Hi all! I am an aspiring novelist and wanted to sort of test the waters with some fanfics. I had started developing this plot before I even read Eldest. I love it but be sure to comment or I won't add any more! And if Christopher Paolini reads this, I think this would be a great premise for the third book!

Has anyone else noticed that there are no female Riders mentioned in the books. Female dragons, yes, but not Riders. That sort of irritated me and this story kinda grew out of that. Enjoy!!!

I do not own any characters, places, etc. in this story except those not found in either Eragon or Eldest. The plot line is entirely mine. So don't try to copycat it!!!

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This was the biggest, most dangerous theft of her life. If she can pull this off, she will be remembered as the best thief Alagaësia has ever seen; if not she will be the most foolish. She had planned out every minute detail. She only had to wait for the opportunity.

Just like the past 4 days, she walked to the gate, dressed as a scullery maid, displaying obvious humbleness and fear. The guards barely glanced at her. She easily blended in with other kitchen help arriving for an honest day's work in probably the most dishonest place in Alagaësia.

She preformed various kitchen duties so as not to arouse suspicion. When the head cook bellowed for someone to fetch a certain bottle of wine from the cellar, she quickly accepted the job and left. This was it! Time to make history! They wouldn't even think about sending someone else until her real job was done.

She reached the stairs, but instead of descending to the cellars she climbed the stairs to the second floor. Once there she listened intently for sounds of nearby soldiers, or worse, Galbatorix himself.

"What are you doing?" a voice asked. She turned around to see a young man coming down the hallway toward her. She was surprised for a very brief moment – man, this guy was stealthy – but kept her composure and reacted as any kitchen maid would.

"Oh, Rider Murtagh, your grace, um, your honor, your excellency? Oh," she curtsied at each title, acting incredibly flustered and worried.

"Stop you sniveling, girl, and answer my question."

"Sorry, your grace," curtsey again, "your excellency," and again, "I jus' delivered a tray o' food to some o' the guards an' go' distracted comin' back," she used the street accent she had perfected along with others over the years, "sir." She made one last curtsey, keeping her eyes lowered.

He took a step closer and glared down at her. She was pretty sure he wouldn't bother magically examining the mind of such a mouse of a maid as she was pretending to be, but just in case she kept up her mental mask. This was a tool developed and carefully guarded by professional master rogues. Luckily, she had studied many tricks of the trade, including the mask, from an aged master rogue who saw potential in her. The mental mask essentially covered up one's true identity and intensions with that of an established persona, so anyone scanning the person's mind would read the fake identity as the true one.

"Well, get back to the kitchen, girl!" he commanded after a few moments.

"Yes, sir, at once, sir!" she quickly said and hurried down the stairs. Halfway down the staircase she paused using a trick to continue the sound of feet scurrying down the stairs and toward the kitchen.

She waited for several minutes, listening for the telltale sounds of being followed or of anyone else nearby. Silence.

She inched up the staircase as soon as she was sure Galbatorix's minion had left. Encountering him again would mean certain death. Even with her bagful of tricks, she couldn't hope to beat a Rider.

No one on the second floor. She continues up to the third. Again, no one in sight. She moved down one hallway until she came across the door she wanted.

Slipping inside the small storeroom, she examined her surroundings. Shelves were lined up against three of the four walls and were full of all sorts of things.

She pulled up her skirt and unfastened the packs strapped to the inside of her legs. She then quickly and quietly undressed and bond her chest flat with cloth from one of the packs. From the other pack she pulled out a page's livery and put it on. Lastly she took off her maid's bonnet, revealing short, black, bowl-cut hair. As a page, she would have free run of the palace, since pages often carry messages and run errands.

She buried her packs and unneeded clothes into the pile of cloth she assumed was the laundry.

Standing at the door for a whole minute, she listened for footsteps. Nothing. She exited the storeroom and walked down the hallway toward the most heavily guarded part of the whole palace.

She had subtely inquired as to the contents of this hall a month before entering the palace. Rooms with all kinds of treasures filled this section; offices held important documents, letters, and information, along with the usual silver, gold and priceless jewels. She didn't know what she would take yet, but she would know when she saw it.

Several guards regularly patrolled the area, but this set had been up all night and so they were tired. The ones awake enough to notice her paid little attention as she passed.

She pretended that she was about to enter a room as the only guard within sight turned the corner, then she walked several steps to her right to another door. A bookkeeper with roving eyes had hinted about a priceless treasure hidden behind it.

She mumbled a reveal spell her master had taught her that first week. Many of her tricks were thief spells her master had collected over his lifetime.

The spell showed her both a shielding spell and a locking spell on the door. This is too easy, she thought.

But it wasn't as easy as she thought. The shield spell was strong. Using as much energy as she dared, she slowly moved it with a bypass spell to where it protected a blank space of wall.

Now for the lock. She had a special way with locks and had always been able to unlock anything, even before her apprenticeship. Smirking, she simply snapped her fingers in front of the keyhole and a soft click sounded.

She slid into the room and quietly closed the door behind her. On the far wall hung the banner of Galbatorix, along the other two walls were tables with black chests upon them.

She used the reveal spell again to make sure there were no traps. Two of the chests had locking spells on them that were stronger than the door's.

"Losna." The latches on both chests released at her command. She opened the lid of the nearest one to find the severed head of an elf looking up at her. She jumped back in shock.

Galbatorix is mad! She thought as she resealed the chest. Moving to the second box she braced herself for another disgusting prize. Instead she found a large amber stone about the length of her forearm. The stone had a short of metallic sheen to it that made her think of a large lump of copper or bronze.

This'll fetch a hefty sum, she thought as she lifted it from the velvet lining. The stone was much lighter than she had thought. She set her loot on the table, reached into her tunic and pulled out a long, blue-black raven feather, placing it where the stone had lain only a moment before.

The stone was too big to just carry out unnoticed so she murmured an illusion spell often used by thieves who steal highly recognizable items. The stone was now a scroll, which no one would question a page carrying. Resealing the box, she moved to the door. In a few minutes the guards would be replaced with new, well rested guards.

No footsteps outside. Quickly she exited the room, closed and locked the door, and moved the shield spell back to it's original position. She was sure not to meet up any soldiers as she left the guarded area.

She reached the stairs and hurried down and outside, regulating her speed so any who saw would automatically assume she was on urgent business rather then fleeing.

Finding a stable boy dozing in the warm stable yard, she executed the next step of the plan.

"Wake up!" the boy toppled off the hay bale where he had perched. Once his attention was completely on her she said "I have an urgent message for the governor of Gil'ead! Saddle a horse, quickly!" putting just enough command in her voice to get the point across.

Waiting for the boy to return with a horse, she pictured the fame she would get from this theft. She would sell it to her usual buyer before Galbatroix discovered his loss. Once word got out of such a treasure escaping from right under the king's nose, her buyer would return it, probably for a large reward, and spread the word that the Raven pulled off the greatest heist in history! People would sing of her daring for centuries!

Within ten minutes the horse was ready. It was a beautiful roan stallion with neatly trimmed mane and equipped with shiny new tack.

Without even a thank you, she mounted and urged the steed in to a gallop. She headed to the north, as to give credit to her story. Once out of sight of the city, she would head toward Dras-Leona.

As night fell, Raven stopped by the river. A gentle glow floated on the dark horizon; all that could be seen of the city's lights. She built a fire on the north side of a large stone, to protect it from both the evening wind and the curious city eyes.

Once the fire was at a decent height she laid out her bedroll, setting her pack with the still illusioned stone within arms reach.

After eating a meager dinner of dry biscuit and salt pork, she settled into sleep.

A soft rustling woke her up. Keeping her eyes closed, she shifted, as if still asleep, until her hand was but a hair's breadth away from the knife she always kept under her head. She waited, motionless for the sound. There! It was close.

Immediately she whipped out the knife and rolled into a crouching position in one fluid movement. Her eyes glided across the landscape, but saw no threat. That rustling again. It was coming from her pack.

She assumed a rat had found it's way into her food. She lifted the knife, ready to stab the creature within.

Suddenly the flap opened and a copper shape rolled out. Four stubby legs separated from each other and stuck themselves into the air. a spiked tail fell to the ground and a long neck lifted the small head attached to it. Two big, gold orbs stared at her curious.

This was definitely not a rat. This was a baby dragon.

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So, what do you guys and girls think so far? Be sure to comment! Otherwise I won't continue (and I really want to : P )