Chapter I

Aravis

Eragon's plan wasn't working. Nobody, no Urgal, no Dwarf or even elf had come to the Dragon Island to train. It had been seventeen years since Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Brightscales had defeated the mad king Galbatorix and began their search for Shur'Thornessa, the island of the dragons, and none of the eggs he sent back had hatched. The Counsel of the Elves had to come up with a new plan.

The day the Counsel was called, every elf stayed in their homes. I was too anxious to stay inside, though. I went out into the tall forest canopy, jumping around like a leaf-skipper. Still being an Elven child, bursting with strange magic and curiosity, I was always getting in trouble. That day was no exception. I ran with the wild antelope, swam with the schools of fish, and sang to the plants, turning them into the most strange things. Then I sat. I fidgeted with my radiant young hands. Sparks of strange light bounced between the tips of my fingers. As the sun went down, I sang shapes out of trees.

I closed my eyes and sang enchantedly and carefully as I formed a sapling sword. It was, of course, only a model. Out of a cedar tree, I shaped a seamless baby dragon statuette, with a small mouth opened in a yawn, wings outstretched and tiny, clawless paws resting beside it's soft belly. It was as lifelike as any other creature. Right then I had an idea. Murmuring a stream of words, I sat for hours, as my words slowly changed into a song. Ever so slowly, the baby dragon in my palm began to move. It stretched, sat up, and looked at me with its curious, lifelike eyes. Making a sniffing motion, it ran up my arm and sat perched on my shoulder. I enchanted it so that as we reached home, it would return to its normal posture and freeze.

I gasped. Home! I'd completely forgotten! I was so caught up, I lost track of time! I looked up to the midnight sky and began hurrying through the branches, occasionally hitching a ride on a mule deer, and within an hour, I was home. My infant sapling crawled into my outstretched palm, stretched it's paws and neck out, opened it mouth, spread it's thin wings and squinted tight its eyelids before being still, completely frozen in its yawn.

Scaling the side of the tree, I crawled through my balcony doors and whispered, "Naina hvitr un bollr, mar frema ne thon eka threyja!" Before me appeared a low, white glowing sphere, suspended in the air. Quickly setting the statuette and sword by an outcropping in the side of the wall, I got into my bed and whispered "Waise neiat." And as the light faded to black, I fell into my waking dreams.

I was awakened by a loud, bothersome sound. The palace horns were blowing, and yet… They never blow. I raised my pointed ears to hear better, not that it was any use. My hearing was already more accurate than any other elf's. Slipping quietly onto the balcony, I looked out to the Drottning's palace. It was full of activity. How strange it was, to see the normally quiet castle full of crowds of Elven folk.

"Aravís, get up! Can't you hear the horns? Get up, before we're late!" I heard my mother call from below. No time for doing things normally this morning, I thought disappointedly. Calling for my tunic and boar's hairbrush, I fashioned myself quickly and sprung down the stairs where my white stallion friend Uvu waited for me. Without waiting for an order, he galloped swiftly for the palace. In no time, we were at the gates, close as we could get to the queen (which was still a good quarter mile away.)

I had my full attention on Arya. The earlier bustle had calmed down, and there was not a sound to be heard, save for those of nature. Even those seemed hushed. Arya walked on stage, her emerald dragon close behind. Enchanting her voice so that it was louder, she spoke;

"Now you all know that we've been having trouble getting the eggs to hatch for the chosen few. We are well aware of this, and we have decided to take action. Shadeslayer and Brightscales initial plans were these; an egg would be left behind for each race. Every youngling would get a chance to care for the eggs for a night. If the egg did not hatch by then, they would be sent to another child to care for. So it would continue. As we ran out of child contestants, we went on to the adults of every qualified race. Neither could they get the eggs to hatch. The Counsel of Alagaesia and I took this into careful consideration. We even contacted Eragon and his dragon far away to the east. After a long night of thought, we all agreed on something new." She paused, and, taking a deep breath, she stated;

"Every child in Du Weldenvarden will be sent to Shur'Thornessa, in hopes that they will have more of a chance there."