Somehow, the news came in like a whisper in the breeze. Unknown to anyone but me. Anasyl. My father was in espionage for the Empire, and he got encoded letters, so many letters in fact, that the single one he read aloud, I could decipher all 15 others from. My fear for him was unapparent, and it wasn't until that one day in the mountains that I had a reason too.

My three brothers and I would always go hunting at the end of the week, or once we ran out of game from the previous venture. Kencet, my oldest brother, led the parade, since he had the sharpest eyes. Lordis and Wartak, my other two brothers, traveled behind me, and often broke from the group after an hour or so. Today I felt strong, so I walked along side Kencet, once Lordis and Wartak had departed. Lordis made a habit of pulling me back whenever I was on the verge of finding a kill, because he knew I was a master of the senses, and he had slow reflexes. Who would want their younger sister killing the alpha male before he even knew it was there?

"Don't venture too far! You remember what happened last time!" Kencet shouted to the two. Wartak was silent, and took off anyway. Lordis gave a mocking smile as I laughed. Last time, both Wartak and Lordis were chasing a rabbit, and had fallen right over a hill and into a puddle of mud. They lost the rabbit. They ruined their clothes. They broke all of their arrows. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen in my life. Not to Kencet, who had to spend all week making more arrows, since my father blamed him for the incident.

"They wont listen to you brother. Please come…I sense something…" I said to him. He ignored me, watching Lordis' back disappearing along the horizon.

"Stay here—"

"You aren't going after them are you?"

"Stay here Anasyl. I'll be back soon." He said, kissing my forehead, ignoring my confusion. He ran off, and I stood there, in the comfort of silence, blowing of leaves, and dense trees surrounding me. I turned my head as I heard a footstep behind me. I saw the buck, coming to explore the grass a yard or two from where I was standing. Silently, I rolled sideways, into the bush behind the tree. I took out my bow, I saw the buck put its head down, and I froze. On the ground before it, was a huge black rock, perfectly round, black on the edges, blending perfectly into silver. Unintentionally, I stepped sideways on a stick, and the buck tore away with the life of him.

"ANASYL?" I heard a voice shout from a distance. I took this chance, and ran out of my bush, and I stopped in front of the rock. I picked it up, and immediately, it began to shine, and I put it in my quiver, just as Kencet came running down the path. Lordis and Wartak were holding a row of small game, three rabbits and four birds.

"I told you not to move."

"I'm sorry, I saw a buck and I had to hide--"

"You saw a buck? Where did it go?" Wartak asked, throwing the rack to the ground, and he and Kencet took out their weapons. I pointed Northeast, and they tore in that direction. Lordis stood there in disbelief, his arms crossed. I walked over, and picked up the rack. The strong stench of decay hit my nose, and I pulled the arrows from the animals' chests. Lordis walked right next to me, and picked up the other end.

"There's no time for small jobs like that. We have to preserve these at the hut first. Wartak and Kencet will return. We don't have to wait for them." He said, and he made me carry the rack back home.

Chapter 2

As I was busy plucking about 600 feathers off one quail, and Lordis was smoking the rabbit meat with crusted salt, We heard cheering outside. I dropped the carcass , and ran outside. Coming from the woods was my buck, on the shoulders of my brothers. AS happy as I was it was caught, they were getting the attention that I needed. I should have killed that buck. Then I could lead the hunt next week. My father gave Kencet a big hug and kiss, and my mother stared from inside the house. Lordis returned to the rabbit, knowing that in a few moments, a huge 150 pound male deer was about to be laid on the table. Kencet took me over to him, in the corner.

"Let me take this one. I know you led us to it, so I'll give you one next week. Whatever I catch next week, I'll give it to you." He said, and I shook his hand. That was the hope I had. My favorite brother's word.

It took us a good few days to cure and salt all the venison, and we still had 50 pounds when Hunting day came. We would not need to hunt this week. Kencet's promise was worth nothing.

The rock I had was getting larger by the day, and by Friday, it took me a while to find a hiding place for it in my room. My house was big, since my father was a powerful man, and my mother sold tapestries on the Market. She was always in her room, sewing more and more, with her antler knitting needles and hand-woven string. My 3 brothers could usually be found with their friends, somewhere in The Spine. Father let them go for days at a time. But never me. I had to stay and learn mother's trade, my fate, weaver's apprentice. Just what I've always wanted to do with my life.

I looked over to my dresser, and I saw the rock move on its own. I froze. Rocks don't move….it twitched again, and fell off the end table with a crack. I ran over too it, and picked it up. I still don't know what I was hoping for when I picked it up, but certainly not what it was. The surface wasn't smooth anymore, not because of the crack on one side, but the surface was covered with bumps. It jerked again, out of my hands, and under my bed. This time I stopped it with my hand, but when I grabbed the bumpy side, I turned it over to see a pair of eyes watching me. I was shocked, and almost dropped it. The rest of the rock, (which turned out to be a egg), broke away, and there was a big black winged dragon in its place. I did end up dropping it, only when its foot hit the center of my hand, and it burned. The tiny dragon landed on my bed, and sniffed around. I knew it would tolerate me, if I could tolerate it. In the center of my hand was the gedwey ignasia, something I've only read about in history books. And it was in the shape of my dragon's little back foot, claws and all. I looked down to see it looking right into my eyes.

"I am going to be in so much trouble…" I noticed, since my father worked for Galbatorix to track down people with dragons, he would be shocked to find out there was one in his own house, and he would have to torture his own daughter. But then I noticed the good part. I had a pet dragon. It was my dragon. I am I Rider….

Chapter 3

It took me a while to fit this dragon into my daily activities, 5 hours of knitting, preparing the meals, and harvesting the garden. In between those time consuming actions, I had to feed it, bathe it, rebuild its house (that thing destroyed its hut at least 6 times a day on purpose…I swear) and giving it love. It was a very mushy gushy thing, and it's liked when I held it. Now that I had the gedwey ignasia, I could touch it no problem and it could play with me. I loved its black scales with silver sheen, and its eyes were deep emerald green. One thing that confused me was its gender. No matter how playful it was, and no matter how much it allowed me to hold it, I couldn't find where to check its gender. Its stomach was gray and all small scales. And every time I managed to get a split second peek at its underside, it struggled, and would even nip my finger. I kept it hidden in the woods, letting it catch its own food, and let would find its own home ( I gave up on the whole hut thing, considering how much it liked to knock it down).

"ANASYL! ANASYL!" I heard my mother call. It was time for my weaving. I put the dragon on the ground, (who was growing bigger, and was almost the size of my leg) followed me from the woods, and I turned just in time to tap its nose, and point to the blackness of the woods. It looked at me with pleading eyes, and I smiled. It was my first pet, of course I spoiled it and tended its every need. But this time was different.

"go…into the woods….go catch a bird. Have dinner…" I pointed again, and it ran away, making the ground shake a little.

"Anasyl?" asked a voice behind me. I jumped. When I turned around, my mother was standing there with a boy, a young man actually, with red hair and a fair face.

"Anasyl, this is Roran. He is here to mill with Kencet the day after you hunt with them. I thought you'd like to get to know him, considering he will be staying in your room with you." She said, smiling, putting her hand on the boy's shoulder. What? A BOY sharing his room with me? Why couldn't he sleep in Kencet's room? I hated him already. He would steal my privacy.i forced a smile, and said:

"Nice to meet you." He smiled, while before wondering what he would say if I disobeyed my mother. As soon as the ice broke, I heard a crash from the woods…that damn dragon…I thought, and I stopped him from looking in that direction.

"Would you like me to show you the property?" I asked him, grabbing his shoulder, and cocking my head so he saw my inquisitive look. He smiled.

After the grand tour, Roran went with my brothers to The Spine, since he had never been there before. They would not be home for days, since he would have to see everything, and relive every memory on the 8 hour horse ride. This was my chance for revenge against Kencet and Wartak for killing my buck. I had the dragon, it could track down game with the best of them.

Anasyl?

I froze. Was that out loud?

Anasyl…? I didn't answer. I only ran into the woods to find that dragon. I was getting too creeped out. In the woods, I was searching for what seemed like 2 hours, and I found no trace of the beast, not even a foot print. When I found a broken twig on the ground, I bent over to look at it, and I heard a branch snap behind me, and before I could turn around, a rush of black enveloped my eyes, and I couldn't see, and a hand clapped over my mouth. I felt many hands all over me, searching for weapons, and then my arms, twisted behind me, were tied at the wrist mercilessly. I was blindfolded, left ungagged, but that black molded leather glove over my mouth was what held my screams in it, and was all I could smell. Decaying flesh, and it seemed like those hands had killed things on their own, no need for a sword. Not being able to see, I was led blindly through the woods, and only was pushed to the ground where I smelled a merry fire. As I rolled over, my ankles were bound together by yet another pair of hands. I heard indistinct muttering, and I groaned. Not even a split second after I uttered a noise, I felt cold steel against my throat.

"not another sound from you girl. Or you'll not see again." The manly voice said. It was deep, and had a mistiness to it, and I knew what this man was. He was a Ra'zac. I was captured by a group of Ra'zac, and I could venture to guess one name who had sent them to find me, possibly one of the last Rider's. Galbatorix.

I had nothing to do but wait.

Chapter 4

What was I waiting for? A chance to fight? Someone to save me? I knew I only had one hope, that my dragon had found a good hiding place. During my thoughts, I felt a hand grab my right. I heard a slight chuckle, and then a grunt.

"She has the mark."

"Excellent."

I was lifted off the ground by one arm and my auburn hair, and my blindfold was removed. There stood a Shade. I was stricken with sudden fear partnered by the biggest shock of my life. His maroon eyes flickered with delight at the sight of my shocked face.

"Where is it? Where is your dragon?' he asked, showing fang-like teeth. I shook my head, and knew this was the end. I really didn't know where my dragon was. He threw me to the ground, and kicked my chest. I coughed blood, and sputtered as I choked on it. He only laughed.

"You are a pathetic excuse for a Rider. It would be kind of me to kill you now. But considering you are in good company…" he said, and I looked over my shoulder. On the other side of the clearing was a boy, bound just like myself, and I squinted my eyes to see if he was still alive. His chest moved steadily up and down, and his eyes flickered. I turned my attention back to the Shade.

"NOW! I will ask you one last time…." I broke down. The girl I was. I was humiliated, crying in front of a Shade, over the dragon that didn't come to my aid. I didn't know what I cried for, but I was certainly not about to plead for my life.

"I do not know where it is…" I said, and the Shade's face hardened.

"It does not have a name?" that was it. I just handed him a dragon free-card. This meant the dragon had not accepted me as its master, and anyone who told it any name at all would become it. He smiled at my stupidity.

"You stupid girl. YOU! Go find the dragon." He said. Almost immediately there was a screech over head, and I looked up to see a huge deep blue dragon swoop down and stomp on the Ra'zac who just tried to leave the clearing, the one who was sent after my dragon. The giant beast roared in the Shade's face, and he took out his sword. The dragon was a step ahead, grabbed the boy with her talon, flew around in a circle, and then took me in her other. Clearly, even though I weight less than 100 pounds, my weight and the boy's together were a little too much for the dragon, and it was sinking lower and lower. And I felt my first journey in the air with my hands bound, and my clothes disheveled beyond repair. But I heard flapping wings beneath me, and I saw my black dragon flying below. How big it was! About ¾ the size of the one carrying us, and I smiled as it looked at me. As we landed, I was shocked as the blue dragon dropped me, and mine caught me between its wings. The descent was horrific. Clearly this dragon had just learned to fly, and I was sea sick , and feeling ready to die. I didn't dare sit up, with fear of seeing where I was going. It slowed down as we reached the ground, and I slid off of it on accident. It was a long fall, and I landed on my side, since my mobile skills were tied with ropes. The blue dragon has already released its Rider from the restraints, and he was standing, and he patted her nose with strong worker's hands. I cleared my throat loudly, and a pang went through my side.

"Here, allow me…" he said, and running over, limping, he undid my bonds. I wondered what happened to my dragon, and he seemed to be confused of how I came about being there. Then my dragon landed at his side, and roared in his face. He looked unmoved, and the big blue dragon ran over with malice, and chased my dragon away. I panicked

"STOP!" I yelled. And the dragons desisted, mine looking guilty, and the blue one like it had won. I gave a disgusted look at the boy, and walked over to my dragon. It bowed its head to me, but I kissed its nose, and rubbed beneath its chin. It growled lowly, and bent his head into it. I smiled. I turned back to the boy, who was standing there, cleaning his sword. It was a red blade, unlike any I had ever seen.

"That's a nice sword." I said, looking at it with a mixture of wonder and jealousy. He reminded me of Lordis.

"Who are you?" he asked, inquisitive. I looked down.

"My name is Anasyl. I see you have a dragon too? What's its name?" I asked, walking over. The blue dragon looked at me with loving eyes, and I apologized to her silently for yelling at her protection towards the boy. My black dragon was going low, and walked over very slowly. The blue dragon looked up at it, and I smiled.

"Her name is Saphira. My name is Eragon."

"Hello Saphira." I said to the dragon, and she lifted her magnificent head, and touched my shoulder. The familiar burning came without surprise, and I was graced with two gedwey ignasia's. My dragon immediately swarmed over and pushed me back with it's nose, but I bent over under it's chin and went back over to Eragon, and I gave my dragon a warning look.

"Eragon? Would you happen to know any names?"

"Names?"

"Yes…" I cleared my throat nervously. "any…dragon names?" I asked. He watched me in disbelief.

"Your dragon is not named?" I shook my head. He bent over, his hand under his chin, trying to remember some. His dragon tilted her head to his level, and he came up with a few.

"Hirador, Fundor, Lenora, Ophelia, Roslarb, Beroan, Gretiem, Briam, Jura, Galzra--" at that last name, my black dragon flapped its wings, I smiled and walked over.

"Galzra?" I asked. My dragon looked ecstatic, and I ran over and jumped with it. I immediately saw that Eragon was too serious to deal with me for more than a couple of days, and I desisted, clearing my throat, and ended it with patting Galzra's nose with my hand.

"Sorry. I see your dragon is more serious than mine. But I believe fellow Rider, that your dragon saved my life. And I give humble thanks. I have to tell you a secret." I said.

He won't believe you Anasyl. Galzra said. I jumped, and looked over at it.

One more question?

Ask away.

Are you a male?

Yes. And I must say, Saphira is very beautiful.

She's too old for you. I heard him grunt. I chuckled. The sun was going down, and it was getting dark. Eragon started to make a fire.

"I'm not serious. I've just can't let my guard down again. I sent another friend of mine to bury someone for me." He said, not looking at me. I turned my head. The fire was built, and he was sitting on the ground, his chin resting on his bent knees. I sat down cross-legged next to him. Galzra came around behind me, and Saphira behind Eragon.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. You didn't know." He said, still not looking at me.

"I have to tell you something…"

"Please do. There's nothing you can say that will upset me more." He said, and then he looked at me. "Why?" he asked, and now was my turn to look awkward.

"My father. He's working for the Empire, and he's out to find Rider's, track them down, and force---"

"I know what the Empire does. It's Galbatorix's way, no highway option. You work for him or die." He interrupted. I nodded.

"So you are hiding from your own father?" I nodded again. Eragon looked away.

Why did I not know this?

I could not speak to you until I learned your name. forgive me?

I never got an answer.

Chapter 5

Our conversation lasted throughout the night.

"If we could hide Saphira and Galzra in The Spine, I could take you to my house. You can have some venison, and meet my family." I offered. He considered it.

"We could. But how long would we stay? You've been gone all today, probably all of yesterday…do you think they will accept this? You disappearing into the woods and coming back with a young man like myself?" he made a good point.

"I'm not taking no for an answer. Saddle up." I said. He smiled slightly, and leapt onto Saphira, who stood up, and flew away before I even reached Galzra.

Not quite inviting are they? Galzra asked as I got on him. I laughed out loud.

No, they aren't.

Would you like to ditch them?

No. I think I have a responsibility now. So please, grow up a little and act more like Saphira. please?

She gave you a sacred mark…why wouldn't you want me to act like her? Come now, you are not acting sensible.

I am acting sensible enough. It doesn't matter if I had her mark or not, I would still want to repay her for saving my life, and she found me before you I might add.

Only because you were in the same clearing as her Rider. If you were one foot more to the left, she would not have even seen you.

I desisted. I mounted Galzra again

Do not go too fast. I have not done this before. With no answer, Galzra took off slowly, making sure I was comfortable, despite my nervousness. Getting up high enough was the worst part. We had to scope out which way Carvahall was, where Eragon and Saphira were, and not going too low to crash, and not too high to be seen.