Scythe

Chapter #1

Eragon sighed; it had been three long days since his battle with Murtagh. He was still sore, he had so many unanswered questions, why... and how had Murtagh's Dragon, Thorn, grown to be so big so quickly. Also, his magic, if he was so strong, what hope did he have of killing Galbatorix, he would be far stronger than Murtagh.

"You are troubled, little one"

"What ever gave you that idea?" He asked Sapphira sarcastically. He and Sapphira had, had many silent conversations over the past few days, not wanting to confide in anyone else. He had ever gone as far as not talking to Arya.

"I just can't believe he betrayed us." Eragon muttered.

"I'm sure Galbatorix gave him no option, he must have threatened to kill Murtagh's dragon." Sapphira commented both calmly and wisely. "Would you work for him if he threatened to hurt me?" She asked.

"Of course I would! Yes, I suppose I see your point." Eragon replied.

Sapphira put her huge head through the door of his tent, "I love you little one"

"I know, I love you too, and stop calling me little one! I'm not that small. Eragon said.

"Fine I'll stop, little one."

"STOP! It isn't my fault I'm human, and you're the size of a hill. Everything is small to you. He yelled, but couldn't help but grin, she was like a child.

"I can hear your thoughts, genius." Sapphira snorted, but unluckily the fire from her nostrils set Eragons bed on fire.

"Thank you for setting my bed on fire Sapphira." Eragon managed to say as he doubled over laughing, then muttered "water" in the ancient language, putting out the bed.

"Good to see some life in you" Roran stated as he slipped past Sapphira into Eragon's tent. He walked over to the bed and plopped down on the now crusty brown sheets. "I love what you've done with the place." indicating all of the burnt patches around the room.

That's my sense of interior design, Roran." Saphira projected her thoughts into his and Eragons heads. "See you boys later, I'm going hunting."

"Hunting! Are you insane? You still haven't healed. Eragon protested.

"Bye Roran!" Sapphira said as she took off, almost tearing apart the tent with one of the spikes on her back.

Roran laughed, "Quite the little fireball you got there." As he did so, Nasuada walked into the tent, and sat next to Roran. She glanced over at him, looking him up and down and said. "You must be Roran. I'm sorry to that the Ra'zac have captured your fiancée, Katrina I beleive?"

"Yes." He said sourly. "By the way we kind of have that tiny little task of killing the Ra'zac and rescuing Katrina. If they kill her, I'm going to have to kill you, you know. It's in a way your fault." Eragon shifted slightly, pausing for a long slow breath.

"Yes I know, but you don't observe your surroundings do you? If you had you would have noticed that my bags are packed and I'm ready to go, that's why I didn't want Sapphira to hunting, we could leave this morning." With that Eragon called to Sapphira to return.

"Just what I was waiting to hear." she replied as she dropped like a rock from the sky, landing only inches from where Orik had just been, he had just walked into the tent.

"Oi! I may be little but I know you saw me Sapphira, try not to squish any of us dwarves." He put his head right up to Sapphira's face, starring straight into her eyes. Unfortunately Sapphira chose that exact moment to sneeze, covering Orik's face in soot and ash. Roran snorted, and Eragon let out a sort of held back giggle, as Orik fell flat on his back, covering his face with his hands.

As Eragon got up he realized just how full his tent had become, it was a simple two man tent, three people at the absolute most, but inside were three humans a dwarve, and a Dragons Head. "I think we should head outside, it's cramped in here." As everyone left the tent Eragon picked up his bag and followed the line.

Eragon and Roran decided that they should head to Dras Leona, Helgrind to take care of the ra'zac, just before they took off; Arya came sprinting out a tent, a bag over her shoulder. "You two don't get all the fun! I'm coming."

"What? You can't you're supposed to go back to Ellesméra." Eragon said, ever though he would have enjoyed her company.

You're supposed to go back to Ellesméra, too Eragon. You're not done training." She retaliated.

Sapphira? Eragon asked.

Yes? She said.

Can you carry three of us?

Of course I can!" Sapphira retorted, sounding slightly insulted. "Everyone coming to Helgrind got on." Faster than Eragon had ever seen him move Roran was on Sapphira's back, once the three of them were on Sapphira began to beat her wings, and they shot off into the sky.

Chapter #2

It was the second day since Eragon, Roran, Arya, and Sapphira had left the burning plains on their way to Dras Leona. They were camped in a cave just north of a small village. Earlier that day Roran and Eragon had gone into town in search of a new pair of gloves for Eragon and by the time that they had returned Sapphira and Arya had a fire going with what looked like deer meet roasting over the flames.

"Good to see you have finally returned." Arya said when she saw them arrive.

"Did you manage to find a pair of gloves without being discovered?" (She was referring to when they had given themselves away in the town before, one day earlier.) Sapphira asked as both Roran and Eragon walked straight to the meat cooking on the fire.

"Yes, we did, (showing her his hands, he was wearing a new pair of leather gloves.) And is there anything but meat? I'm starved; I could probably eat as much as you could Sapphira. Eragon said as he lay down next to the fire.

"Why won't you eat meat, Eragon?" Roran asked with a slight grin. Does that mean I can have you share?

"You can also have mine; I too do not eat meat." Arya responded to his question, while walking over to her bag to retrieve a fresh salad.

"Is it an elf thing?" Roran seemed very confused. Eragon used to love meet.

Arya and Eragon shared looks of jest and Eragon started dishing the salad into small clay bowls Nasuada had given him.

"Yes, neither elves nor riders eat meat, and if you ever go to Ellesméra, you too will stop eating meat." Eragon said simply.

That night Eragon didn't get very much sleep, he was too nervous about what they were about to do. It didn't help that Roran was pacing past his head every few seconds. After twenty more minutes of trying to fall asleep, he gave up and decided to go over battle plans. What they wanted was Sapphira to take one of the Ra'zac while he and Arya killed the other. While that was happening Roran would run and get Katrina. They would fly down in groups of twos starting with Eragon, and Katrina, the Arya and Roran.

At dawn the four of them started their journey to Helgrind, instead of stopping inside Dras Leona, they wanted to be in and out of Helgrind as fast as possible. The Ra'zac were high up on Galbatorix's command list and if they were killed he would probably send Murtagh. Fighting Murtagh again would just be suicide; he wouldn't have mercy twice in a row.

Within twenty minutes they had arrived at the base of the mountain. Just before they began their ascent rocks began rolling down the mountain and about 50 feet from where they were a small portion of the cave lifted up to form a doorway. It was like the mountain had a mouth that had just opened up.

Eragon looked over at his cousin, Roran had gone very pale and his eyes were shinning he started moving slowly towards the door. Before he had moved 5 feet the Ra'zac's giant steeds came out of the gaping hole in the mountainside followed by the two Ra'zac, one of witch was shorter than the other, and a chained up Katrina!

"KATRINA! Roran screamed, running towards his fiancée.

With lightning speed the smaller of the Ra'zac pushed Roran up next to the mountain a sword at his neck. "Yyyyoouu! Let ussssss leave and wwwwe wwwwonn'tt killll yyyoouu nnnoowww. The Ra'zac hissed.

'What about Katrina!" Roran choked he was having a hard time breathing with the Ra'zac's sword at his neck.

"Goodbbyye Rrrrorrran." The larger ra'zac replied. "Offf tttooo Ceris." Then they mounted their steeds put a knife at Katrina's neck and said "Folllloww usssss annnd sssshhhee diiiieeeess! Give usss a thrrrreee dayyyy leeeaaad."

The next few days were very hard on Eragon, and even harder for Roran. "I don't see why we can't follow them now." Roran asked after two hours.

"We can't follow them because they'll scry us and kill Katrina. Eragon responded, then thought to himself (You don't want them to kill Katrina do you?) Eragon was getting very annoyed with his cousin, he had asked about following every ten minutes for the last two hours.

Chapter #3

Sapphira landed with a dull thud. They had been flying for most off the day and she was exhausted. They were in the middle of the Hadarac desert, on their way to Ceris which was on the far side of the desert north of Farthen Dur. The three of the climbed off of Sapphira's back.

"We should probably sleep here, Eragon can you get some water for us please I'm thirsty." Roran was tired and his voice was hoarse. He walked over and lay down in a drift of sand.

"Yeah, I'll get us some water, one second." But Roran wasn't listening he had just realized he was sinking slowly into the sand. When Eragon looked back over his cousin had disappeared. "RORAN! Eragon yelled running over to where Roran had just been.

"I'm okay! Roran replied.

Where are you? Arya asked walking over to where Sapphira was standing.

I'm in some sort of cavern, under the sand. And there are these weird glowing rocks down here, two of them. I'm lucky I landed on some really soft twigs and stuff. It didn't hurt at all. After that he added get Sapphira to dig me out. With that sapphira bent low and used on big claw to scoop away all of the sand revealing a small cave where Roran was sitting. After Sapphira had helped him out of the hole Eragon began talking to Roran and making sure he was okay.

"So you're okay? Asked Eragon.

"Fine." replied Roran.

"Eragon."

"Sure you're okay" Eragon said

"I'm fine" Roran seem a little annoyed

"Eragon!"

"Sure?" Eragon asked for a third time.

"ERAGON!" Sapphira was so loud Eragon covered his ears only to realize Sapphira was talking to him telepathically.

"What!" Eragon thundered.

"Those rocks Roran was talking about."

"Yes, what about them?" Eragon said.

"They aren't rocks." Sapphira said calmly.

"Then what are they?" Eragon asked sounding board.

"Dragon eggs." Arya said simply looking into the cave.

Chapter #4