Chapter Five

I hurried to Saphira's roost to see the approaching red dragon that had to be Thorn. The high noon sun's light glistened off of the brilliant crimson scales of the massive dragon. I squinted to see the dark figure on the dragon's back. I muttered an incantation to see clearly through the shining sun and found myself grinning as I made out my older half-brother's travel worn and rugged face.

"Murtagh." I murmured under my breath. I called Saphira as I leapt off the cliff. I fell, my velocity gaining with each second as I fell. Saphira swooped after me and clasped me in her claws. I laughed gleefully as the wind rippled through my hair.

Saphira landed on the stone bridge twice Saphira's wingspan wide, and four Saphira's long. Her claws skidded over the stone as she landed. She had released me before she landed. I landed in a crouch a few feet from Saphira. Thorn landed in front of us as I stood.

I stared up at the majestic crimson dragon. I watched as his Rider slid out of his saddle and landed on the ground.

Murtagh stood before me. We stared at each other, studied the opposite for what seemed like ages. Then I reached out and we embraced each other.

"It is good to see you, Murtagh." I said as we pulled back after a moment.

"And I you, Eragon." He said, "Thorn missed you as well, brother." I grinned.

"Ah, I missed you as well, Thorn." I said bemusedly as I patted the massive red dragon's nose. "Come, I'm sure you have much to tell me about your journeys."

"So, where did your travels lead you, Broda*?" I asked as we sat in my study. Murtagh had changed and washed up before we came.

"Places you would never imagine, Eragon." He sighed. I listened to his awe inspiring stories of all the places he had travelled, the people he met, the knowledge he learned over the past five centuries. For hours, Saphira and I re-encountered everything Murtagh had, and it was amazing.

His travels in the North were exciting and eventful, but as the night wore on we all became weary of the day's events.

"Eragon, I would like to see the island tomorrow." Murtagh said after silence fell between us.

"I will show you Shur'turgal Isles, then." I said nodding. "You have flown far and wide, Brother, you should retire for the night. Come."

We walked through the winding corridors before I stopped at a pair of large oaken doors with ornate carvings. I pushed them open and led Murtagh through the rooms of the living space showing him where everything was.

"I shall see you tomorrow then, brother." I said as I was leaving. He nodded in kind before I closed the door.

As I began to make my way to my own quarters I noticed a strange humming from a small, dark corridor to my left. As I peered into the dimly light hallway, the humming swelled into a beautiful melody as a young girl began to sing softly.

It was Heidi, curled in the corner far back down the way. I didn't recognize the song, nor could I even register the words as her haunting voice sang sweetly in my ears. She had her eyes closed, and I could clearly see the tear tracks shimmering slightly in the light of the waning moon.

As her ethereal voice slowly became silent and the spell the bound my feet to the floor slowly lifted a sense of sadness filled me as if I had lost a child I had loved dearly. I decided in that instant that she wanted to be alone. So I crept away swiftly, lost in my thoughts as my feet carried me to my rooms.

As I lay down on my bed, exhausted from the draining day, I found my thoughts had wondered to Arya. It had been a long time since I had really thought about the elven ambassador turned queen. As I willingly slipped into the sweet oblivion of sleep I found that my heart still yearned for her.

Bum bu BUM! Soooooo sorry that I took so long, I actually was spurred on to finally get this chapter out of my Doc Manager because of a concerned reader, KingRider6911, and several others earlier on. Yes, I know, it's been almost a year, Booklover. (Slaps forehead for self stupidity) Yes, I know.

But, tragedy struck July eighth as a dear friend of mine, who was only sixteen, was killed in a single car accident. She was trying to avoid something, and the gravel road caused her to loose control of the vehicle and, she was in an older car that was manufactured without seatbelts (1960s model I think). She flew threw the windshield and hit the bank of a creek, she died the next day from her injuries. I have a memorial on my bio if you want to check it out, right now I'm going to get some tissues.

Please review! Sorry, I just kind of made you all sad with that story, it's a downer when a nice person dies. Aleah was an amazing girl, with a killer volleyball serve. Okay, I need to go now.