Inheritance Cycle One Shots (edited and revised)

Leave Taking

Leave-Taking

They stared at each other for a handful of heartbeats, and then Arya said, "Eragon." She had drawn her cowl as well, and in the moonlight, he could see little of her face.

"Arya." He looked down at the silvery river and then back at Arya, and he gripped the hilt of Brisingr. He was so full of emotion, he trembled. 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 her arm through his, and together the walked onto the ship and went to stand by the prow.

The elves behind them followed, and once they were all on board, they pulled up the gangplank. 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 sound of his loss.

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

"Arya." He said. And he whispered her true name. A tremor of recognition ran through her.

She whispered his true name in response, and he too shivered at hearing the fullness of his being.

He opened his mouth to speak again, but Arya forestalled him by placing three of her fingers upon his lips. His eyes fell to her hand, resting where her touch came into contact with the rest of his body. He lifted his gaze, and the light shifted in her eyes. With inhuman swiftness, she stepped toward him, taking her hand from his face and grasping his shoulders on both sides. Almost violently, she pressed her lips to his.

Recovering from his shock, Eragon shifted to cradle her neck and press her frame against his own. Every fiber in his being willed him to stay, to forego leaving home, but he knew in his heart that it wasn't what he was meant to do. He had accomplished what was needed in Alagaësia, and his responsibilities now lay elsewhere.

All too soon they drew apart ,and by unspoken consent, Saphira and Fírnen did the same, their flapping sounding from above.

Arya stepped back from him and raised one arm over her head.

"Farewell, Eragon Shadeslayer," she said.

And then Fírnen swept down from above and snatched her off the deck of the ship, buffeting Eragon with the gusts of air from his wings.

"Farewell," Eragon whispered as he watched her and Fírnen fly back toward where Roran still stood upon the distant shore.

Then Eragon finally allowed the tears to spill from his eyes, and he clutched the railing of the ship and wept as he left behind all he had ever known. Above, Saphira keened, and her grief mingled with his as they mourned what could never be.

In time, however, Eragon's heart slowed, and his tears dried, and a measure of peace stole over him as he gazed out at the empty plain. He wondered what strange things they might encounter within its wild reaches, and he pondered the life he and Saphira were to have- a life with the dragons and their Riders.

We are not alone, little one, said Saphira.

A smile crept across his face.

And the ship sailed onward, gliding serenely down the moonlit river toward the dark lands beyond.

Leave-Taking, in Her Words

"…Stay with me-"

"I cannot." Arya did not give him time to finish; within herself, she struggled to contain the anguish she felt at his departure. However, contain it, she did. Her duty towards the people preceded her personal wants and needs and she strove to be the leader she knew her subjects expected.

"Stay with me until the first curve of the rive." He continued, and she considered the option. The need in his voice rang clear, and she placed her arm through his. Warmth emanated from his muscled limb as they walked aboard the ship and went to stand by the prow. The accompanying elves followed, and no one spoke as the gangplank was secured.

By then, all heard Roran's aching cry as they departed. She sensed the desolation in Eragon as he stood next to her, unmoving.

Finally, he turned to face her, and he reached up and pushed the cowl away from her face. Cold wind burned her skin.

"Arya," He said. He whispered her true name and held her gaze all the while. She trembled at the statement and whispered his in return. There was no one she trusted more. She watched the tremor that passed his length at her voice, and what she felt at that moment, she couldn't describe.

Eragon opened his mouth to speak, but she placed three fingers on his lips, preventing him from doing so. Words would only ruin the present connection they shared. Both she and he burned with understanding- understanding of each other, and understanding of the path fate had chosen. It was meant to be, and they both knew that all beings, no matter how powerful, were subject to their destinies.

So she placed her hands on either of his shoulders and stepped to him, jerking his head down as she met him with a hard kiss. And no, not once did she berate herself for being a fool, and not once did she regret her actions, and she knew the same was for him as his hand found it's way to the back of her head. Soon their lips broke apart, and she stayed pressed against him for a moment longer, eyes closed and ear on his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heart.

Then, she lifted her head from where it was tucked under his, and she stepped back and raised a hand above her head.

"Farewell, Eragon Shadeslayer." She said.

Then Fírnen took her body between his claws and lifted her from the deck , stirring enough wind with his wings that she didn't hear him return the goodbye, if he had.

With a quick spell, she made her way to her seat on Fírnen's saddle. She held her head high but couldn't prevent the single tear that slipped down her face. The drop landed on Fírnen's flank, sizzling into nonexistence from the heat of his scales. Then she placed a hand on her dragon and looked up at the sky.

I love you, Fírnen. She said.

I love you too, Arya. He replied.

Arya smiled.