As Kierra and several young dragon riders prepared themselves to get ready to race, Eret came in to check up on Kierra and to wish her luck. But the second he got close to Moonfire, he nearly got hit by a bag of dark blue paint.

"Oi watch where you throw that!" He yelled and checked himself to make sure he wasn't dirty.

"Oh I'm so sorry Eret!" Kierra gasped when she saw her boyfriend walk in with spots of blue paint on his vest.

"What are you trying to do?" Eret asked looking up at Moonfire who was covered in blue and green spots.

"Decorating me, even though it feels quite ridiculous." The dragon responded.

"I was trying to paint some stripes on Moonfire but since he is so big I need to throw it at him." Kierra explained and held up her blue and green stained hands.

"Well what's that on your face?" Eret asked pointing to her face.

"It's my face paint dummy." Kierra responded with a frown.

"Really? It looks more like you let Eragon paint a portrait on you."

"Hey I don't do this that much. It has been a long time since I had done racing."

"Maternity leave?"

"That and running my village, it's not that easy. And I also had to raise Eragon all on my own."

"Well...let me help." Eret grabbed a wet rag and gently wiped the paint off her face.

Once that was done, he picked up a bowl of the dark blue paint she had been using for Moonfire and painted a long blue stripe from her forehead to her nose. Then he make a horizontal line on both of her cheeks. Then he picked up the bowl of green paint and made the same horizontal line under the blue ones. Then he dipped his pointer finger and ring finger in the blue paint and dipped his middle finger into the green one. He pressed the three fingers onto her chin and slid them down.

"There. You look beautiful." He said running his thumb along her cheek where there was no paint.

"Was my paint really that bad?" Kierra asked blushing a bit. Eret chuckled and pulled her close to him.

"Yes it was. Now go win that race." He said and kissed her on the lips and then releasing her. Then he turned and left Kierra alone with Moonfire. She then realized that all the other riders had already left.

"Darn it! We're gonna be late!" She whispered-yelled and quickly mounted Moonfire.

As they made their way out of the caves and flew off to where the games were held in the canyon of a mountain, Kierra began thinking of what it would have been like if Eret had not been taken, if she was taken along with him and many other things before Moonfire interrupted her thougts.

"Through all those memories that you shared with me of him I never expected him to be exactly this kind. He is much better than-"

"I know Moonfire. And I trust Eret with my secret. I know he won't ever betray me." She cut him off and steered him in the direction of the arena.

"You said that about the last man. But I trust your judgement of him. He is the ideal mate that all female humans should have."

"Well this is a first. Hearing you say you trust my judgment."

"I know what goes on through that head of yours Kierra. And you won't keep any secrets from me of him."

"Oh shut up you overgrown white lizard. Now let's get a move on, we have a race to win."

"I haven't done this in years. Hope we still got it. Even for a twenty-five year old woman and a ten-year old dragon." Moonfire grumbled as they reached where the dragons and riders were suppose to wait.

"Ha we may be old but we can win this one. Just like we did back in Alegasia remember?" Moonfire replied and gave her a grin. "We even raced against your mentor as well and beat him against his dragon."

"Yes I remember our home country. But like Eragon we were destined never return to our homeland."

"Angela's prophesy is starting to be much clearer now. But the rest I am still trying to work out."

"Let's not think about that." Moonfire grumbled. "Let us concentrate on winning this race."

--------

"Daddy, are you and mama married?" Eragon asked his father as they were waiting for the races to begin.

"Hmm? Oh no we aren't sadly." Eret answered and picked Eragon up into his arms. "Why you ask?"

"Someone called mama a bad name when they found out she was not married and still had me." Eragon said as ge played with the fur on his fathers vest.

"You know Eragon, most kids at your age don't talk as much as you. Or speak as clearly as you can. Why is that?" Eragon just shrugged and started playing with his father's owl brooch.

"Mama says I special. But I think I am just wierd."

"No you aren't wierd. You are special Eragon. Not that many children can speak as clearly as you can at your age. If everyone else thinks you are a wierdo, me and your mother and many others think otherwise." Eret said giving his son a hug. Eragon gave his father a bright smile and hugged him in return. "Now what was your mother even called?"

Eragon's little eyes widened and looked at the floor. "Mama said that she would beat me if I repeated it."

"It can't be that bad. I promise I won't tell your mother. Cross my heart." He held one hand up and used his other hand to make an X over the spot where his heart was.

Eragon looked around nervously and beckoned his father to lean in. Eret leaned in closely and Eragon whispered the word into his fathers ear and his eyes widened in shock.

"They called her that?" He asked looking at the toddler in astonishment.

"Yes. What does it mean?" Eragon asked.

"You'll learn when you're older. Oh look there's daddys friends." Eret said pointing to his friends who were making their way to them in the stands.

Eret was even more furious with himself. He knew he should have proposed and married Kierra before she had the baby, but they all (him and his crew) had all been short on money at around the time of her pregnancy. They only had enough to get food for all of them and with a baby on the way they had to give her the most food.

'I swore after Eragon's birth that I would make it up to her. And now that she is a chief and Eragon was conceived out of wedlock he can't be an heir.' Eret thought to himself angrily. 'I won't stand having anyone insult my son or his mother. In fact if we have to leave back to Berk I am gonna get myself a better job. And once I am steady enough I will ask for her to marry me. That is if no one has proposed to her yet or she is engaged to someone from a different tribe.'

He looked over to where Eragon was playing with all the gangs dragons. 'I don't want him to grow up without a father. I had been out of his life for three years. I barely had any time to be with him. But if anything, I will do whatever I can to give him the proper life he deserves.'