D/C: I own nothing from Eragon and Eldest
-Chapter 2: Hatchling-
The battle ended in yet another stalemate. Murtagh hadn't made an appearance, Eragon was relieved to know, but he worried constantly about the next battle. The Varden could not afford these continued losses with no victories, as they didn't have unlimited resources. Tired, haggard and sorrowful, the Varden made their way back to the camp. Through the blood-stained crowd, one lone figure cut sideways, working towards Eragon. Her face was familiar.
"Saphira told me something about an egg." Arya said. Her face asked Is it true?
"Aye, we have the last dragon egg." Eragon replied, wearily climbing down from Saphira's saddle. Arya's face lit up, and immediately she said,
"Where is it now? We must go retrieve it, and then to Lady Nasuada's tent. This is important tidings that must be discussed immediately."
Elva has it. Saphira said, raising her head up on her long neck to look at Elva's tent. Arya blinked, and without further ado began to walk towards Elva's tent.
"An interesting place to keep it. But, come."
Watching Arya's straight back cut through the crowd like an knife in butter only reminded him that he wasn't as much elf as he thought he was. He was ready to collapse after the drain of magic and physical strength, and had to keep a hand on Saphira's side as they followed Arya.
"Where is the dragon egg?" Arya brushed aside the tent flap and asked Elva. The dragon-child was sitting in the middle of the floor, again eating food. She had already grown another few inches at the horrendous rate she had been maintaining since her curse and blessing. The girl looked up with her violet eyes and pointed to a trunk in the back of the tent. Arya opened it, and picked up the egg from its nest of clothes.
"You're about to step on a nail if you put your foot down over there." She said, without looking at Eragon, who was halfway into the tent.
"What?" Eragon said, looking up. With a hmph, Elva grabbed a cushion and threw it under his foot just as he put it down. Bending down, Eragon lifted the cushion to see a nail that was dropped during the setting up of tents.
"You'd be wise to heed my warnings, Eragon." Elva scolded, sounding for all the world like a mother.
"Sorry." Eragon rubbed his arms as he apologized. The girl made him nervous, still, and he felt terrible about ruining her life like this. "Elva, I still haven't removed that curse of yours."
Again, Elva blinked and Eragon saw tears come to her eyes. But it disappeared, just as fast as last time. "Another time, Eragon, you have to go to the Council and Lady Nasuada."
"Here, Elva, come with us." Arya said, handing the dragon egg to the girl and walking out of the tent. As Eragon turned to leave, he saw a look of admiration and wonder cross Elva's face as she cradled the large egg in her arms.
I hope she doesn't develop too much connection to that egg. We have to get it to hatch somehow, soon. Saphira thought.
When Elva and Eragon entered on Arya's heels to the headquarters and Saphira had poked her head in after them, Nasuada immediately started to her feet.
"Elva, put the egg here on the table." She commanded.
"Yes, Lady." Elva obeyed.
The Council of Elders and Nasuada stared at the egg.
"This could be part of our victory." Jormundur breathed. "We could have two Riders like Galbatorix and Murtagh."
"If we can get it to hatch." Nasuada added in an undertone.
The meeting went on and on, from what to do with the egg, to future battle plans, what this meant for the Varden if the egg hatched, and what they had to do if it wouldn't hatch. The night soon came and Eragon was fervently wishing to go to his tent and take a rest. Sometimes he found it strange that he now could no longer sleep. Lanterns were lit and a thin shaft of moonlight crept into the tent through the slit in the entrance. When the lanterns began to stutter and the light became low, the Council was about to adjourn. Suddenly…
A new conscience awoke in their midst. Eragon started and Saphira grunted. To Eragon and Saphira's surprise, Elva also stiffened. Nasuada eyed them, concerned.
"Are you alright? I'm sorry that we went this late, we all should have been in bed much earlier before. You may go no-" she stopped, mid-sentence as the emerald egg jerked on the table.
It's hatching! Saphira's huge blue eyes widened. Arya was gripping the table so hard her knuckles turned white.
"It's hatching!" cried the Elders, Nasuada and Eragon.
Elva remained silent, though her breathing had become harsh, wild. After five long minutes, the baby dragonlet's strenuous work helped it break through the shell and widen its escape hole. Everyone watched as Elva, as if in a dream, moved towards the dragon. Falberd, one of the Elders, made the mistake of trying to stop Elva.
"Don't tou-" he started, but Saphira jerked her head and he fell back as if punched by a fist of air.
How did you do th-
Eragon, stop talking.
Elva was at the dragonet's side. It had untangled itself, and it trembled as it stood. Then it gained strength as the sliver of moonlight slipped through the tent flap and shone upon its glowing emerald scales. Eragon was reminded of the night Saphira hatched. Oh, but would it happen? Had the dragon truly hatched for Elva? Touch it, Elva. He thought. Touch him.
Her eyes were wide in wonder, and Eragon was almost unnerved by how childish she looked. How old was she now, several months? Had it been a year? Two? He could not remember. She seemed so mature, so scarily grown-up, that it unsettled him. But now, the same as when she cried at the thought of being freed from her curse, she looked awestruck, like the baby child she was supposed to be, looking upon the world for her first time.
The dragonet was looking at her now, and her hand came closer. He watched the hand come nearer and nearer to his foreleg, and twitched but did not shy away.
"This will hurt me." She whispered, and touched the dragonet. A flash of white light tinged with green erupted from the contact point and Elva let out a cry. The light faded, and Elva staggered, clutching her forehead. What? Her forehead? Eragon thought, confused. He was certain that she had bonded with the male dragonet. But, looking at his own gedwey ignasia, the Rider's mark was supposed to be on one's hand. Jormundur steadied her, and soon she was smooth and composed again. So quickly she turned cold and cynical again.
Nasuada stepped forward. "Elva… look at me." She commanded. Obediently, Elva raised those chilling purple eyes to Nasuada's face. Her bangs fell to the side, and the dragonmark Saphira had left on her forehead showed through. But it was glowing a brilliant white, and as it faded, everyone looked at each other. That was no longer simply a dragon mark.
In their minds, Saphira and Eragon felt the dragonet and Elva making contact. They were clumsy, and nervous, as Eragon and Saphira had been upon her hatching. Then Saphira nudged him, and Eragon saw everyone was looking at him, excluding Elva. They are waiting for you to confirm it. She said. Eragon was stunned to see that even Arya was staring unblinkingly at him. Come now, Eragon. You and I both know it. They know it. But they're waiting for you.
With a deep breath, he said it first in the Ancient Language, then again.
"A new Rider has been born."