A/N: So, we're back at Teirm after Niaomi's vision of Saphira's hatching - what events shall hatch next? Quick note: chapter seven will involve another timeskip, but also have our main man featured once more! And speaking of main men...

Picture of Eragon up above.

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This time, when Nia sprang up from a bed gasping for air, she was in the same place where she'd fallen asleep.

She fell back onto the straw mattress, breathing deeply as the sun rose from outside the narrow window above her head. Staring up at the lightening sky, Niaomi did not move until she heard one of her roommates stir. She turned her head to see her youngest brother rising with a large yawn, his hair tousled as he blinked blearily before her gaze caught his attention. "Mmph. Morning, Nia."

"Morning, Nick," she replied, watching with some amusement as he rolled out of bed with a soft thump. "You're up early; dawn's just arriving."

"That so?" he mumbled from the floor, not bothering to lift his head. "Why are you already up and lucid?"

"Had a vision."

Nick did raise his head at that, propping it up with both hands so that he could examine his sister. She'd turned so that she was staring up at the ceiling once more, which had windows scattered about it in a very uncommon architectural style. Directing his thoughts away from the building and back to Nia, he asked her, "What was it about?"

She just sighed that sigh that meant trouble. "Wasn't of the Progenitor, if that's what you're asking."

"That's not what I'm asking."

"Then it wasn't of anything important, now was it?" Niaomi abruptly swung her feet out of bed and called to their brother, "Wake up, lazy bones!"

Nathan didn't move an inch, and so she threw her pillow at him. It landed squarely on his head, but he merely rolled over and groaned, "Just a few minutes more, Mor."

His siblings froze at his words, and Nicholas gathered the courage to glance at their sister. Her expression was frozen, the exasperated smirk still on her face, until at last she looked at him and said, "Try yours."

He smiled at that and said, "Aye aye," before tossing his own pillow at his brother. Nate finally awoke at the impact, sputtering as some of the feathers flew out to tickle his nose while the other two laughed uproariously.

"Why, you - " was all their brother said before lunging at Nick, trying to pin him down. He squirmed away as they began wrestling around, grunts and curses interspersed with Nia's cheers. Which brother she rooted for, he could not tell.

Just as he managed to hook one of Nathan's leg and pin him down for the moment, someone before him cleared their throat. The two men looked up to see a disheveled woman glaring down at them with thunderous eyes. "And what, pray tell, are you two doing at such an ungodly hour?"

They were in for it now. Gulping, Nicholas tried a smile as he said, "Morning, love."

"Don't you dare 'love' me!" Ren hissed.

"Now, that's just impossible," he said with a wink, falling to the side as his brother shook him off. "Ouch!"

"And you," the once-blonde brunette continued in a fierce whisper, pointing down at Nate. "You are no doubt the cause of all this!"

"Me!" the young man protested even as his siblings chortled behind him. Oh, he'd pay them back for this one. "Why's it always got to be me who's the cause?"

"Because it always is you who's the cause." Renata turned, her nightdress spinning behind her, and ignored his grumbling. "Now, I'm going back to wake my sister since the rest of us are all up and about - and I can assure you that she won't be very pleased with you, Nathan."

Nathan winced as she shut the door firmly, and turned to glare at the other triplets as they tried to mask their snickers. "I hate you two sometimes."

"No, you don't," they chorused, brown eyes now the same shade as his twinkling as he snorted and turned away.

"Whatever. Anyway, you need to scurry off, Nia; us men must get dressed."

"Oi!" she said in response to his words, aghast. "Why do you two get to dress first?"

"Cause there's two of us," Nick replied, grinning wickedly as he threw her over his back and carried her to the door.

"Put me down! Put me down right now, Nicholas Naduru Niomsson! Augh!" Niaomi huffed as she was finally plopped back onto her feet - outside the doorway. She shoved back her long bangs so that she could glare at her youngest brother. "I hate you two sometimes!"

"No, you don't," the two said cheerily before the door was shut in her face.

Resisting the urge to stomp her foot, Nia spun around and prepared to go downstairs before remembering what she was wearing. Glancing at her long blue nightshirt and bare feet, she began muttering about her annoying little siblings as she marched down the small walkway to where the twins were sleeping. When she reached the door, it opened without her knocking to reveal Rosaminda standing there: though the young woman no longer had her natural coloring, only this twin would be dressed in a pair of brown breeches and a blue lace-trimmed tunic. Still, it was strange to see Ren's eyes gazing at her sympathetically. "Pulled the 'two of them' card on you again?"

"Yes."

Rose laughed at the adorable pout on her god-sister's face. "Never fear; I swiped a change of clothes for you just in case."

"You're the best, Rose," Niaomi thanked her as she entered the room.

"I know," the now-brunette replied, grabbing the pink-and-black strip of leather she'd carelessly tossed onto a chair to belt it around her waist. She took a moment to trace a finger over the Lianí Vine design, trying to absorb the sensation of her father crafting this belt. Shaking her head at her foolish thoughts, Rosaminda made sure her scabbard was secure before picking up a set of clothes and handing them to the other. "Ren's already downstairs; come join us once you're done."

"Will do." Taking the garment, Nia waited until the door had shut once more before she slipped out of her nightshirt. Clad only in her cotton shift, she slipped on her intimates and unfolded the ruby tunic and gray breeches, thanking Rose's eye for fashion. She dressed quickly, padding back over to her empty room to pull on her short soft leathered boots. Reaching underneath her mattress, she pulled out a small box and opened it.

Gems and jewelry glittered from the wooden depths, sparkling with power and beauty. Niaomi smiled as she fingered them, deciding on what would be safe to wear. No doubt her rings would garner too much attention, but she couldn't bear to leave her mother's locked away in this box. She slipped the engagement ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand, where it'd hopefully be less noticeable, and put the charm bracelet her bondmates had gifted her with on her other wrist. Deciding to forgo her earrings, circlet, and choker, she reluctantly closed the box and hid it once more.

Walking over to the small table in the center of the room, she picked up her two hairsticks and carefully arranged them into her bun, making sure the golden and onyx butterfly embellishments were visible while the thin metal blades were not. Grabbing her own white-and-black sword belt, Nia checked to ensure that her two daggers were strapped to the sides before heading downstairs to join the others.

She emerged in the backroom of the first floor, where the kitchen was. The four other Riders were seated at a large square table, talking amongst themselves, while their host was at the stove, humming as she stirred a sinful smelling concoction. Nate winked at her as she took a seat across from him, wearing a white tunic with brown breeches and a matching vest, and commented, "You sure got dressed fast."

"No thanks to you," came her retort as she glared.

To his left sat Rosaminda, who flicked his ear and, when he stared at her in shock, simply said, "That's for waking us up so early."

Ren, who sat to Niaomi's left, patted her god-sister's shoulder. "Sorry you've got to share a room with those two."

"Hey!" Nicholas said, frowning across the table at his fiancée. Now that he was identical to his brother, only their clothes set them apart. Still, even if his gray tunic and dark breeches had been the same as Nathan's garments, their sister would still be able to tell the difference between them. "I heavily resent being put into the same class as him."

Nate scowled at his little brother and put him in a headlock. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Settle down, boys," called Angela as she carried the pot over to the table, letting its delicious odor wafted over them all. "Now's the time for breakfast!"

Releasing Nick, Nathan accepted the bowl from her hands and asked, "What sort of stew is this?"

"Egg stew," the witch replied, ladling more bowls for the rest. "Got the recipe from one of the Wandering Tribes, though they're not much of a sharing lot."

"Faðiras never made something like this," Rose admitted softly as she took a sip of the broth.

"Too true," her beau replied, greedily inhaling his portion beside her.

Nia looked at her family as Angela took the remaining chair beside her. They seemed to be able to make small mentions of Niom and Leafë now without looking as though they threatened to burst into tears at any moment. Even though she'd frozen when hearing Nate speaking to their mother earlier this morning, she'd called Nicholas "Niomsson", which he was. And then, she realized that this change wasn't a bad thing. A step from the grief wasn't a step away from Mother and Father - it was a step towards them, towards remembrance.

With that thought in mind, she lowered her spoon to look at the witch - the seer - beside her. Once Angela had returned her gaze, raising one brow, Niaomi finally gained the courage to take that step towards remembrance, though in this case not of her parents. Clearing her throat, she opened her mouth and took the step towards remembering her role.

"Will you teach me how to be a seer?"