A Dragon Rider in Middle Earth

Chapter 1: A strange new land

Talos pointed to the land that he and his dragon Dova were flying towards. Look Dova! He said with his mind, Do you think that could be Middle Earth? He felt Dova respond in between wing beats. She was obviously very tired, I hope it is. Although I am sure I have not wandered of course.

They flew towards the land and reached it within a few minutes. Dova flew towards mountains surrounded by forests and set down in the forest. I must rest here for a while. Dova said as she lay on the ground and her tongue lay out of her mouth. Talos sometimes forgot that even though Dova was a dragon who was well into her growth, she was still young and could run out of energy.

He slid out of the saddle and patted her on the side of her dark purple leg. You go ahead and rest. He told her, I'm going to go find some food. He began walking to the forest and stretched. He had spent roughly three days on the back of Dova. His muscles were cramped from staying in one position for so long. He walked about for a bit to loosen his stiff muscles then he sat cross-legged and rested his palms on his knees and shut his eyes and stretched out his mind to the world around him.

Most of what he sensed were too small for him and Dova to eat. Finally, he found a small herd of deer nearby as well as two rabbits. He touched their minds and whispered aloud, "Deyja." Then he tensed as he felt himself die six times. He stood and walked to where he felt the animals. He reached out and found Dova's mind and gave her his location. It was not long before she landed in the clearing.

She looked at the herd of deer and quickly ate the four of them. Talos sat and began a fire and started cooking the two rabbits. He ate them gratefully. Finally he lay against Dova's side and she placed a protective wing over him. It was not long before he fell asleep.

Talos awoke sometime later and he tapped Dova's ribs. She lifted her wing in response and he stood and walked out from under it. He looked at the sky and saw that it had to be just before dawn. He yawned and stretched and then began gliding through a series of poses known as the Rigmar.

As he did, He listened to the rhythmic rise and fall of Dova's breathing. She seemed to have drifted back asleep. He smiled and finished the Rigmar and sat on a long and meditated. He would have tried to catch food but his belly was still full from eating the two rabbits.

After what he guessed was an hour of meditation he opened his eyes. At the same time, the dark purple dragon in front of him opened her eyes in front of him as well. He stretched once more and climbed into the saddle on her back and patted the base of her neck.

Ready? He asked her. All he received from her was warm joy for the anticipation of flight. She beat her wings once and they lifted off of the ground and rose above the trees. Talos surveyed the landscape around them. He pointed to the south-east. It looks like there is some rivers off in that direction. It'd be best to stay close by the water in case we need to refill our water.

And in which direction is Minas Tirith? Dova asked him. Talos frowned, I don't know. He admitted. And that was the truth. Eragon had instructed him to fly to the east until he reached a new land and that land would be Middle Earth but he did not tell him how to find the city of Minas Tirith. Learning to find unfamiliar places without a map is a skill a rider needs though. Talos said after a moment, Perhaps he purposely withheld the information from us. Dova let out a puff of smoke, we do not even know if we are in Middle Earth. We must find out that first. If we do not come by a town in three days I shall turn away from the coast and then we shall seek out a town.

Talos formed an argument but then sighed, Agreed. He said. Dova then began flying forward and Talos began surveying the land for any villages or towns. He did not see any. How odd that there is no port towns. Talos thought to himself. Even Alagaesia has a few port towns. The fact that he saw no port towns bothered him. It seemed…unnatural.

They continued flying until a few hours after nightfall then stopped on the plains for the night. Talos sat against Dova's leg and stared into the camp fire. He wondered why Eragon was having him do this. Eragon had told him that after he and Dova traveled to the land of Middle Earth, learned from King Aragorn, the elves of that land, and the one known as Gandalf The White he would no longer be considered students and would be independent riders.

The way Eragon had set up the way the new Rider's would be trained was odd. In the land's east of Alagaesia, a rider and their dragon would spend their first few years together under not only his and Saphira's tutelage but also the Riders who have chosen to stay and teach the others. After the third year when the rider has acquired enough experience and the dragon has grown to a proficient size as well as also gaining experience the Riders were allowed to leave to find their own place to settle. However, shortly after they do, they are given one last task to do and then they are considered independent but will still be able to contact Eragon and Saphira for advice.

He sighed and reached his mind out to Dova, Shall we have a short game of riddles before we rest? Dova hummed mentally touched his mind, I have forests with no trees, lakes with no water, and plains without grass. What am I? Talos considered for a moment and after he replied, A map. He began thinking of a riddle. It was hard to stump a dragon when it came to a game of riddles, I am not touched but often held if you have wit you will use me well…what am I? Dova lay silent for a bit and after a minute she touched Talos' mind once more your tongue? Talos smiled, "Aye." He once again lay down to sleep.

In the morning the two continued flying to the southeast following the coast and they reached the second river since they had come across since they left the forest. Talos asked Dova to land as he needed a rest. Dova would not admit to it but he could tell that she need was starting to need a rest as well.

Talos slid out of the saddle as Dova landed. He proceeded to walk to the river and knelt to fill his wineskin. I will return. Dova said, I saw some deer that looked rather plump. She took to the skies and went back the way they came.

Talos filled his wineskin and stood and whispered a spell he had been taught to remove any impurities from water. Then he took a drink. He wiped his lips and replaced the wineskin on his belt and then he looked to his left to see the landscape and was shocked to see someone staring back at him. He raised a hand in greeting.