Story: The Hidden

Author: PoLkAdOtFeAtHeRs

Setting: Ellesmera, Du Weldenvarden

Time I Started Writing: 11:14 PM on Saturday, August 26, 2007

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It was stormy outside Eragon's tree house. Lightning illuminated the interior through the thin membranes that covered the door and window openings. It was restless sleeping for the dragon and Rider, thunder jarred them awake every boom.

Saphira! Eragon said. I can't sleep!

You aren't the only one, you know. Saphira said derisively. This thunder is bound to keep us all up, if it can bother you, Stone-ears!

Okay, I get it. Eragon said. However, we still can't sleep.

Eragon! Saphira cried suddenly.

All right, sorry! I'll stop blathering about my needs.

No! There's someone outside!

What? In this weather? Everyone's inside!

Maybe that's why, Saphira commented ominously

"I'm going to check it out," Eragon declared. "You had better not come, your wings might get caught."

OUTSIDE

Outside, a cloaked figure crouched on the ground, thin fingers searching the dirt frantically. The figure crawled hurriedly to another patch of dirt, and repeated, sifting the ground.

"Who are you? What are you doing?" Eragon called. The figure froze, cringing. Very, very slowly, it rose and faced him. It was a half an inch shorter than him and it's face was shadowed.

"Who are you?" he repeated. The figure still did not answer. Eragon had the feeling that its brain was working furiously, trying to decide whether to lie, tell the truth, or run. A flash of lightning illuminated them both. Seconds too late, the girl rose her arms to hide her face, but Eragon had seen her.

"What are you doing? You," he pointed a finger accusingly, "are not an elf." She huffed.

"Neither are you!"

"Not technically, but I'm allowed here."

"What makes you think I'm not?" she asked swiftly, hands on hips, weight resting on one foot, head cocked arrogantly.

"If you were, why would you be trying to hide?"

"Ah. Touché."

"Now, I'm going to ask again: who are you, and what are you doing?"

She opened her mouth to speak and was cut off:

"Keep in mind I'll know if you're lying."

"Fine!"

"What are you doing?" he asked again, confident he would get a proper response.

"Standing."

"Ah-hem."

"Er, righto, breathing?" No response. "Blinking?" Nothing. "Uh...getting wet."

"Let's try a different one, shall we? Who are you?"

"A girl?"

"I'm serious." She looked down, clearly thinking hard.

"I am...no one you know."

"Your name, then? So I can meet you properly." Again she bent her head. When she looked up, she held disappointment in her eyes.

"I've got nothing clever."

"Oh! I know! You could just tell me, right out, who you are and what you're doing here!"

"Er, no, I'd rather not, thanks."

Saphira, Eragon grumbled. Will you help me? Saphira mentally rolled her eyes and clambered clumsily from the tree house. As she entered the girl's line of view, her eyes widened.

"I seemed to have forgotten to mention something, haven't I?" Eragon asked innocently.

"N-nothing of great detail, I'm sure," she replied, voice quavering. Saphira ambled gracefully over and stood directly in front of the girl. A flash of lightning, a rush of rain, and a great boom of thunder scared her out of her trance and caused her to jump skittishly and fall on her backside.

"Oomph! I - er, meant to do..." she trailed off eyes widening. Flipping herself over, she began to crawl once again. Suddenly she plunged her right hand deep into the earth. How, Eragon knew not, but he called out once more, "What are you doing?"

"Shut it, Yattermouth!" she called back. "Just...watch." The words were forced, as if she was exerting a lot of energy. They gathered around her, curious.

The girl tried fruitlessly to tug her hand out of the earth. "Damn." she muttered, inserting her left hand now. Bracing her feet, she pulled with all her strength. Whatever it was holding her in came loose, throwing her off balance and tossing her to the ground again. Frightened, she hurriedly checked her hands, which Saphira and Eragon could see were holding an oblong object. She whipped out a cloth and polished it carefully, then stuffed it in her rucksack.

"Hey, what is that?"

"Please, use your brain and guess."

What is it, Saphira? he asked.

A dragon egg! she responded, surprised.

"A dragon egg?"

"Mm-hmm." she said by way of affirmation.

"Really? A dragon egg?" he asked, eyes wide. She rolled her eyes, exasperated.

"No, it's a corncob! Of course it's a dragon egg, I already covered this with you!"

"How did you find it?"

She twiddled her fingers in the air mysteriously. "Maaagic!"

"No, really," Eragon said, thinking she was joking.

"No, really, maaagic!" She waggled her fingers again.

"Magic?"

"No, maaagic." she waved her fingers again.

"Maaagic."

"Do the finger thing."

"Like - oh for goodness' sake! Just answer the question!"

"What were we talking about?" she asked. Eragon cried out.

"Okay, you," he pointed to her. "Are coming with us," he pointed to himself and Saphira. "And we are going to get some answers out of you."

But first, tell us your name, or we'll have to probe your mind. Saphira called.

The girl glared at them. "You could have just let me be, saving your world and my world and your race and my family all by my lonesome, but no, you have to come in and possibly ruin it all! It's Max. You're not getting any more than that."

K, so I, like, changed it around a wee bit…and yes, for those who read it, I have made this into a Maximum Ride, Eragon CROSSOVER. Because I'm jazzy like that…nah, really, I'm just clinically obsessed and see connections everywhere. Max used to be a random OC who I called Baina, but I reread it after writing it last year, with almost those exact quotes, and it just screamed Max…sooo, there you have it! Taadaa!

Don't be alarmed by Max's apparent magic – I'm sure I'm not the only one who hates it when she gets to suddenly become a Rider, or a witch, etc. IT SUCKS! But this is not going to be normal - at all. TRUST me. I will SHOCK YOU ALL! Bwah ha ha!