I will admit that the most common words people use for me back home are crazy, destructive, and mischievous, though that's none of your concern right now. I consider it my business to ignore those, whose opinions irritate me, since Graeme threatened to barbeque me if I did anything different. Like he would get the chance, is my thought though.

I was walking down the streets of Uru'baen, the capital city in this foreign country of Alagaesia. Sometimes, when the call of adventure is too great, with the idea of exploring the unknown, you can't help but go. So I packed any necessities and headed out with Graeme, traveling for two weeks to the east, and here I was. Graeme is incredibly fast after all, and it wasn't like I missed Tralren, my homeland. Here I felt free to do as I pleased, without the need have good first impressions on others. I continued to walk, gazing at the colorful wares of the market, before dodging a big box being carried by a young worker. I sighed as the man noticed me and began to stare, like most people who I ran into. It wasn't my fault that my emerald green eyes were so uncommon here.

'Yes, true, but all the broken towers and scorched rooms are your fault, child,' Graeme said in my head.

'Oh whatever, all that was half your fault, it wasn't like I was the one who coughed fire whenever I saw the color red,' I thought back to him. His response was a silent grunt.

I continued on my way, hoping to find a book store about the magic that was used in this land. From what I'd collected, it appeared that these people used words to use magic, instead of using their bodies to channel the energy out of them. This had always made me feel more out of place, even though I did know a couple of the words, like brisingr and vindr (fire and air). I must have stood out a lot, since I had such bright blond hair. Though I kept it in a pony tail and sometimes covered it if it was getting too ridiculous. I think this must how that dark figure had found me and grabbed my right arm, he could have only be a year or so older than me at the time. I thought is name was Murthy. He forced my palm to turn, and ripped of my brown leather gloves, revealing my mark, a silver scar shaped like two ovals on top of each other, it was on my palm. It is the sign of a dragon rider.

"So the rumors of a young dragon rider girl are true. Won't Galbatorix be pleased?" Actually, I think his name was Murtagh, and was not one to mess with. Oh well. I took notice of the soldiers following us.

"But sir," I said, using the begging face that I had been forced to use back home, "I've never even seen a dragon rider before; this is just a scar I got from tending to the cattle back home."

"Hah, like I'd-" before he could finish his sentence, I punched the air, which caused him to go flying into a vegetable cart. I ran as fast as I could, the gathering soldiers chasing me with weapons drawn. I charged into the nearest alley, and hopped up onto the roof by using the crates beside it.

I kept running, leaping from building to building, the soldiers barely keeping up with me. How the heck did they find me out? Graeme must have eaten the butcher cart again, irritating dragon. And he thinks I'm the stupid one. I continued to jump about, until I finally got to the forest. I jumped off the building, moving from pole to pole until I got to the bottom, before running into the forest as fast as a sixteen year old girl could ever hope to run.

Exhausted once I made it to Graeme, I collapsed onto my bedroll like a sack of potatoes and sighed, lazily sending Graeme the memory of that mess. He had always made the area around him a magnificent emerald green tint, the sun always showed off how handsome he was for a male.

'Unfortunately I have been eating only deer for the last two weeks so that is not the reason child. So you'll be staying in this forest with me until we have enough supplies to leave; unless of course, you'd rather be a slave to that mad king, my reckless young rider.' Graeme said, pulling me close to him with his wing.

I yawned and muttered 'whatever' before falling asleep under the safety of my dragon tent, the last words I heard were 'sweet dreams, my little Areika.'

***Alright, for the two names of the characters are funky I know. I imagined them to be pronounced as:

Graeme (Graim, like grain but with an 'm' at the end instead of an 'a'.)

Areika (A-re-eh-ka, and yes I made it up to go with her nickname, which you will hear in the next chapter.)