Please, please, please don't be dead... :'-(

heeeeeeyyy this is tooooo saaad :(

Is story dead? Over six months since update. Really sad.

this is great! I cant wait for the next part! its gotta be one of the best fanfics of IC I have read in forever! please continue it!

This is dead isn't it?

Leviathan54 it has been months is this dead?

Is this dead?

Dragons have scales dumbass they wouldnt be able to harm her at all.

Is this dead? It's been months since the last update.

Chapter 18

Once they returned to the campsite, Eragon caught Eragon.

"That was unfair," he complained

"Wait, you both will be against me?" Eragon asked, feeling a bit betrayed.

"And what did you think? Time for you to prove yourself as Saphira's rider," Legolas laughed.

Eragon knew that there was more honesty to the challenge than he let on.

"And we won't cut ourselves to pieces with these swords?" he asked again as he lifted his blue sword towards them.

"I think we all are enough skilled to avoid that," said the elf confidently.

Eragon had doubts about that, but it was too late to back out. He didn't want to draw shame to Saphira when they all seemed to respect her so much. And as the elf said, he wanted to prove himself to them as being worthy of her rider's name.

But he wasn't sure of his odds. Eragon remembered how Aragorn defeated two Nazgul, and if elves here were as strong as in Alagaesia…

To his frustration he saw others coming towards them. The hobbits seemed to be half-asleep. Sam was yawning while Frodo was rubbing his eyes. Behind them were Faramir and Eomer, with Gimli bringing up the rear. Eragon didn't notice Gandalf anywhere around. Regardless, he had quite an audience for this sparring session.

"What is going on here?" asked Faramir uncertainly, looking at their drawn swords.

"It will be a friendly duel," answered Legolas.

"Well, it should be… interesting," said Faramir laughed and sat on one of the stumps.

"Come on, Eragon! Show that elf how to fight!" shouted the dwarf.

Eragon just nodded and focused his gaze on his opponents. He stood, posed for a while, and considered his opponents, looking for who would move first. It was Aragorn who lost patience and swung his sword. He quickly knocked the strike aside, and barely stopped the elf's swords from reaching his chest. Then he attacked back, trying to push Aragorn and not let the elf find a weak spot. Legolas was strong but not as fast as the elves in Eragon's homeland. It gave him a bit of hope.

They began spinning in a circle, trying to find a gap in each other's defense, but no one was aiming to give up. Aragorn began to show signs of fatigue first. The man's endurance couldn't withstand that of the elves, but Eragon had to admit that he was great fighter. He was starting to press Aragorn towards a tree, knocking the elf's strikes aside, but the rider didn't notice the small stone pile under his feet. Suddenly, he slipped on one of the round stones and lost his balance. Eragon knew his mistake, but was too slow to stop it and yelled when the Legolas' sword's plate struck him. Along with the rush of pain, he felt raising energy in Aren.

Not again, he thought, but he couldn't stop now.

He swung Brisingr towards the elf with unnatural speed and strength. The hit was so fast and strong, that it knocked the sword from the elf's hand, and after flying about 20 meters, the sword disappeared into the bushes. Everyone watched flying sword and once again looked at Eragon in amazement.

"I think I am convinced," Legolas said still astonished, then turned to Aragorn and laughed. "I am sorry my friend, but while I still have both hands I quit."

But Aragorn was of a similar mind and put in his sword back into its scabbard. When the elf went to find his lost sword, Eragon noticed the Gimli's satisfied smirk and Sam's spellbound gaze.

"Don't look so happy, you are next," Eragon shouted to him.

"M-me?" asked Sam, fear showing on his face.

"Well, you don't think that I forgot my promise to train you, did you?"

Eragon wanted to teach Sam how to protect himself. Who knew what might occur in their journey? And he couldn't forgive himself if something happened to Sam, just because Eragon didn't teach him how to block a certain hit. And at the same time, he was making sure of Frodo's safety, because it seemed that Sam had every intention to stick with Frodo no matter what. Sam relaxed and stood up with a determined expression. Only now Eragon realized that Sam reminded him of his cousin, Roran, when he showed such determination.

"No, Sam, not now," Eragon laughed. "We have to do it later, many miles are waiting for us today."

The hobbit didn't argue.

"Legolas? Did you find it?" shouted Aragorn towards where the elf had gone.

"Not yet, I shall be sure to catch you soon," answered the voice behind trees.

Once they returned to the campsite, Eragon caught Eragon.

"That was unfair," he complained quietly to him

answered the voice behind trees.

Once they returned to the campsite, Eragon caught Eragon.

more please?

Gandalf's loss is very impactful to the war. However, his work, Sauron's defeat, is not yet finished. Who knows if we have seen the last of him? Narya and Glamdring have one obvious candidate to be their new bearers. What will Galadriel do after these events?
I think that the readers are getting desperate for the reunion (I certainly am!). How much longer will it be until then? It could be only one or two chapters away, but that would still mean several months! I jest of course. Until next time!

So is Gandalf going to become Gandalf The White still?