild dragons could take advantage of that. I'm sure the elves would not like a young dragon burning down part of the forest or tearing down a tree. Nor would the dwarves tollerate them taking their precious herds," Eragon laughed, "and forget it if they find a dragon passed out among barrels of mead."

At this Arya laughed, "True, and I doubt humans would be able to do much if one decided to ravage a small city or many of the scattered villages."

"Maybe we should just leave. It would be more trouble than it's worth."

Arya was mortified by his words. "No," she whispered, "I can't lose you. I can't"

"Arya it will be all right. You can come with us."

"No! You don't understand!"

"Then tell me."

His words were not angry, or sad, but full of compassion and warmth. Arya was lost for words at this. After several minutes in silence she said, "Eragon, I...I can't leave. I thought I could, but I can't. My home is here, and I can't leave. I, and my child, must stay here."

Eragon was dumbstruck. Child. That word drove into him like a knife. "Child?"

"Yes Eragon, child. My child." Then, in a voice no more than a whisper, "Our child."

If his hearing were any less sensitive he would have missed it, but with his elvin hearing it was clear. "Our? Child? Arya, what are you talking about?"

"You don't remember?"

He simply shook his head. He had no idea what she was talking about. They had never, done anything. In fact, he himself had never done anything.

"But, Arya. We never, I mean, nothing happened between us."

In response Arya simply reached out with both her mind and her hand. The moment her hand touched his forehead memories began racing through his mind. He felt pleasure and a radiating warmth, but it was like trying to see through a thick fog. Every thought was blurry and, in parts, almost incoherent. Still it seemed his own, even if he couldn't remember. Then he knew, he knew that they had been together. He knew now, that child, Arya's child, was his own.

Tears ran down Arya's face while she said, "You gave me that memory after we mated. You had been drinking and said you were most likely to forget."

"But when? I don't see any timeframe that would make sense."

"After the coronation of Nasuada. At the feast, you poured your heart out to whom you thought was Saphira, but it was actually me. Then I pulled you off to the side. I wanted to be able to remember you well after you left. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I-"

Arya couldn't finish he sentence because at that time Eragon kissed her. It was a long passionate kiss, one that you could only dream of.

"No Arya. Don't be sorry. This is the greatest news I've ever heard. I'm going to be a father, and what's more, the mother of my child, and my mate, is the woman I love." He exclaimed, "Turn the ship around! And do it quick for we have a new order to build! We will not leave Alagaesia! For THIS!," he opened his arms, "Is our home!"


End file.

Inheritance Cycle, Hurt-Comfort, Romance