Of course, the disclaimer. I DO NOT OWN THE INHERITANCE CYCLE, OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. IF I DID, YOU WOULD SEE A LOT OF STRANGE, STRANGE THINGS HAPPENING IN ALAGAESIA. IF IT WAS STILL CALLED ALAGAESIA…THERE, I SAID IT. NOW I WON'T SAY IT ANYMORE.
Here Saphira was, in a large, dark room. A cave, she assumed.
The gaping entrance looked large enough to fit several dragons, yet was hidden by several trees. The sky was a weary orange, yearning to darken in a few more hours. The sun dug deeply into the forest horizon.
She proceeded to stand and walk towards the hole, only to find a black, rusty chain encircling her right thigh. She tugged on it, expecting it to break instantly with her strength, yet nothing happened. Its corroded and scratched appearance betrayed its sturdiness; it would not give even with her fire and claws. She began to get worried.
Eragon?
No response. She looked around, but the darkness left her oblivious to anything of interest in the cave.
Eragon!
Still nothing. She was not even aware of his feelings.
Another presence came into her field of telepathy. It was…familiar, at least. One she had not sensed as much as she was now in over a decade. He is not here. The consciousness resided within the left side of the cave. Saphira caught a glimpse of red as its body shifted, then disappeared once again into the shadows. Thorn.
Blood-scale, we meet again.
Not in the circumstances we both expected, Water-scale, but our paths converge nonetheless.
She growled. Where are we? Why are we held captive?
We have not drugged you enough to make you forget our status, Water-scale. Know that only you are held captive, and I am your captor. We are in a cave west of Dras-leona.
Let me free, friend.
I cannot. Recall the situation.
Try as she could, she only found brief flashes of memories. Why could she not find anything? What have you done to my mind, Blood-scale?
Thorn sighed. You recall nothing? That venom was more potent than we expected. I am controlled by Galbatorix. He ordered me to capture you and your rider, yet Eragon escaped.
Saphira shook the chain vigorously as she lashed her tail in Thorn's general direction.
Why would you serve him, Blood-scale? Do you not care of the decades he had kept us within his castle? Do you not care of the decades we were in our eggs, with none to talk to but each other?
I do not willingly do so. I still retain my hatred for him and the Empire, yet I can do nothing about it. He knows our true names, Water-scale!
She spat fire at him, revealing the crimson dragon. Weak! Weak you are! I would have resisted him better than you.
Thorn roared. You are not in my position! You do not know the pain I must endure when I rebel from my oaths for you and your Rider. Speak not of this you do not understand.
I understand it better than you believe. I have sworn my own oaths, yet I am able to defy them if I strive to do so.
Galbatorix has been making oath-slaves for decades. Do you not think that he would be able to account for every possibility by now? What's more, none know your true name. With that information, the person could control you, even without your conscious consent. Just you see, Water-scale, just you see. And with that, Thorn emerged from the shade and flew from the cave.
Now Saphira was alone. Now she had time with her own thoughts…yet she had little. Venom…She was drugged, possibly with the same served to Eragon in Gil'ead. What did he do? Saphira could not recall. Lying down once more, she attempted to contemplate her situation. Why was she held captive? She could not elucidate the answer from her mind either. Many more questions came, and she could not concentrate enough to answer them. Frustrated, she curled up and slept.