A/N: Okay, here we go. This is my first attempt at an Inheritance Cycle fanfic story! After playing around with this idea in my head for the last several weeks, I have finally decided to put it down on paper (so to speak). This is basically a "what if...?" story, one that follows the primary plot and flow of the book, but with several added differences. If this doesn't sound like your idea of a good tale, then don't feel obligated at all to continue. However, if you are interested the slightest bit, please feel free to read on and leave your feedback.
In the story, the "what if" I explore is: what if Eragon and company had one other companion that joined them on their journey from Carvahall? Here, my character (Auron) is a close friend of Eragon's, one that he has known almost all his life, and decides to accompany Eragon when he leaves Carvahall after the death of his Uncle. More back story will be revealed in the prologue and early chapters, but this gives a rough idea of where I'm coming from. The story itself begins after the destruction of Eragon's farm, his first flight with Saphira, and the consequent discovery/rescue of his Uncle.
As mentioned before, I plan on keeping true to the actual storyline for the most part, with added content and alternate scenes. That being said...
I DO NOT OWN, NOR LAY CLAIM TO ERAGON, THE INHERITANCE CYCLE OR ANY RELATED WORK OF THE GREAT CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI.
I think I've blathered enough, on to the story.
Prologue: Two Boys from Carvahall
Life in Carvahall is simple. In the northern reaches of Alagaesia, mostly isolated from the rest of the country, its people's only major concern is that which directly affects them. Which, in this case, is not a great deal. There are no troop garrisons of the King's army, no bustling ports, no busy and crowded marketplaces. This is the last place anyone would expect a grand, life-changing adventure to begin. And yet, Fate's Will has a funny way of showing up when you least expect it.
A small farming community, surrounded on three side by the mountain range known as the Spine, its inhabitant's only real connection to the Empire is it's resident tax collector and his family who reside just several miles away from the town on a small hill. Here a man named Tegarth lives with his wife, Orianna, and their three sons, Dorland, Rekks, and Auron.
Tegarth originally began his work as an assistant to one of Dras-Leona's many tax collectors. Quickly asserting his skills as a shrewd (and sometimes ruthless) servant of the King, he was granted the position of a traveling tax collector, where he would journey to several smaller settlements near Dras-Leona, in order to ensure all the Empire's citizens were paying their justly fee to the King.
A small, broad man, with dark hair, sharp dark eyes and the facial features not unlike a vulture, Tegarth's appearance contributed to his less-than-gentle way with people he encountered while doing the King's work. So, it remains a mystery as to what it was about him that was able to gain the attention and subsequent attraction of a traveling bard named Orianna.
With hair the color of golden sunlight and eyes the deepest blue-green, Orianna's soft beauty was often as captivating to audiences as were her tales. Claiming to be from Surda, but with no real place to call home, Orianna journey the countryside, sharing tales and songs both ancient and modern to all that would listen. Upon arriving in Dras-Leona one summer, she happened to visit the local inn where Tegarth had just finished collecting a moderate pile of coins from the inn keeper. For some reason beyond comprehension, they caught each others eyes from across the room and the fickle finger of Fate began its work.
After several months of seeing each other, they were eventually married and moved into the house outside of Carvahall that Tegarth had just been given when he was promoted to regional tax collector of the nearby village. Here they began to raise their three sons, born shortly after the couple settled in their new home. The two oldest, Dorland and Rekks, inherited their father's dark hair, eyes and vulture-like appearance, as well as his demeaning and abrasive personality. Following in the path of their father, the two sons would accompany him on his trips into the village when the time to collect taxes arose, often acting as "persuasive assistants" whenever a villager would cause complications.
If the two older boys were composite images of Tegarth, the youngest, Auron, was most certainly Orianna's son. Kind, considerate, and always going out of his way to help someone in need, Auron was the complete opposite of his brothers. With his mother's softer features, golden hair and calm eyes, people often wondered how a gentle soul like him could have been sired by a rough and unpleasant man like Tegarth.
Since a young age, Auron would often accompany his mother into town whenever she went to trade and visit with the local merchants, much to her husband's disapproval. As much as her husband and older sons were disliked by the people of Carvahall, Orianna and Auron were always treated warmly. It was no secret that many considered the two more a part of their small community than the rest of the family.
It was on one of these visits that Auron was introduced to another boy his age named Eragon. Eragon's past was as intriguing as Auron's. His mother had come to the village some years ago, pregnant and scared, to seek out her brother Garrow and wife Marian. With no explanation as to her condition or what brought her to Carvahall, she asked Garrow to allow her to stay until her baby was born. Once she had given birth to her son, she begged Garrow and Marian to raise him, tearfully saying that this was the way it had to be. She named him Eragon and left the village shortly after, never to be seen by them again.
Raised by Garrow and Marian alongside their own son Roran, Eragon never knew that they were not his real parents until, on her deathbed, Marian told him the truth. Although shocked by this, he eventually grew to accept this, and his mother's reason for leaving, whatever it was. After Marian's death, Garrow moved the family to a farm outside of Carvahall where they lived away from the village and kept mainly to themselves, except to come into town to trade.
Upon meeting each other, Auron and Eragon formed a fast bond, each coming from a family that was not of the normal stature; Auron with a father and two brothers that he and the townspeople greatly disliked, and Eragon, who never knew his parents and lived with his uncle and cousin. The two boys took every opportunity to spend time together, from hiking in the hills and forest of the surrounding Spine, to Auron helping out on the farm whenever he could. Although the assistance was somewhat hesitantly accepted by Garrow, who did not believe they needed to be helped, it was received harshly by Tegarth, who greatly disapproved of one of his sons living the life of a mere peasant. This disapproval only served to motivate Auron to continue to work on the farm and spend time with Eragon, as he did not share the same outlook on life as his brothers and father, and gave him a satisfaction of sorts to rebel against their haughty self image.
Auron was one of the few people Eragon could confide in and feel comfortable around, apart from his uncle and cousin, and their friendship grew deeper and stronger with every passing year, to the point where they viewed themselves as more surrogate brothers than just simply "friends".However, despite their bond, there was one secret that Eragon was reluctant to share with anyone.
One autumn while hunting in the Spine, Eragon discovered a mysterious blue stone, that had seemingly appeared by magic. Taking the stone back with him to Carvahall, Eragon's original plan was to try and sell it to buy his family food of the winter. After several unsuccessful attempts and vague forewarning by some, Eragon resigned to keep the stone until he could decide what to do with it. One night though, his life was changed when the stone revealed itself to actually be an egg. Not just any egg mind you, but a dragon's egg. When he unknowingly tried to touch the sapphire dragon hatchling, a surge of energy shot through him, leaving a mark on his palm and forming a very special bond between the two. He could sense the dragon's emotions and communicate with it through his mind, and the dragon in turn could communicate back.
Unsure of the path that lay before him, Eragon raised the dragon in secret, keeping it hidden from his family, Auron, and the villagers. As the weeks flew by and the dragon grew rapidly, Eragon turned to the village storyteller, Brom, who had more knowledge of dragons that anyone else Eragon knew. Under the pretense of simply being curious, Eragon prompted Brom for all the information he could think of; from names of dragons, to their behavior and growth, and the legends of the Riders. Satisfied that he had learned all he could, Eragon returned to his dragon, and upon discovering it was in fact a female, named her Saphira.
Though careful as he was to keep Saphira's existence a secret, Eragon's actions raised suspicions among his friends and family. Auron tried to come and see Eragon on several occasions, only to be turned away by him, or left wondering where he was spending all his free time. Not only were Auron's instincts telling him something was going on, but Brom's as well, especially after Eragon's seemingly random visit and questions pertaining to a subject that few approached.
If two of his fellow villagers casting suspicion on his actions wasn't enough, forces outside of Carvahall were beginning to take interest as well. A pair of shadowy strangers appeared in town one day, asking about a mysterious blue stone. Upon hearing news of this, Eragon raced home and contacted Saphira with the news that they may have been found out. To his surprise and concern, Saphira not only grew angry and frightened at this, but whisked him away into the Spine before he knew what was happening. Regardless of the injuries she caused to his legs, she took him far into the mountain range where they were forced to hide for the night.
Despite her objections, Eragon convinced her to return to the farm the next day, only to find it utterly destroyed by the very strangers he had been rushing home to warn his family and Saphira about. Searching through the rubble, they uncovered Garrow who, covered with grievous wounds, they attempted to take to town where he could get help. After carrying Eragon and his uncle nearly all the way, Saphira was too exhausted to continue, and Eragon was forced to drag his uncle up the road while she hid to recuperate. He was intercepted by Brom, who was sporting a rather nasty head wound himself, and Eragon finally passed out due a combination of fatigue and his injuries.
Upon waking in the healer Gertrude's hut, Eragon found his injuries bandaged and learned his uncle had been taken to Horst the blacksmith's house nearby. Insisting that he see him, Eragon made his way to Horst's house, and saw the terrible state his uncle was in. Staying with Horst and his wife Elain at their insistence, Eragon attempted to recover. Unfortunately, his uncle was not able to recover from his wounds and passed away, leaving Eragon's world shattered. As he lay in bed, wondering what to do next, a grim determination swept over him. He would hunt down these people...creatures...whatever they were, and avenge his uncle's death.
And this is where our story begins...
A/N: So, herein lies the basis from which our story will unfold. I tried to quickly summarize the first several chapters of the book as best I could without drifting of into too much detail (this is only a prologue after all). Anything/anybody with key contributions to the story that I have missed will be addressed in the coming chapters, so please be patient if you are a stickler for all the details. As for the inclusion of my alter ego, Auron, in the story and his contributions...well that's what this whole thing is about, so you're just going to have to keep reading!
Please feel free to comment on and/or review my story; I welcome all advice, tips, and constructive criticism, as long as you're not simply bad-mouthing the entire thing.
-DragonKnight113-