Disclaimer: the world of Alagaesia is copyright to Cristopher Paolini.

East of Alagaesia, past the Hadarac Desert, was the small village Richelle. Named after the woman who had first came there with her family, the village was a harsh place to live. Although some distance from the desert, it was still subject to storms blowing in from the west-- bringing with them sand, dust and dry heat.

Neither was water easy to come by, found only deep underground, it could only be reached by the large trees that could pull some moisture up to where saplings and other plants could use it. To the residents of the village however, the only option to gain access to the pricelesss water for themselves and their animals was to dig deep wells-- grueling work that could take weeks to finish.

And so, only the toughest of people an animals were likely to survive for long, and those who did rarely grew old enough to grow wrinkled and white-haired with age. The woman who were working her way up towards one of the many caves in the scorched hills several kilometers north-west of the village, was one of the exceptions however.

With a leathery face wrinkled by age and the harsh climate, hair that had long since been bleached to a near white by the sun and moving slowly upwards on tired legs, often stopping to lean on her walking staff for a few moments-- she was clearly one of the few who had survived past the age of child bearing. Old, she was not much to look at, but there was still a fierce light in her dark brown eyes, and though her body was not as endurant as it had been, she walked forwards with a slow confidence.

Like was sensible when going outside in the sun, she wore a voluminous, light grey robe consisting of many layers to help keep her relatively cool, and she also wore a wide-brimmed hat-- securely fastened to her head with a leather strap.

She was much too old for this, an old woman like her wandering into the wild to confront a dragon who most likely wouldn't be the least happy about her visit. Even worse, no matter where the creature had came from, it had settled in the cave because it was fleeing something-- suffering from old injuries as well as those it had gotten while it was fleeing.

Therefore it was hunting the livestock of the local nomads, and that was something that had to be stopped. It was also the reason for that she had been asked to do something about it, rather than the hunters who would have put a stop to it had it been any other kind of beast.

Uttering a grumbling sound, Nypa allowed herself another brief rest as she was just ten meters or so from the cave mouth. The shadow was tempting after her long trek in the sun, but she was not about to go rushing into the cave without thought. Better not give the dragon any reason to decide to put an end to the unwelcome disturbance she posed, everything rested on her ability to make it listen to her.

Nypa pushed back the hat so it would not obscure her view, and her fingers tightening around the walking staff, she walked into the cave.

Gently sloping, but a bit slippery due to having been scoured by a river that had run through it ages ago, the cave floor was not the most comfortable surface to walk on, but Nypa managed. The lack of light was worse really, but her eyes had retained some of the keeness they had possessed in earlier years, and the cave was relatively straight-- allowing some light a good distance down its lenght.

Further down, she also noticed unmistakeable signs of a dragon's presence-- shed scales scattered on the ground, and places where its talons had created marks on the stone where it had slipped. Further signs of that the dragon was not in good health, which was confirmed again by a slight amount of old, dried blood at one of the walls where the dragon had stumbled against it.

Nearly a hundred meters down the cave, just where the daylight didn't reach any further, Nypa found what she was seeking as a warning hiss echoed through the cave.

Leave while I will permitt it human, I do not wish to be disturbed. If you persist, I will get rid of you-- and though hardly honorable, your age will not stop me from doing so.

Orange-red eyes glimmering darkly, an immense, black dragon stood up in front of Nypa. And arching its neck, covered with dull black scales-- cracked and bleeding in some places, the dragon gave her a look of hatred.

"I will not, and cannot-- both for your sake and that of the people I have protected all my life. If you will allow me, I will do what I can to heal you, Shruikan."

Then a new light entered the cave as Nypa turned her hand, and the black dragon threw his head back in shock and fear.

For at the old woman's hand, gleamed the gedwey ignasia.

A explosive hiss came from Shruikan as the black dragon's eyes widened in shock, and a puff of threatening smoke shot out from his nostrils. Still, Nypa remained where she was, if the dragon decided to kill her, running wouldn't do much good anyway.

Besides, there was one quite effective thing she might use...

I would not do that, as I would be quite prepared to make you regret it. One better idea may be to come outside where we can come to an agreement not requiring the use of violence, you have my word that we will not harm you or try to control you in any way.

For several long moments, Shruikan remained where he was, as if frozen. Then a sound of shock and disbelief came from the dragon, and Nypa had to quickly press herself against the wall of the cave to avoid being trampled as he moved past her towards the exit. Once she had ducked to avoid a flailing tail, Nypa allowed herself to breathe again, relieved that Shruikan had managed to remain on his feet.

Being crushed by a falling dragon was really among the last things on the list of things she wished to experience.

Brushing a bit of dust off the front of her robes, and with a glance at the sand covered floor where the dragon had been laying, she then walked after Shruikan out of the cave. Upon coming back out in the sunlight, it was a few moments when she had to shield her eyes, but they quickly adjusted-- and with a slight smile at her wrinkled face, she turned to the left.

Less than fifty meters away, the large and emaciated male that was Shruikan stood completely still, his eyes wide as he watched his surroundings and the sky. And where she stood, Nypa couldn't help but smile-- like usual, her friend of forty years was undoubtely intending to make a suitable entrance.
Then, as a gentle thought touched her mind, the elderly woman shielded her eyes as she looked almost straight upwards. And seemingly diving right out of the sun, came another dragon-- her scales as black as those of Shruikan, but gleaming darkly with health in the midday light.

I am Jh'tadur, daughter of Kalissen the singer and Meryll the brown, and I have been looking forward to seeing one of my kind, Shruikan.
Wings spread wide, she circled once before she landed-- dust whirled up by the backdraft. Both dragons turned to look at each other, and Nypa nearly winced at the differences. Shruikan might be the oldest and largest of the two, but he was clearly reduced by old injuries and the trek he would have made across the Hadarac Desert, it was unlikely that the dragon would live for much longer if he was not healed.

My rider, you must also remember that the bond between him and his rider was a forced an unnatural one. Clearly he survived the death of his rider, but I cannot say how sane he is after going through such a thing. If the worst happens and he refuse to listen to reason-- we will have to kill him, the people of Richelle and the farmers will not survive the loss of livestock to a rampaging dragon.

Nypa gave a quick nod in response, knowing that Jh'tadur would be much better suited to deal with the older male dragon. And she silently prayed that her friend would be able to convince Shruikan to accept their help and guidance-- she would hate herself if they would have to kill him, and it would not be easy for Jh'tadur either. Having lived in Richelle all their lives, neither she nor Jh'tadur had even seen another dragon-- the only thing they knew about the dragons and dragonriders of old-- was what Nypa's mother had told her long ago.

In the case of Jh'tadur, the dragon had certainly been in possession of much of the knowledge of the dragons since the time she had emerged from her egg, but that included very few acctual memories...

As the two dragons spoke, Nypa made sure to put a bit of distance between them and herself. If the worst came to happen, she did not want to be in the way of either of them-- as Shruikan would certainly still be able to put up a fight if neccessary. Finding shelter under a couple of trees growing by a small well about half a kilometer away, the only thing she could do was to sit down and wait.

Nypa...

Suddenly awake as Jh'tadur's voice whispered in her mind, Nypa grumbled as she shook her head and stood up on tired legs, her eyes narrowing slightly as she realized that she had to have slept for several hours. As she looked to the west, the sun had begun its way down towards the horizon, and shadows had grown long behind the nearby hills and cliffs.

The old woman stretched and flexed limbs that had began to grow stiff after her long walk earlier, and once she felt able to, she stood up-- leaning slightly against her walking staff. Only then did she turn her head to look at the two dragons who had just came to a stop about ten meters away, their huge forms silhouetted against the sky where the colors of the sunset was slowly growing more vivid.

"Well?"
With the beginning of a smile at her face, Nypa looked up at both of them. She already knew what the basic answer would be, considering that both dragons had arrived in the manner that they did, but she wanted to hear it from them.

Tired, Shruikan lowered his head to rest it at the ground, keeping a huge eye fixed at her.

I will stay, and I will decide on something that I can do in return for what you give me. However, it is in your interest and the interest of your people that you remember that I do this only for my own survival...

Pausing, the black dragon seemed to fight internaly as he looked from Nypa to Jh'tadur, but I also do it for her.