Eragon reached for Saphira and found her eating something that could have been a goat, in the mountains. He left her in peace knowing that she didn't like to be disturbed while eating. In many ways Saphiras mind were much like the humans, elves and dwarves but when it came down to the pure instincts of her species she liked to flow with the nature like an animal. Not that he would ever tell her that. The last time anyone insinuated that she was an animal she almost bit the head of the poor man. Eragon returned to the field where he was observing the young rider and his dragon performed a thrilling fight with their minds. From Eragons view it looked like they were just looking at each other but he knew that they both were fighting to the edge of their abilities even though it weren't with sword and claw. The rider and his dragon had joined him just four weeks earlier and were the first pair Eragon had welcomed. As he looked at the two he felt that little lump of fear growing in his stomach, were there any chance at all that he could train these people? He were just a boy himself, this summer would be his twenty-seventh. Only two years more than the man before him.

The pair came from the coast city, Narda. The man, Theo, had been a sailor for the last ten years and had been on the ship that should sail a group of elves with the snow white dragon egg down the coast to Surda, where it should be shown to the kids in hope the dragon would choose one of them. When Theo saw the egg he immediately knew he would follow this dragon far beyond the borders of Surda and the same night the egg had hatched and the baby dragon had crawled into his bed and since then they hadn't been further apart than they were able to touch each other. Theo had named the he-dragon Mouch, after his farther. A good name, Eragon thought to himself, a good and strong name. Theo and Mouch had the first day they were with Eragon and Saphira told them everything that had happened after that, and it had taken Eragon all of his self-control not to react when he came to the part with Arya.

Eragon hadn't heard from Arya, since the day he left Alagaësia, almost a decade ago, the night she had told him she were the new queen, and the night she had told him that she might come to love him. It had been cruel to put that kind of a hope in an already dead story. Eragon were never to return to his home, and Arya would never abandon her people. Many nights after Eragon would lie awake burning trying to forget. But forget was apparently the one thing that he could not do, but with time he could forgive. He forgave Arya breaking his heart, and he forgave himself, for giving it away so foolishly. After that he realized he could move on, as long as he didn't look back.

After the egg had hatched the elves had taken Theo and Mouch with them to Ellesméra, the elves capital, where they had been presented to the queen and her dragon, Arya and Fírnen. The green dragon had apparently had a lot of fun with the baby dragon, since it was the first time, since Saphira, that he had seen another dragon. They had stayed in the city for almost three months until Mouch were big enough to fly, and fight if they should run into trouble on their way to Eragons residence. When the three months were up they left the city, flew after the directions the elves, whom had done the journey with Eragon, had given them. It had taken them further five weeks before they finally could take their rightful places as students.

-Master, may we take a break?

Eragon looked up and saw Theo standing in front of him, looking into the ground. A little behind him, Mouch were busy cleaning his scales. It took some time for Eragon to realize why Theo was looking into the ground. Theo was a strongly build man with muscles like the blacksmiths son Albrich back home. Not only was he strong, but smart too which had made him use to overcome obstacles, and almost always, winning.

-Do you feel like taking a break, Theo?

Theo looked up, with a stubborn look in his face. A look Eragon already knew far too well.

-yes!

Eragon looked at him for some time and then walked up to Mouch which forced the dragon to stop cleaning the scales on his left leg.

-What do you say Mouch? Do you want to take a break?

Mouch turned his head so one of his pale white eyes looked directly into Eragons.

-My rider is tired therefore my answer will be as his. Yes, master.

Eragon gave a nod with his head before he turned so he had the rider and dragon on each their side.

-How many magicians would you say there are in this world?

Theo looked confused to his dragon and Eragon could almost hear the questions between them.

-How should we know, master? And why, if I may ask, is this important?

-You may, Mouch. It is important because if you should find yourselves in a war, then trust me, there will be no time for a break, before the next magician attacks. So now if you would return to your assignment, and if not then you can leave already, because then there is no more I can do for you. So, will you return to your possessions?

The silence lasted for about three seconds before there came an unanimous,

-yes, master.

-Good. When you feel like you have done everything you can then I would like you to come and see me.

With those words Eragon turned around and walked in between the trees where he followed the path, that lead him deep into the woods. When he first came here, by the river alongside the elves they had walked around for weeks looking for a place to settle. It was pure coincidence that Eragon found the cliff. It reminded him s much of the cliff, on which Oromis had had his home, that he immediately signaled Saphira and they started creating what now were their home. When you stood on the edge of the cliff you could see as far as the mountains allowed. The cliff were the one side of a valley while the mountains were the other side, and on the bottom the river slowly curved its way through the land until it disappeared in between two of the mountains. Behind the cliff there was a forest. In there most of the elves had found their own places, while others had traveled on to find other lands. It was through these woods Eragon now walked, as he left the field and his students behind. He didn't have much contact with people back in Alagaësia, he had sent a few messages back with the three elves whom had made it their job to make a map that could show the way all the way back from Ellesméra to the woods where Eragon and Saphira would spent the rest f their lives.

Eragon closed his eyes as he walked between the trees, felt every being around him, felt the heartbeat f the animals, felt the wind in the trees' crowns and weakly felt the mind of an elf not a few miles from him. He didn't try to contact the woman, as he knew if she wanted to speak to him she would have reacted when his mind touched hers. In many ways being here with the elves, were like being here alone. If Saphira hadn't been there in the time before Theo and Mouch, Eragon would surely have gone crazy. But Saphira was here. He reached out and felt her as she was on her way back from her hunt. She was headed for the cliff and Eragon started running, eager to see her again. She had been gone when he woke up this morning and hadn't seen her since the night before. Saphira could feel his eager and speeded up so that they could be together. When Eragon broke out of the woods into the late sun's rays, Saphira was already there, waiting for him.

For a moment Eragon had to stop. It hadn't accrued to him how big she had gotten, but now, as she stood there like a queen, with the sun shining on her scales making them wave in all their shades of blue, he lost all other feelings than intimidation. She looks so beautiful that he couldn't imagine how any other creature ever could dream of outmatching her. It would even be an honor, he thought, t be eaten by a creature like her. Spent your last moments knowing you would feed someone s mighty, the queen f the sky. For a moment he even felt bad for Mouch, growing up next to a dragon, who had seen so much in so short time. A dragon that had brought back their species, a dragon that had saved an entire country from a slow death. In that moment, Eragon blessed himself, for being lucky enough to share his soul, and his heart with this magnificent creature in front of him.

Saphira, who could feel all the love streaming from him, lowered her head until her eyes were in level with his. Eragon reached out and put his hand n her cheek, and for a while, they just stood there, shared their love, their fear and the sorrow from the past.

-Have peace, little one. We have each other.

-For ever.

-For ever!

It was moments like this that made all the horrible things from the past feel worth it. All the blood, all the murders and all the pain seemed so small when compared to all of love which he and Saphira shared. How could he possibly have had a life without her?

A growling came deep down from Saphiras belly as she laughed.

-It's what I have been trying to tell you little one, I'm amazing!

Eragon laughed with her. One thing you could always count on was the ego of the dragons.