Chapter 1

Eragon Kingkiller sat around the sapphire blue campfire with his head lowered. He gave a sigh and stared into the flames produced by his dragon Saphira, whom was currently curled up around him, her bulk encircling almost the whole camp. She had grown immense in the last three years, and she would continue to grow for the remainder of her life.

Around him, Eragon observed the surviving members of the team that set out to accompany him and Saphira three years ago, leaving behind the familiarity of the Du Weldenvarden forest in Alagaesia, shortly after Eragon had killed the previous king Galbatorix, a Dragon Rider who had brought nothing but evil and tyranny to the once prosperous country. The camp was small. Only a third of the twelve elves that had accompanied Eragon and Saphira outside of Alagaesia survived. Life out here had been hard, the group having no knowledge or experience about what lay outside of Alagaesia, and new surprises often took an elf's life before the rest of the band could figure out how to stop it. When Eragon looked around, he saw only how downtrodden the group had become. Even Saphira, whom was often the source of wisdom and guidance Eragon went to, didn't know what to do anymore.

Saphira, we can't stay like this much longer. The stress will kill the rest of the elves, if some unknown creature doesn't do it first. Eragon kicked a stone into the fire as he spoke to his dragon through their mental link that only Riders and their dragons could share.

I agree, little one.

As always, Eragon was comforted by Saphira's voice. His bond with her was so strong that he could not sleep and wanted to curl into a ball of loneliness if they were parted by a distance great enough for their link to break. This had happened a few times in their history, but thankfully not since they had left Alagaesia.

There is one place that is already well-suited for dragons and Riders. Alagaesia. I know that we dismissed all of the possibilities within Alagaesia because of bloodshed that occurred there, but they are preferable to us raising the new Riders out here where we could lose a student every day. I'd rather the young Riders and dragons are safe in Alagaesia, even if the stronghold is someplace where lives were lost. Saphira continued.

Then let us begin the return journey in the morning. We have had nothing but failure out here. We must return.

Chapter 2

The sun filtered down the canopy, lighting the forest below a brilliant green as it reached Alanna's window and hit her in the face. Waking herself from her waking dreams, Alanna sat up and stretched languidly before she threw off the covers and walked to her wash basin, her thoughts lost in how much her life might change today. After dowsing herself lightly in the brisk water, she walked to her closet and chose her outfit for today. Alanna's shirt was a rich amethyst purple, her pants made out of animal hide.

Three years ago, her mother and father had gone off to war, to fight King Galbatorix. Neither of her parents made it back, and so the care of herself and her brother went to their uncle, their father's brother. It was a living hell. Alanna had never liked her uncle and now she despised him. He wasn't a nice person, which was the understatement of the century in Alanna's opinion. But, hopefully, today her lot in life would change. No more eating last because she was female, no more playing restrictions. And, most of all, no more Uncle Gerard.Dressed and now excited, Alanna skipped to breakfast and stood beside her twin brother, Dusan. Together, perfectly synched, they bowed respective to their genders and watched as their uncle stuffed his face with breakfast. His scraps went next to Dusan. In the early days, her brother had tried to reason with their uncle to let her eat first, but his only reward was a switch to his backside and Alanna being starved each morning. Dusan never spoke against Gerard again. Now, Dusan did his best to leave Alanna as much as he could. Alanna knew her brother would have gladly given her all of his food and went hungry himself, knowing he could go out into the forest and handpick his food from the bushes and trees throughout the day, but their uncle needed to be sure that Dusan was eating enough because Dusan was the male and so he had to be strong so he could rule over the female of his life and be a good warrior in battle. Alanna and Dusan both agreed this was completely against their culture and their own personal beliefs but their uncle had the power to do whatever he wanted to them until they were adults so they did what they could to placate him, dreaming of this very day.

So, in his usual way, her brother ate enough to satisfy their uncle then he slid his plate to Alanna's spot, letting her come up to sit. Politely, Alanna ate until the plate was clean and drank every drop of the water she was given. After she and her brother gave their uncle their plans for today they were allowed to go about their way. Standing before their uncle again, they bowed again and demurely walked out of the dining room. Once the doors were closed behind them, the façade their uncle had cultivated slipped away and the two siblings became children again as they laughed and raced to the center of the city.

Because it was so early in the morning, there were not that many elves out yet, so Alanna and her brother raced into line and bounced on their toes as they followed the line toward the myriad of dragon eggs.

The eggs were set up on tables, organized by first color, and then size from smallest to largest. Alanna gasped at the number and color variety of the eggs and she could almost cry. For Alanna, there was little that was more important in life than color, and this was her dream come true, made even more perfect by the fact that the source of the colors were all dragon eggs, the very epitome of beauty.Alanna was so consumed with the eggs that her brother had to physically shake her to get her out of her reverie. It was her turn to receive her egg and she faced Queen Arya, curtsying."Good morning, Alanna! How do you feel?" Queen Arya asked after writing down her name."Nervous, excited, mystified, a little afraid." She answered quickly, practically unable to stand still. She had to keep bouncing on her toes to keep her excitement form getting out of control.Arya chuckled. "Yes, I can understand that. Alright, then. Let me see your eyes, darling?"Alanna leaned in toward her Queen and tried to not blink as Arya analyzed her eyes, her fingers gently touching her chin. Then Arya turned back to the parchment and wrote down a character in the ancient language that was native to elves before turning to one of her assistants."You see, Alanna, Eragon discovered that there is a correlation between the Rider's eyes and the dragon's color. We're using this to our advantage. Until you either become a Rider or until you hold all of the eggs available you will hold eggs that match your purple eyes. To make sure you don't hold the same egg twice and accidentally skip over an egg, we're keeping a careful record of the egg you hold every week. Each egg will be sized before you take it and before we take it back in one week. You'll only get one week with each egg and you'll have to give it back if it doesn't hatch. But even if none of the eggs hatch, don't worry. Eggs will be produced in the future and you'll be allowed to try again until the day you die. If, in the event one of the eggs does hatch, I want you to come immediately to me with the hatchling to begin your training, okay?"

"Yes, Arya."

"Good. Do you have any questions?"Alanna thought very hard and finally shook her head. Then the assistant came back and handed a purple egg to Arya, who measured its size and documented it before she handed the egg to Alanna. Alanna was so nervous that she held the egg like she would an infant. She bowed and stepped out of line to let her brother go. Dusan received a brilliant cyan egg and the two carefully walked back to their uncle's house.They spent the rest of the day in the same room, talking to each other and their eggs, dreaming about what would happen if they became Riders. When it became dark, they separated and went to their bedrooms to sleep. Alanna stayed up later than usual, though, still finding difficulty adjusting in her new situation. Staring at the egg tucked in beside her, Alanna unknowingly drifted into her waking dreams.

Chapter 3

Week after week came and went. Alanna's first egg didn't hatch, nor her second, third, fourth or fifth eggs, much to her disappointment. As she had to return egg after egg, her confidence and hope chipped away until she had given up on the egg hatching for her. Now, she saw the egg as a mockery of her hopes and dreams. She wanted to be a Rider; who didn't? But, for her, being a Rider would have added benefits. In elvish society, children only left the household of their parents when they had reached adulthood, which was still several years away for Alanna and her brother. So Alanna saw the eggs she held and eventually had to give back as a sentence to more years with Uncle Gerard. At least she could take solace in her brother also not being chosen as a Dragon Rider yet. Together, they were able to share their disappointment and hopelessness and come to terms with living with Gerard for the next eight years.Alanna held a total of fifteen eggs for three months and three weeks. By now, she had not even dared to let herself hope that this last egg would hatch for her. And then, on the sixth and final night, the egg began to squeak and move, thus waking Alanna from her dreams.Confused, Alanna looked around the now silent room until she was sure she was hearing things or it was a mouse from outside. She settled down to continue to sleep when she heard the noise again, but this time louder and the squeak was accompanied by a few taps. She bolted upright and located the egg on the shelf against the wall farthest from her bed. As she watched, it wriggled vigorously, the squeaks coming faster and louder as the taps increased in volume and intensity. Finally, propelled by the force of its rocking, the egg fell to the floor and shattered. There, on the floor, struggling to right itself, was an amethyst purple dragon hatchling.Disbelieving her eyes, Alanna threw off her covers and carefully approached the dragon, trying not to startle it. The dragon managed to right itself and now it was trying to figure out how to stand up, using its wings as balance. Alanna watched from a safe distance, sitting cross legged on the floor, watching with absolute fascination as the dragon managed to stand and take a couple of wobbly steps toward her. When it was almost within reach, the dragon stumbled and Alanna didn't even pause to think as she shot forward to support the hatchling. Upon contact with her right hand, an icy blast of mind-numbing pain shot up her arm, all of the way to her shoulders and even into her teeth. Screaming, she clenched her arm in her other hand and curled up into a ball. Several minutes later, just as the pain was leaving and her mind returned to working capacity, she heard footsteps running down her hallway. Horror shot through her when she heard Gerard's voice, shouting orders. She looked at her dragon and realized that Gerard would kill the hatchling to keep her under his roof. Scooping up the dragon, and ignoring its squeaks of disapproval, she ran to her window, climbed out and ran for Tialdari Hall, screaming for help. She looked back and saw Gerard poking his head out her window and look at her. He swore violently and climbed out the window to run after her. Alanna urged as much speed as she could out of her limbs and practically flew down the road. She didn't hear the thud-thud, thud-thud until there was a deafening roar and Firnen and Saphira dropped out of the sky. Saphira landed above Alanna, Firnen slightly ahead, and both dragons glared at Gerard, snarling ferociously, Saphira looking about ready to kill him. Knowing she was safe, protected by the three-year old fire-breathing dragons, Alanna stopped under Saphira's belly and watched with relish as the color fled from Gerard's face as he faced both angry dragons."Alanna!"She turned and saw Eragon and Arya both running toward her, swords brandished and shining in the moonlight. Eragon's sword, Brisingr, was the same blue as Saphira's scales, made especially for him by Rhunon, the swordsmith. Arya held her own emerald green sword.Both Riders stepped in front of her protectively. While Eragon yelled at Gerard for the disturbance and corrected the situation, Arya put away her sword and coaxed Alanna and Firnen to Tialdari Hall. At Tialdari Hall, where Arya and the aristocratic elves in Ellesmera lived, Alanna was given a temporary room to stay in for the night. Arya stayed with her for a while, to make sure Alanna and her dragon were both calm enough to sleep and were comfortable, even giving the dragon some mice that were kept in a cage purely to be used as food for a hatchling dragon. Alanna didn't even notice she was supposed to be calming down. She just kept talking about living at Gerard's and how glad she was to be out, and how much she owed her dragon for getting her out. As if knowing it was being talked about, the dragon managed to jump onto the bed and nestled itself against her side, its head resting on Alanna's chest, looking at her with big, innocent purple eyes.Alanna stopped short, mid-sentence, as something blocked her window. Suddenly, there was a giant eye looking in. Are you harmed, child? A musical voice floated into her head in a fashion similar to the one she used with her brother."No, Saphira-elda. Thank you so much for rescuing me. I've no doubt my uncle wanted to kill my dragon. He's a cruel elf." She picked up the hatchling to settle it closer to her, feeling rather protective. Yes, he is. Thank you for protecting my son.

"Your son?" So her dragon was male…and Saphira's son!

Yes. Your dragon is my son. And you risked the wrath of your uncle to protect him. Thank you.

"Oh, uh…you're welcome, Saphira-elda." Alanna bowed to her and let her dragon jump to the windowsill, figuring he was curious about what he was seeing. Saphira righted her head to sniff and then to try to nuzzle him, which was rather difficult because Saphira's snout was too large to fit into the window. A sound that was obviously a purr came from her dragon, while a deeper version rumbled from Saphira."Alanna?" Came a male voice form the doorway. She turned to see Eragon standing there."Eragon-elda." She greeted him and got out of bed to curtsy to him."Saphira tells me your dragon is one of her children."

"It seems so. I think she is happy one of her eggs has hatched."

"Yes, she is. She's looking forward to teaching him everything Glaedr taught her. May I come in?"

"Oh, yes, please." Alanna gestured to her bed and climbed back in, covering her lower half with the blankets. Eragon sat down and faced her."Do you understand that now that you're a Rider, you'll need training?"

"Yes."

"Good. Since your dragon can't fly yet, you'll fly to your lessons with Arya and Firnen to the Crags of Tel'naeir tomorrow. I'll meet you there."

"Yes, Eragon-elda. Arya-elda, will you wake me up? I don't wish to be late."

"Yes, of course I will. Now, it's late. You should sleep, Alanna." Arya suggested in a friendly tone as she finished tucking in Alanna."Thank you both for saving my dragon and I." She whispered, feeling her energy drain."Of course, Alanna. Good night." She thought Eragon leaned in to pat her head before he and Arya left. Whether he did or not, she was asleep before long.

Chapter 4

Alanna woke up the next morning when she heard Arya calling her name and knocking on her door. She forced her heartbeat to speed up and her breathing to deepen as she pulled herself out of her waking dreams."Good morning, Arya. I'll be out in a little bit." She called as she stretched and yawned."Okay, Alanna. I went back to your uncle's last night to get your stuff. Your clothes are out here."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you." Alanna moved her dragon off of her chest, much to his protest, and went to the door. She opened it and her suitcase was indeed there but there was no sign of Arya. Alanna shrugged and grabbed her suitcase and brought it into her room. She went through her suitcase and found one of her many purple shirts and a pair of animal hide pants. Purple was her favorite color. She thought she looked her best when she was wearing a deep purple because of her pale skin, purple eyes and straight black, waist-length hair.After she was dressed, she braided her hair and then made it into a bun by twisting the braid around itself until it curled up, then wrapped the rest of the braid around it. She fastened it in place with a leather band that was enhanced by a spell of elasticity, and then tied a thick purple ribbon over the band. She did this because she didn't want her hair to get in the way of training, whatever it may be.After washing her face and hands, Alanna used mental and physical encouragements to get her dragon to follow her down the hall and to the dining room, where she ate with Arya. Her dragon jumped into the seat beside her and tried to get onto the table, but Alanna didn't let him. She reached out to her dragon's mind and mentally reprimanded him with an impression of displeasure, and then she accompanied the feeling with the word 'no'. She knew dragons didn't naturally have control over a language involving words and preferred to use images and impressions, so she figured it was best to begin getting him used to words immediately. She didn't like the first word he knew was one of displeasure, but he'll be learning a lot more words in the coming months so this was just simply part of his training. Why did that not make her feel better?After breakfast, Arya, Alanna and her dragon went outside to where Firnen was waiting, already saddled. While Arya climbed up, Alana bent down to scoop up her dragon. Firnen lowered his head to look at the hatchling, whom was supremely interested in Firnen. She let them smell each other before Firnen turned away. Jumping as high as she could, Alana landed on Firnen's elbow. She jumped again to land on his shoulder, and then again to land on his back, between two of his spikes. She sat down and held tight to her dragon, using her mind to tell him to not struggle, while she clamped her legs around Firnen when the huge dragon suddenly moved.Try to hold on, Alanna. Firnen suggested and Alana grabbed the spike in front of her with one hand as Firnen leaned back on his haunches and launched himself into the air. She squealed and clung tighter to the spike and to her dragon, determined to not let him fall.Once Firnen had risen above the canopy and leveled out, Alanna let her grip on her dragon relax. She didn't remove her arm, though. She kept her arm around him but with just enough tension to keep him in place. Now sure she wouldn't fall, Alanna let herself look around at the forest passing below them. Sometime during the flight, Eragon and Saphira joined up with them.At the Crags, Saphira and Firnen landed outside of a hut and the Riders got off. Alanna watched as Eragon bid their dragons goodbye before the two dragons flew back into the sky. Once the two lizards were out of sight, Eragon turned to face his two students."First, we'll all do the Rimgar. Alanna, come on beside me so you can see well." He backed up away from the hut a bit as Arya took up her place beside him. Alanna went on his other side and did her best to copy him. It was hard work, but since the Rimgar was meant to tone the body and exercise the muscles, it was supposed to be hard work. After an hour of the Rimgar, which felt like an eternity to Alanna, Arya were sent into the forest to listen. Eragon turned to her and knelt down to Alanna's height."Alanna, first, congratulations on becoming a Rider. I hope you realize that it's a title that most don't win, and the responsibility and honor involved in it."

"I have a pretty good idea about the responsibility, Eragon-elda."

"Good. Now, because you're still so new to being a Rider, you're training will differ from Arya's until your dragon hits certain milestones in his development. For now, the most important thing for him is to learn about language. So, during this hour, I want you to start teaching him about language and words. I have some scrolls you can read off of, and then you connect those words to an impression or image respective to the word."

"I'd appreciate that. Thank you, Eragon-finiarel."

"You're welcome. And please, just Eragon will suffice." Alanna started to argue, wanting to point out that the finairel was a term of great honor and praise for a male, that he had earned it and it was only just that he be recognized with it. "I know what you're going to say. I understand the term and what it means. However, since we're going to be working together until the end of our days, I consider us equals and so I feel like words of honor and praise shouldn't be used here. Arya agrees with me and has already told me she wishes you myself to not call her Queen or any other title at any time. Saphira, however, loves the titles so she'll expect you to use them when you address her."

"Yes, Eragon. I'll try to restrain myself. Oh, among those scrolls you mentioned, do you have any of exclusive male names? I should also teach my dragon about names and get him acquainted with them so he can have a wide range to choose from when he decides he wants a name as well." Eragon chuckled as he smiled. "I do have such a list. I'm surprised by how much you've already thought through this."Alanna blushed and looked at her feet sheepishly. "I've had a lot of time to think about what being a Rider would entail, and a lot of time for reading about dragons and Riders."

"Good! You did research. That's good thinking, Alanna."

"Thank you."

"Now, let's focus on you teaching your dragon about words, hmm? I'll get those scrolls for you. Come on inside." Eragon stood and Alanna followed him inside.The hut was small, circular, with every surface of the walls covered in spaces for scrolls. In the center of the room were three desks and chairs, each equipped with a fresh roll of parchment, a sharpened quill and an inkwell. Alanna sat down at one of the desks and her dragon hopped up onto it. She smiled and stroked it hesitantly at first, then more assuredly when she heard the dragon start to purr."I've never seen a dragon being so affectionate." Eragon observed, turning from the wall with some scrolls in hand. He approached and gave her the scrolls."Aren't all dragons like this?"

"Saphira wasn't. Well, probably because I had to spend most of the day making sure my uncle and Roran didn't learn about her. I was so sure they'd kill her and I couldn't bear the thought of that, so I hid her in the forest. After my chores were done, I went to her and stayed there until dark. Even then, she didn't ask for strokes. The most she did was lay down against my leg. As she got older, I was the one cuddling against her belly, but that was the extent of it. It must be a personality thing."

"That makes sense." Alanna was still focused on figuring out what her dragon liked so she didn't reply as heartedly as she ought to have."Here are the scrolls. I suggest starting right away. That dragon has two languages to learn fluently, the ancient language and the modern language. You'd best get going." Eragon subtly ordered as he set the scrolls near Alanna's hand and he walked outside. Alanna picked up one scroll, scanned the contents and connected her mind with her dragon's int he same way that she would with her brother for a private conversation, and how she did this morning. The word on the scroll was 'Horse', so she imagined a picture of the horse and below the animal flashed the word 'Horse'. She didn't know if the dragon was learning, so she moved on to the next word, another animal, and did the same thing. Then, she went back to the horse, and then the second animal before she moved on to the third and repeated the cycle.After five words, she put away the scroll and looked the dragon in the eye. Then she tapped his chest and said You, then she pointed to herself and said Alanna. She repeated it again a few more times until the dragon squeaked as an acknowledgement. Smiling, she stroked the dragon as praise, then picked up one of the scrolls. Leaving it rolled up, she held it up and said scroll. After she had repeated it a few times, the dragon squeaked again.After an hour, Alanna had managed to get the dragon familiar with twenty animals, the words you, scroll, quill, Alanna and chair for a total of twenty-five words. It was good progress for the first hour and Alanna was actually looking forward to working with the dragon some more.Eragon and Arya came back into the hut as Alanna was rolling up the scroll she held."Okay, then. Today, you won't be just teaching your dragon about words. You'll also learn one of the most important skills of begin a Dragon Rider. On your feet." Eragon resumed his mentor voice. Alanna stood and followed her queen and mentor outside. Arya drew her sword and prepared it while Eragon went into the forest and found a couple of thick sticks of about the same length. He came back and tossed one stick to Allanna."Now, let's spar. Your opponents of the future won't go easy on you, so don't expect me to coddle each other just because you're new."

"Yes, Eragon." She muttered as she accepted her was actually kind of nervous. She had never sparred with anything resembling a sword before. Would Eragon laugh at her inexperience? He said he wouldn't go easy on her. So, her bigger concern was how hurt would she get?Stepping back a few paces, Eragon and Alanna held up their sticks but they didn't move.After a period of silence, in which both opponents were still, a flock of birds flew overhead. Alanna looked up at them. In that instant, Eragon leapt forward, swinging his stick like it was a club. Alanna barely had enough time to bring up her own to block his attack. The sticks collided with a resounding smack, and the force of the impact threatened to make her arm go numb. But she couldn't worry about that right now. Eragon had already retreated and was preparing another blow, but he left his stomach wide open. Moving quickly even by an elf's standards, Alanna jumped forward to jab him in the belly, then she danced away. Eragon grinned and praised her, but he kept up the attack. It was quickly apparent that he was trying to keep Alanna on the defensive, and the speed and power with which he delivered blow after blow mostly resulted in him getting in several hits and some others blocked. Also, he never gave her enough time to analyze his body for openings between attacks, let alone enough time to take advantage of that by jumping forward to hit him again.After a few rounds with Eragon, all of which she lost, despite getting in a few hits, Eragon traded plces with Arya.Alanna held no illusions that she had a chance against Arya. Her queen had more than a century of battle experience more than Alanna, was faster, stronger and was more sure of her body and it's limits, and her abilities. Alanna wasn't even sure if she could dodge one of Arya's attacks. Regardless, the point of this wasn't to come away unscathed; It was to become a better swordsman. So, Alanna fought back. She didn't land a single blow on Arya, but she tried, even when she received blow after blow.It was a welcome relief when Eragon called a halt to the sparring. Exhausted and hurting, Alanna dropped her stick and tried to catch her breath. "Okay, then. Come inside." Eragon said as he led the way. Arya and Alanna ducked inside and took a seat. Eragon had already selected a few scrolls and had set up three piles. He grabbed one scroll from each and set a scroll in front of each student. "Alanna, how well can you read and write in the ancient language?"

"Fluently."

"Then I want you to read this." He replied as he set the scroll down in front of her. She opened it, as Arya already had, and began reading. It was slow going. She hadn't read in three years, the activity having been forbidden by Gerard, so she had to struggle a bit, but she still made good progress. She finished two of the three scrolls by the time Eragon said to stop.Eragon assigned Arya to reading some more scrolls, but he kneeled down beside Alanna. He dipped her quill in the ink and wrote out a character that she didn't recognize. Eragon explained that she would be learning how to read, write and speak in his language, and that this was the first letter of their alphabet.For the rest of the day, Eragon taught her about the first three letters, had given her a few examples that began with one of those three letters, and explained the grammatical structure of the language. It was so much to take in that Alanna's head was really pounding by the time Eragon said they could go home, when the sun was touching the horizon and the dragons came back.Everyone mounted up, the girls on Firnen and the Eragon on Saphira, Alanna's dragon nestled in his Rider's lap. Before departure, Eragon presented Alanna with a knapsack with scrolls. "The names of male dragons, all of them used at least once, as well as words you should teach your dragon. You don't have to give them back right away." He explained and Alanna thanked him as she shouldered the pack. Then the dragons took off and flew back to Ellesmera. During the flight, Alanna reviewed the words she had introduced to her dragon, unwilling to risk the safety of the scrolls.

Alanna, now that you're a Rider, you'll be living in a treehouse designed especially for and used exclusively by Riders. There's even a giant bowl on each level filled with pillows for a dragon. Arya explained through a mental link, the wind being too strong for words to carry to Alanna's ears well.

Really? But what about my stuff?

I already arranged for everything that belongs to you to be taken to your treehouse.

And what about food?

A plate heaping with food is delivered every morning, along with a cage of rats for your dragon. Live, of course. He has to learn how to hunt and he can't do that if they're killed before he can get to them.

Yeah, that's true. Hmm. I might be able to use those rats to help him progress in his training.Oh, great! Thank you, Arya. For the rest of the flight, Arya kept giving Alanna tips about what changes to her life that she should expect.Just as Arya had warned, Firnen landed outside a house sung out of a very old tree. Arya explained that this was Alanna's new home and that all of her stuff was inside, she had only to put it away.Suddenly feeling the exhaustion creep upon her muscles, Alanna thanked Arya and jumped from Firnen's back to his shoulder, to his elbow and down to the ground. She turned around and opened her arms to her dragon, who jumped and easily landed into her arms. Smiling, she nuzzled him a bit before she set him down. Waving at Arya, Alanna turned and climbed up the very long and very steep staircase.By the time she got up to the top, Alanna and her dragon were both panting heavily. Alanna's legs were shaking and the poor hatchling collapsed as soon as he reached the top step. She chuckled and opened the door and gasped. She was staring at a mini kitchen with a sink and a small countertop. To the left, there was a massive bowl filled with pillows in the center of the room with a bench sung out of the wall nearest the door. The furthest wall was nonexistent, opening to the elements, and a ledge extended past the opening. The wall opposite the one with the bench was plain.To her left, there was a small staircase that led to the washroom, and beyond that was the bedroom. Further up the staircase, spiraling around where I figured the heart of the tree used to be, I found a study with plenty of wall space, and all of it was already prepared for holding scrolls. There was a desk and chair along the wall and one of the shelves was lined with several quills, a quill sharpener, and several inkbottles. This room also held a dragon bed lined with pillows, a nonexistent wall and a balcony similar to the one on the first level.Going back down to the first floor, she found her dragon already curled up in the bowl. On the counter, she found a cage full of live rats for the dragon, and a bowl of fruit and a plate of salad for Alanna.Whistling, Alanna roused her dragon. He just looked at her disdainfully and then ignored her. She whistled again and grabbed a rat by its tail. The squeals it made grabbed the dragon's attention.Waving the rat, she watched as the hatchling came closer. By pointing first to him, and then covering her eyes, and then pointing to him again, Alanna tried to tell him to do what she was doing, to close his eyes. He just cocked his head, confused. She connected their minds and repeated it, connecting her actions with the command Cover Your Eyes, hoping he'd understand. Rolling his eyes, he hid his eyes beneath one of his paws.

Good! She exclaimed and tossed the rat at him. The rat landed on the floor and skittered off, but the dragon took off after it like the predator he was. Within a few seconds, her hatchling had the rat in his belly.

Good. She repeated and picked up another rat, careful not to get bitten. Alanna picked one of the animals he had learned about today and spoke the name. The dragon cocked his head again, so she repeated it, holding the image with the flashing name in their minds.After a few times, and his accompanying squeak, she gave him the rat and fished out another one. When her dragon was ready for the rat, she gave him the next animal and spoke the name a few times before she gave him the rat.By speaking the word she wanted him to learn out loud, Alanna hoped he would figure out that the word and the spoken sound were the same. She figured this was the first step to learning how to talk, even if its telepathically.Unfortunately, she didn't get to do this cycle too many times before the dragon's belly was full. Deciding dinner was a good idea for herself as well, Alanna grabbed the bowl of salad and sat down on the bench to eat. Purring, the dragon climbed up and curled up next to her leg. Alanna chuckled and stroked his neck with one hand, the bowl on the bench and fork in the other hand.After she finished the bowl, she carefully got up, trying not to disturb the now sleeping dragon. Placing the bowl on the counter, she grabbed the bowl of fruit and went back to the bench. She got as close to her dragon as I dared without waking him up, and kept eating the fruit.When her belly was full and her eyelids were drooping, Alanna went into the washroom and washed.Now clean and ready for bed, she crawled into the bed and under the covers. Before she fell asleep, though, the dragon jumped up and curled up against Alanna's belly. Smiling, she closed her eyes and quickly fell into her waking dreams.

Chapter 5

And that is essentially how every day would go for the next few weeks. Alanna was woken up by Arya precisely at dawn and she was given time to wash, eat and feed the remaining rats to her dragon, whom let himself be picked up and held when it was time to go. Since the bowl needed refilling every morning, she placed the bowl and the cage outside her door and jumped from the balcony onto Firnen's back with her dragon in her arms.Once at the Crags, Eragon led the apprentices through the Rimgar, and then let review the words Alanna's dragon already knew while Arya and Eragon listened to the forest. When they came back, Alanna would spar for a while, trading off between Eragon and Arya. After sparring, she, Arya and Eragon would all read some scrolls, then Eragon would teach Alanna the human and dwarf alphabet while Arya continued her reading. That continued for the rest of the day until dusk. When the dragons came back, Eragon would check on the progress she was making with her dragon.By the time he was a week old, Alanna's dragon had already understood the purpose of what Alanna was teaching him and what she wanted him to do. He could now repeat the words she taught him after a few tries, understanding a new word quickly.When the dragons came back on the seventh day of training, Alanna climbed onto Firnen with Arya to fly abck to Alanna's treehouse, where she would continue her dragon's training and then they'd have dinner. Before bed, she always bathed, brushed her hair and put it back up in a braid.By the time her dragon was three weeks old, he was too big for Alanna to hold while on Firnen's back, but he was still too young to fly, so he sat in one of Firnen's paws, often asleep. Alanna fed him the remaining rats each morning for a couple reasons. One, she wanted him to stay too full to move so he wouldn't get into trouble and, two, so his body would grow strong and grow well. For the first few days she was worried her dragon would be too full to stay awake during lessons, but by the time Alanna started reviewing his words he was awake enough to learn.Once at home, Alanna taught the dragon some new words, tossing him a rat as part of his treat when he recited the word correctly. After the dragon was too full for rats, she resorted to verbal positive reinforcement. Thankfully, he seemed eager to learn so the few times she tested him, to see if he noticed she was praising him, he didn't notice that she had 'accidentally' skipped a round of praise.Before Alanna knew it, a month had come and gone, and every night she would watch her dragon leap out of the balcony from her study, try to fly, only to land somewhere and race back upstairs to try again. Now that he was old enough, Saphira had begun his training. With their minds connected, Alanna was aware of Saphira flying him to a nearby lake and, while underwater, she'd show him how to flap his wings. He was a natural swimmer, and to Alanna's eyes it looked like the flapping motion that he was swimming with would also help him to fly, but she wasn't entirely sure. She trusted her dragon's safety and education to Saphira so she didn't try to analyze her reasoning any deeper than that. Saphira was teaching Alanna's dragon something he needed to learn, and that was all Alanna cared about.As for her own studies, she made great progress with the human language. Within two weeks she was reading all twenty-three letters fluently and starting on small words. Ironically, Eragon had her read from the same scrolls that she had recited to her dragon. For the first time, she understood how he felt, for the most part. Of course, she had the advantage of already knowing the animal and the letters, just not the word. But it was still difficult, trying to speak the new word in an unfamiliar language.While she excelled at reading, writing was another matter entirely. She struggled to memorize how to write each letter, and her grammatical structure tended to morph into the structure of the ancient language, her native tongue. It was very difficult for Alanna to keep these two separate, so she stayed up every night to study, trying to get better.When her dragon was five weeks old, he knew enough words so he and Alanna could communicate. Hearing his musical voice speak his first full sentence was quite a thrill, and his voice was so addictive that she would often throw him a word to have him repeat it. She had upgraded his verbal training by also having him say a sentence about the word.At five weeks, her dragon had grown immensely, in every sense of the word. Where he had been no bigger than a loaf of bread the night he had hatched, now he stood up to Alanna's waist, and growing every other day. As a result of his growth, his appetite skyrocketed to the point where he could eat three fourths of the tank for dinner, which left him with enough food in his stomach to see him through the first half of the day. Thankfully, Saphira was a doting mother when it came to feeding her son so she wasn't upset by snagging a rabbit or two when her son's stomach began to growl.During his fifth week of life, her dragon also decided that he wanted a name, too. Just as she had planned on the first day of training, Alanna took out the scrolls that listed male dragon names and recited them to him. He showed no interest in any of them. They went through the scrolls another time, but he still didn't pick one. Alanna asked him what sort of name he would want, and tried to create a name for him with the descriptions he gave; something strong, noble and unique. It was difficult work. Many of the names Alanna knew had been on those scrolls. So, she started rearranging and combining them in new ways. She wrote them down throughout the day and at night she would show them to him for his approval.Finally, one day, he decided that he wanted the name faolan. So, he became Faolan. It was difficult for Alanna to stop thinking of his as 'her dragon' and to start thinking of him as Faolan, but she knew she'd get it eventually. It also helped that Faolan would know when she was thinking of him as 'her dragon' and would correct her. He seemed to take great pride in his name.Almost immediately following obtaining his name, Faolan also figured out how to fly one night while he was practicing. When Alanna watched him fly up to the balcony he had dropped from, she whooped and hugged him, praising him immensely for his achievement. It soon became his habit to practice his flying every night even when he hurt from flying so much during the day.Once Faolan had learned to fly, he could finally join his mother and father in their daily excursions beyond the lake. While Faolan was excited about that, Alanna wasn't as enthusiastic. She had grown used to having Faolan by her side for every moment of every day and didn't want him to leave, but she knew it was necessary for their training.With Faolan off for dragon training, Alanna joined her mentor and queen in their daily listening to nature. At first, she had no idea about what was expected of her, but after getting a tip in the right direction from Eragon, she realized that she had to become one with the forest until she could monitor every species without focusing on one in particular.Alanna also progressed with the Rimgar, despite the constant growing of her limbs. She was still a child, after all, and so had some growing left to do. But, she didn't let that stop her. She was determined to do well at training, to be the best Rider she could be.After five weeks of sparring with Arya, Alanna was finally making some headway in her sword fighting. She still received blows from her opponent, but she also started dodging and landing more, which meant she was getting faster. She also developed some good footwork, able to focus on fighting Arya, but also simultaneously watching where she was putting her feet in the position and with the pressure that would be best to keep her footing.Now that Alanna was situated in the real training, Eragon didn't focus on her anymore. He'd give her a few tips here and there, but there was little more one-on-one time. This suited Alanna just fine because she understood. She didn't need it anymore and it would be selfish to expect him to continue to focus on her.Not long after Faolan had turned six weeks, Eragon decided it was time he let Alanna practice magic. He started her off small, lifting a pebble and holding it for as long as she could, then letting it drop, only to make it lift for two more times. Once it was apparent she had more power than that, he moved her into moving a bubble of water and tossing it back and forth like a game. While she enjoyed that particular exercise, Eragon also had her moving rocks and commanding fire and other similar exercises. For the most part, Eragon had her doing this toward the end of the day, when her lack of energy wouldn't affect the other areas of her studies.For Alanna, life was looking up. Everything was going right.

Chapter 6

When Faolan turned two months, Alanna was finally allowed to ride on his back. Their first flight together was absolutely mind-blowing. Since it was early in the morning and with Eragon having given his permission for them to go fly for the day, Faolan had a lot of energy, and a lot of moves to show off. He did everything he could think of, which of course resulted in Alanna laughing herself silly from the sheer joy of flying. It was also a lot of fun when Faolan went up as high as he could and then dove straight down. The Crags were nothing more than cliffs that towered hundreds of feet above the ocean, which meant dragons had a lot of room to take off and dive from.Faolan kept close to the Crags, wanting to be close to land when he should tire, and he eventually did. Landing on the cliff top, Faolan walked over to the hut and lay down. Alanna dismounted, untying her legs from the saddle that Eragon had helped her make over the last few weeks since Faolan had learned to fly. With her feet on solid ground, she swayed a bit, still used to the air, but she sat down beside Faolan without injury and scratched him behind his jaw, one of the many spots that made him writhe when scratched. Faolan closed his eyes and smiled, leaning into her hand, as he hummed with contentment.After Faolan fell asleep, Alanna decided it would be best to study as well until Faolan was awake. So, she walked across the meadow to reinsert herself into training.When the sun started to go down, Alanna gently woke Faolan and managed to wake him enough for him to understand that he had to clear the area so Saphira and Firnen could land. In his way of waking up quickly, Faolan simply walked over to the edge of the cliff and let himself fall. Heart racing, Alanna watched as Faolan fell into the water. Connected to his mind, she felt the shock of the freezing water as it hit his body with a tremendous amount of force. With the combination of the impact and the cold, Faolan was instantly awakened and he rose out of the water. Both Alanna and Faolan knew it was a temporary measure that would last until they got home, that Faolan would be awake enough to fly that distance, but the second they got home, he'd go straight to his bowl and pass out.Just as expected, Faolan did just that. Although, he did manage to stay awake enough to eat his dinner, eating more rats than normal this time. But, right after dinner, he fell asleep. Alanna smiled and went up to her study to work on writing in the human/dwarf language, conversing with her brother to help her with the characters she was having most trouble with.When she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore, Alanna turned out the lights and went to sleep.

Chapter 7

The next morning, Eragon watched as Arya battled with Alanna, analyzing each of his students critically. Alanna had taken well to battling by swords, or sticks as the case may be. After two months of studying, Alanna was now giving blows more often than she received them, and had even picked up on Arya's particular weaknesses and was utilizing them well.After sparring with Arya, Alanna and Faolan went with Eragon and Saphira into Ellesmera, forsaking a day in the hut and learning from scrolls for a day of real life learning. Eragon would have preferred to take them out of Du Weldenvarden to see how hard life could be, where they could be useful. But leaving Du Weldenvarden had dangers and he didn't want to overstep their training and risk one of the two losing their lives. So he had to get them a reliable means of defense. As elves, they were already capable of magic, and as Riders they were already stronger than most non-Rider magicians, but they needed another defense they could rely on until they had to rely on magic. They needed to see Rhunon.Saphira and Faolan landed outside Rhunon's workshop. Eragon shouted to Rhunon and she rushed out. They went through the traditional greetings, moving to Alanna and Faolan.Once the greetings were out of the way, Eragon revealed to his students why they were there, much to Alanna's delight. While Alanna talked to her dragon about getting a Rider's sword, Eragon and Rhunon conversed privately."Eragon, how do you expect me to make her a sword? Have you forgotten that I only rushed yours because of the gravity of the circumstances?"

"I remember, Rhunon-elda. And I don't expect you to make a sword over one night; That'd be expecting a lot of you and it wouldn't be fair. But, I could make it easier for you by leaving Alanna here every day. You can use her body like you used mine, and you can pick your pace so you don't tire yourself. And you don't have to worry about her studies. Reading from scrolls isn't as important anymore. It's time for her to start putting what she's read to good use, to get some real experience. That's why she needs a sword. But it doesn't have to be a Rider sword right away. I'd be content with a regular sword for now, get her used to fighting with swords and not sticks, to build up the muscles needed for lifting such a weight. "

"You drive a fair bargain, Eragon. Very well. I will begin the process immediately, but it will be purifying the ore first. Until the ore is ready, Alanna can use some regular sword." She moved to the wall and took down a simple hand-and-a-half sword that was undecorated."That's perfect. Thank you so much, Rhunon-elda." Eragon smiled widely as he accepted the sword and the scabbard."And be sure to teach her how to care for it. Even though she'll likely have a Rider's sword for the rest of her days, she should still know how to hone a regular sword." Rhunon explained as she took a set of the needed supplies from the wall, put one set in one pouch and gave the pouch to Eragon."I will. Thank you so much."

"Yeah, yeah." She said and went back to her work, thus dismissing him. Eragon chuckled and went back outside. He explained the situation to Alanna, who was disappointed to not be getting her sword today, but she understood that she should start with a plain sword first. Accepting the sword, pouch and scabbard, Eragon got back on Saphira and they flew to the training grounds where there were several pairs already sparring with swords. The dragons landed and the Riders dismounted. To clear the land, the dragons moved to the outskirts of the ring."Alright, then. First, you need to understand that this swords is not a Rider sword and so it need to be maintained, lest it becomes nothing more than a dull, over-sized knife." Eragon began as he sat down. Alanna sat down beside him and watched and listened as Eragon taught her how to care for her new sword. When he was done, he instructed her to do the same things he had, repeating in her own words what he had said. He corrected her when she was wrong but when he was satisfied she had learned what she needed to, he taught her some spells for fortifying the metal and the spell for blocking the edges so the edges weren't deadly for a practice fight. Thus prepared, he and Alanna sparred. He gave her tips and commented on her forum, but otherwise remained silent.When he noticed Alanna was tiring, he let them finish the round they were in before he called a halt to that aspect of practice. He showed her how to remove the wards blocking her sword's edges and called over the dragons. After mounting, Eragon told his students that the dragons were now to fight, Riders to clash swords whenever they had the opportunity. He had her block the edges again before they took to the air.Alanna was so excited! Her first fight on dragonback! Actually, the whole day had turned out to be pretty exciting, but this was certainly more fun. She loved flying on Faolan and she thought the prospect of fighting another Rider on his back would be great training.Thanks to Saphira, both dragons had already had experience with fighting each other, so all Alanna had to do was hang on and wait until she had a shot at her opponent. But while her new sword had protective and enhancing wards, Faolan and Saphira did not. As a result, both suffered from scratches and bites, and every injury was physically felt by their Rider, so the entire experience wasn't very fun. But it did give Alanna and Faolan the experience of fighting together, which they'd need someday. Even though chances were slim that they'd have to fight another Rider and dragon, once the unbound eggs hatched, the Riders will have to contend with wild dragons and fight with them over territory and breeding spots.Saphira had the advantage over Faolan with sheer size, strength, more training and experience with flying with her Rider on her back. All Faolan had was his agility and the training he had already received.After an hour, Faolan was exhausted to the point where he didn't put any effort into flying, preferring to glide, though he still had to force himself to defend himself from Saphira, whom had more energy than he did.When Eragon and Saphira saw this, they called a halt to the session. Reprieved from flying, Faolan landed and curled up around his mother's paw after Alanna had dismounted. Saphira bent down and nuzzled him, earning a purr from her son.Alanna went over to her dragon to heal the bruises. Once Faolan was bruise free, she helped Eragon heal Saphira.With both dragons healed and resting, Eragon presented Alanna with a gemstone, surrounded by softened leather strips which Alanna recognized as the leather that she made Faolan's saddle from. The leather not only surrounded the gemstones, but seemed to make a sturdy necklace. There was enough leather to allow her to slip the necklace on without having to worry about a tie, which was nonexistent."Alanna, with your eyes, I thought an amethyst would be best." Eragon handed hers to her and Alanna held the gemstone up to the sun to admire it before she slipped it on. "I've also placed wards on it. From now, for as long as the necklace is on, no one except yourself will be able to see it, and no one except I or Arya can scry you. I didn't think this would be necessary now that Queen Nasuada and her Council are working to rid evil from the country, but its best to be cautious. Because its natural form is pointed, I asked King Orik to send me a shaped one.""It's beautiful, Eragon. Thank you so much." Alanna held up her necklace, which she had slipped around her neck, to admire it."But, there is a reason why I'm doing this. Gemstones like amethysts, emeralds, diamonds, sapphires and rubies are all hollow stones, which means they can hold vast amounts of energy without breaking apart from the inside. You can transfer energy from just about any source, except for fire and light, into these gemstones, energy you can use when you most need it. My father gave me this ring, Aren, and all of the energy he had stored in it throughout his life. Unfortunately, I had to use it all to sustain a spell but even in three years it's accumulated a lot of energy. I want you and Faolan to do the same with your new gemstone. Every night, before you go to bed, eat as much food as you can handle and put in as much energy as you can spare. But do so with caution. If you expel too much energy, even if it's into your gemstones, you run the risk of dying. That's why I want you to eat as much food as you can stomach. The food you eat will become energy. If you get too close to the threshold, but not close enough, the energy you get from the food will bring you back enough to wake up the next morning. If the food doesn't work in time, Faolan should be able to sense it and give you enough energy to sustain you until the food can be digested. It's another benefit to having your minds so closely linked to your dragon. Do you understand?""Yes, Eragon." Alanna half-heartedly replied, lost in the bold, crystal clear color of her amethyst."Good. Then you've done enough for today. I'll see you both tomorrow."With a final nuzzle from his mother, Faolan stood and let Alanna get into the saddle. Because they were already in Ellesmera, Faolan just trotted through the city until he got to the treehouse and he simply jumped onto his balcony. When Alanna dismounted, Faolan curled up in his bowl and waited for his dinner. Instead of turning each individual rat loose for Faolan to chase, she tossed one rat up by its tail and watched as Faolan snapped it out of the air.After Faolan's dinner, Alanna ate her fill of the salad and fruit left for her, then she got ready for bed. Before she fell asleep, however, she transferred as much energy as she dared into her amethyst and fell asleep admiring the rich purple color of the gem.

Chapter 8

Meanwhile, a figure cloaked in black roamed outside the gates of Teirm, his figure barely discernible in the darkness. The lone figure sized up the gates preventing his entrance to the city and with a few irritated clicks of his tongue he rounded a corner in the gates only to hiss at the first ray of light coming over the horizon. He turned and ran away from the light, toward his brothers and sisters, eager to report what he had found.

 

For the next four weeks, Alanna studied vigorously. She was always eager to clash swords with Arya or Eragon and took pride in her progress. She could fend off both Eragon and Arya for a time, but her luck never held out for long. Sometimes, Eragon would have them fight with shields, which Alanna didn't really take well to. Maybe she just needed more practice. She tried to get Eragon to let her take home a shield so she can practice with another elf at home, but he wouldn't hear of it. He said that she needed to sleep sometime and with everything she was already taking home he was afraid she already wasn't sleeping enough.When fighting on dragonback, she was starting to become more comfortable with leaving her legs loose and leaning forward to get at her opponent. Poor Faolan still suffered from some wounds, but that couldn't be helped. Around her neck, her amethyst glowed with health. She plied one of King Orik's ambassador dwarves with questions on how to care for her amethyst. The dwarf, excited an elf was showing a dwarvish interest in gemstones, happily shared his supplies with her and taught her how to make her amethyst shine with brilliance, adding to its already marvelous beauty. Her gem also glowed with health from the amounts of energy she was transferring into it every night. This gave the purple gem a light that appeared to come from the inside.Alanna's sword was also healthy. Its blade was pristine, the wards being reinforced every night to avoid the blade being marred. She had also asked Rhunon for tips on how to further care for her sword. She might have bitten off more than she could chew! It had taken Rhunon three nights to explain everything to Alanna's satisfaction.During the day, Alanna did her best to learn as much as she could. She was finally taking to being a Rider and all that the title entails. She understood the importance of her lessons and often asked to take some scrolls home for overnight study. This led to her devouring her lessons until she was much further ahead that Eragon had anticipated. She still struggled with writing certain letters of the human alphabet, but she was slowly working those out. When it came to reading, she was still in last place, but it wasn't a competition, so it didn't matter to her. Every day she was getting marginally faster and better at understanding what she was reading. That's all she cared about.Thanks to the Rimgar, Alanna quickly lost all body fat and developed enough muscles to keep her from looking like a twig. Her limbs continued to grow and she had begun to go through puberty with her chest, thighs and hips all beginning to fill out into womanly curves. Her daily sessions of the Rimgar gave her the elven grace, though she didn't know it. All of these combinations gave her a more womanly appearance that turned several male heads whenever she was in town. This she also did not see, much to the males' disappointment.Faolan was also improving dramatically. Every night he ate as many rats as he could which translated into him growing more every day until he was twice the height of his Rider. His muscles were also strengthening all the time so he no longer tired as easily as he used to. To help this along, he flew through water whenever he had the chance. He excelled at swimming and was progressing through the dragon version of the Rimgar quickly. As a result of the amount of physical work he puts in every day, his muscles grew more and more pronounced. Every limb became thicker, his chest broader, his neck long and limber. After three months of life, his body was finally becoming accustomed to the long hours of flight and training.As partners, Alanna and Faolan's mental link grew stronger. Every day, Saphira would take her pupils further from the Crags, thus testing the mental links with the Riders. Alanna could remain connected to Faolan from five leagues away and their thoughts began to merge. Due to their personalities, both cuddled whenever they had the chance, Alanna often scratching Faolan behind his jaw with Faolan curled around her. Since he was so big now, Faolan could no longer curl up at Alanna's belly and instead she was the one laying at his belly.Seeing the changes in his students, Eragon stopped by Rhunon's workshop one evening. To his delight, Rhunon proclaimed the ore ready for use.

The next day, Alanna and Faolan were both excused from studies and sent to Rhunon's workshop. When Alanna learned she would be helping Rhunon make her own Rider sword over the next few days, she was ecstatic. It was the final piece in her Rider puzzle, the key she was missing. All of the training in the world wouldn't do a whole lot of good unless she had a sword, magic being a last resort because of its various dangers.Alanna was a little apprehensive about Rhunon needing to borrow her body to get around her oath, but she opened her mind to Rhunon anyway. If this was the only way to get a sword…Thankfully, they didn't need to meld minds just yet. First, after donning a jerkin and apron, Alanna helped Rhunon build up the fire in the pre-made smelter. Using a couple of bellows and striking downward alternately, they supplied the fire with fresh air. Because of the steady beat needed to keep the fire fed, Alanna lost track of time.When Rhunon declared it ready, Alanna shoveled the glowing charcoals out of the fire until the metal was exposed, then she had to shovel an inch of the fine white ash onto the metal until it was completely covered."Enough," Rhunon exclaimed, shocking Alanna. "We can do no more until the sun sets. Let's talk about the blade, hmm? How do you prefer to fight?"

"Well, Eragon's been getting us to fight with shields as well, but I haven't taken to it like I have to everything else. I don't know if I'm just not good at it or if I just need to practice more. But when I don't have a shield, I fight with one hand on the sword and I use my other hand for balance, but when I need to deliver a powerful stroke or block then I need both hands on the hilt."

"And what about the length of your blade?"

"Well, I went to Valtharos Hall to see Tamerlein. Besides Brisingr, I had not seen a Rider's sword before so I wanted to see what might suit me. I'd like the same length blade as Tamerlein, but I'd also like to be less wide, and smaller everything else. My hands aren't as large as Arya’s are."

"Yes, that goes without saying. Tamerlein, while it did provide you with options, just isn't suited for anyone but the one it was made for. Now, would you like the blade to be straight, curved or somewhere in between?"

"I think straight would be better for a cleaner cut, longer reach."

"Very good reasons. Guard preferences?"

"None. I'll leave that up to you."

"And you already said you wanted the width of the blade to be less than Tamerlein. How do you feel about Brisingr's width?"

"I haven't held the sword so I can't be sure on how the width would affect it, but perhaps just a few hairs thinner, on account of my body. Wouldn't that make the sword lighter? But I wouldn't like it so thin that it breaks or anything. "

"You know as well as I do that the Rider swords are impervious to most magic and are impossible to damage by normal means. There is no fear of breaking the blade. But I do understand what you mean to say and the blade will be thinner than Brisingr's but not overly so. A couple of inches less should suffice. Now then." Rhunon then stood, with some difficulty Alanna noted, and made her way to a wall of pokers. She grabbed one and tossed it at Alanna as she picked up a second. "Let me see you fight."Alanna was stunned as she followed Rhunon outside, away from the smelter and the workshop. Rhunon turned, pointed her poker and waited. Alanna forced herself to relax, reminding herself that she had to fight someone besides Arya and Dusan eventually, and got into her favorite pose. They stood there, still as stone, until a distraction came along. Due to her discipline, it was not Alanna who was distracted. Seeing Rhunon glance away, Alanna jumped forward to poke Rhunon in the gut before she danced back. Rhunon chuckled and began the fight in earnest.When Alanna was beginning to get sore from working her muscles so hard, sweat beaded her forehead, rivulets running down her back. Seeing this, Rhunon broke the fight and the two made their way back to the workshop for some water and food. After the break, Alanna didn't want to sit around and do nothing so she offered to help Rhunon, doing whatever tasks Rhunon deemed she was able to do without damaging anything, which Rhunon took advantage of. So Alanna helped Rhunon tidy up the workshop until the last bit of light had left the sky. At which point, Rhunon, Alanna and Faolan all had to help to break open the smelter, remove the brightsteel, the special steel that the Rider swords are made out of, and break the steel into fist sized chunks. For the larger pieces, Rhunon had to use magic to break them into the proper size.After the pieces were the right size, Rhunon gathered up the pieces of certain colors and put them on a tabletop that she had cleared off before."Alright. We'll need to meld minds now. Are you ready?" Rhunon explained, sitting in a chair."Yes, Rhunon-elda." Alanna said even as she broke down her mental barriers, willing her soul to relax."Then I apologize in advance. I will have to get used to your body, your limbs, before we can begin the actual work. So there is a chance you will be hurt to some extent." Rhunon closed her eyes and immediately Alanna felt Rhunon's mind enter and take over her own. Forcing herself to relax, Alanna resisted the urge to kick out the intruder.Once the initial shock had passed, Alanna was actually quite surprised by the feel of her limbs moving without her permission. It was certainly strange, to say the least.As she watched, Rhunon took the pieces to a fire and heated the metal until it glowed cherry red, then she picked them out, placed them on the table again. Examining them quickly, she grabbed some pieces of a certain color and went to the anvil. There, she hammered them into plates before she dropped them into a trough of brine.Once every plate had been doused, Rhunon grabbed a plate and some sandpaper and scoured the black crust off of the metal until the surface was crystalline, then she set it aside. With the next piece, she repeated the process but put it away from the first. Curious, Alanna delved a little into Rhunon's mind, enough to know why she was doing that. Sorting through the vast amount of knowledge, Alanna learned that Rhunon could see things in the metal that Alanna could not and that Rhunon was sorting the plates based on purity and overall hardness.Displeased by the dents she had made, she broke each plate into flakes that were similar in size to Faolan's scales. Once all of the plates were broken up, she grabbed the flakes and made a brick mold out of them, then covered it with clay. She then reheated it until it was white, removed the brick from the fire, broke open the clay and pounded the metal into a bar.Once she had done that, she cut the metal down the middle, folded the two halves together and pounded them together again before she reheated it. She repeated this process six more times before she went back to begin again with shaping the flakes from each pile into a brick. While one brick was heating, she'd make another brick with another pile of flakes. While she pounded the hard bricks seven times, she had to hammer the softer steel ten times. She explained that this metal would be the spine of the sword and had to be soft to absorb the shock from blows, and had to allow the sword to bend as needed without breaking.After that, she took the harder steel bars and twisted them together seven times and then pounded it straight. Again, this repeated this six times. Once that was done, she flattened the metal into a rectangle and cut it in half lengthwise and bend both halved into a V.Then she placed the softer metal between the two halves of harder steel and hammered away again to form the blank of the sword, hammering from the bottom up.

Rhunon-elda, Saphira-elda and Eragon come. Faolan informed us, having been vigilant while Alanna had been absorbed with Rhunon's swordsmithing. Ah, what timing that boy has! I could use Saphira's help. Rhunon replied and stopped working momentarily. She turned to face Eragon, whom was at the entrance to the workshop. He lifted a brow at Alanna and then to the sword."You need Saphira?" With Alanna's voice, Rhunon replied affirmatively. Eragon nodded and then Saphira's massive eye appeared."Oh, yes. I forgot to take into account her size. It will be difficult for her to get a small enough flame in here, wouldn't it?"

"Yes. Well, perhaps I can help. I can add energy to 'flame' to increase the temperature. I've got the energy to sustain a flame as hot as a volcano's pool of lava." Eragon suggested as he tapped the sapphire on the pommel of his sword."Perhaps that will work. Are you sure you can spare the energy, though?"

"Of course I can. For three years I've been storing energy in my sword's sapphire. I've got more energy then I know what to do with." He walked over to Alanna and conjured up the spell. The spell started out as a simple fire but, as Eragon added energy, the fire grew into a white-hot inferno that he kept tightly leased on a six-inch section of the blade which Rhunon hammered. Together, they made their way up the blade. It wasn't lost on Alanna that Eragon's sword caught fire when Eragon began the spell, and she also noted the blade's fire increase in light as Eragon had added energy. She made a note to ask him about that later.

Rhunon-elda, how did Eragon know that we needed fire for this section?

Because this is exactly how I forged Brisingr for him. After the Fall of the Riders, I swore I would never create another sword. But I had to circumvent that oath to give Eragon a sword meant for him. By then, he had lost his original sword, Zar'roc, to Murtagh and a simple staff, no matter how reinforced, wouldn't have sufficed to slay Galbatorix. Eragon found the brightsteel we're working now and he loaned me his body just as you are so I could make a sword designed especially for him.

Zar'roc? How did Eragon come to have it? Wasn't it forged for Morzan?

Yes, it was, but that is something you'll have to ask him. It's not my place to divulge someone else's past where I am not concerned.

Yes, Rhunon-elda. After the blade had been heated and hammered again, the blank was finished. Rhunon decided it was late enough, the rest could wait for tomorrow, and withdrew herself from Alanna's body and mind.Regaining control over her body, Alanna seemed to wake up from a daze. It took her a few minutes to remember how to do simple things, but when she did she immediately sat down to regain her thoughts."How are you holding up, Alanna?"

"Okay…I guess. Still trying to remember how to think."To that, Eragon chuckled. "Don't worry. You'll have all of tomorrow to remember everything. Even if Rhunon doesn't need you tomorrow, you deserve a rest."

"Yes. I can do the rest of this myself, Alanna. You go rest up. I expect you'll need all of your energy when this sword is finished so you can swing it around and get used to it. Oh and don't forget that you get to name it. You should think about that. It'll be reminiscent of Faolan. His belly scales on the outer, deep purple on the inner."

"I can't wait to see it, Rhunon-elda! It sounds so beautiful."

"And it'll be thinner than usual so it'll appear to be more graceful, like yourself actually. Now, then, its late and I have to continue this in the morning so good night." Rhunon shooed Alanna and Eragon away in a way that was similar to how one would chase away a stray cat. "Oh, and Alanna, it'll take me the better part of a week to finish everything. I know I know nothing of Rider training and whatnot, but it makes sense to me for you to go back to training while I finish this. No use honing those limbs of yours only to let them go slack."

"Rhunon-elda, are you sure you don't need her help? When you did it with me, I stayed until you used the finer stones on the blade." Eragon asked."I decided that while I cannot begin the process of a making a sword on my own, I can finish the job and this would certainly constitute."

"Yes, ma'am. It's what you think that matters when circumventing your own oath."

"Very good! You remembered. Now, enough chitchat. Good night." Rhunon closed the door, leaving Eragon and Alanna in the dark."Would you like me to return to training, Eragon?"

"Rhunon's right about the training. While I'm sure you'd appreciate a week away from your studies, it'd do more harm than good. Even with your considerable progress, Alanna, there is still much more you have to learn. But I'm not inconsiderate enough for me to ask you to be at the Crags this morning rested and ready. So, take today to sleep and recover and come back to training tomorrow."

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Alanna climbed into Faolan's saddle. She heard Eragon grunt in acknowledgement as he floated onto Saphira.

I'll be returning to training tomorrow, Alanna. Will you be alright on your own?

Yes, of course I will. Eragon's right. I should sleep. I probably won't even leave the tree house.

Okay. It just makes me nervous, leaving you alone.

I know. But I'll be fine. And I'm not as helpless as I used to be. She patted the sword Rhunon had let her keep for the time being.

I know. You've become quite deadly with that metal stick. I've been watching. It makes me shudder to think about how much more deadly you'll be with your new stick.

Yeah, this sword is great for practicing, but it's not very practical for a real battle. It'd break in my hands without the wards upon the first strike and then it'd be useless. A Rider's sword, however, will-

Never break or dull and can break through most magic spells. Faolan grumbled. I've heard about little else since you got that stick. But I'm glad you're excited, and you're right. I'd much rather entrust our lives to a metal stick that can't be depreciated. He said as he took to the air, angling toward the treehouse. Now, it's early and we should sleep.Yes, Alanna yawned. I agree. For the short flight to their treehouse, it was difficult for Alanna to stay awake. She actually slumped all of the way forward in the saddle to rest her body against Faolan's neck. She was asleep before long.

Chapter 9

Alanna woke up the next morning in her own bed, tucked under the covers. Since she remembered only falling asleep draped across Faolan's neck, she figured he must have tucked her in. It wouldn't have been impossible; she had left her legs loose. When she looked around, she found the hallway connecting her room to the main room had scratches in the wood, a testimony to Faolan's scales raking across them. Chuckling, she tried to connect her mind to Faolan, but he was out of range. Immediately, loneliness engulfed her. She had had her mind connected to him every day since he had hatched. To have him out of reach was crippling.After a bit, she shook off her mood and washed, brushed her long straight black tresses, and dressed for the day. Faolan's rat tank was empty so she put it by the front door. Grabbing a small knapsack, Alanna emptied the fruit bowl into the knapsack and then slung it across her back. She didn't feel like staying indoors today. She was rested and no doubt would sleep very well tonight as well, but she couldn't sleep the whole day away. So, she jogged into the city. She wanted to talk to Rhunon. Seeing the sword unfold under her hands had really impacted her and she wanted to learn more.Rhunon was working over the fire when she got to Rhunon's shop."Rhunon-elda." She called. Rhunon looked up. "Alanna. I thought you would be abed all day."

"I slept, but I didn't want to sleep away the whole day. I'd be awake during the night when I should be sleeping, and sleeping during the day when I should be training. I'll sleep as long as I can tonight, though, to rid myself of any lingering tiredness."

"Whatever you please. So, tell me, what brings you here? Come to check up on your sword?"

"Partly. I also wanted to ask you if you'd be amenable to me watching you work when I have free time?"

"Of course. You weren't the only one who felt that click last night. Knowing that, of course you may."

"Great! Thanks so much, Rhunon-elda!" She put her knapsack down in a corner away from everything and eagerly learned what she could from Rhunon as she explained all about refining and the different thicknesses that are needed for the different weapons. Once the first stage of refining Alanna's new sword was done, Rhunon showed Alanna how to pump the bellows while also drawing the sword through the fire until the edges were orange and the spine was bright red. Rhunon dunked the sword into some water and waited for it to cool a little before she removed it and went back to refining, using much finer stones this time. Once the refining was done, Rhunon carved the groove of the blade and set about polishing the blade, which was quite similar to how Alanna polished hers.After a few hours, they took a break, during which time Alanna showed Rhunon her temporary sword. Rhunon examined it and was pleased with how well Alanna had maintained it. Rhunon then examined it more in-depth, leaving Alanna with enough time to eat some fruit.After Rhunon returned the sword to Alanna, Rhunon went back to work, but this time she worked on another project so Alanna could continue to learn.For the rest of the day, until the sun began to go down, Alanna learned from Rhunon and helped where she could. Rhunon actually liked the enthusiasm Alanna showed and answered all of her questions with patience, even explaining things further than Alanna had asked for.Even though Alanna wanted to stay overnight to help work with the metal, Rhunon wouldn't hear of it and sent her home, promising she could stop by whenever she had the free time and the energy to do so. With the door closed in her face once again, Alanna went back to her treehouse to wait for Faolan.When Faolan came home, Faolan updated her on his day. Now that he was flying, he began to learn things instead of just exercising all day. He learned about the wind currents and what herbs are good for his digestion, how to go about getting a mate, which made the situation really awkward for Faolan, Saphira and Firnen, and other dragon things. So, today he learned about weather patterns, and since it was important, Faolan shared his lesson with Alanna and she fed him dinner, ate her own and went about her evening routine which consisted of washing, brushing her hair, honing her sword for tomorrow and transferring energy into her amethyst as she cared for it.With everything done, including Faolan's lesson, Alanna curled up under Faolan's wing and fell asleep.

Chapter 10

Five days after Alanna worked with Rhunon to create her Rider sword, she received a missive from Rhunon. It said simply 'Come to my workshop immediately'. Needless to say, Alanna ran the distance from her treehouse to Rhunon's shop, Faolan trotting along beside her.Alanna leaned against the doorway of the shop and looked around for the trouble she thought the message was warning her about. All she saw was Rhunon sitting in a chair with a long bundle on her lap. Seeing this, Alanna's heartbeat picked up."Is that-?"

"Indeed it is. Your sword is almost complete, Alanna." Rhunon held it out and Alanna stepped forward to accept the bundle. She carefully unwrapped it and stared at it.The blade was long and not very wide, the outer sides a lighter purple while the spine was a darker purple. The edges matched Faolan's belly scales, the spine matching his eyes perfectly. The pommel fit in her hand with room for her hands to grow, a polished amethyst set into the handle."It’s beautiful, Rhunon."

It is very visually pleasing. And since it's a Rider's sword, I know it'll be a great weapon.

"Now all that's left to do is name it. Have you decided?"

"I've been giving it a great deal of thought and I've decided on Nuanen Delois, Delois for short." Alanna proclaimed proudly."Beautiful purple flower? Well, I must say that's certainly unique, and fitting. Very well then. Nuanen Delois it is." Rhunon gently took back the blade long enough for her to engrave the blade and its matching scabbard with its name, and then she handed it back. "Now, put it on and test it out."Alanna certainly did just that. She tied the scabbard around her waist and went outside to practice her forms, getting used to the blade's weight and reach. She was pleased to find that it was lighter than she imagined it would be, and easy to maneuver through the forms. Pretty soon, she was quite confident in handling Delois.Practice complete, she went back inside and handed over the regular sword she'd used after cancelling all of the enchantments she'd placed on the blade."Now then, shouldn't you be getting to the Crags? Go show that sword off!" Rhunon urged her as she herded Alanna to the door in a not-very-subtle manner. Alanna smiled and, giving in, hugged the older elf before she got onto Faolan's back. As Faolan took to the sky, she didn't see Rhunon, one of the more burdened elves in the nation, smile.Faolan flew straight to the Crags and Alanna couldn't get to her mentor and fellow apprentice fast enough. She desperately wanted to show off Delois. Eragon was quite impressed with the sword and its beauty, and he even chuckled when Alanna stated its name. But, soon after, Alanna had to put Delois away and begin another day of training.Eragon, is there something amiss? Father isn't here. "No, Faolan, everything's fine. All of the dragon eggs have been held in Ellesmera, so Arya and Firnen are taking them first throughout the forest and then through Alagaesia. She'll be back when she's sure the new carrier has a handle on the distribution system enough for her to leave."Faolan nodded in understanding and went to greet Saphira as he exchanged goodbyes with Alanna.The only upset in today's training was Alanna's sparring partner was Eragon. Since she had Delois now, she couldn't spar with Eragon using the previous sword and both had to use their Rider swords, but that was the extent of the day's disruptions.When the sparring hour was over, Alanna practiced her literacy skills as she listened to Faolan's lesson.When the reading and writing section of the day was over, she practiced magic. She had long since graduated from passing a ball of water to Eragon, and now struggled to command the elements through some motions. It wasn't easy, but Alanna was determined to be the best Dragon Rider she can be, to bring honor back to the coveted title, so she asked Eragon what she was doing wrong and made every effort to correct it.The dragons returned as the light was starting to fade and Alanna's nightly routine began.

Chapter 11

"Well, I must say that I had hoped we wouldn't have had to do this yet." Eragon paces the meadow of the Crags two weeks after Alanna received Delois. This morning, they had already gone through the Rimgar, listened to nature and sparred. The dragons hadn't left yet and stood around the meadow, encircling their Riders. The two dragons were saddled with the saddles that were meant for comfort, usually used when flying a great distance rather than in battle. These subtle hints, including Eragon's worried attitude, suggested something was very wrong. "I have received a distress call from my liege lady, Queen Nasuada. Teirm has been attacked by unknown creatures. As Riders, it is our duty to eliminate this threat and restore peace to the city. Today, you and your dragon will leave the forest for the first time and take your places in the sky as Dragon Riders. Today, we leave behind the forest and fly for Ilirea." And with that, Eragon and Alanna jumped into their dragon's saddle and the two dragons roared a challenge to the yet-invisible opponents.With their Riders saddled and strapped in, the dragons all charged the cliffs, flared their wings and took to the skies. Together, the dragons turned back over the giant forest Du Weldenvarden and passed over Ellesmera. Below them, the elves cheered as the dragons passed overhead.Saphira led the way into the air currents and chose the one that would take them to Teirm. Meanwhile, Eragon had connected his mind to Alanna's mind and continued instructing her using memories of the scrolls Oromis had given to him. Alanna still had her minds linked to their dragons, as was required of them every day, so the dragons learned as well. Saphira also kept up her lessons, pointing out things and tips as she saw them.The journey took only three days, Saphira having had to slow down to accommodate her son, but it was whirlwind for Alanna. There was so much to learn, and so much more to see. She had memorized the map of Alagaesia, but seeing it pass below her was entirely different from seeing the outlines of the nations on a piece of parchment. Despite the urgency, Eragon allowed the dragons to land whenever they passed a new terrain, to let the students feel the new land and soak it in. Saphira was impatient about this but the stops weren't long or even numerous so she wasn't overly bothered.When they passed over a city, however, they landed to refill supplies and to let Saphira, Faolan and Alanna look at the map. They usually camped outside of the city, though, so Saphira wouldn't crush any people or buildings under her paws. At four years old, Saphira was quite large and able to do considerate damage to a city.The first stop was to the capital city of Ilirea, where Queen Nasuada resided. After Galbatorix began his reign over a hundred years ago, he had renamed this city to Uru'baen. After his death, and Nasuada had been elected Queen, Nasuada had restored the city's former name of Ilirea.Eragon explained that Nasuada had had intelligence gathered from some spies he had placed inside the city in case of something like this happening. She had new information that Eragon and Alanna needed to hear before they continued on to Teirm.The dragons landed in a field close to the castle, which sent cattle and other livestock running for their lives. Once his Rider was safely on the ground, Faolan went about cornering one member of each species of livestock to sniff it. H hadn't seen anything larger than a deer for his whole life and wanted to know about these strange animals. Saphira, of course, told him all he wanted to know and even divulged the helpful tip about the sheep's wool loving to get stuck in her teeth and was difficult to remove. Eragon chuckled at this but kept focused on leading his students into the castle.Before they could reach the castle doors, however, they heard a steady rhythm, one they were used to.Thump…Thump…Thump...Thump.Alanna looked around, turning back to Faolan. Faolan and Saphira were on the ground but she could have sworn that rhythm was a dragon in flight. Just then, a roar sounded from above, loud, mighty and deep. The depth of the roar identified the dragon as male, even before the red dragon was visible."Murtagh!" Eragon shouted in surprise and started laughing.

"Murtagh Morzanson?"

"That's right. My half-brother, Rider of the dragon Thorn."

"What's he doing here?"

"I don't know, Alanna, but we're going to find out. Come on." Eragon led the way to the man who had, by now, descended from his dragon and was now making his way over to them, a grin on his face. The two men laughed and greeted each other with a half hug."Thorn and I were just out looking for you, Eragon. How are you?"

"Doing quite well, considering the journey north failed. Only four elves survived. But what, if I may inquire, are you doing in Ilirea, or even Alagaesia for that matter? I couldn't contact you last year ago about coming back home, so I assumed you were still cleansing."

"We were until recently. Now Thorn and I are Nasuada's bodyguards. Well, to be more accurate, I stay by Nasuada while Thorn checks the surrounding areas for signs of unrest."

"Well, I'm glad your back, brother. Now, may I introduce you to my newest student? Alanna, the newest Dragon Rider." Out of habit, Alanna bowed. She felt she was giving Murtagh his due, considering all that he had done during the rebellion."Welcome, Alanna."

"It's nice to meet you, Murtagh-ebrithil." Alanna spoke. Murtagh looked at his brother quizzically."Ebrithil is elvish for master or teacher."

"Ah." Murtagh turned back to Alanna. "It's nice to meet you as well but, please, just Murtagh. I don't deserve the ebrithil suffix."Alanna rolled her eyes and nodded. "Very well."

"So, what about your dragon?"

"My dragon is the purple one. His name's Faolan and he's four months old."Murtagh nodded and the three Riders walked inside. A couple of guards immediately escorted them to Queen Nasuada.Alanna would have expected the Queen to be sitting in a throne room, but they were taken, instead, to a conference room with a giant round table that could hold so many people. Nasuada and a few others were gathered at the center of the table, looking over a map."Nasuada." Murtagh spoke up boldly. It was usually customary for the speaker to be more polite, usually opting for an 'excuse me, your Highness' or even just 'your Highness' instead of the Queen's given name.Nasuada looked up and smiled. "Eragon! Welcome back." She disengaged herself from the others and rushed over to Eragon to hug him."Nasuada. I trust you're alright?" Eragon returned the hug and quickly pulled away. He had to be a Rider right now. There'd be time to be her friend later."Yes, I'm perfectly fine. Murtagh does his job well."

"It hasn't been easy. Assassins have been draining my enchantments almost daily and then there's the food I have to check before she eats it."

"But you’re not here to worry about me. You have something much bigger in Teirm. Oh! Dear me, I forgot you weren't alone."

"Nasuada, this is Alanna, the youngest Dragon Rider." Eragon gestured Alanna who bowed respectfully as she greeted the Queen."It's wonderful to meet you, Rider Alanna, and welcome to Ilirea."

"You've done this city proud, your Highness. I'm sure Ilirea will see only good things under your reign." Alanna spoke up."I'm glad you think so, Alanna. Now, on to business!" She waved her hands at the other people at the table, whom promptly departed. Another wave to one of the guards in the room and a stack of papers were delivered. Nasuada spread them out and Eragon looked over each paper while his students listened to Nasuada."My spies in Teirm have been doing their best to get information on these creatures that have closed the city."

"Creatures?"

"Yes, we're convince these aren't humans. They're described as strange beings that like to wear dark cloaks, so no one has been able to see their faces. But a group of them will click at each other and they walk strangely. It has also been well established that they can also speak our language. They're rarely seen during the day, but they're active once the sun sets. They also ransacked the cemetery, every grave now empty of even bones, but now they're starting fights in the bars and are dragging away the people that are killed in those fights."

"What despicable creatures are these?" Alanna growled, quite pale but her cheeks were flushed red with anger. Alanna felt also dread, having already guessed who these creatures were."I'd hoped you would be more trained before you faced them. Nasuada, I think Teirm is under attack from Ra'zac."

"The ones who killed your uncle four years ago? I thought you killed them."

"I did, but their parents were still alive until Saphira killed them as well. I knew they had bred more eggs, having seen two of them hatch before my eyes when Arya and I were held captive under Dras-leona. I killed those two as well, but the priest said there were more eggs. After the battle here, I searched Galbatorix's castle for so long and I didn't find any more eggs. I thought we'd gotten them all. Now I know I was wrong and people are dying because I didn't search hard enough."

"Oh come now. This isn't your fault, Eragon."

"Regardless, I'm going to fix this. How many Ra'zac are there?"

"Together my spies have counted fifteen individuals."

"Are they sure they aren't just counting a few Ra'zac more than once?"

"Yes, each one is different from the others."

"Barzuln!" Eragon swore in dwarvish as he pounded the table with a fist. "So many will decimate this country. They'll not be easy to fight by now. They've grown."

"So have we." Alanna declared, her hand moving to Delois' pommel."No! You two are staying away from these Ra'zac. I had difficulty killing the two in Helgrind, and Saphira was a year old then."

"These Ra'zac aren't as old as those two were and they certainly won't be trained or guided by an evil king. They're untrained, unguided renegades looking for food. With the three of us and our dragons this will be an easy kill."

"Alanna, I said no! You leave them to Saphira and me. I want you two to evacuate the city and take them up the river to Woadark Lake." He pointed to a lake on the map. It was the closest thing to Teirm."You won't be alone, Eragon. Murtagh will be going with you, and I've already asked Arya. She's on her way." Nasuada stepped forward, her voice as calm as ever."Then we should be victorious. I know Arya and Murtagh both have the skill to bring down these Ra'zac."

"Nasuada, I won't leave! Your life is already in danger daily."

"I'm aware, Murtagh, but don't fear. I've survived assassins before. I'll let someone else sample my food before I eat it."

"And the enchantments? You won't last two days!"

"I'll up the number of my guard. Murtagh, you and Thorn are needed with Eragon. As brilliant as he is, he'll have a hard time killing fifteen Ra'zac even with Saphira there."

"Arya and Firnen will be there as well, and they're more suited to this than I and Thorn are."

"Murtagh, this is great opportunity to get the people to stop fearing your name."

"That was a low blow." Murtagh muttered, clearly displeased.

"It's truth. Must I order you to Teirm or will you save face and go?"

In response, Murtagh didn’t say anything. He grumbled and pouted, but he didn’t object anymore.

"Arya is expected to arrive in three days. When I talked to her this morning she was in Ceunon. I insist you stay here until then. Alanna and Faolan can look around the city, explore the area.""We can resupply. Besides, I'm sure Faolan would like to eat something besides what he’s found in Ellesmera."Faolan had begun hunting for himself a little over three months ago, which means no more rats except for snacks. Alanna didn't mind her dragon no longer needing the rats. He hadn't needed afterhours tutoring since he learned how to speak for himself."They can eat any of the large livestock they wish when they get hungry." Nasuada assured Eragon and Alanna immediately relayed the information, as she had been since their arrival, to Faolan whom immediately pounced upon the cattle he had been investigating. Once the four dragons, Thorn included, had a kill, the thunder flew off.

The strategic meeting continued for a bit more, then the Riders were shown to their rooms. Eragon had given his permission for them to do what they wished for the next few days so Alanna and Dusan went exploring. First they explored the castle but there wasn't much to see so they continued on to the city. Again, there wasn't much to see. The city was still rebuilding after the rebellion and there were distinct sections to the city. One half of the city held only businesses and merchants selling their wares, while the other half held only houses.By the time the twins had seen what interested them, including the local swordsmith for Alanna and the library for Dusan, the dragons had returned. Alanna immediately went to Faolan.Once Alanna was ensconced in the saddle, Faolan took off and they took their time exploring the land around them.

Chapter 12

A couple days later, Alanna roused herself from her waking dreams to the sounds of a dragon nearing. After a brief stretch, Alanna dressed and rushed outside, Delois on her hip, to greet Firnen and Arya as the green dragon touched down in a field. Eragon was already there and Alanna saw the two hug. Alanna was surprised by this. Neither of them seemed like the type of individuals to express emotions, but Alanna was sure this was the hug of two lovers greeting each other after time apart. Alanna slowed and, instead, watched Firnen and Saphira nuzzle, and then together they nuzzled Faolan. Thorn was laying on the side of another field, watching and obviously puzzled."What a scene." Murtagh stated as he came up beside her. "Which are you watching? The dragons or their Riders?"

"Both, I suppose."

"That sounds like a half-answer."

"Arya is a true-blooded elf. We aren't supposed to show emotion, yet she hugs Eragon back as surely as he hugs her. What I see there is... uncomfortable so I shift my eyes to Faolan, the other half of my very soul. It’s difficult for me to see my queen display any amount of emotion to anyone, let alone romantic affection for our mentor, so I shift to Faolan because of our bond, as I'm sure you understand. And what I see there comforts me, yet saddens me. I remember my parents. They loved me as parents should love their offspring, and I loved them. I remember nights when my brother, parents and I would sing our treehouse back to health. I remember the four of us going down to a nearby lake or meadow and enjoying the nature that we love, having a picnic in the forest, watching the wildlife pass us by."

"But that stopped?"

"Both of my parents were killed in the revolution, in the same battle where Oromis and Glaedr were killed."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you."After a moment of silence, Murtagh spoke again. "So, what do you think about Eragon as a mentor?"

"He's very capable. He has a good teaching strategy. We start the day with going through the Rimgar to stretch and strengthen our muscles, and then we have to listen to nature for an hour, our way of becoming one with all of the wildlife around us without committing to the mind of one species or individual. After that, we spar with our swords for a while, and then we sit in the hut and read our scrolls. We learn from the scrolls for several hours, and then I practice writing in both the ancient and human languages. Once the sun goes down, we practice magic and we are sent home. At the same time, our minds are still connected to our dragons and we have to be aware of what they are doing and learn what our dragons are learning as well. Eragon says it's the same way he was taught, and I prefer this way over the old way. Before the Fall, Riders and dragons were trained slowly, magic not being introduced for several years. The usual age a dragon would be before they'd be sent on a mission with their Rider would be fifteen. Fifteen years of nothing but studying and training. This way that time will be cut in half, and the Rider and dragon would have more time to be on missions and do their duties before they have to train the next generation."

"I never would have figured Eragon would make a good teacher."

"He has to be. Arya and I would be little without him to guide us, just as Eragon would be long dead had he not gone to Ellesmera to train after he killed Durza. Arya and I are at a greater advantage than Eragon was at that time, but the point is the same."

"Indeed. Elves are strong and very capable with magic, but natural talent isn't much without proper training."

"Precisely. So, Eragon had to step up and train us. Why do you ask?"

"I have training, but its dark magic. I want to embrace being a Rider, in all that entails."

"You wish to come back to Ellesmera with us."

"Yes. I know that means leaving Nasuada, but I've made arrangements. She is in good hands that kept her safe when assassination attempts were twice as numerous as they are lately. I feel confident she will be fine when I come back, so I should make the best of this time and train."

"How noble. Well, at least there'll finally be more competition. I've been sparring with Eragon and Arya both, and while I still receive more blows than I give, I am learning their style and weaknesses. It'd be nice to figure out another opponent."

"Bloodthirsty little devil, aren't you?"

"I simply enjoy a challenge. While I'm sure I won't hesitate to kill in battle, I'm sure I won't enjoy it. But that's what training is for; preparation for whatever may come. For the first generations after a revolution and shift in power, that almost certainly means preparation for war, as well as healing and keeping the peace. But I quite certainly consider a human that laid post-transformation Eragon out on his ass a good challenge. You'll keep me on my toes, I'm sure."

"I'll certainly try, but you'll me training me as much as I'll be training you. I've never crossed swords with an elf before, and I will be sure to learn a lot from our matches."

"Good. Well, I guess we should all be heading inside. Now that Arya is here…what the devil?” Alanna looked at Arya again and saw nothing unusual. But, at Eragon's side, she saw an Urgal clutching a small silver dragon hatchling. “Four out of five. An Urglagra Rider, the first of his kind. And, from the looks of him, he's young but already taller than others of his age. He'll be a Kull. Oh, he'll be a wonderful challenge to train with. We'll be able to learn so much from him that the scrolls can't tell us."

"A Kull?"

"Oh, don't stare. They're coming this way. And close your mouth; its unsightly and rude." Alanna said even as she dashed forward to greet Arya. “Arya, welcome back. It’s good to see you again." Alanna stated after the two elves had gone through the traditional greeting. “It’s good to see you as well, Alanna. You seem to be well."

"Yes, Faolan and I have enjoyed the new surroundings and food."

"Alanna, I'd like you to meet Vegz Otveksson." Eragon stepped in and gestured to the newest Rider. “Hello, Vegz. I am Alanna Aiedialsdaughter."

"You're a Rider as well?"

"Yes, I am. My dragon is Faolan." She stroked Faolan's nose, whom had separated from his parents and had come over to investigate the new arrivals. “He’s beautiful. I mean- you're beautiful, Faolan Bjartskular."

He's nervous. Faolan observed.

Well, what do you expect? He's only been around elves and dragons for at least a week, and now he's got four Riders and three very large dragons surrounding him. I'd be shaken up as well if I were him. "Faolan thanks you for the compliment, though he humbly says he is not more beautiful than Master Saphira."

"Which one is…she?"

That would be me, hatchling. Saphira had tromped up to stand beside Eragon and now lowered her head to look at Vegz and his dragon. Understandably, Vegz stiffened and tried not to show any fear."You can relax. She won't harm you."

"And that red dragon over there is Thorn Redtooth?"

"That's right." Murtagh stepped up to the group. "And I'm his Rider."

"Murtagh Redsword." Vegz muttered and Alanna was sure she saw his blood drain from his face. Murtagh had clearly made quite the impression on the Urgals during his life, and not a good one."Very good. Now, Eragon, I suggest we plan out the rescue of Teirm. With fifteen Ra'zac, even as young and untrained as they are, we still need a plan."

"Yes, of course. Alanna, why don't you get Vegz a room and show him around the grounds?"

"Yes, Eragon. Come along, Vegz." Alanna then turned and made her into the castle, Faolan beside her. Thankfully he was still small enough for him to fit into the castle's halls and doorways, so he could follow his Rider wherever he pleased.While Alanna led Vegz toward Nasuada's conference room, where she was sure to be, Alanna answered the few questions Vegz had about being a Rider and training under Eragon. Nasuada wasn't in the conference room, for once, so Alanna also gave Vegz a tour of the castle as she searched each room for the queen of Alagaesia.An hour later, Alanna had found Nasuada and had secured for Vegz a room to stay in until the adult Riders returned after the rescue of Teirm. With Vegz's room located and claimed, Alanna and Vegz settled the next most important thing for Vegz; food for his dragon. She led Vegz to the kitchen and grabbed a few slices of beef. The dragon squirmed as Alanna turned with the beef in her hands. Because they were in the center of the kitchen, and thus in the way, she and Vegz went to a corner. Vegz released his dragon and started tearing the meat into pieces, which his dragon couldn't wait to devour.

Alanna, we are being summoned to the conference room. Eragon and the others want to go over the battle plan.

I'll be right there. “Vegz, I'm being summoned. I have to go."

"I understand."

"I'll stop by your room later if you want to talk."

"Sure." Alanna nodded and trotted to the conference room. To her dismay, she was the last one, Faolan stretched out outside the door. "Alanna, good timing." Eragon said as a messenger delivered a map to the table. Murtagh took it and laid it out. "Teirm is divided into several sections and is brilliantly set up to defend against an attack from the ground, which we can use to our advantage. They aren't set up for an attack from the air. Saphira, Firnen and Thorn can circle the city and keep their respective Riders apprised of what they see while the three of us clear out the city in section. I'll take the North, Arya can take the East, Murtagh the South, and Murtagh and I both can divide the West. Working together, the three of us will flush out the Ra'zac and engage one at a time. We'll also get the citizens to Woadark River, and Alanna and Faolan will be waiting to take them down the river toward the lake and away from the city. Once all of the citizens are out, we'll search the rest of the city and flush out any missing Ra'zac toward the center of Teirm, the town square. It’s open in the middle with no nearby buildings. We will then seal off any entrances with magic while the dragons rain fire down on the Ra'zac."

"Eragon, that's a lot of work. Wouldn't it be easier to send in some soldiers to flush out the Ra'zac?" Alanna asked, quite concerned. Teirm was a huge city and there were only three Riders. It'd take all day before the mission was through, and even then there was a good chance several Ra'zac would get away. "It is a lot of work, yes, but the soldiers would only create more casualties. The soldiers aren't powerful enough, let alone skilled enough, to kill a Ra'zac. No, soldiers would only hinder us and increase the number of casualties. As Riders, we are the only ones strong enough to take on the Ra'zac and stand a good chance of coming away from the encounter alive. Add to that Arya's strength and swiftness, and Murtagh's cunning, not to mention our strength with magic, and then the brute strength of our dragons. Before the end of the day, every Ra'zac will be dead and casualties will be kept to a minimum. No soldiers, Riders only."

"Then wouldn't it make sense if I were to do my share within the city? Faolan and I could take the West side of Teirm, leaving you and Murtagh free to focus on your sections of the city. "

"You're not strong enough yet. You're a great swordswoman, Alanna, and you could probably handle a patrol of soldiers from three years ago, but you aren't strong enough to handle even one young, untrained Ra'zac. So, you will be best placed helping the citizens evacuate. The Ra'zac are fast and very strong, even as young as they are. You're fast and strong as well, but the Ra'zac are simply faster and stronger. Not to mention, I just don't think you're ready. I don't feel comfortable with sending into battle with a fearsome, dark creature a Rider whose dragon is only four months old."

"Saphira was younger than Faolan is now when you killed that Shade, Eragon, and you had less training than I did."

"And I only survived that encounter because Arya and Saphira broke the Star Sapphire, which distracted Durza. If they hadn't, I would have been killed. I don't say I was strong enough to kill a Shade by myself even with so little training in so short a time as there was. I tell like it was. I killed Durza by sheer luck, and I will not send in a young Rider to do a deed then I almost didn't survive even with Saphira and my cousin there to help after a half year of training with Oromis and Glaedr. Furthermore, you're not to engage any Ra'zac unless they come to you while you are ferrying the people to the lake, end of discussion."Duly chastised, Alanna bowed her head in acquiescence and listened as the adult Rider kept strategizing. Even though the mission taking place inside the city won't affect her, she still listened, hoping she'd have to lead a group in a similar mission using these same tactics to win the day. She may not be ready for battle yet, but one day she would be the one in charge of a mission, and she wanted to be well-prepared.Once the plan was agreed upon by the older Riders, the group dispersed.Eragon watched Alanna leave, bewildered. Alanna didn't normally argue. She was often as levelheaded and logical as Arya, and always seeking out more knowledge from his lessons."This is why children were paraded before the eggs at the age of ten. That's roughly three years of training without the complication of adolescence." Arya stated, watching Alanna leave as well. Eragon wasn't surprised by Arya's unexpected statement. She had a talent for knowing what he was thinking."I understand how she feels, her eagerness. She's a good student, and she wants to test her skills, see where she needs improvement, to see something as chaotic as battle because her life has been so calm. A body can only take so much training, knowing what their destined for."

"I didn't feel like that."

"By the time you saw battle, you had already traveled the country, rescued me from Gil'ead, fled thirty-five leagues in three days, had two encounters with the Ra'zac, saw the destruction of an annihilated village, and lost Brom and Garrow. You knew you needed training more than you needed to fight. Yours and Alanna's situations are entirely different."

"Yes, you're right. What do you think I should do?"

"Change nothing. You’re already handling her quite well."

"Though I wouldn't argue with her, just state my dominance over her." Murtagh interjected."Dominance?" Eragon chuckled. "What are we, a pack of dogs?" Eragon's chuckle exploded into full-out laughter, as did Murtagh. Arya allowed herself a small smile."A smile?" Murtagh asked. "From an elf?"

"Elves are perfectly capable of emotion, Murtagh." Eragon started to explain. "We simply don't let it show."

"But I show my emotions only when I'm relaxed and with Eragon."

"You're a lucky man, Eragon." Murtagh said as he pounded his brother on the back."As well I know, Murtagh. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank Saphira for choosing me as her Rider. Without her, and Arya sending me Saphira's egg, I wouldn't have met Arya."

"You're so touchy-feely now, Eragon. What the hell?"

"One word, brother. One word explains it all."Murtagh understood what Eragon was implying and shook his head as he grinned. He patted his brother's shoulder again and left. Murtagh understood that as well. While Nasuada had been Galbatorix's captive, Murtagh had visited her every day to keep her company and find a way to free her. As a result, Murtagh had fallen in love with the dark-skinned rebel leader. It didn't matter to him that Nasuada was more interested in securing her throne than in starting a future with him. Okay, it did matter. Her rejection yesterday had almost driven him away back to where he had spent the last three years. But, he was a Rider and the new queen would surely be in danger. So, he grew up, pulled up his boots and made himself her bodyguard, all the while trying to make himself fall out of love with Nasuada, for his own sanity.Thorn sympathized with him, feeling similar. The only female was Saphira, whom was happy with Firnen. Thorn knew that monogamous mating wasn't in a dragon's nature, and certainly not in Saphira's, but he was simply afraid to approach her. Thorn was terrified that, because of his history working for Galbatorix while Saphira fought for the Varden, Saphira wouldn't let him even start the mating process. Murtagh had given up trying to convince Thorn to at least try, and simply decided to take it into his own hands. He couldn't stand his partner being distressed, and if Thorn wouldn't solve his problem then Murtagh would.Murtagh took a turn down the hallway and came out right where he wanted to be. In front of him, Saphira, Firnen and Faolan were laying down together and Murtagh hesitated. He knew how much Saphira hated her sleep being disturbed.Tentatively he approached her and told her of Thorn's dilemma once she had raised her head to listen.When he was done, Saphira thanked him for alerting her to the situation and moved off to challenge Thorn to a duel. Murtagh grinned, excused himself from the remaining male dragons, and went inside.

Chapter 13

That night, Alanna didn't enter her bedchamber until dawn was a few hours away, having spent the night preparing. Before the sun went down and the kitchens had closed, she had filled her gemstones with energy she had procured from the animals the butchers intended to kill. She saved the animals the pain and simply bade them to sleep. While they slept, she drained their energy. Now she understood why elves refused to eat meat. It was difficult for her to eat after she had shared her mind with the minds of the dying animals as she killed them, so in essence, she died as well. And then, in a cruel twist of irony, Eragon had demanded she eat meat until after the battle four days hence. She noticed that Eragon and Arya both had meat on their plates so she also grudgingly ate once Murtagh had explained that meat provided nutrients and energy that she can't get from her usual diet. She was able to eat it only because she had reasoned with herself that she'd have more energy to put into the gemstones and to fuel spells, and her muscles would be stronger so if any Ra'zac came her way she would be better prepared to fight them off.After dinner, she went back to the kitchens and bartered with the chefs. She came away from the kitchens with four cow's stomachs filled with the most nutritious parts of an animal, already prepped and ready to be eaten. One stomach held beef, one held chicken, one held pork, and the other one had sheep. To keep the meat fresh, she froze the stomach and its contents with a freezing spell.She then spent the next few hours practicing her swordsmanship before she went out to Faolan. She loved sleeping under his wing. His belly was warm and with his wing covering her she felt protected.Before she slept, however, she transferred as much energy as she dared into the gemstone that held the least amount of energy. She wanted both to be evenly filled so if she lost one, then she'd have the other with the same amount of energy.The next morning, Alanna woke at dawn. For her, she could get an hour of sleep and still be fully rested when she woke.At breakfast the morning of departure, she cleaned the plates of every protein she could. Eggs, bacon, chicken, and beef. She grabbed several pieces of fruit to eat during the flight, but she wanted her major meals to consist of pure protein.After breakfast, she went back to her bedroom and grabbed Faolan's saddle and saddlebags, then went back outside to Faolan.After his saddle was on, Alanna stepped into the saddle and waited for the other Riders. Their saddles were all larger than Faolan's were, so it took a bit longer, but eventually all saddles were on, Riders were in those saddles, and the dragons were in the air.With her stomach full, Alanna took a nap after she transferred energy into the gem in Delois' pommel. That's essentially how the rest of the day happened. Alanna would eat her fill of the proteins and fruits, transfer energy into Delois' amethyst, and then she'd nap and restart the cycle. At dinner that night, after the group had set up camp a league outside of Teirm, she shared her meat and fruit with the other Riders, there being so much left to go around.

Chapter 14

The morning light found Alanna situated by the Woadark River, at a point where the water was at its most shallow. Faolan was not with her, having been reassigned to directing the citizens from the city gates to Alanna's position, leaving his Rider on her own. Because she had to remain alert, she didn't continue the cycle from yesterday, eating as much as she could before she transferred energy to the two gemstones and then sleeping. Instead, she calmly chewed on the meats, wanting to be well-fed if she needed to fight.Two hours after the siege began, Alanna finally saw the first of a long line of citizens. She rushed to them and assured them they were safe and she was a Rider before she healed any major wounds. Then, she directed them across the river and helped the elderly and young with the journey across. On the other bank was a large grove of wild orange trees. The people sat in the shade to eat and wait, while Alanna went back to the other bank to wait for the next group.The morning passed slowly. The line of people seemed to never end, and Alanna repeated the cycle with each group of citizens. The elderly, severely weak and very young children crossed the river on a raft Alanna had put together, while everyone else had to wade across.By noon, the line had thickened and the crossing had slowed as citizens from all four corners of the city converged. Alanna didn't care. She assured, healed and herded, all of the while keeping an eye on the area she could see. From Faolan, she could hear the older Riders and dragons communicate, while she searched her area for any stray Ra'zac that had noticed the mass exodus.By the time the sun had neared the horizon, Alanna was close to passing out from the sheer exhaustion, and she slipped into her waking dreams between groups of stragglers.No sooner than the last group had successfully made it across the river than she received word that the siege was at an end, and the older Riders and Faolan would fly over to her to help her herd the survivors back to the city. She quickly informed the citizens and did her best to control the chaos that ensued. She ordered those that needed the raft to hang back while the stronger ones crossed the river and made the journey back to Teirm.When the dragons finally arrived, their Riders spread themselves along the distance to the city, the raft was used to carry the weak and elderly to the city via flying dragon while the children happily climbed onto the dragon's backs wherever they could fit. Faolan couldn't fly with the load of children so he simply walked back to the city.When the sun had disappeared, the four Riders had balls of light illuminate the path back to the city.At last, just the sun was beginning to peak over the mountains, all of the citizens were back in the port city.Alanna wanted to help rebuild the city, but Eragon wouldn't hear of it and sent her and Faolan both back to the river to sleep. After being verbally slammed back into her place as a fledgling Rider and apprentice, Alanna did as she was told. She didn't even bother with unrolling her blankets once Faolan's saddle was removed. She simply slipped under his wing and fell into her dreams, cuddled against Faolan's side.

Chapter 15

The Rider troop remained in Teirm for three days, each day dedicated to a different section of rebuilding the city. The first day after the siege, the older Riders focused on rebuilding those buildings damaged or destroyed during the Ra'zac occupancy. It irritated Alanna that all three pairs refused to explain how they had managed that feat.The second day was spent burying the dead and using magic to create a gust of wind strong enough to blow away the ashes of the Ra'zac. The third day, the Riders strolled the streets, settling disputes and generally doing their jobs as Riders to boost morale. They couldn't do much about restoring livestock, but they placed a spell of fertility on the surviving herds and sung all of the plants back to health. Alanna wanted to do more, like replacing lost goods, but she understood they could only do so much and that particular task would have been too much. They couldn't create those lost goods from thin air and it would have upset the economy of the city if they could procure those lost goods.The four Riders left on the fourth morning and arrived at Ilirea at sunset. Once the saddles were removed from the dragons' backs, the Riders ate dinner, Eragon, Arya and Alanna went back to their usual diet, and then they turned in. But Alanna didn't immediately fall asleep. Instead, she talked with Faolan about the events of the last week, figuring out what both of them had done and what they could have done better. After all, a mission wasn't just about protecting the innocent and keeping the peace; it was also a test.As Eragon had demonstrated, a Rider not only had to be strong in magic, knowledgeable about everything and deadly in battle, but he also had to think like a military commander, lead huge battalions into a battle, and defeat the enemy quickly with minimal losses.This is what the test was about, learning how to do battle on a grand scale. It would be foolish for Alanna to not better herself and Faolan when they had such an opportunity to do so. One day, it would be Alanna and Faolan teaching new Riders and dragons, risking many lives in battle that she is duty-bound to protect. She had to study, learn and better herself now, while she was a student herself, so she can do her best in every aspect of being a Rider in the future.She also realized that, even though she had shared the minds of the animals she later ate, it would be advantageous for her to start adding meat to her diet. She fell asleep thinking about it, wrestling with abandoning that part of her culture.

Chapter 16

Seven days after returning to Ilirea, Alanna found herself in a very crowded classroom. With four student claiming four desks, the small hut felt more cramped than usual, causing Alanna to feel claustrophobic for the first time in her life.Due to the changing circumstances, Eragon had to adapt his teaching methods in order to better suit his students.Jut as he had with Arya, Eragon determined how much Murtagh knew and started him off with a higher level scroll. Being so observant, Eragon noticed Alanna’s nervousness, and so he let her take the scrolls she couldn’t finish that day home, so she could read them that night. He also let her stay outside when she started getting antsy and he often saw her doing the Rimgar, or practicing her swordsmanship or magic.Vegz was turning out to be a hardworking student, though he couldn’t grasp the material as well as the others. It wasn’t uncommon for Eragon to hand Vegz the same stack of scrolls daily. Eragon had also taken to testing Vegz, asking him questions about the topics from the previous day, one scroll at a time. If Vegz answered all of the questions based on one scroll correctly, that scroll was removed and replaced with another. In fact, Eragon tested Alanna in the same way to be sure she had read the scrolls.Arya was back in the classroom, having personally trained the elven ambassador and the troop about handling the eggs and keeping the records. She had assured Eragon that if an egg were to hatch, the ambassador would make contact, thus leaving her free to further her studies. She had also told the egg-bearing parade what settlements to visit, and in what order, so she knew exactly where they should be in a day-to-day basis.

Despite Alanna’s new claustrophobia, her studies progressed well. Sparring with Murtagh had proven to be a challenge, a lesson in its own right. Though she was tired after sparring him, Murtagh had incredible stamina, and the match forced Alanna to hold out long enough to finish the match. Because of this, her stamina also increased.After noticing this, she noticed certain aspects of herself changed based on her sparring partner. When she fought Eragon, she had to use brute strength because Eragon favored it heavily. With Arya, she ahd to be agile, nimble and sure-footed. With Murtagh, she had to do only the minimum so she could pack more energy into her attacks and defenses.Eragon had also started teaching his class about archery. While it was a refresher course for Arya and Murtagh, it was a new art for Vegz and Alanna. Alanna found it to be especially difficult so she preferred practicing archery when she was outside.But Alanna wasn’t the only one whose training was upset. Because of his age, Faolan was expected to begin breathing fire soon. As a result, his mother added an element to his daily training: Sustaining an exhale with a single lungful. To help him with this, Aanna had used magic to create a bubble that would attach itself to his mouth and fill with air as he exhaled. While Foaln was doing this, the older three dragons would do the same thing, with a few differences. They would breathe fire on a giant boulder and hold the flame for as long as possible.During one such exercise, on the seventh day following their return to Ellesmera, Faolan achieved the final milestone of his life. At eighteen weeks old, Faolan breathed fire.The second it registered to her, Alanna jumped out of her chair and shouted in job. Vegz and his female dragon jumped heavily, but the others were not surprised at her outburst. Arya didn’t look up from her scroll, Eragon smiled, and Murtagh grinned and offered a high five.At the same time, Saphira and Firnen swarmed their son to nuzzle him, Saphira doing more nuzzling than was normal for her. Faolan was now an adult, and that wasn’t easy for any intelligent mother to accept. After a few minutes, Alanna sat down and Saphira nad Firnen went back to their training. But, Saphira rolled out the boulder she had shaped for the Agheti Blodhren four years ago. She directed Faolan to take It home and practice every night, reminding him that fire was one of a dragon’s more important skills. Abandoning the spot away from his parents, Faolan stood beside his mother and did his best to heat the rock, listening to her advice and tips about the curve of his neck, the position of his tongue and the distance his jaws were parted all playing a part in the temperature, the volume and the direction of his flame.

The rest of the day passed as usual, but that night Alanna didn’t read he scrolls. Instead, she and Faolan went flying to celebrate. When they got home, Faolan didn’t sleep. Instead, he spent the night practicing his fire breathing. Being a dragon, he could sacrifice a couple nights of sleep without adverse affects.

Chapter 17

Six weeks passed so slowly. The only thing that changed for Alanna was she was now able to focus in the crowded hut, which meant no more late night studying. She still hadn’t fully grasped the skills needed for archery but she never stopped trying to develop them. However, she could now hold her own against all three older Riders when they clashed swords and had proven to be a formidable opponent.Alanna’s training had also turned away from facts and scrolls, and turned into the more tactful. She had begun her training as a peacekeepers, which required diplomacy. In fact, she wasn’t the only one entering this stage of training. Arya and Murtagh were as well. Where before they would be reading scrolls, Eragon now described various military and civilian scenarios were the objective was to, if military, to defeat the enemy with a minimum of losses to their side. If the scenario was civilian, then they were to find a compromise for the two arguing parties. At first, Alanna wasn’t very good at either, so she made her battle plan based on a number of factors, often picking the most effective tactics from the other’s plans and integrating them and a few others into her plan. As a result, Alanna’s plan was often the most accepted by Eragon. However, it was also soon apparent that while Alanna excelled at military tactics, she failed miserably with civilian disputes. That honor went to, surprisingly enough, Murtagh.

Faolan’s training progress well. He had turned six months and only Thorn could match him when it came to breathing fire. He had worked hard every day, often heating up the boulder Saphira had loaned him well into the night and even until dawn. He had proudly worked hard for the stamina and accuracy he now claimed, though he was still unmatched in the water.

A couple days following Faolan’s entry into adulthood, Eragon interrupted the usual course of study.“I’ve received word from Nasuada about a domestic problem that her band of magicians cannot solve, despite all of their best efforts. She is turning to us for help in solving this issue. Murtagh, I’m sending you and Alanna to resolve this dispute. Take today to prepare. You’ve a long journey ahead because you go without your dragons. No, hear me out.” He raised a hand as both Murtagh and Alanna opened their mouths to argue. “I understand how you feel, but when you get back I expect you both to share memories with your dragons so I feel they are better suited here for now. In the old order, this was sometimes done so they will grow stronger apart so they are that much stronger when they are together once again. Also, because you’ll be going on foot, this will be a good opportunity for the two of you to become friends. The dispute is in Ceunon, two farmers fighting over a piece of land. As I said, take today to prepare and, when you’re ready, head out. The sooner you get to Ceunon the better. I’ll expect nightly reports once you get to Osilon. Alanna, learn what you can from Murtagh in this area and learn from his example. Good luck.” And with that, Eragon disappeared inside the hut, leaving his bewildered students with no time to argue. Alanna sighed and went to Faolan.

I’ll fly you back to Ellesmera. Thorn said as he came up to them.

I’ll fly Alanna. She’s my Rider. Faolan growled as he stepped between Alanna and the red dragon, his possessiveness reverberating through their mental link.

Clearly, Faolan felt a Rider should ride only his or her dragon, just as the bonded dragon should fly only his or her Rider.

You still need all of the hours of training you can get, young one. Don’t mistake your recent achievement of fire breathing for adequate training. You may be old enough now to sire eggs, but you still have years of training and experience to gain before you should feel any measure of confidence. I, however, am four years old and have received much training, dark as it is. I can sacrifice the two hours of flight. You cannot. I will fly our Riders to Ellesmera, and you will stay here and learn from your mother like the student you are. Thorn growled back, pulling himself up to his full height, baring his teeth, and slapping his tail on the ground in agitation.Faolan was not impressed by Thorn’s display or lecture and retaliated readily with a display of his own. He flared his wings, stood on his hind legs and roared in Thorn’s face, a direct challenge. Thorn roared back, nearly deafening Alanna, and flared his own wings, snapping his teeth an inch from Faolan’s snout. Faolan was about to attack the bigger dragon, but he was suddenly several yards away from his opponent, both of his parents separating him from the red dragon. Saphira growled at her son, clearly displeased.

Thorn is right, Faolan. You still need much training, while he does not. Saphira intervened with the tough, immovable voice of a teacher. Thorn will fly Alanna to Ellesmera, and you will spend the next two days and nights doing exercises, the likes of which you have never experienced and won’t want to experience ever again, and when those two days are over, you won’t get a day of recuperation. You’ll be training every day as usual. She continued in the ancient language, thus binding Faolan to Saphira’s promise. Faolan felt the weight of the order and his wings folded against his side as his head dipped, acknowledging Saphira as his superior, the head of the flock.

Alanna didn’t know what to feel. On one hand, she was proud of him for fighting to spend an hour with her when they would be separated for at least a week. On the other, she was disappointed in him for picking a fight with an older, more powerful dragon who would have won the fight simply by pushing Faolan over and pinning him to the ground with a paw.

With the testosterone now fleeing, Faolan’s mind cleared and he realized what he had done. Shame, humiliation and regret flooded his being as he lowered his head more to display those feelings. Alanna felt a pang of sympathy for the hard seventy-two hours ahead of him, and related her feelings to her partner as she lithely jumped the path to Thorn’s saddle, where Murtagh was already settled.

I’ll be back before you know it.

I’ll miss you, Alanna.

I’ll miss you, too. Try not to piss off anymore of the flock. I don’t think you’d be able to handle anymore non-stop training like the kind Saphira-elda’s promising.

I’ll do my best. He replied, chuckling in his drakonian way. Before they could exchange anymore goodbyes, Thorn’s massive wings had carried himself and his riders into the sky. Those same wings gave him speed that soon had Alanna’s mind completely separated from Faolan’s. She did, however, hear what Saphira had planned for her son over the next three days and Alanna cringed as Faolan had silently groaned.

The flight to Ellesmera took an hour, though it felt longer to Alanna. Her mind being severed form Faolan’s was a first, and she mourned the companionship and comfort to her soul that their mental link had provided.As they passed over the first dwellings of Ellesmera, Alanna extended her mind and scanned the city below for signs of her brother. Lately she had relaxed in her training now that she had grown accustomed to her rigorous schedule, and her mind often wandered to her brother. She felt terrible for not even making an effort to exercise her new ranking of Dragon Rider to free her brother from their Uncle Gerard.

Unbidden, anger and other similar emotions arose in Alanna. Her eyes flashed iridescent purple as she growled. Today, she would do what she was being trained to do, rescue the innocent. As second born nobility, Dusan didn’t have as much power as a noble than Alanna did, so it was almost impossible for him to extricate himself from his oppressive uncle. As a Dragon Rider, it was her duty to rescue him, and she would gladly do it.

I need to settle something. She explained to Murtagh, choosing telepathy over voice due to the wind Thorn’s speed induced. I don’t know how long I’ll be. I’ll meet you at the center of town.

Fine. Wait, what are you doing? He grew alarmed as Alanna shifted both legs to one side of the saddle.

I told you. I have to settle something at home. She replied simply before she jumped out of the saddle, falling through the air with confidence. She eyed the approaching ground easily, judging the shrinking distance with a keen eye. Three feet from the ground, Alanna muttered a word and her speed slowed enough for her to hit the ground without any harm. Bending her knees to an acute angle allowed her to absorb the shock as she eyed the front of her estate.

As she straightened, she drew Delois from her scabbard, stalking forward. Quiet as can be, she leaped through the glass-less windows and extended her mind once again. Her target was in the library, her brother ensconced safely in his room.

Grinning like a predator that had found its meal, Alanna approached the two floor-to-ceiling library doors. Raising her glowing right hand, Alanna muttered ‘Mor’amr’, Open.

Before her, the double doors flew open and crashed against the walls, the explosion causing Gerard to jump mightily, spilling her mother’s wine carelessly on the floor and her father’s clothes.“Alanna!” Gerard shouted as he jumped to his feet, his hand carelessly wiping the wine down his clothes, worsening the stains on the fabric and on the wooden floor. “What is the meaning of-“

“Waise Hlojdr!” She shouted, and the spell silenced her uncle. She was quite pleased to see Gerard’s mouth open and close without a sound, and then see his face flush angrily as he struggled to find his voice. “I am a Dragon Rider.” Alanna continued without a beat, her voice raised with anger. “Daughter of Lady Silkva. My father, your brother, was Lord of this hall only because he was mate to my mother, which means you are no more than a peasant when I am nobility. For too long you have oppressed my brother and I, and that ends today. I outrank you because of my birth and because of the fire-breathing dragon that hatched for me, so I am now claiming my inheritance. This house and everything in it are mine, so I want your smelly, misbegotten carcass out of here before my dragon seeks you out and decides to have you for his midnight snack. Take nothing for yourself as I will consider that stealing. As Dragon Rider, I am bound to uphold every law and to dish out justice as I see fit. If you steal from me, you can kiss your life goodbye. Do you have any objections?” She continued shouting in the ancient language. Again, Gerard gestured madly, clearly displaying displeasure. But Alanna wasn’t entirely prepared for him to charge her, but she recovered quickly when Gerard did indeed charge forward, his fists balled. Raising her hand again, she shouted “Thrysta!” as a ball of pure, purple energy charged form her palm into her uncle’s chest, slamming him against the wall several yards away. Delois at the ready, Alanna leapt and pinned Gerard to the wall, Delois pinching into his chest directly above his heart. “Leave, and you’d better pray to every god out there to have mercy on your black soul, because if I see you again, even in passing, I will make you wish you’d never been born.” She growled, her eyes glowing iridescent purple again. Below her sword, Gerard paled and nodded vigorously. “Leave everything that was my parents. I will order a thorough investigation into the contents of the house. If I find anything missing, I will send my dragon to enjoy his snack even if you didn’t take it. Am I understood?”Gerard nodded again and Alanna turned to the maid cowering in the corner. “Your original employer was my mother, so you are still employed by my family, by me. As your employer, I am ordering you to make sure this trash is taken out. Remember, you are still alfa-kona. Act like it, and don’t let powerless punks like this push you around.”The maid, one of the few talentless elves that were versatile enough to do any task put to them, nodded. “I’ll get right on that inventory, miss.”

“Good. I want you to first clean out his room, and leave him with only his own clothes and possessions that he brought into this house.”

“Yes, miss.”

“And go inform my brother as the new lord of the hall, and the happenings that took place here.”

“Yes, miss.” She bowed and scurried away. Gerard looked around furiously, bringing Alanna’s attention back to him. “Oh, careful.” She warned him. “This blade is a Rider’s sword. It is a metal of superior quality, enchanted for strength, and it will never dull or break, chip or depreciate, and it will slice right through every spell in its path, including the thick layer of protective spells you have wrapped around you. All of your spells won’t stand a chance against my Nuanen Delois. In fact, I’m sure that if I break your skin, you’ll die simply by the spells trying to save you, calling upon your own energy until your heart stops. Yes, I’d be very careful of a Rider’s blade, Gerard. Mine is special in that I asked it to have sharper edges and a sharper point at the tip than the others so it’d be that much easier to slice my way through the enemy before they can get to me or my dragon. Now, let me recap my instructions before I send you on your way. You are hereby directed by myself, Lady Alanna, the rightful heir of this house and everything in it, to remove yourself from the premises as quickly as your skimpy legs can carry you. Leave behind everything except your peasant’s clothes, that means clothing, jewelry, gold, hair accessories, wigs, and everything else. Disobey on any level, and you’ll find yourself in my dragon’s belly. Am I understood? Nod if you understand and agree to comply.”Gerard didn’t move, he simply glared at her. Alanna sighed and entered his mind, muttering a single word. Immediately, Gerard’s body convulsed and his mouth opened in obvious agony, but Alanna’s silencing spell prevented him from uttering a sound. Alanna’s spell was a bit more complex than the others of today. She had summoned heat to her uncle’s mind, spreading it throughout his body. It hurts immensely but will leave no damage.After a moment, she cancelled the mind-flame and asked again. Once again, Gerard refused. His reward: a few extra seconds of the mental torture added onto the previous duration.Alanna was quite surprised to find she had to repeat the procedure multiple times, Gerard braving the torture for a total of a minute and a half in that last round before he complied. Content, she cancelled every spell she had cast on him and sent him on his way, Delois still brandished and ready should Gerard attempt to attack her. The elf was smarter than that and slinked out of the hall practically with his tail between his legs. After a deep breath, Alanna put Delois in her scabbard and went to find her brother.

Two hours later, Alanna emerged from her house. She had spent much of the time speaking to her brother, updating him on what had happened and had given him all of the codes to the secrets of the house. After all, if she were to be killed, then she couldn’t be the only one to know the codes, especially to the family vault. She had also escorted her brother to the vault and filled her purse with gold coins and given him one as well. They were rich now, and no longer had to sell heirlooms for money. She had also extended an offer to her brother for him to accompany her and Murtagh on the mission, but he declined. As Lord of the house, he had to oversee the family business and make some changes to the administration of the establishment to increase production and sales, which had been suffering terribly while under Gerard’s rule.Her goal complete, Alanna left her brother and stopped by a grocer, the same establishment that had delivered Faolan’s rats and all of her meals, to fill her pack with food. She knew she wouldn’t get any meat while in the forest unless she were to kill the animals herself, so she didn’t ask. After visiting the grocer, she visited the town seamstress and ordered three new leather pants, her current pair being very old, thin and tearing in places. She had to pay a bit extra to get them completed in an hour, but at least she’d have durable pants for this mission. After the seamstress, she thought hard about anything else she might need, and, after deciding everything else could wait, she went to find Murtagh. Murtagh was right where he had promised he’d be, at the center of the city, where almost every shop was located. He had a horse with him, one that was not f elven breeding. She deduced this must be Tornac, the horse that had carried Murtagh in his mad dash to Farthen Dur from Gi’lead. Surprisingly, Murtagh had two full purses and handed one to Alanna, explaining that it was an allowance from Queen Nasuada. Every month she would send five crowns per Rider per week, totaling, for each Rider, twenty crowns. For now, though, it was a full purse until next month’s shipment. Alanna shrugged and tied it around her neck after she added a spell of invisibility.With business taken care of, Alanna and Murtagh set out, stopping by the seamstress to pick up the finished pants and her treehouse for the fruit in the basket. One those were done, they left Ellesmera, Murtagh riding Tornac and Alanna jogging beside him.

Chapter 18

 

As the duo trotted through the towering green forest, silence reigned. That is, until Alanna decided to voice something that had caught her attention.

"So, earlier, when Eragon was giving us this assignment, he said this would be a goo opportunity for us to 'resolve our differences'."

"You caught that, huh? Guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"Then there was a hidden message?"

"Yeah." Murtagh said simply, and when he didn't say anymore, Alanna decided he wouldn't say anymore.

"But its none of my business. Fine."

"No, its not that. Its-" He sighed, as if working up the courage to say something. Alanna's guard raised and she was now on edge. What did he have to say?

"You told me that your parents died at Ceunon."

"Yes." Now, she was very concerned. His tone was different then she's ever heard from him. "What do they have t…" She cut off as a theory came to her mind. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide.

Murtagh didn't respond. He just looked at her, sadness in his eyes. Understanding dawned on her then, and she looked away. "Oh. I see."

"I'm so sorry." He whispered, his voice thick with emotion. He had never felt his throat so tight, it was hard to even breathe, let alone speak.

Beside him, Alanna was silent. She had always assumed that it was Murtagh who had killed them, since they were the most dangerous adversaries the Rebellion could face in that battle, and the most destructive. Chances said that he was the one who had killed them, but it was even harder for her to find out that the man that she had been training alongside for two months had indeed killed her parents, forcing their responsibilities onto her at too young of an age, when she needed them most. He was the one that had ripped her parents away from herself and her brother, whom was now fully in charge of their estate and properties because she wasn't able to yet. Her stomach rolled and she thought she was going to be sick.

"Please, let's not speak about it." She whispered, struggling to remain composed. "Thank you for telling me. I had suspected, since you and Torn were the most dangerous enemies of that battle, but its nice to know for sure so I can come to terms. Thank you for that. Now, let's go." She continued and started trotting again. Beside her, Murtagh urged Tornac onward.

The rest of the day was passed in silence. Alanna had moved to a path that was parallel to Murtagh's path, but was several yards away. She needed to think in peace, and it wouldn't help to be running alongside the man who murdered her parents.

By the time the sun had gone down, they had picked a thicket and made camp. They ate in silence and neither one of them slept that night.

 

Chapter 19

 

Three days passed in silence and the pair soon entered the small elven town of Osilon. Directly east of Ceunon, the town was still in the far-reaching grip of the forest, but little else was known. During the rebellion, the town hadn't given many warriors due to a lack of numbers, and nothing significant had ever happened there.

"What should we do, Alanna?"

"My parents have another estate here. It isn't as big as the one in Ellesmera, but it's big enough for us. We find the house." She replied coolly and started walking, easily navigating the streets until she stood before her treehouse. Without breaking stride, she swiftly climbed the stairs and entered the family house. It was bigger than her treehouse back in Ellesmera, but smaller than her family home. With a study on the third floor, three bedrooms and a washroom on the second, a spacious living room and kitchen on the first floor, this house was the perfect size for a small family. If she had a family, she would happily move them here. The treehouse in Ellesmera was simply too big for them, but her parents wanted to keep the important things in the residence that would house them full-time.

"You're welcome to every facility here." She explained to Murtagh, whom had only just now climbed the stairs and was having difficulty catching his breath. She took him on a short tour of the house and then left him to his own devices. Ensconcing herself in her room, the one she'd had as a child, she lay on the bed and pulled out a bowl from her knapsack. "Adurna." She whispered, and water filled the bowl, the water condensing into the bowl from the moisture in the air. "Draumr kopa, taka eka ven un hona abr Eragon Shur'tugal, un atra alfr ven un hona eka." Dream stare, give me sight and sound of Eragon Shur'tugal, and let him see and hear me.

Immediately, an image of Eragon's bedroom filled the small bowl, and it was empty. But she could hear movement, so he must be home. "Eragon."

"Alanna!" He called back and a moment later he was standing before the mirror on which she likely appeared. "You made good time. I take this to mean you're in Osilon?"

"Yes, we are. Our journey has been safe so far. I'm just checking in."

"Excellent. Then, I'll expect contact again in three days when you get to Ceunon."

"Very well. How has Faolan been holding up?"

"He's been taking his punishment well. He hasn't complained or objected, he just does as he's told. He finished his sentence this morning and now he's at your family hall, resting and getting acquainted with your brother."

"That's good to hear. I was worried."

"I'm glad I can put your worries to rest, then. You need to stay focused during your mission."

"I'm finding that rather difficult."

"Then he told you?"

"Yes. I had suspected that he was likely the one to kill them, but I didn't know for sure. Now that I do know, I can adjust to it."

"You seem to be taking this well. I'm surprised. It's quite a bombshell, learning who killed your parents."

"It wasn't entirely his fault. It was a battle, kill or be killed. He was just doing his job. That makes it easier. And I know him enough to know that he wouldn't have killed them had he been as he is now, free of being controlled."

"Are you being straight with me, Alanna? Because it's okay if you want to scream or yell." Eragon looked at her pointedly. That's right. It's the Ra'zac who killed his uncle and father, whom were under the influence of Galbatorix at the time. Neither of them had to die, but they were killed anyway. Like my parents. In this respect, Eragon is kin. I can show emotions with him, since it's just us hearing this conversation and we share similar circumstances.

"That's what I keep telling myself so I don't dwell on old emotions. It's like I'm hearing the news all over again. There's grief, anger, and denial all roiling under the surface. But these are nothing new to digest so I have to keep telling myself that it wasn't Murtagh's fault, he was just doing as he was told, so I can keep functioning. I can't get distracted too much right now. There's a mission I have to prepare for, to learn from soon. I have to put off dealing with these emotions until the return trip, when I have six days without training to come to terms with all of this."

"That's a very brave thing to say. You've impressed me. You're a lot more mature than I thought you were, even for an elf."

"Thank you. If there's one thing you're teaching me, its to keep a clear head so you can focus and think clearly."

"That is the goal of the orothrim. I'm glad it's helping you in your personal life, too."

Alanna didn't really have a response to that so she just nodded. Shortly after that, the two ended their spells. After that, Alanna went through her evening routine and promptly fell asleep.

Impressum

Texte: ALL THINGS RELATED TO ALAGAESIA BELONGS TO CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI, CREATOR OF THE INHERITANCE CYCLE. I OWN NOTHING!
Lektorat: Melissa Nichols
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 05.08.2011

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