"Listen well and I may tell you three things," the old werecat said creakily, "One is that your child will cause great wars to ceace, ones she herself had a hand in creating. The next is that she will grow up untamed and truthful. The last is that, on her third birthday, a single, seemingly irrelevant event will cause a great empire to begin to rise and corrupt this prosperous land, destroying the riders for many generations."
Both parents of the unnamed newborn stood wide-eyed in the middle of the path where the werecat had confronted them unexpectedly. Neither spoke as it walked slowly out of their way.
The mother looked silently down at her child, tears coming to her eyes. Such awful prophecies told of it's just beginning life! That she had been blessed with a child was rare, and to find her baby cursed was saddening.
"Do not worry yourself, Arabeth," the father, Eznol, said quietly, "She will grow up to be honest and wild, as the werecat said. As longas she has some future before her, be happy."
Arabeth smiled weakly, and the tars stopped. They continued forward towards th small home sung ito the base of an oak tree, where a young rider and his beautiful dragon sat alongside a much older dull brown dragon with a simple saddle on his back.
"Yes, young one? Do you come seeking advice in your trainig from a more experienced rider, or are you simply conversing with my boring old Ordanl?" Arabeth asked as they came within hearing range, her voice only shaking slightly.
"Actually," he said in bored tones, "Im here for a part of my magic training. When will we begin? I want to return to learning more advanced stuff as soon as possible."
She chuckled quietly, shaking her head.
"Come in, young man, and we will discuss your training before you are sent to bed."
He followed her and Eznol inside to the small lounge, and was told to wait there while the baby was put in her room.
"May I see her?" he asked interestedly. Arabeth hesitated only for a fraction of a second of a second at the base of the stairs before turnig and walking back toward him.
"Have you named her yet?" he asked. When Arabeth shook her head slightly, he looked surprised. "Why ever not?"
Eznol answered, sparing Arabeth the trouble of having to explain.
"We haven't had the chance, andwe don't know hwat to name her."
The boy blinked and whispered "Oh," then looked quietly at her pudgy face and smiled.
"I know what you could name her," he said slightly boastfuly. When neither parent said anything, he continued. "You could name her Sylvanna."
Eznol glanced at Arabeth just as she glanced at him. Both smiled.
"Sylvanna it is, then. I never thought a young rider would name my first child, but it fits perfectly," Eznol said laughingly as Arabeth nodded.
"And what is your name, young rider?" she asked, smiling more strongly than before, but still not truly.
"My name is Galbatorix, Ebrithil."
"Galba!" Sylvanna shouted happily as Galbatorix's now full-grown dragon landed in front of her small oak house.
Sylvanna was a year old, now, and looked forward to each time his training brought him back to their small corner of Ellesmera.
"Long time no see, little one," he said blandly. Even his bored tone couldn't dampen the little girl's spirit.
"Galba, I wanna see fire!"
He smiled briefly, then muttered "Brisingr" under his breath. A small flame danced in his palm, and he bent down to let Sylvanna see better.
"Will I be able do that?" she asked excitedly. Galbatorix looked at her clear, sharp eyes and couldn't help but smile again.
"Perhaps, if you work hard. Maybe you will get a dragon of your own someday, if you are strong enough."
She beamed at him.
" 'Course I'll strong enough, 'cause I wanna be like you when I'm bigger!"
The fire dissapeared from Galbatorix's palm, and he staightened.
"I only have three years of training left, but I'll finish it in half the time!" he promised the girl, and she tried to hug him. Unfortunately, he was a mite to tall.
"Galba, you need be shorter."
He laughed at her irritated tone and bent down to hug her. The scowl on her face dissapeared as soon as he did.
"Galbatorix, welcome back."
Arabeth stood in the doorway, smiling at the pair. Galbatorix stood immediately and bowed to his Ebrithil.
"Atra esterni ono thelduin," he said formaly.
"Mar'ranr lifa uin hjarta onr," she replied quietly.
"Un du evarinya ono varda," he finished.
"Happy birthday, Sylvanna!" a voice sang happily into her ear. The now three-year-old birl sat bolt upright in her bed, looking around for the perpetrator. She quickly recognized the face of her favorite young rider.
"Galba, you here!"
He beamed at her as she jumped up and flung her arms around his neck. Laughing, he swung her around in circles and she giggled lightheartedly.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world, even though I'm leaving on a trip later today. I won't be back for a while, but I'll come back when it's over, okay?"
She pulled away slightly and scowled at him.
"You better, Galba, or I'll be mad."
His expression sobered, and he answered seriously.
"Yes Ma'am."
She giggled at his stern features, and he put her down.
"I have a present to give you before I leave," he said mischievously.
"What's it, Galba? Show me!" she ordered eagerly. He nodded, looking serious again, and handed her a badly wrapped package.
"You can open it," he prompted when Sylvanna hesitated. She tore it open, revealing a long necklace.
"What's it, Galba?" she asked uncertainly, picking it up out of the ruind wrapping.
"It's an amulet, and it matches this ring. If we can cast a spell on them, it'll be very special," Galbatorix answered, showing her his hand, where a large, ornate ring sat on his middle finger.
"Why's not it have gem right there?" Sylvanna asked, pionting to the place where a stone would normaly be put.
"Do you want to do magic and put one there?" Galbatorix prompted, smiling one of his stunning smiles. "But your ma wouldn't want you to do magic like that so young, she'd be mad."
Sylvanna shook her head vigorously, wide-eyed.
"Mama won't care, she teach you magic all the time. She like magic."
Galbatorix looked troubled.
Most girls her age would know the dangers and decline, but she simply doesn't know anything about magic at all. And yet she completely refuses to not do it, he thought, puzzled for a moment. Sylvanna's expression was not only eager, but also ignorant.
"Alright, then, I want you to put you hand on the necklace," he said slowly, wondering what could compell her to try magic at all, "and let your mind open."
She did so, and he laid his hand on top of hers. The stoneles ring cold against her hand.
"Sylvanna, is there a wall in your mind?"
The voice startled her, and she closed her mind to the openess that had been all around her.
"Don't be afraid, it's just me," Galbatorix coaxed. She opened her mind again, and the voice returned.
"Can you find the wall, Sylvanna?"
She searched for a wall, and found a solid steel barrier in her way.
"It's big and hard. Same stuff as sword," she said, remembering the glint off of Galbatorix's sword and how hard it had felt when he had shown it to her a year ago.
"Good. Can you try to get through, open a door, something?"
"No door. No hole. How I get through?"
"Push on it, push until it breaks.
"But sword no break, not but other sword."
"Then make yourself a sword to break the wall."
Sylvanna didn't know exactly what he meant, but she started imagining proding at the wall with the point of a sword. To her surprise, it tore open after a few prods, letting power rush into her mind.
"Galba, it rip. What I do now?"
"Repeat what I say in yor mind out loud. I'll help if it takes to much energy."
The newfound energy was overwhelming her senses, there was to much of it trying to thrust its way out.
"Geuloth du knifr un Andlat fricai."
"Geuloth…" she started slowly, "du… knifr un Andlat… fricai."
The power whooshed out through her hand, leaving Slyvanna exhausted. Galbatorix looked equaly tired, but stood.
"You okay, Sylvanna?" he asked quietly. She nodded, and he bent down again to hug her gently. Then he turned and left the room.
Sylvanna was asleep before the door had completely closed.
"Good luck, finiarel. I hope you return soon and fullfill your duties to the riders," Eznol said in parting with Galbatorix.
Arabeth was not so formal.
"Galbatorix-finiarel, I see you have become quite fond of Sylvanna. Please visit her often even though your training is over and you have no reason to return here."
"Of course," he answered, "I will visit her. She is kind and honest and much more interesting to talk to than those with more experience in life. I promised her this morning when I spoke to her that I would return as soon as possible. I intend to keep that promise."
Arabeth nodded and bowed slightly.
"Then may your dragon be swift and your trip successful."
Galbatorix bowed back, then he and his dragon took off with languid grace into the sky.
The first chapter! It's really short, but hopefully later chapters will be longer. I didn't have much to go on with Galbatorix's personality, so he might seem a little wishy-washy in comparisson with the description CP gives us in the books. The nickname 'Galba' was made up on the spot. Not a very eventful chapter, but I hope you will read the second chapter: Years Pass!