Probably will end up re-writing this chapter at some point. Doesn't feel quite right, but for the sake of continuing the story here you are. No idea when next chapter will come out.

Chapter 18: Target Tierm

Eragon stood with his arms crossed at the elf-human dual training grounds in Gil'ead. In the two weeks since Oromis and Glaedr's farewell ceremony he had trained almost non-stop under Kuthian, mastering topic after topic. Kuthian's training was primarily about advanced acrobatics and speed techniques. He had already deemed Eragon a far superior sword fighter than Galbatorix, but what Eragon lacked was the nimble and effortless technique of the most agile elves. It was a subtle improvement to his already considerable skills, but Eragon welcomed any advantage that he could take in order to increase his chances of winning against Galbatorix and Murtagh.

Eragon had been focusing on a specific human for the last few minutes, as Kuthian had finally ended the day's lessons as the sun began to sink into the horizon. The human was quite proficient with a sword, relatively nimble, and extremely predictable. He was strong enough to smash his way through opponent after opponent, verbally abusing them as he did so, but his technique was easily countered and he was extremely over-confident. That didn't even take into account that he was facing new recruits from Gil'ead that had little to no experience with the sword.

A messenger ran up to Eragon, breaking his concentration on the man. The elf touched two fingers to his lips and bowed to him. "Argetlam, Queen Islanzadí requests your presence for a war council. Your mate and dragon have already been informed." It had become common knowledge in the past two weeks that Eragon and Arya were a mated pair, but it still made Eragon's insides tingle when he heard people talking about Arya as his mate.

Eragon nodded. "Very well, thank you." The messenger bowed and quickly departed, no doubt to inform another person that the council was to occur soon.

The man appeared to be searching for a new opponent to smash, and Eragon half-considered dueling him for the purpose of teaching him humility, but in the end he made the better choice and decided to head for the war council. The Queen's summons were not to be ignored.

As he walked toward the dedicated meeting tent, Eragon returned his attention to Saphira. She had been under tutelage from Kuthian as well. They had kept their minds connected, naturally, during their training, but it was merely for the purpose of sharing information. There was no real point where they were able to speak to each other freely during the lessons.

How are you doing? Eragon asked her, detecting a hint of irritation in her thoughts.

This ability continues to evade me, Eragon. It is most frustrating! Of course, the ability she referred to was her scale color's specific talent: moving faster than the eye could see.

Not all blue scaled dragons have that ability, he reminded Saphira gently.

He felt her entire being twitch in response. I will master this, she snarled.

Eragon chuckled. Of course you will, he said in a supportive tone.

Saphira snorted in response. And you, little one, how are you doing?

I am fine, maybe a bit tired. I wonder how Arya is. I haven't seen her since the morning.

She's already here with me.

Hmm, alright, I'll be there soon.

That would be good. It appears that most of the people have arrived. There are four seats left, including yours. A trace of amusement entered into her tone. You have been seated to the right of the Queen, with Arya to your right. Is it not amusing that the Queen's daughter is seated beside the Rider instead of the Queen?

Amusing? No, I don't think so. Perfect? Absolutely.

I'm glad you're so satisfied.

And why shouldn't I be? he demanded. Things have been going well these past few weeks.

Let's just hope that it continues, Saphira said, in a slightly guarded tone. It's been awhile since we've had a war council.

True.

Eragon realized he had arrived at his destination. He briefly greeted the two guards stationed at the entrance, and then made his way into the tent and to his seat. Most of the thirty or so elven dignitaries stopped their side conversations to watch him as he settled into his chair. The level of attention they gave him was rather disconcerting.

Trying to ignore them, he greeted Islanzadí and Arya formally, as they were in public. As soon as the formalities were completed, Islanzadí said, "We will begin when Lord Däthedr arrives. He is dealing with the human government of Gil'ead right now."

Däthedr ended up being otherwise occupied for close to half an hour. About ten minutes into the wait, Arya leaned over to her left and laid her head on Eragon's shoulder, closing her eyes and, for all intents and purposes, appearing asleep.

Arya had been extremely busy in the last couple days dealing with internal elven politics. She didn't explain exactly what it was about, but Eragon got the impression that it had a great deal to do with her relationship with him and what he and Saphira had done to the Menoa Tree during their last visit. As such, he was grateful for her handling of the situation.

Eragon noticed that Islanzadi's lips twitched in a slight smile when she noticed Arya's behavior, especially in public. He understood completely that she would not have acted like that even a month earlier, and he was quite happy that she had managed to come out of her shell so quickly in that time.

Däthedr finally arrived, apologizing profusely for his tardiness when he entered. He nudged Arya slightly with his shoulder and she jolted up, looking around quickly to figure out what happened.

"Welcome back," Islanzadí joked. Eragon almost laughed as Arya's cheeks turned slightly pink in embarrassment. She had a guilty look on her face, as if she had delayed the council or something by dozing off.

With a low chuckle, Eragon said, "Don't worry. Lord Däthedr just arrived. I would have woke you earlier if it were needed."

"Mmm," Arya mumbled.

With that, Islanzadí began the meeting. "Now that we're all here," she began. "This council has been called to determine what our course of action against Tierm will be. I have already spoken with Nasuada and gotten her position on it, so all that remains is for the elves to approve or modify the current plan, and, of course, for Eragon and Saphira to agree to it."

"What's the plan in its current state?" Eragon asked.

Islanzadí rolled out a map onto the table. She gracefully placed the tip of her pointer finger just slightly northeast of Tierm. "Nasuada has sent five hundred of her best soldiers here to wait for further orders. They will arrive within a fortnight and are instructed to place themselves under Eragon's command should we go through with the plan. Other than that, we have no further details that are set in stone. Nasuada and I theorized about how many elves we would send depending on whether or not Eragon is willing to accompany them. Also, there is a matter of time to consider."

"How so?" one of the elven advisers questioned. "It seems that the longer we wait them out, the better the weather conditions might become."

Eragon shook his head. "Untrue. Much like Du Weldenvarden, Tierm is not affected by the serious snowfalls that places near it are. The main weather problem we would have is rain. It coats Saphira's wings and makes them heavier, but we are not particularly concerned about that anymore. Saphira has learned how to minimize the amount of water she catches, and I have learned a few spells that allow it to slide off easily."

"Exactly," Lord Däthedr interjected. "If you'll excuse me for interrupting, Eragon-elda." Eragon nodded, so Däthedr continued. "The main purpose of this venture is not to conquer a city, but to deprive the Empire of their primary supply source. Conquering Tierm will have great benefits for us going into the upcoming battles. Galbatorix will either have to give everyone decreased rations, or he will have to consolidate the supplies in Urû'baen, thereby making Dras Leona's soldiers much weaker."

"That is an accurate assessment," Islanzadí said. "Our objective should be to strike as soon as possible, so let all deliberations about specific parts keep that in mind."

"If time is the main concern," Eragon said, hesitating before adding the second half of his statement. "Then I might have a way of striking at the city in only the time it would take Saphira to fly there."

"You cannot take on the entire city alone," a silver haired elf said. "Not even a Rider as powerful as you can do that. You will need support."

"I'm aware of that," Eragon said shortly. "The problem with this plan is that my support would not be humans or elves."

"You're thinking of the Urgals?" Arya asked, sitting up a little straighter.

Eragon nodded. "If I called for their service in war, they would serve me."

Islanzadí sighed. "I don't know what kind of debt the Urgals owe you, Argetlam, but I don't think an army of Kull would be very well received by the citizens of Tierm. Remember, we are not trying to slaughter them. Galbatorix has a weak army there. He does not expect our strike. We only want to eliminate that army, and I doubt the other humans would surrender to Kull."

"I agree," Eragon said, holding up his hands in a shrug. "I was merely putting the idea out there. I know that none of you really know about my relationship with the Urgals."

"Would you mind telling us about that?" Däthedr asked. "It might not be supremely relevant at this council, but it would be good of you to tell us so that we might consider it in other aspects of the war as well."

"Of course. Galbatorix's original dragon was killed by Urgals. In the past decades, Galbatorix has thought up a sickeningly brilliant way of taking revenge, eliminating the Urgals, and also using them against his other enemies all at the same time. He had Durza control the minds of the Urgals war-chiefs so that he could use the Urgals to fight his war against the Varden. By this he would not only defeat the Varden, but he would greatly reduce the Urgal's numbers so that it would be a simple task to completely eliminate them at his discretion."

"That's horrible!" someone, a female, commented.

Eragon nodded. "Yes, it is. The Urgals found out exactly what was going on after I killed Durza, releasing the minds of their chiefs. Because of the relation between the events, the Urgals now consider themselves indebted to me for freeing them and they consider Galbatorix their greatest enemy."

"Impressive," Lord Däthedr said, a hint of admiration in his voice. "You took a situation where everybody except Galbatorix was on the losing side, and turned it into a situation where the only loser is Galbatorix."

"Some of us are tired," Islanzadí commented in as neutral a tone as possible, but with an obvious glance over to Arya. "So, I suggest that we continue, perhaps leave the story telling for another night." Eragon found great amusement in Arya's reaction to her mother's prodding. She narrowed her eyes and frowned for a long moment, before turning her head away so that she could no longer see Islanzadí.

"As you wish," Lord Däthedr, who had asked for the story in the first place. "If it pleases the rest of you, I suggest that we create our plan of attack without including the Urgals. They can be our safety net in case we underestimate the forces required to conquer the city. If we have them wait at our staging point outside the city they can support our forces if needed, but if they are not needed they could leave without harming our chances of negotiating a surrender."

"Any objections?" Islanzadí asked. When nobody spoke up, Islanzadí nodded, satisfied. "Good, it is a solid plan. Now we have only to discuss how and when we will conquer the city. I would ask for Eragon's input on this first, as he is the one this all depends on."

Eragon shifted as everyone directed their attention to him. He merged his thoughts with Saphira's, knowing that whatever he said impacted her just as much as him. A common plan quickly became evident in their minds, so he said, "Saphira and I can leave for Tierm in a week and arrive at the same time as the human soldiers. I recommend that we send the elves immediately. If they arrive early they can scout the city, but either way it seems like the quickest and most efficient way to go about this."

"How many elves do you require for support?" Islanzadí asked.

Eragon glanced at Arya, giving her the go ahead to reply. He had no real idea of how many elves he should request. She took the cue quickly. "At least two hundred and fifty," she replied. "From what I understand about Eragon's power, he could conquer the city himself, but the soldiers are much more likely to surrender if there is a significant elven presence as well."

"It will be done. My only other question I have is about the time frame you proposed, Eragon-elda." Islanzadí leaned back in her chair. "It took you only a couple days to fly here from the Varden, so why leave a week before the battle?"

Eragon leaned back as well, welcoming the slightly more relaxed conversation. "Saphira and I thought that we might visit Utgard or Vroengard." He brought his hand up to his chin. "Actually, come to think of it, it might be a good idea to leave immediately so that we aren't so rushed when we are there."

"What do you hope to gain by visiting Vroengard and Utgard?" an elf asked.

Eragon shrugged. "I don't know. Even if we don't learn anything about how to defeat Galbatorix, Saphira and I need to visit Vroengard sometime soon. We won't have a chance after we kill Galbatorix, at least not for awhile. We need to know the condition it is in and what can be salvaged. Maybe we'll find something useful in what is leftover of the Rider's great library."

Several of the elves glanced around at each other. One of the white haired elves leaned forward. "To our knowledge, nobody has traveled to Vroengard since the Rider's fall. Even thieves are not foolish enough to tread upon the graves of the Riders. It is entirely possible that much of the library is intact, but it is also just as likely that Galbatorix burned it all."

"Maybe it is time that we finally move on and try to salvage what we can from the Riders," Islanzadí commented. "I may send a group of elves to recover as much as possible from the island."

"No," Eragon commanded, surprised by the firmness in his own voice. "Whatever remains on Vroengard will stay there. I intend to rebuild Vroengard after this war, and there is no reason to remove items that will be brought back soon after."

Islanzadí dipped her head. "As you wish, Lead Rider. You are the sole heir of the Riders, and thus the entire island of Vroengard, and everything on it, is yours to do with as you will."

Changing the subject slightly, Eragon asked, "Queen Islanzadí, do you recall whether or not Vroengard was open to the public? I don't remember any mention of it in the scrolls Oromis had me read."

The Queen glanced at the same white haired elf that had replied to Eragon the first time. "Err, I think that it was technically open, but I can't recall anyone but the Riders and ambassadors ever visiting the island. Does that sound right to you, Aldarean?"

"Yes," the white haired elf, apparently named Aldarean, replied.

Redirecting her attention to Eragon, Islanzadí asked, "Why do you want to know?"

"Curious," he replied simply. He shook his head. "We are far off topic. Was there anything else that we needed to discuss about this attack on Tierm?"

Islanzadí glanced around the table, looking for someone that had something to say. When it appeared that there was nothing to add, she stood up and said, "Eragon and Saphira will leave in the next few days, presumably with Arya." Here she glanced at the them for an affirmation, to which they both gave a slight nod. "I will send three hundred of our strongest warriors to the city of Tierm to await Eragon and Saphira's arrival. Oh, and one other thing, Eragon."

"Yes, your highness?"

"The elves cannot help occupy the city after it is captured. We will need them back with our army before we march on Dras Leona at the end of winter."

"That should be fine," Eragon remarked.

"Good. Dismissed."

All of the elves got up to leave. Eragon observed that they didn't all try to hurry through the exit as fast as possible, as the humans typically did at the Varden, but rather they waited patiently to exit the tent in an orderly fashion.

Eragon and Arya were the last two out of the tent, on account of Eragon's laziness and Arya's exhaustion. When at last they were outside, Arya yawned expansively. "I want nothing more than to fall asleep in your arms right now," she commented, wrapping an arm around his waist and leaning into his side.

Eragon laughed. "I know the feeling, but we really should get some food before we retire. I doubt you had time to eat much today."

Arya studied him for a moment, and then reluctantly agreed. "And Saphira?" she asked.

I hunted yesterday, so I will not be joining you.

I'll see you at our tent then? Eragon asked.

Of course, little one.

Eragon and Arya walked together for a minute before he finally asked, Saphira, what do you think of this plan?

In her mind he could sense he conflicted thoughts and slight sense of anxiety. The plan to conquer the city is sound, but I am nervous about visiting Utgard and Vroengard.

I share the same sentiment, Arya added. But, I am also excited. It is a great honor to be allowed to visit such important places. No non-Rider has ever set foot in Utgard.

Eragon sighed. I can tell you ahead of time, Kuthian and Vrael's corpses are still in Utgard. They have decayed to only skeletons, but they are there.

Neither Arya or Saphira replied to that, but he sensed their unease at the idea of seeing the decayed corpses of the previous Lead Rider and his dragon.

By unspoken consent, they dropped the topic as they arrived at the dining tents. Eragon and Arya were immediately recognized by one of the human servers and she quickly showed them to an open table. When the same server returned with two platters of food. Eragon observed that she wasted no time in hurrying away from their table, seeming almost apprehensive in their presence.

Arya, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice the young girl's behavior, instead choosing to focus on chewing an apple. Eragon took a bite of his own fruit before asking her, "So, what exactly have you been doing these past few days?"

A grimace past across Arya's face briefly, thoroughly summarizing her opinion on what she had been dealing with. "Forgive me for not keeping you informed, but this was easier for me to do alone."

Eragon smiled. "I do not fault you for your secrecy. I just am curious now."

With a resigned sigh, Arya said, "I have been making amends for the incident with the Menoa Tree, and more importantly, I have been wading through the sewers that are elven politics when it comes to something like the relationship we now have."

"Why did you not seek my assistance? Half of the burden of our relationship falls upon me, and Saphira and I bear the sole responsibility for the Menoa Tree." He made sure to speak in more of a conversational tone rather than a questioning one.

Arya set the apple down and placed her elbows on the table, weaving her fingers together in front of her face and resting her forehead upon her hands. "Eragon you are perhaps the most powerful person in Alagaësia, and you have the charisma to support it, but neither of those gifts would prove helpful to myself or to you when faced with the intricacies of elven politics." She looked up and noted that he wasn't offended by her statement before continuing. "Regardless, as you well know, bonds between elves and humans are quite rare, and certain dignitaries were concerned about me, not because they particularly care about me, but because I am the blood heir to the throne. I have had to reassure them thoroughly that my being with you does not render me incapable or ineligible to take the throne, not that I particularly want it."

"Does our relationship tie me to the throne, or give me the right to succeed Islanzadí?"

At that, Arya met his eyes. "Yes, it does, in this case. You have been accepted into the royal family of the elves and you now have all the power and influence that title offers. Because of that, you can see why it has been such a hassle to convince people that they should allow us to be together."

"Allow us?" Eragon asked. "Do you mean to say that they would have tried to forcibly separate us if you did not convince them well enough?"

"In a way," Arya admitted. "They would either separate us or demand that the Queen denounce our relationship and disown me, again." She shrugged. "It did not particularly matter. You already know that I would have stood by your side regardless of the outcome."

Eragon smiled at her, reaching one of his hands across the table to place it on top of hers. "And about the Menoa Tree?" he asked.

She shrugged. "More of the same. How can he be King if he has offended the Menoa Tree?"

"I trust that you informed them that I do not want to be king, ever."

At that, Arya sighed. "I do not want to be queen either, Eragon, but we don't always get to choose our future, not even you."

"No, I won't, can't, become king. A Rider as the leader of a particular race is part of the reason we have such a problem with Galbatorix."

"Eragon," Arya said quietly and in a tone that betrayed just how serious she was about it. "I would rather live a life in exile than take the throne as well, but the point is that if my mother dies in this war, the elves will not have the time to determine a new ruler. You and I, the royalty of the elves, will need to step up and take control, even if it is just for the war, no matter how much either of us wishes to avoid the scenario. The same principal applies to Nasuada and the Varden. Should she be killed, there are few that could take her place. If the worst happens, you could very well find yourself not only as the king of the elves, but also as the ruler of the Varden. That is why the elders needed to be sure that you were the correct person for the role." She glanced down. "Please, do not tell me that I was wrong in supporting your honor and integrity in this matter."

Eragon squeezed her hand, causing her to look up and smile faintly. "You know that I will do whatever is needed to defeat Galbatorix." He paused for a long moment, and then drew in a sharp breath. "If, if that involves succeeding Islanzadí or Nasuada then I will accept my place, but only until the war is over. There will be no way to convince me to remain in such a position for longer than is absolutely necessary, especially when there are many wiser people that could rule in my stead."

Arya nodded. "I am glad you have come to that understanding, but in reality, I have a hard time picturing in my head someone being a kinder and more worthy leader than you."

"Worthy?" Eragon laughed. "I am a farm boy from Carvahall."

"You are a descendant of legends, Leader of the Riders, Slayer of Shades, and bringer of hope. No one is more worthy."

The corner's of Eragon's mouth twitched as he grinned at her. "Is that what you told them?"

Arya shrugged. "More or less." She shook her head. "It would be a great favor to me if we could talk about something more pleasant than my last few days." Eragon gestured for her to go ahead, eliciting a sigh of relief from Arya. "Good, thank you. Have you heard anything from Roran and Katrina lately?"

Eragon shook his head. "I should probably contact them tomorrow. It's been a couple weeks since we talked. I think I'll ask Roran when they are expecting the baby. I, and probably you as well, should try to be nearby at the time she gives birth."

He observed Arya's lithe fingers carefully snatch a carrot from the edge of his plate. She proceeded to slowly chew off small sections of the vegetable, chewing in a methodical manner. When at last the final piece had been swallowed, she said, "Sometime after this war, I hope we have a chance to spend some time with them. My knowledge of their lives is limited to what you have told me and the brief conversations we have had over the past year. As limited as that sounds, I gather that they know even less about who and what I am."

"I don't even think they know that you are the princess of the elves," Eragon remarked.

Arya intertwined her fingers as she pondered his comment. "Something I've always wondered," she began. "Is how you felt when you learned about that."

"Shock at first, and then understanding. You always seemed too regal, too fair to just be an elf. I suppose I always knew that you were someone special, but I doubt that I'd have connected the dots. And you?" he asked. "When I followed you to the glade on the final night of the Agaetí Blödhren and you saw the change I had gone through, how did you feel?"

There was a faint sigh from Arya. "It was a mixture of relief and fear, I suppose. When I realized that it was you, I knew at that moment that your back was healed and that you had likely been gifted with the abilities to match your appearance, but it also made me afraid. I was aware of your infatuation with me at the time, and I feared that you might try to use your new appearance as a way of justifying a relationship between us."

Eragon laughed sadly. "It appears your feelings weren't so far off. "

"Still, I'm sorry that I crushed your heart so strongly that night. I haven't had the will to bring it up until now, but I really regret how harsh and closed off I was."

"You did the right thing, I suppose," Eragon replied, a sad smile on his face. "I've changed a lot since that night, for the better, I would say."

"Indeed you have."

Eragon glanced down and observed that they had both finished eating. He rose from his chair and grabbed his paper plate. "Come, we should return to the tent. Saphira will be waiting, and you are tired."

Arya agreed and together they made their way out of the pavilion, throwing their plates in a trash can on the way out. They walked the length of the elvish camp briskly, taking only several minutes to cross it's breadth. Eragon let out a sigh as the finally reached their tent.

Eragon stayed outside as Arya entered, wanting to spend a moment with Saphira. He walked up to the curled up dragon and scratched the area behind her ears affectionately. In response, Saphira began humming in a way that reminding Eragon of a cat purring.

With a silght chuckle, Eragon patted her side and joined Arya inside the tent.