Chapter 1: Names, Graves, & Allies

Elven Inquisitor Lara Lavellan's eyes shot open as she awoke with a start from the only memory of her mother that she possessed. She turned her head left and right, dark red hair cascading to each side as she looked from one spot to the next of the strange forest she was in. Her tattooed brow furrowed in confusion. She had been at the base of the Temple of Sacred Ashes, hadn't she? How in the name of Mythal did she end up in a forest filled with pine-needled trees about when the nearest forest with such trees sat upon the peaks of the Anderfel mountains? A question for another time.

Pushing herself up off the forest floor with a groan of pain as her stiff body complained, Lara's emerald green eyes scanned the area around her, her mind and body instinctively using the skills acquired from years growing up in the wild places of Thedas. Spotting the Tyrdda staff not next to a tree just a few feet from her, Lara quickly reached over and retrieved the heavily upgraded weapon, curtesy of Arcanist Dagna. Turning in a quick circle to scan her surroundings, the elf froze as her emerald gaze fell upon the massive reptile slumbering not ten paces from her.

The Guardian of Mythal? Wondered the elf. What is it-no she doing here and where are all her wounds?

All the injuries the Guardian had received from Corypheus's Red Lyrium Dragon had completely vanished, leaving unscarred flesh and undamaged golden-green scales. The elf shook her head to clear it. She didn't have the time for wonder at that. Lara looked down to her Marked hand, where the Fade's Anchor sat quieter than ever before. Her eyes widened as they fell upon the spiraling silver mark sitting innocently at the center of her calloused hand.

The mark was unusual but seemingly harmless. Tracing the mark with the fingers of her right hand, she found it wasn't any kind of scar tissue or some form of fleshy metal. It felt as normal calloused skin would. Reaching into the depths of her mind for the connection forged by the vir'abelasan or Well of Sorrows, the Inquisitor was shocked to find the power of the Well blocked by some unknown magic. It was there, certainly. The power of both the Well of Sorrows and the Fade's Anchor would mark her mind and soul for the rest of her life. But the power of the Well seemed to surrounded by some form of barrier, keeping her from searching countless millennia of Elven knowledge to try and find the answer to the silver mark. It was…unsettling to say the least. Even though she had only been connected to the power of the Well for a few days, Lara had grown accustomed to the vir'abelasan whispering to her at the back of her mind. To have it blocked as it was disconcerting to say the least.

The elf's musings were interrupted by the sound of a great beast waking from a deep slumber. Her head snapped to the massive form of the Guardian of Mythal as the great beast pushed herself upright, her amber eyes blinking blearily as the dragon moved her massive head from left to right; not unlike a child waking from a long nap; before her eyes locked onto Lara. The elf stood as still as an oak tree as the gold-green dragon gazed at the much smaller elf. For what felt like an eternity, the elf and the dragon stared at one another, neither moving so much as a muscle as emerald and amber eyes locked.

After several minutes, Lara broke the trance as the feeling of childish fear and curiosity brushed against her mind. She flinched back, mental barriers snapping shut and forcing the presence back as her head began snapping left and right in search of the demon or spirit that was touching her mind. However, the instant her mental barriers slammed shut, the gold-green reptile yelped, not unlike a dog whose tail had just been stepped on. Lara's emerald eyes locked onto the Guardian of Mythal once more, her eyes widening as the memory of the dragon's words after the battle with Corypheus returned to her.

"You…that was you in my mind just now, wasn't it?" asked the elf as she stared at the dragon. The Guardian turned her massive head to the elf and nodded slowly, the feeling of confirmation brushing against Lara's now unshielded mind. The elf was shocked and it showed as her jaw dropped and eyes widened. Through some unknown magic, possibly the connection Lara had with Mythal after drinking from the vir'abelasan, she and the Guardian had become connected. After the battle, she had been too emotional to truly recognize the fact that she had heard the dragon's voice inside her head, along with her pain and fear of death.

"Do…do you have a name?" asked the elven woman, her voice soothing and calm. "I can't just keep calling you 'The Guardian of Mythal', now can I?" The massive reptile shook her head, scaled brow furrowing as Lara felt the dragon trying to find the right woods.

Her voice echoed through Lara's mind, the words that of a scared child, soft and innocent. No name…no past…no family. Loneliness and sorrow pressed down on Lara's mind like a mountain from the sky. Sorrow rose in Lara's chest at the dragon's pain, and tossing all caution to the wind, she moved forward with the grace of… well, an elf.

Lara collided with the dragon's chest and wrapped her arms around her neck as far as she could and hugged the huge beast, tears pouring from her eyes. She knew what that was like; not knowing who she was supposed to be, not knowing her family. Lara had only a single memory of her mother, and the necklace that rested at the hollow of her throat. She didn't know anything about her mother, if she had any siblings, anything. The dragon looked down at her for a moment before lowering her head to wrap Lara in a scaly hug. Lara sobbed quietly, burrowing her head into the Guardian's surprisingly soft chest as she held the reptile as close as she could. "I'll give you a name." Lara sobbed, looking up at the surprised dragon. "Is that alright? Would you like that?" she asked, eyes filled with tears and pain.

The dragon seemed to think on it, her mind racing like a bolt of lightning across a stormy sky. After what felt like an eternity, nodded with a soft, reptilian smile gracing her fanged maw as joy ignited in the reptile's mind like a candle in the night. Lara smiled back almost immediately, the dragon's joy was infectious in the same way the da'len of her clan was when they were playing after a long journey.

Lara released the dragon and took a few steps back and began to pace back and forth as her mind raced, trying to find a name that fit the majestic dragon. After nearly an hour of suggesting elven names and phrases to the former Guardian of Mythal, the dragon lingered on one of the names and Lara had to admit, it fit the dragon. She smiled up at the beast as she chose the name with finality.

"How do you like 'Elgara'? It fits you quite well, doesn't it?" asked the elf with a giddy grin. The dragon tilted her head and gently pushed into Lara's mind in search of the meaning of the word. Surprise and acceptance radiated across their odd connection as Elgara nodded her approval of the name. Lara gave a whoop of joy and jumped to hug Elgara once more, laughing lightly as she enveloped the dragon's mind with her own. Without knowing why, Lara knew Elgara had just become more important than anyone else the elf had ever met, baring Cassandra of course. The Seeker would always have a special place in the Inquisitor's heart. Lara looked up at Elgara's watery eyes and gave the golden-green dragon a wide smile. "We have work to do, Elgara."

Two weeks later…

Lara and Elgara had spent their first week in the unfamiliar land within the strange forest, Lara teaching Elgara everything she could in a short amount of time. The history and legends of the Elvhen and Thedas, Lara's personal history from the day Lara was found by clan Lavellan to the explosion at the Temple of Sacred Ashes that placed the Anchor upon her hand to the final fight between her and the Darkspawn Magister Corypheus; whom Elgara did not like in the least. Over that week, Elgara's personality grew, slowly but surely. She changed from a reptile with the mentality of a child to a proud dragon with a kind and soft-spoken personality.

However, they could only stay within the forest for so long and finally, once Elgara could fluently understand and speak both the common tongue and the Elvhen language, they set out together, Elf and Dragon walking side by side heading south-west along a decently sized river. After another week of walking, hunting and enjoying one another's company, they crested a small hill overlooking a small walled village. The buildings within the walls were numerous and spread outward around what seemed like a central courtyard. The design of the buildings was simple, meant for function rather than fashion, just the way Lara liked it. She had never enjoyed cities such as Val Royeaux or Halamshiral due to how extravagant they were, not to mention the fact that they were both built on land taken from the Elvhen, something she had had to bite her tongue about during her time at the Winter Palace as the Inquisition fought to save Empress Celene from Venatori Assassins.

Lara shook her head as Elgara nudged her to help clear her mind of the dark thoughts that were beginning to creep to the forefront of her mind. The elven woman turned to her Draconic companion, emerald eyes meeting amber.

"I'll need to enter on my own Elgara. I don't think most people will appreciate a dragon landing in their town." Said the elf with a soft smile.

Elgara huffed lightly before responding, her mental voice stronger than it had been when she had first begun speaking. I understand ma vhenan. But something doesn't feel right about this place. If anything happens, I will come for you and tear through anyone who harms you. Despite the deep conviction in her soft, elegant voice, a slight tremor could be heard. During her lessons, Lara had learned that despite appearances, Elgara was in fact a very non-confrontation person, preferring there not be any conflict to begin with rather than having to harm anyone, very much unlike the primal beast she had been before whatever magic bound them together had ignited. Lara nodded and rubbed the spot just behind Elgara's jaw as she responded.

"I know you will, but nothing will happen." She reassured the dragon. "We're just stopping here to I can figure out exactly where we are and pick up some supplies. I'm out of healing herbs and seasoning for food, not to mention I need to see if there is a blacksmith here to purchase a sword from and possibly a bow. I may be a Mage, but I mustn't let my skills with the blade and bow become lax. Cassandra would kill me otherwise." Lara chuckle lightly to herself, careful to keep the pain from being away from her lover for so long pushed deep, letting Elgara see only confidence and courage, a tactic she had often used to keep her soldiers feeling confident and courageous in battle.

Elgara; oblivious to Lara's emotional plight; nodded her agreement and retreated into the trees as Lara placed her helm upon her head and began the short trek down the side of the hill toward the village. It took about thirty minutes to reach the western gate, the small sign upon the ajar doors identifying the village as Yazuac.

Lara jolted to a stop, instincts pushing her to grab her staff from its mount upon her back. Why would the gates be ajar? Her mind racing through several different scenarios as she carefully entered the village, kneeling just inside the gates to examine to most recent tracks upon the ground. It looked as though the village had been attacked by a hoard anywhere from fifty to one hundred strong, all the combatants being the size of the Iron Bull if not a bit bigger.

All except one set of prints that were much smaller than the rest, from a male of possible human origin, but with a demon's darkness around the prints that reminded her of the Nightmare Demon that she had fought within the Fade at Adamant Fortress. Lara rose to her feet and moved with a purpose, following the tracks and steadily increasing puddles of thickened blood toward the center of the village. The elf turned the corner and skidded to a halt, emerald eyes widening in horror and disgust at the sight before her.

The villagers had been slaughtered, brutally from the looks of their wounds. Their bodies had been piled messily at the center of town. At the top of the pile, an infant in its small clothes was impaled upon a cruel spear. Tyrdda's Staff fell from senseless fingers to land upon the blood-soaked ground, the metal stave followed by Lara's knees as they could no longer hold her weight. She stared at the pile of corpses in silence before a pain filled scream tore itself from her throat.

Eragon

They had been travelling for several weeks, hunting the monstrous bastards who had tortured and killed his Uncle Garrow, the Ra'zac. It had been over three months since the blue dragon Saphira had hatched for him, forging a bond that made him, a poor farm boy with no skill or status, the stuff of legend: A Dragon Rider. After the death of his uncle, the brown-haired, brown-eyed farm boy, Eragon had set out with the village storyteller Brom to hunt down the monsters. Along their path from the village Carvahall after the Ra'zac, Brom had begun teaching Eragon how to fight with a sword, gifting him a wine red one-handed longsword called Zar'roc. A proper Dragon Rider's weapon if he'd ever seen one. But now they were stopping for supplies and information in the village of Yazuac.

At least that had been the plan. Upon entering the small village, they had found it abandoned, with extensive damage to the building around them. Signs of a battle were everywhere, but before they could make a decision, a terrible, sorrow and pain-filled scream had split the air. Both Brom and Eragon had immediately spurred their horses into action, racing toward the scream. Within a few moments, they found the source and reason for the scream. A woman in unusual armor; for she was indeed a woman if her body structure was anything to go by; knelt upon the blood-soaked ground staring at a gruesome sight.

The villagers had all been slaughtered, their bodies piled carelessly in the center of the village. However, Eragon had only spared the pile of bodies a split-second glance before he had jumped from Cadoc's saddle and quickly moved to the woman's side, grabbing her by the shoulders and turning her away from the gruesome sight. She didn't resist, instead turning and burying her face into his chest as she sobbed her heart out for the villagers. Just holding her, Eragon could tell she was a fighter. While only an inch or so shorter than him, she was solid, built from countless battles and long treks. He took note of her armor, an odd set made up of some form of black fabric and some kind of unusual coppery metal covering her lower legs, chest, and arms, with a pauldron stylized as a griffin covering her right arm. Her helm was impressive, made of the same metal as the rest but with a draconian style to it. Past her helm, he could see fine features, long, dark red eye-lashes, soft red lips and locks of dark red hair falling around her eyes. In the back of his mind, he could feel Saphira chuckling slightly at him noticing these features.

Turning to Brom to ask what had happened, he saw the old storyteller holding an unfamiliar staff. Made of some form of silver metal, the top was two dragons gripping a yellow jewel between their jaws before spiraling down around each other before ending in a sharp blade at the bottom of the stave. The jewel itself was an enigma as it had four odd tiles embedded in the crystal.

Brom's grey-blue eyes met Eragon's before they looked to the sobbing woman in the farm boy's arms. Setting the staff down carefully, the old storyteller reached out and carefully touched the woman's shoulder. She jolted and quickly pulled away from Eragon and sprang back like a cat, stopping a few paces from them with staff in hand.

Eragon blinked in confusion. How did she get that? I thought Brom had it next to him. He wondered before looking back to the previously sobbing woman. He could see her eyes now, emerald green that seemed to glow with barely restrained power but damp from her tears. More than that, there seemed to be a deep pain in her, more than just from the sight of the slaughtered villagers. He didn't have time to dwell on the line of thought as the warrior woman spoke.

"Who are you?" She snarled, her elegant, rich voice tight with sorrow as she lifted her staff and; to Eragon's shock; the metal stave was immediately coated in green lightning. Magic, it had to be.

Brom raised his hands in a placating manner as he stared down the sorceress. "Calm yourself dear lady. We are simple travelers. I am Neal and this is my nephew Evan. We were stopping for supplies when we heard your scream. We came to ensure you were alright." Brom said charismatically his eyes soft and compassionate.

However, that softness faded as the woman let out a choked scoff and Brom's legs were instantly encased in ice. "Neal and Evan? Those are fake names if I've ever heard one. Do not try lying to me old man, two of my closest friends make their livings out of lying and weaving stories, so you'll have to try better than that to-" She cut herself off as something behind her caught her attention.

Eragon followed her eyes until he saw what had distracted her. A mass of flesh and crude leather armor had been attempting to sneak around a house so that he could pounce upon the magician. An Urgal, bestial giants that raided and murdered all over Alagaësia. As soon the staff carrying woman saw the beast however, he charged with a brutal roar, raising his crude, blood-stained war-axe high as he closed the distance between the magician and himself. The woman, to her credit, didn't flinch, didn't even move until the Urgal was practically right on top of her. Once she did, she was a blur of black, silver and copper as she twisted out of the way of the rampaging Urgal, cutting his lower right leg on her way by with the blade upon the bottom of her staff before turning and unleashing a maelstrom of emerald flames from the palm of her glowing left hand that engulfed the behemoth, burning him to ash within moments.

A cry of pain made both farm boy and magician turn toward the old storyteller, who had been forgotten during the brief skirmish. The old man; his legs still encased in ice; was fighting another Urgal, this one outfitted with a buckler and crude short sword. Apparently this one had a small amount of skill, for he had granted Brom a long cut upon his upper left arm that was oozing blood. Before either farm boy or magician could take more than a step, the storyteller moved with a burst of speed, weaving his steel longsword around buckler and short sword in a blur of grey metal, knocking both to the side before impaling the Urgal through the heart. The old man yanked out his blade with an exhausted grunt as the ice around his legs melted into puddles of water before he gripped his wounded arm. Within a moment, the woman was at his side, having moved in a blur of blue-white energy to reach Brom's side.

"Allow me," she said, her voice having lost its hostile tone, being replaced by a slight tone of urgency and concern. "It will take but a moment to heal that, especially since it was my fault you were hurt to begin with."

Brom glared at her for a moment before nodding, muttering a few choice words, at which she giggled for whatever reason before lifting her left hand, which had been engulfed in golden light. Gently, the magician ran her glowing hand along the wound slowly. Whatever she was doing, it was working. Brom's brow, which had been tightened in aggravation and pain, was losing the pained grimace and was left with his trademark scowl. As her hand stopped glowing, the old man yanked his arm back from the woman without a word and sent her another glare, at which she took a few steps back and stood silently.

Brom looked at his arm in awe. The wound was completely gone, not even a scar to mark it had ever been there in the first place. Eragon looked to the woman, who had removed her draconian helm to reveal dark red hair cut mid-way down her neck and dark green vine-like tattoos marking her elegant face as her emerald green eyes focused on the silver-haired storyteller, filled with no small amount of trepidation and guilt, no doubt from her role in Brom's injury. However, what caught the former farm boy's eyes were her ears. Long and pointed, they poked out from beneath her dark red hair. She was an elf! However, the young man didn't have time to ask as an earth-shaking roar echoed across the town. The elf woman's head snapped to the east, emerald eyes widening in what appeared to be concern. Following her gaze, Eragon nearly fell over at the sight of what appeared to be a massive golden dragon racing toward them.

SAPHIRA! Eragon called with his mind, knowing she would be there as soon as possible. He felt her take off even as the massive dragon landed a few meters away from the three of them. Eragon raised his bow and knocked an arrow even as Brom lifted his longsword. He didn't know if it was friendly or a servant of the Black King and he wasn't going to wait to be burnt alive. Without waiting for a warning, Eragon let the arrow fly.

"NO!" the elven woman cried, stepping in front of the arrow even as her left hand burst into blinding emerald light, blinding both Rider and storyteller. As their eyes adjusted, they were greeted with the sight of the elven woman with her arms wrapped around the dragon's neck even as the dragon wrapped itself around the red-haired woman protectively, covering her with its wings.

Now that it wasn't far away nor was he focusing on attacking it, he could get a good look at the beast. Easily twice the size of Saphira, its scales were a golden-green and were more metallic than Saphira's gem-like scales. Massive horns twisted back from its skull, while massive fangs jutted from its jaws. Amber eyes burned into him, filled with what seemed to be fear and trepidation, but also determination and protectiveness.

Fear? Trepidation? From a dragon of such size, it seemed improbable that it would fear anything. A bone-shaking roar and a ground shaking thump signified Saphira's arrival. Eragon could feel her surprise and excitement even as she sighted the massive golden beast.

Not a beast she said in the back of his mind, sounding rather cross with him.

I know it's not a beast. He responded apologetically. From where he was standing, he could hear the elven woman speaking in some flowing language that seemed to sing through his mind. He looked to Brom, eyes wide at the sight of another Dragon and obviously Dragon Rider. Brom shook his silver-haired head, his longsword still raised defensively.

After several minutes, the dragon unwrapped its wings and the elven woman stepped out, a sheepish look on her face and his arrow in her hand. She stopped a few paces from them and gave what seemed to be a disarming smile. "I'm sorry if Elgara frightened you." She said, motioning to the now named Elgara. "She heard me scream and felt my fear, so she assumed the worst."

Her gaze moved past Eragon and Brom before her eyes widened. The farm boy followed her gaze to Saphira who was watching the emerald-eyed elf with a cocked head. Not paying attention to either of the humans before her, she slowly moved forward, dropping Eragon's arrow as she passed him, before she stood before the sapphire dragon. The elf surprised both humans and the blue dragon as she bent at the waist and bowed.

"Andaran atish'an, Isenatha," she said as she straightened. Saphira lowered her head until she was eye level with the elf before she froze. Elgara had begun growling as the blue dragon moved, only for the elf to snap her head around.

"Hush now, ma vhenan." She said to the gold dragon, causing her to fall silent. She looked back to Saphira and stiffened as the sapphire dragon pressed against her mind. Eragon watched, aware that something was being said but decided it best not to intrude on their conversation.

Lara Lavellan

Lara could scarcely believe her eyes, or her mind. Her eyes told her a magnificent blue dragon stood before her, her mind singing with the magic the reptile held within her. The dragon seemed to be looking through her mind, like a gentle breeze rushing through the trees of a forest. For several minutes, the she-dragon drifted softly though her thoughts, looking at her past, though Lara hid the more…private moments she had shared with Cassandra. She could feel the dragon's amusement at the action.

Finally, the blue dragon spoke in a rich accent, in a tone filled with curiosity and wonder. I apologize for my Rider and the old one, said the dragon. I am Saphira. It is an honor to meet another Dragon Rider.

Lara frowned at the term. What is a Dragon Rider? I'm afraid I've never heard the term before. You see…I'm quite lost.

Saphira blinked in surprise and pulled out of her mind, looking over the elf's shoulder. Following her gaze, she spotted the human boy staring at her. Or rather, at her ears. Her anger instantly flared, the Anchor flaring with it as she snarled at the boy, causing him to jump.

"Find something interesting, shemlen?" she snarled, causing the boy's brow to furrow, even as his face turned red in embarrassment.

"Be thankful I'm not one of the hunters from my clan. Any of them would've slit your throat for staring as you were, human." She scoffed even as she shook her head, cursing in her native tongue as she moved over to Elgara. Humans will never change, she thought crossly. Always staring, no doubt thinking themselves better than the People.

"Pardon him, milady," the old man said as he stepped forward, throwing a glare at the young man next to him. The boy ducked his head. "He's yet to learn manners. He's never seen an elf before…though to be honest, I've never heard of elves that lived in clans rather than in the Elven cities.

Lara frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about? Elves have lived in clans and alienages since the fall of Arlathan and Dirthavaren, at the hands of you humans none the less. As many a human will remind me at every chance they get," she grumbled

The old man's brow furrowed. "I do not recognize those names at all, milady. Though perhaps before explanations, introductions are in order."

Lara sighed in exasperation. She needed answers. But she supposed it wouldn't hurt. With an Elvhen bow, she spoke. "Lara Lavellan of the Dalish Clan Lavellan. Head of the Inquisition." She stood, emerald eyes locking on the brown-haired boy as he continued to stare at her. Elgara growled in response, snapping the boy from his trance. The gold dragon looked to blue with a rather cross look in her eyes as she turned her massive head to the blue Dragon.

Unless you wish for your companion to suffer fourth degree burns, I suggest you get him to stop staring at Lara. She hissed, making Saphira look to the staring human. With a huff, she lifted her wing and smacked him along the back of his skull. The boy yelped and rubbed the back of his head, throwing a glare at his dragon before Saphira grunted at him. Something obviously passed between the two because the boy blinked then blushed in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry." He said, rubbing his neck nervously. "I've never seen an elf before, so…sorry if I stare a bit. I'm Eragon by the way."

Lara's hand met her forehead as she groaned, noticing the wonder and curiosity in his stare that reminded her of children who just discovered magic. "Creators, why did I have to meet the human who was too curious for his own good?"

The old man chuffed in amusement as Eragon turned red. "Oh, you don't know the half of it. I am Brom, just so you are aware."

Lara grinned lightly in response. "Andaran atish'an, Brom. Eragon. Saphira." She nodded to each in turn before she looked to her right, where both of the large creatures were still laying. One was burned beyond recognition, though the one Brom had killed was still in one piece. She moved to the creature and examined it. It looked almost like a Qunari, though more…brutal, almost primal. She looked to Brom and Eragon.

"What are these things?" she asked as she prodded the hunk of dead flesh with the end of her staff. "They look almost like Qunari, but different somehow."

The silver-haired man frowned at the elf. "Those are Urgals… what is a Qunari?"

Lara gaped at the man as a thought came into her head. Please be wrong, she pleaded silently. "Have you…ever heard of a place called…Thedas, by any chance?"

Both Brom and Eragon shared a confused glance before turning back to her. They shook their heads, flinching as the elf woman started cursing profusely in Elvhen. Elgara lowered her head so that her amber eye was level with Lara's emerald, blocking the humans view of her Rider. Are you alright, ma vhenan? The dragon asked, worry blooming in her mind.

Lara shook her head. No, I'm not okay. If these two haven't even heard of Thedas before, how are we supposed to get home? How am I supposed to get back to Cassandra? She took several breaths to try and calm herself, the Anchor spitting and hissing in response to her emotions. She hissed in pain as the Anchor continued to surge and went through the calming techniques that Keeper Deshanna taught her for when her magic would lash out like they did when she was younger and the other younglings were teasing her for being different from them.

Before too long, the Anchor's light faded away, leaving the elf with a sore hand. Refraining from looking at the two humans, she moved away from her dragon, lifting her staff as she did. With a single spell, powered by the pain she felt at the deaths of the villagers, she smoothed out the path to the nearest gate, turning and carefully levitating the bodies of the unfortunate villagers as she carefully left the village.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brom and Eragon gaping at her as though they had never seen magic before, but she simply shook her head and kept moving. Once they were a good distance from the ruined town, she tapped her staff on the ground thrice, the earth shaking and groaning as it split open, over a hundred graves opening for each of the villagers. As were the traditions of the People, she sang a mournful funeral song as she carefully lowered each of the bodies into the graves, taking great care with the bodies of the children.

Once the bodies were resting peacefully in the graves, she carefully closed the earth up, while at the same time reaching deep into the earth and pulling up seeds that wouldn't sprout for a long time. She infused them with magic and let them drift over the grave sites. With a snap of her fingers, the seeds buried themselves and began to slowly spout, just enough so that they could grow on their own.

One thing she had always hated about the Chantry was how the ignorant humans continuously claimed that Magic was a curse and a mark of demons. That was the farthest thing from the truth. Demons were incapable of creating anything beautiful and kind. Magic was simply energy to be guided into form. The darkness came from those casting it.

Once the trees had grown enough to survive on their own, she knelt and began a Dalish prayer, asking Falon'Din to guide the pour souls through the Beyond safely. She ignored the stares from the humans, since Elgara had situated herself behind her Rider, watching the human's closely as the blue dragoness watched the gold with wide sapphire eyes. As soon as her prayers were done, she stood and moved past Eragon and Brom, heading into the town to look for the supplies she had arrived for.

However, she didn't get too far before Eragon seemed to take offense to her looting.

"What are you doing!?" he demanded as she dug through a kitchen looking for seasonings for food.

Lara gave him a confused look. "What? I'm getting what I came here for. It's not like they can object seeing as they're…gone."

He wasn't convinced. "That doesn't mean you can just take what isn't yours!"

Lara sighed and shook her head, taking her hand out of the drawer as she moved out of the kitchen of the shop she was standing in. Taking a position in front of the young man, she locked her emerald eyes onto his light brown. "I understand your reservations. I used to be the same way. But the thing is, they're dead. We're not. Someone else will be by before too long and start stripping the place. I'm only looking for herbs to season food, herbs for healing, a bow and quiver and a sword. It's not as though I'm taking their jewels and valuables like a common bandit. I do not enjoy taking the possessions of the recently dead, but if I'm going to stay alive to find a way home, I'll do whatever I have to so I can survive."

With that she moved back into the shop, leaving the young man gaping at her even as her dragon moved past him, his own dragon walking next to her. Lara smiled softly. Got a new friend, Elgara? She asked with a teasing tone in her voice.

Elgara snorted and rolled her amber eyes. She acts as though she's never seen another dragon before. She hasn't said anything to me, just followed me around like a…what was that term you use? Lost kitten?

Lara snorted as she looked through the blacksmith's shop for a sword. It's lost puppy, Elgara. And something tells me that there aren't many dragons around here. Talk to her. See if you have anything in common…though probably best not to mention that you were guarding a shrine to Mythal for centuries.

The gold-green dragon nodded and stopped in the center of the village, turning her massive skull to the smaller blue dragon that had been following her around since they had clarified that they weren't enemies. The blue dragon immediately froze, her tail twitching back and forth like a cat about to pounce.

Lara shook her head in amusement as she found a longsword that fit her hand relatively well when she heard footsteps behind her. Turning her head, her emerald eyes locked on Brom's blue as he watched her from the door. She sighed.

"He's not a survivor, is he?" she asked as she slipped the sword into its sheathe and clipped it to her belt. The old man shook his head.

"No, he is not. Not yet anyway. His uncle was murdered by the King's dragon hunters. We've been hunting them while I teach him how to be a Dragon Rider."

Lara frowned. "There is that title again. 'Dragon Rider'…it means something, doesn't it?" she asked, turning to Brom once more. The old man seemed surprised.

"You are an elf, and you do not know of the Dragon Riders?" he sounded surprised.

She scowled. "If you weren't paying attention, I did say I needed to find a way home. But for now, I need to know about this land. Obviously, this 'King' of yours isn't the friendliest person around, but I know nothing else of this place past that this village was sacked by a group of those Urgals led by some form of demon."

Brom frowned at her words. "I am not aware of any lands beyond the seas. The elves of Du Weldenvarden might know, but we are too far west to make that journey at this time. We're currently heading to Teirm to try and find the location of the Ra'zac. After that, I'll take him to the Varden in the Beor Mountains."

Lara nodded. She knew what it was like to lose someone close to her heart. Before the Mage Rebellion, she had been in love with Dalia, a hunter from her clan. Dalia had died when a group of Templars had mistaken her for an elven Mage. Lara had been so filled with rage and pain that she had hunted the men down herself, ignoring the objections of her Keeper to wait for the hunters to gather. They had been gloating about the kill around a campfire when she found them. She had shown them a true Elven Mage, turning three of the bastards inside out, before tearing two others apart with telekinesis. The last one she had revealed that Dalia had been innocent of magic, before promptly pumping him so full of lightning that his head had exploded in her hands. She had reclaimed Dalia's bow and returned to camp, drenched in Templar blood. Everyone had avoided her for three months. It had been the little ones who had returned to her side first, having spotted her sobbing by a river as she held the ring she had been planning on giving to Dalia for when she asked for her hand in marriage.

Lara shook her head to clear the dark memories away. "I understand the need for vengeance…for justice. Best to get it out of your body as soon as possible, otherwise it poisons you."

Brom watched her closely. "You know loss, then."

She sighed and nodded. "I loved someone once…she was murdered by humans hunting Mages. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

She heard Elgara rumble softly as the dragon's mind wrapped around hers like a protective cloak, comforting the elf even as the pain of those memories came rushing back to her.

Brom was silent for a time before he spoke. "Perhaps you should travel with us. Eragon will have to go to the elves eventually, and along the way I can teach you a thing or two about being a Dragon Rider."

Lara was silent for a few moments as she mulled it over with Elgara. Once they had decided, she turned to the old man, determination in her eyes. "Very well, Brom. I will go with you. Be warned though, I will not stop being who I am, nor do I respond well to being ordered around by humans." She paused for a moment before her face split into a soft grin. "Who knows? Maybe with someone closer to his age tagging along, Eragon will learn a bit better."

Brom scoffed as he looked out the shop window to see Eragon trip over Saphira's tail. "Somehow…I doubt it."

AN: So sorry for the long wait, I just could get my brain in gear with this story once I started working on several others.

Elgara: Dalish word for 'Sun'

Isenatha: Dalish word for 'Dragon'

As always, please review. If you can guess the events of the next chapters, you get a virtual cake.