Hey readers! I've got a new story! For those fans of fantasy/adventure books, I think this story would be a nice read. This story is my continuation of the Inheritance Cycle. After reading the last book in the IC, I felt there were a lot of questions left unanswered and that the ending of the Cycle did the whole IC no justice. So, I decided I wanted to provide closure for myself, and many other fans who feel disappointed about the conclusion to the IC. That, and I want to provide myself and fans with more IC entertainment. I may not just be a big geek and scifi nerd, but I'm also a fan of fantasy. I may not be as crazy about dragons as I used to be when I was little, but I still hold the IC close to my heart. So, I created a continuation of the IC, because I want to see the main character embark on more perilous adventures, meet new friends and foes, and discover things previously unknown to history. So, I won't leave a big letter for you guys up here to read, so go on and read that story! P.S.: If you don't know about the IC, then I recommend you start reading the book Eragon, and continue through the IC. Then you'll be able to keep up with this story. Enjoy! P.S.S.: I'd really appreciate it if those of you who read this story to PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! I'm still a novice writer after 6 years, and I'd like for your feedback on my writing so that I may improve! That way, with your feedback I can write better stories for you the readers to ENJOY!

NOTE: Although this is a medieval themed fantasy story, there will be some scifi elements within the story. I have yet to figure out when I will put those elements in, but I know that I want to. I mean, c'mon. I'm a scifi nerd. You had to have known that I'd have scifi elements in my new story, right? But don't worry, there's no space travel and all that stuff. No space ships, no aliens, no Stargates and no planets exploding. This is set in a medieval type world, so it will remain a down-to-earth story.


2/29/12


Eldäriän

By: Filip Lesiczka

This story was written by Filip Lesiczka. Please do not reproduce or distribute without permission.

This story is in no way affiliated with Christopher Paolini, the Inheritance Cycle or Alfred A. Knopf. This is a fan fiction. No part of this story is associated with the happenings and events of the Inheritance Cycle. This is just my version of a continuation to the story that Christopher Paolini has completed. I am only providing answers for myself, and so many other fans who feel justice hasn't been served for an amazing series of books. All names and characters mentioned in the Inheritance Cycle are copyrighted to Christopher Paolini and Knopf. No copyright infringement is intended in this story. I own only the names and characters that I have created for this story. Again this is only a fan fiction, and I aim to only provide entertainment for myself and many fans, as well as closure.


Chapter 1

The Start of Something

Roran sighed as he placed the quill on his desk. He stood up from the chair and walked to the window of his private study. He rolled his shoulders, shifting the weight of the fur pelt that hung from the shoulders of his fine blue and red shirt down to his shoulder blades. He peered through the rain streaked glass and through the curtains of rain. The rain pounded and pattered against the pane of glass as sporadic gusts of wind pushed the rain in confused directions.
Roran was fed up with all of this rain, for it had been almost a week since this unrelenting cascade of water began. It was raining so hard that he could barely make out the stone roofing of Horst's large estate just below the cliff Roran's own estate sat atop of. He could just make out the faint shadows of other homes just beyond the fence line of Horst's estate. A single ball of orange light appeared out of the rain and quickly bobbed up and down in the direction of Horst's home, but quickly veered to the right and began heading up the cobblestone stepped path that lead up to Roran's estate.
Roran watched the bobbing orange light for a few moments until it disappeared from his view behind the wooden frame of the window. He stepped away from the window and walked towards the large single dark wooden door. He paused with his hand on the door handle, admiring the elaborate designs in the polished wood, and the various carvings depicting Roran's victorious battles during his time in the Varden. The carvings were confined within a large oval, split into three sections.
A single circle rested in the very center of the carvings, where the divisions would have intersected. In this circle were four gold figurines, two dragons, one elf and one human. The larger dragon stood behind the human, with its head just above the humans head. The curve of its neck formed part of the perimeter of the circle it stood within. The smaller dragon stood behind the elf, with its head pointed slightly upwards towards the larger dragon. The elf and the human were both facing one another, but turned slightly outwards so that the features of their faces could be recognizable. They held each others hands and both were smiling.
Roran had seen these golden figurines many hundreds of times, but it always fascinated him how lifelike the dwarves had made the figurines appear. Both dragons and the human and elf were hand forged and crafted from a single piece of solid gold by one of Orik's most skilled blacksmiths. He marveled at the shear detail the dwarf had put into this artwork. It was a gift Roran had received from Orik when the dwarf king visited Palancar Valley to check on the progress that had been made on the new village that Roran had established, which he named Oestaerya. Roran had wanted to give the village the name Carvahall, but upon Horst's and Katrina's insistence, as well as the majority of the villagers, Roran decided to invent a new name for it. That was four and a half years ago, when the village was given a new name, and when Orik visited.
Roran broke his train of thought, opened the door and left his study. He turned and closed the door. This side of door was identical in design and carvings to the side on the inside of his study. Every detail was precisely accurate to match and mirror the opposite side of the door; even the golden figurines in the center of the door were identical to the one Roran had just finished admiring. His eyes quickly fell upon the gold human figurine before he turned and walked down the hallway towards the main section of his estate. His boots thumped softly on the hard wood floor of the hallway.
He sighed, and he thought about Eragon again, just as he had been for years now. It had been five and a half years since he and Eragon had parted with one another on the banks of the Edda River; five and a half years since the last he saw of Eragon and Saphira was the sail of the ship slowly growing smaller and smaller on the horizon before it finally dipped beneath the thin shimmering line of the horizon. Eragon had not contacted him at all since then. I wonder how far they have traveled, Roran thought to himself. I wonder if they have managed to find a place to settle down.
Roran descended two flights of stone stairs and emerged into a grand hallway which the front entrance led into. He walked across the elegantly woven rug that Nasuada had given to him before he left Ilirea, a rug that had been recovered from the rubble of one of the treasure rooms inside the citadel. …I wonder if they're alright. Walking across the length of the stone floor to the two doors of the entrance to his estate, he reached for the handle of the door on the right, opened it, and greeted his visitor.
It was Horst. He was out of breath and soaked to the bone, and perhaps shivering from the cold. The torch in his hand was burning weakly. His fur coat had water droplets clinging to every hair, making it look as if it were covered with thousands of little diamonds. And the look on his face told Roran that something had happened. "Horst," he said. "What brings you here on such a bleak afternoon?"
After a moment, Horst regained his breath and spoke in a rush, with a trace of excitement in his voice, "Roran, all this rain has caused part of the cliff face near the edge of the village to collapse." He wiped the water from his nose and his forehead as it dripped from his wet hair.
"Was anyone hurt?" Roran asked.
Horst shook his head, "No, but it has exposed something…unusual."
This caught Roran's attention, "Unusual, you say?"
"A good forty feet of rock has fallen away from the cliff," Horst said with a nod. "Also, about two stories up, there is an opening."
"A cave opening?"
"Nay… it's too precise to be a cave opening. It appears to be man made."
This peaked Roran's interest, as nothing intriguing as this had occurred in a very long while, "Is there any access to it?" Horst shook his head in response, "Very well. When and if this rain stops anytime soon, we'll go down to see what all the excitement is all about."

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Eragon thrust his head into the cold glacial water that cascaded down into a deep hole below the top of the two hundred foot rock face it fell from. He held his head in the waterfall for a few seconds before pulling back, throwing his head back so his wet hair fell on the back of his neck. Streams of the ice cold water ran down the groove of his back that his spine made, sending shivers through his body from head to toe. He spit some of the water that had dripped into his mouth, and grimaced when the silt in the water grinded between his teeth.
He walked back to where he had placed his tunic and a fine cloth towel on a large boulder just a few feet away from the bank of the glacial stream. He reached down and picked the towel off the boulder, tossed it onto his head and vigorously dried his hair. Once he was satisfied that his hair was dry, he put his tunic back on, and walked back down the game trail he had used to get there. He carefully made his way through the maze of dead branches that stuck out at him from the many alpine pine trees that grew there.
These alpine pines were similar to those of the pine trees he was familiar with from The Spine. The bark was similar to the pines of The Spine, but the branches had upwards of about twenty thin and flexible needles on each bud. These pines, which he called fir trees, grew only in the upper reaches of the ring of mountains that made up the basin in which he had decided to settle and build the next city of the Riders.
For almost two hours, Eragon made his way down the side of the mountain through the maze of fir trees. When he finally emerged from the trees below the alpine level, he stopped at the edge of a small drop-off, and beheld the sight before him. It was the inner basin of the ring of mountains in which he had settled, a beautiful sight that none in the land of Alagaësia may have never seen before and perhaps never see.
This ring of mountains that were just as tall as those of The Spine, perhaps much taller, mystified him and the elves. These mountains were nestled within a large expanse of forest. The nearest mountain chain was more than fifty miles away to the northeast. Why there was a perfect ring of mountains in the middle of a sea of trees, Eragon could not answer. The elves had measured the diameter of the ring of mountains, and found it to be about twelve miles from the top of one mountain, to the top of another mountain on the opposite side of the ring. The basin the mountains formed was much lower than the rest of the surrounding landscape, sinking nearly half a mile below the ground level outside the ring.
A single small rocky peak rose up from the flat expanse of the depression in the very center of the basin, rising about six hundred feet above the floor of the basin. It was on the top of that small rocky peak that Eragon had built his home, a massive stone castle which he had constructed from the very stone of that mountain. With the help of Saphira and the elves, as well as the eldunari, it took them almost a year of singing to mold and shape just the foundation of the structure. It took them longer than they had expected for they discovered that the rock that made up the mountain was rich in iron. Over the course of the next two and a half years, Eragon took to constructing his new home from the stone of the top of the mountain, which he had removed with magic. Saphira helped as well, moving the much larger boulders that Eragon could not move with magic himself.
By the time they had finished, the palace rivaled the stone structures of Dorú Areaba. It was not just his home, but Saphira's as well. The hallways and corridors were large enough for her and another dragon to walk comfortably side by side. The rooms were large enough for Saphira to spread her wings and the central courtyard was big enough for at least twenty dragons of Saphira's size to stand in.
Once his home was finished, Eragon helped Blödhgarm and the rest of the elves build their own homes directly below his own. Theirs were not as large as his castle, but were still large enough to house dragons within their walls. For the remaining year and a half Eragon helped with building their estates, and laying down walkways and paths between each of their homes and even his. After finishing that, a large path was constructed down the side of the mountain, leading from Eragon's estate down to the flat expanse of the basin floor below.
And today was the day when work on the first buildings of the new city of the Riders had begun. Eragon's eyes moved from the central peak to the winding path that led from the top of the mountain, then down to the end of the path. More would be added on to the main path as the city continued to be built and developed. Eragon could faintly see the foundations of two large buildings on either side of the path, right at the foot of the small peak.
He smiled and thought to himself, They've been working nonstop for the last three years. Maybe I should have them rest for a week. They only just finished the path yesterday.
A roar echoed somewhere in the distance. Eragon looked up to his left to the top of the mountain next to the one he had just descended. Within a few moments of him looking up, a flash of blue shot from behind the peak of the mountain. He watched as the sparkle of blue suddenly turned and headed in his direction, slowly growing larger until Eragon could make out the distinct shape of Saphira. He smiled again and gently touched her mind with his, You seem to be enjoying yourself today.
Kaeshta tells that King Orik has just contacted us, was Saphira's response.
Kaeshta was the first hatchling of the dragon eggs that Eragon and Saphira recovered from the Vault of Souls. She had only hatched about two weeks earlier, when he and Blödhgarm were moving the eggs to the warmth of the large hearth in Eragon's huge lounge room. No sooner had Blödhgarm touched the small, bowl-sized purple egg did it start to wobble in his hands. It had come as a surprise not just to Blödhgarm, but to everyone, as they had not been expecting an egg to hatch so soon. When the small, mink-sized dragon finally emerged, Eragon urged Blödhgarm to make the bond as she had obviously chosen him to be her Rider. Thus, Blödhgarm became a Rider, although he hesitated at first. For a week afterwards, Saphira taught the little dragon how to touch minds and communicate through the use of images.
She learns quickly, doesn't she? Eragon asked as Saphira circled twice overhead before descending to land. She back flapped three times to slow her descent, before she let herself drop the meager ten feet to the ground. Eragon had to bend his knees to steady himself as the ground shuddered violently beneath Saphira's weight. He had not noticed himself, but it was evident that Saphira had grown a great deal. For the last three years he carefully watched as he belly grew larger and larger, evident of the batch of precious eggs she was carrying.
Saphira extended her neck towards him and allowed him to rub the scales above her left eye, Yes she does. She is a quick learner, but she is not growing as fast as we expected her to. She is just about the same size as she was when she hatched.
Give her time, Eragon replied, I remember it took you a long time to grow to the size of a house cat.
But that is because you were trying to conceal me from Garrow, little one.
True, I was, Eragon agreed as he looked back towards the central peak. But I still provided you with as much food as we are providing to Kaeshta. Did I not?
Saphira hummed in response, That you did.
Eragon smiled and patted her on her cheekbone. Well then, let's go see what Orik wants to talk about. He walked over and hoisted himself into the saddle on her back. He placed the towel on the saddle and sat on top of it, then tied the top straps around his legs. He felt Saphira's muscles flex and ripple beneath his legs as she leaped forward off the edge of the rock face and unfurled her wings. She flapped twice and was soon high above the basin floor heading towards the central peak.

It only took Saphira ten minutes to cross the flat, wooded and grassy expanse of the basin. They first stopped by the new construction sites. He made the elves gather around him and Saphira to offer them a week of rest. Although the elves appreciated his offer, none of them accepted it. They were all content with continuing with their work. "Very well," Eragon said, "but don't strain yourselves too much, promise me that."
"You need not worry about us Eragon," said one of the older female elves with graceful black hair that fell passed her shoulders and hazel brown eyes, whose name Eragon remembered was Irethil.
Eragon nodded silently, and the elves dispersed, returning to whatever they had each been working on.
And with that, Saphira pressed on up the path at a brisk trot. It took her about five minutes to ascend the thousands of steps to the front door of Eragon's castle. With a slight nudge of her head, the heavy wooden doors with intricate patterns the elves had sung into the wood opened slowly. When they had swung all the way open, Saphira walked in, and just as soon as the tip of her tail had entered the threshold, the doors began to swing closed. Without letting Eragon undo the straps around his legs, Saphira trotted on, making her way through the maze of massive hallways and junctions to the large room the Eragon called his quarters and study.
It was a truly gigantic room, able to house at least three dragons of Saphira's size comfortably. The ceiling extended at least a full story above Saphira's head, and a large golden chandelier with bobbing werelights hung in the middle of the ceiling, illuminating every inch and corner of the blocky arched ceiling. Stopping, Saphira let Eragon drop to the floor. Then she walked over to one of the large windows, by which was a large hearth. In front of the window and hearth was Eragon's study; a large wooden desk with a chair, a bear pelt carpet and two lounge chairs directly in front of the fireplace.
Standing by the desk with his back towards Eragon and Saphira, was Blödhgarm. He seemed to be conversing with someone. Saphira stopped just behind him, and he turned to face her. "Ah, Saphira. We had just started talking about you."
Eragon crossed the length of the room over to his desk. He could see that Blödhgarm was cradling something in his right arm. As he drew closer, he realized it was Kaeshta, as the light from the fireplace reflected off of her scales. They were a beautiful mixture of purple and amethyst colors, and the light that bounced off of them sent a dazzling spray of diamond shaped purple hues on the floor.
Kaeshta rested lazily in Blödhgarm's arm, much like the ragdoll cats Eragon had seen resting on window sills in many cities throughout Alagaësia. Both her left front and back legs hung limply over the side of Blödhgarm's arm. She picked her head out from the crook of his arm and extended her head towards Saphira, who gently touched the tip of her nose with Kaeshta's nose. Kaeshta gave a soft hum when their noses parted. Her eyes were a very deep shade of purple, almost a blue color much like Saphira's scales but still not quite blue. Eragon still could not get over how much Kaeshta looked like Saphira; when she hatched, he could have sworn that she was Saphira's twin. Then the little dragon yawned and let her head slightly droop off the side of Blödhgarm's arm.
"You were not joking when you said they look alike," Eragon heard someone's voice say as he drew closer to Blödhgarm. He recognized the voice to be that of Orik. "Perhaps she and Saphira share the same mother?"
Eragon stopped beside Blödhgarm, who dipped his head towards him in acknowledgement, "Perhaps, but we cannot know for certain." Eragon looked down at the mirror standing on his desk and saw not his reflection, but Orik's.
"Well well," Orik said as soon as he saw Eragon, "if it isn't mine adopted brother. Eragon!" Orik exclaimed with joy. "How goes it where ever you are? We have not spoken in such a long time!"
"Orik," Eragon said with a smile, "it's good to see you. Everything fares well here. We've only just begun construction on the first buildings of our new city. Ah, I wish you were here to see the magnificence of this place. I'm sure you and you're people would love this place."
Orik gave a quick nod, "From what Blödhgarm has already told me, I'm already yearning to be there. A perfect ring of mountains in the middle of no where?"
Eragon nodded, "That's what it looks like from up high. And the central peak where our homes are is rich in iron."
"Iron, you say?" Orik place his left elbow in the palm of his right hand and began stroking his beard. His eyes moved from Eragon to Blödhgarm, "And the basin you are in falls half a mile below the forest floor outside the ring?"
"That is what we measured it out to be," Blödhgarm answered. "The ring itself is twelve miles in diameter."
"Are the peaks of the mountains connected with one another?" Orik asked.
"No," Blödhgarm replied. "Why do you ask if they are connected? Of what significance is that?"

"That reminds me," said Eragon. "Yesterday Saphira and I decided to fly southeast from the mountain ring. About ten miles from the ring, the forest ends, and the plains and scrubland begin. And the strange thing about that is that in some areas, the ground seems to have buckled upwards and cracked. We even saw stones and boulders that were the same as the mountains scattered across the landscape. The rocks of the plains are more of a brown color, rather than the white like our mountain ring."
Eragon saw a spark in Orik's eye, and his excitement became evident as his stroking of his beard quickened, "Eragon, Blödhgarm, I envy you both."
"How so?" Blödhgarm asked as he softly stroked Kaeshta's head with two fingers.
Orik took a deep breath, "It has been passed down among my people as a legend. No one knows how old the legend is, but it is said that every few thousand years, fire will rain down upon the land. Most of the time you will see it as nothing but a small, brief streak across the night sky."
"You mean a falling star?" Eragon asked.
Orik nodded, "If that is what your people call it, then yes. Falling stars are very frequent, but they are not very significant. But every few thousand years, one of significant size will fall to the earth." Blödhgarm and Eragon looked at one another. Orik continued, "Wherever these fires strike the earth, a terrible shuddering of the earth follows, as well as a great noise. If one were to investigate, what may have been nothing but flat land has become nothing but a large, deep depression surrounded by a ring of jagged mountains, all connected at the peaks. And in the very center of these depressions would be a single peak…rich in iron and other very rare metals."
Are you saying that this basin we are living in is the result of a fire that fell from the sky? Saphira asked Orik, but allowed Eragon and Blödhgarm to hear.
"Aye, that's what it seems from what you have told me," Orik answered with another quick nod. "And the land around the depression will be buckled upwards and cracked, much like you described. And rocks will have been thrown outwards and spread out across miles of landscape. That is why you saw rocks much similar to the ones that make up the ring of mountains you are in."
"In other words," Blödhgarm began, "you're saying that the location of the next city of the Riders is in one of these depressions? Where a…falling star has hit the earth?"
"Yes. It's the only explanation that I can think of thus far, and it matches the description of the legend of old."
"But then why is the stone of the central peak rich in iron?" Eragon asked. "Not only that, but it is gray rather than white."
"My people believe that the iron rich peak in the center of these depressions is a gift from the gods." He had stroked his beard so much that he had formed it so that it looked like the straight head of a javelin, with a point at the end. "Yes, there are areas within the Beor Mountains where veins of iron will protrude on the surface, but the only way you will get an entire mountain that is composed primarily of iron is when a falling star strikes the earth. Now, in your case, the only description that is off is the ring of mountains. In the legend, there are no peaks, just a ring of jagged mountains all connected with one another."
His hand ceased stroking his beard and he pondered for a moment. "Perhaps…the depression you are in is not the one from the legend. Perhaps, it is from a falling star that struck the earth many hundreds of thousands, or perhaps millions of years ago. That is the only reasonable answer I can find for why there are peaks in your ring of mountains. It is very old, so old that time, water, and wind has weathered the softer parts of the ring down. Perhaps the ring used to be much higher than it is today."
"Interesting," said Blödhgarm. "To think that this place was formed as a result of a piece of stone falling from the stars."
"What's that?" Orik asked has his eyes fell upon the furred elf.
"What do you mean a piece of stone from the stars?" Eragon asked as well. "Don't you mean a falling star?"
Blödhgarm shook his head, "No. We elves have been observing the heavens for many centuries, Eragon. Stars do not fall. They are fixed in the heavens, and nothing can force them to leave their positions in the sky. What you call a falling star is actually a rock that originates from the heavens, not of this world."
"You mean to tell me that there are rocks full of iron and brightsteel up there?" Orik asked as he leaned his face closer to the mirror, studying Blödhgarm's expression carefully. Eragon could see nothing but the whole of the dwarf kings face in the mirror.
Blödhgarm gave a soft nod of his head, "Yes. That is what we have been able to determine through the many centuries we have been studying the night skies. It seems that the heavens are abundant with these otherworldly stones."
Orik leaned away from the mirror, and Eragon could see the face of another dwarf looking at them over Orik's shoulder before the dwarf disappeared from view behind the frame of the mirror, "Outstanding. Rocks not of this world…rocks full of gold and silver, perhaps full of diamonds! A treasure trove of jewels and metals, all up in the sky." He glanced upwards quickly before looking back at them, "It seems so close when you think about it, but in reality it is so far away."
Saphira let out a loud sigh as she lay down on the stone floor. This conversation is interesting, at the least, she said. But was there not something important you wanted to speak to us about?
"Ah, yes there is," said Orik. "Thank you for reminding me, Saphira." He paused, and looked over at someone to his left. He motioned for them to come closer, "Eragon, I'd like you to meet Flarolth." Orik smiled as the face of a young, red haired and beardless dwarf entered into the frame of the mirror. "Go on," Orik said to the young dwarf, "let them see you." Orik stepped out of view and urged the young dwarf into full view.
And there, sitting on the dwarfs right shoulder, perched much like a cat with its tail wrapped around his neck, was a dragon. Eragon became excited upon seeing the orange dragon, "Flarolth, it is good to meet you. So you are the very first dwarf rider! How does it feel to be the first of the knurla to bond with a dragon?" He studied the new dragon carefully. Much of the dragon was a brilliant orange luster, but its wings and underside were a deep hue of red, much like the stunning red color of Thorn's scales. The dragon looked from Blödhgarm to Eragon with its beautiful emerald green eyes; they were just as green as any emerald Eragon had ever seen during his time among the dwarves.
Kaeshta picked her head up from Blödhgarm's arm and admired the orange dragon. The orange dragon stretched its neck towards the mirror upon seeing Kaeshta, and the two gazed at one another with total interest. Kaeshta sniffed at the air a few times, trying to catch the scent of the orange dragon before her.
Flarolth opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated when he glimpsed Saphira's large eye looking at him over Eragon's shoulder. He stuttered, "D-do they really get t-that big?"
"Hm?" Eragon asked. He looked over his shoulder at Saphira, who blinked. "Yes, dragons do get quite big, much bigger than Saphira is at the moment in fact."
"What have you named your dragon, Flarolth?" Blödhgarm asked as he resumed stroking Kaeshta, this time on her neck.
"Athgar, after my father. He hatched only just yesterday," Flarolth replied. Athgar slightly turned his head towards Flarolth at the mention of his name, but other than that his attention remained fixed on Kaeshta.
"Athgar," Eragon repeated the name. A fitting name for the first dragon to hatch for a dwarf. "I'm sure that it will be a name that history will never forget. This is a turning point for the Riders, for now dwarves may finally share the title of Rider with the elves and humans." He cast a glanced at Blödhgarm, "Now only the Urgal's are left."
Blödhgarm nodded, "Let us just hope that they remain true to their word and not use the power their Rider gains for their own selfish purposes."
"Let us not think of them that way any longer," Eragon stated, "I'm sure they'll remain true to their promise. I have faith in them." He looked back at Flarolth, "Now, Flarolth. I am not going to force you, but I am giving you the option to come to us, the option to study to become a great Rider. You do not have to if you do not-"
"I wish to travel to you," Flarolth said enthusiastically, "and become the first and greatest dwarf Rider there ever was!"
Eragon smiled, "I like your enthusiasm. It is good to see that you are eager to bear the title of Rider. Now the only question remaining is how soon do you wish to leave?"
Flarolth pondered for a few minutes, thinking his answer over very carefully. Athgar's gaze ventured from Kaeshta to Saphira's large eye. He sniffed at the air a few times and then sneezed, startling Flarolth. Smoke shot forth from Athgar's nostrils when he sneezed, billowing up against the surface of the mirror before dissipating. Eragon heard Orik's hearty laugh from somewhere next to Flarolth. The young dwarf glanced at where Orik was outside the frame of the mirror, "I wish to leave in two days. I'd like to say proper farewell's to my family before I leave."
Eragon nodded, "Very well. But I will warn you, the journey to our location will take about six months of travel by boat and then four weeks worth of travel on foot. Well, one week if you do it on dragonback." He glanced at Blödhgarm again, "You think he'll be able to ride dragonback by the time they reach the drop off point on the river?"
Blödhgarm shrugged, "Perhaps. But it would be wise to train him somewhat to ride dragonback before they undertake the journey. Someone with experience needs to train him."
"Is it really that difficult to ride on the back of a dragon?" Flarolth asked.
"It is fairly difficult at the beginning, yes," Eragon replied. "But once you've flown a few times, it becomes progressively easier." His eyes moved to Athgar, for the orange dragon had released its hold on Flarolth's neck with his tail, and seemed to be readying himself for a pounce; his gaze had gone back to Kaeshta. Athgar shuffled his wings a few times. Kaeshta watched him intently, seeming to wonder what Athgar was doing. Eragon knew what the little orange dragon intended to do. He opened his mouth to warn Flarolth, but it was too late, for Athgar had leapt off of the dwarf's shoulder towards the mirror. Flarolth yelped in surprise when he felt Athgar leap from his shoulder and strike the surface of the mirror. All Eragon could see was brown and gray as the mirror toppled end over end through the air. And then four fingers appeared at the top of the mirror as someone had caught the mirror.
Kaeshta was surprised as well when she saw the orange dragon suddenly grow large for a moment when he hit the mirrors surface. She jumped from Blödhgarm's arm onto his left shoulder to Eragon's right shoulder, scurried from his right to his left shoulder, and leaped up onto Saphira's head. Saphira did not flinch at all as Kaeshta clambered up over her left eye ridge and onto the very top of her head. There, she tucked her front paws underneath her lilac colored belly and watched the mirror carefully.
Orik's face appeared in the mirror as he held it in both hands, "Sorry about that Eragon."
"There's nothing to apologize for, Orik," Eragon replied as the dwarf king returned the mirror back onto the surface it had been standing on just before. Flarolth now had Athgar tucked under his left arm. The little orange dragon was gazing up at the young dwarf, who in turn was looking down at the dragon. "Athgar is but a hatchling. He could not have known that we were not in the room with you, nor could he have known that he could not pass through the mirror. It is all part of the learning experience for a young dragon. They are much like all of us when we are young, we make mistakes and we learn from those mistakes."
Orik nodded, "Aye, mistakes. It's still hard to recognize that dragons have just as much of a conscience as us, and that they aren't mere animals."
Anyone who thinks of us as mere animals would be a fool to stand before me or any other dragon for that matter, said Saphira. A puff of smoke rose from her nostrils and over her head. The smoke enveloped Kaeshta for a moment before continuing to rise. Kaeshta snorted twice when the smoke surrounded her.
Orik chuckled heartily, "Aye, they'd be a fool alright. But you know full well I'm not one of those fools." He glanced over his shoulder at Flarolth, who was still looking into Athgar's emerald eyes. "The first knurla to become a rider," Orik said shaking his head as he turned back towards Eragon and Blödhgarm, "I don't think any knurla ever thought this day would ever come. But it's thanks to you, Eragon that this day has come. I know I've said this before, but on behalf of the knurla you have our eternal thanks, Eragon."
Eragon smiled and bowed his head, but did not say anything.
"Back to what we were discussing before," said Blödhgarm, "I believe it is wise for you to go out to the drop off point to meet Flarolth and Athgar there to teach them in the art of riding dragonback."
Eragon pondered the suggestion for a moment before giving his answer, "That may be a wise decision, since I have the most experience on dragonback. But I must also see to the location of new construction. At the moment, I have more responsibility on my shoulders than you do, Blödhgarm."
"But I have little to no experience on dragonback," the furred elf objected. "How may I teach a new Rider how to fly, if I have not learned how to fly myself?"
Eragon glanced up at the little purple dragon perched atop Saphira's head. He smiled when she looked at him, "She has six months to grow. By that time, I'm confident that she'll be large enough for you to ride. And during that six month period, Saphira may instruct you on how to fly dragonback." He shot a glance down at Saphira, "Would you be willing to let him ride you?"
Saphira was silent for a moment. She quickly looked up at Kaeshta before she answered, Yes. I am willing to teach Blödhgarm. But only on one condition.
"What would that be?" asked Eragon.
The little one would like to participate in flying, Saphira responded. She would also like to experience how to fly.
Eragon was concerned with this condition, but it soon faded away when Blödhgarm said, "Yes. I feel that if I am to learn how to ride dragonback, Kaeshta should also experience how it is to fly until she is able to herself."
Eragon nodded, "Then it's settled." He turned back towards the mirror, "By the time Flarolth arrives at the drop off point, I'm confident that Athgar will be of reasonable size to fly, and Blödhgarm will be capable of instructing Flarolth on how to ride."
"Very good," Orik replied. He leaned away from the mirror, and looked towards Flarolth and Athgar, "Well, let us just hope that everything works out smoothly, and they arrive there safely."
"I just have one question," Flarolth said looking up from Athgar towards the mirror. "How am I to learn to fly if I have no saddle?"
"Well," Blödhgarm said, "Eragon did say that Athgar would be of reasonable size to be able to fly, but he did not say that you would be riding on his back. When we meet one another at the drop off, I'm willing to instruct you how to fly, with the help of Kaeshta. You'll be riding on her back, rather than Athgar's. It is not safe to ride without a saddle. On our journey here, you'll be riding with me on Kaeshta. When we arrive here, there will be a saddle waiting for you."
"Just make sure he gets there in one piece," said Orik. "I don't want to hear that he fell out of the saddle and died during his training, you hear?"
Blödhgarm nodded, "Do not worry, King Orik. I will not be teaching him anything extreme. Everyone must start with basics."
Satisfied with Blödhgarm's answer, Orik crossed his arms and left the frame of the mirror. "Good," he said. "Well, we must be going now. We must finish with preparations for the feast and celebration in honor of Flarolth becoming the first dwarf Rider."
Eragon nodded and smiled, "Try not to get him too drunk before he departs on his journey."
Orik laughed, "Unlike humans, we knurla can tolerate a large amount of mead. No need to worry. Farewell then, Eragon, Blödhgarm, Saphira."
Farewell, said Saphira.
"Farewell," Eragon said. Blödhgarm bowed his head towards the dwarf king.
And then the reflection of Orik, Flarolth and Athgar faded, and they were looking at their own reflections. Blödhgarm turned towards Saphira and held out his hands. Saphira leaned her head closer to him, and Kaeshta hopped down from her head into his waiting arms. In no time, she had made herself comfortable and nestled her head between the crook of his elbow and forearm.
Well, said Saphira, things are beginning to move forward. It is finally the start of something, a turning point in history.
Eragon nodded, "Yes. The start of something; the rebuilding of the Riders."

Ä

End Chapter 1


Pronunciation of Names:

Alagaësia: al-uh-GAY-zee-uh
Athgar: AUTH-gar
Blödhgarm: BLAWD-garm
Carvahall: CAR-vuh-hall
Eldäriän: eld-ARE-eon
Eragon: EHR-uh-gahn
Flarolth: fla-roll-th
Galbatorix: gal-buh-TOR-icks
Irethil: EAR-uh-thill
Kaeshta: KAY-shh-tuh
Nasuada: nah-soo-AH-dah
Oestaerya: ow-es-TAR-yah
Saphira: suh-FEAR-uh