"Hmm… how about Glaecier?" Selena had asked me for the past several days what name I wanted. She thought I was extremely picky but I just wasn't going to be called "pretty dragon" in the ancient language. I was a dragon after all, so why not have a name worthy for one?

Nope. My mental disagreement had her giving me more and more silly names.

"Aww come on you have to like at least one name!" Her hands flew up to remove several pieces of black hair from her immensely expressive face. To me she was open, to the people around her, and to anyone who wanted to hear. Her stubborn attitude never slacked in all of the time I've known her, the positive outlook always made my day and our friendship grew every second we spent together.

My eye closed in contentment before she stopped her questioning. I don't know what name I want but the ones you ask me I just don't like. Curling into myself like a napping cat, I yawned lightly. The sun felt good this morning.

Her voice moved farther from me and closer to my conversing mountain sized parents. "Saphira, Firnen, can you help me?" She asked almost begging to get a good answer.

We are sorry young one but we cannot. This decision is between you two. Said Saphira. Her answer was expected by me but struck Selena dumb.

I interrupted her disappointed thoughts. I kind of like Eragon…

"No! That's my father's name." I thought after a moment of running down a list of names and experimenting with a few I liked enough to mess with.

Fine, How about Eradon? The name rolled over and over in my mind.

Her pacing suddenly stopped. "Eradon? I've never heard of that name. Where did you come up with that?" Her tone and thoughts hinted towards the thick line of embarrassed and agitation. Both were directed at herself most likely due to me thinking it and not her.

I changed Eragon around. I said proudly already deciding what I was going to be called whether or not she liked it.

"Well Eradon sounds like a lovely name." Her silence concerned me after a minute. My pride engulfed her effectively erasing her negative feelings.

That's because I came up with it! It sounds quite noble! Ah, I can see the elves cheering now… 'Did I ever tell you about the great Eradon? The colors of his scales are said to be so deep that the ocean is jealous!' Scenarios played through my mind until Selena mentally smirked at them.

"Only you could love attention like Saphira." My teasing rider found herself the center of attention by three dragons.

So that's where he gets it from. My father let us all know his thoughts on the subject.

11 years later…

Saphira jumped from the earth and flew high in the sky leaving a now napping Firnen behind.

Well, aren't you hungry Eradon? She asked.

Yes! I'll see you later tonight Selena, Saphira wants to take me hunting and then more flying lessons.

"Okay, bye." I quickly followed Saphira into the low-oxygen-clouds. The ocean breeze felt wonderful against my scales giving off a glare towards the setting sun while it ran behind the edge of the earth to escape my sight. The normally quiet city of Doru Araeba below us quickly finished the day's tasks to get ready for the coming cold season they disliked so much. Humans, dwarves, and pointed ears like my close rider all cheered as me and my mother entered their sight. I turned my head back to Saphira as we left the last of the busy city and into the prey filled forests the nearby inhabitants gladly stayed out of for our hunts.

Where are we going to hunt today ebrithil? I asked curiously.

We are not doing lessons as of now, I must speak with you. Afterwards though then we hunt. We have a big day tomorrow.

What are we doing tomorrow ebrithil?

It is the end of your and Selena's Riders training here on Vroenguard.

Are we just going to leave Vroenguard? I easily kept up with Saphira's fast flying that I seemed to inherit from both her and Firnen. Would we leave and never return?

She slowed down noticeably before I could match my speed with hers. What kind of dragon and dragon rider has never seen anything other than where they were born and here? You have enough strength to fly easily over the long distance separating here and Alagaesia. Besides, I am growing tired of seeing the same mountains. We are not your only family here. You and your rider's kin are just but a day's flight between each other so there is no sense in wasting time. Come, we must find food before the night is late and our riders worry without our presence.

Ebrithil, I fear something will happen when we are outside the comfort of Vroenguard. My fear for Selena crept into my voice as I spoke from my heart. The trees below us would have blurred to a human but my keen eyesight keep them otherwise.

As you should. There is enough unhappiness outside Doru Araeba but do not fret, if your discomfort grows so will your riders and I'm sure she will not willingly go. You must stay strong young Eradon because without her you would not survive. Her voice held concern and a hidden emotion I had yet to experience.

Elrun ono ebrithil. I thanked showing my gratitude prominent in my reassured mind. Personally I took it as a challenge. Selena would never be able to get a paper cut without it being on fire within two seconds whether or not it had good news or bad.

Go Eradon and eat, meet me here when you are finished. The mountains turned into a valley which held Vroenguard's largest river.

Yes ebrithil… We soon parted ways as she flew north of the Slané Údali River and I south of it. The large unlucky wolf I spotted quickly met her end by my talons, which were, if I might add, sharper than master Eragon's sword. My hunt finished and my belly full, I hurried back to our agreed spot hoping I was not the one to finish last. I wasn't disappointed when I found nothing that looked like a dragon… nope that's a horrible excuse for a dragon fly. As the little dragon fakes flew around me out of curiosity, my patience was rewarded with my mother's fire below me.

This is a disgrace! These little insects those puny little humans call dragon flies are nothing of the sort. She snorted angrily attempting unsuccessfully to rid her of the annoying "disgraceful little insects". I on the other hand could care less about them. What was the point in burning them if more kept coming?

Ebrithil, I wish to see my rider. We had only been gone for less than three hours and it was already unbearable to stay away for any length of time.

Have you had your fill? She asked looking at me momentarily distracted.

Yes ebrithil. I thought eagerly.

Then let the wind help us in our journey back home…. Our home should have been within sight if the mountains weren't so high around us. The countless times I and Saphira quizzed each other until this point on riddles was tiresome due to both of us tying on riddle or another. I gave up on answering Saphira's riddle when the clouds ahead of us grew from dark grey to almost black with deadly swiftness.

Ebrithil I do not wish to fly arrogantly into those clouds.

Do you want to see your rider by tonight Eradon? This is a test. Here is where you show how far your training has helped you.

…Yes ebrithil. My nervous reply was evident in my voice as we continued forward into danger. The clouds continued as we did in size and darkness, allowing no light to escape its clutches with the help of night on its side.

BACK AT DORU ARAEBA…

"Father, I hope Saphira and Eradon aren't caught in that storm."

"Yes," Said Eragon looking out the window of Selena's window. "I have not seen a storm that big since Brom, Saphira and I were riding past Ristvak'baen."

Selena worried enough for the entire city of Doru Araeba. She felt the presence of her mother walk behind her to hold both her and Eragon to try unsuccessfully ease their worry.

-:-

Ebrithil, I don't know how much more my wings can take! We have only been flying in this storm for ten minutes and I'm already getting muscle cramps! I yelled desperately while gasping for breath.

We… must keep going Eradon… Even Saphira's thoughts were tired. The raging winds threw me and Saphira in all directions effortlessly. A funnel formed ahead of me as I raced against the wind in front of Saphira's exhausted body. A roar of pain came from behind me as bits of rocks and branches hit us. But I quickly learned I was not going to be so lucky. We carried no hope to survive flying through the night. Sheer determination willed my wings to allow me to plummet toward the ground in hopes of some sort of shelter.

Before I could see what came at me, all senses were disconnected from my brain as I blacked out.

Eradon! Saphira yelled at the now unconscious dragon. Luckily Eradon was less than twenty feet above the ground before he was hit in the head by an uprooted tree.

-:-

Selena heard a roar in the distance she knew to be Saphira's, but when she heard no other sound she knew something was wrong. Her mind rushed and desperately searched for his mind to come up with nothing. Nothing responded and she felt nothing, only numbness as if he was no longer in her world… as if he left her there without a goodbye or thought. As she looked to the sky she saw Saphira emerge from the clouds bloodied and worn. Selena sprinted down the stairs along with her scared father close behind.

"Saphira!" Eragon yelled when the massive sapphire dragoness landed harshly. He quickly healed all of her wounds before Firnen landed right beside his friend-of-heart, worry clear in his actions and thoughts. Arya bounded off Firnen and ran to Eragon for an explanation. Firnen's usually upbeat personality vanished as he took in the situation. He knew his muscle wouldn't be able to save his son. Not today.

It's entirely my fault! Saphira roared in pain once again but for different reasons. I led us into the twister not realizing how bad it was becoming and when I realized that he was right it was too late… A big tear fell from her eye as she looked at Selena.

Before Selena knew it she started walking in the direction of the storm. Nothing else on her mind but one thing: Eradon.

"Selena, you can't go into that storm! It's too dangerous!" Arya yelled attempting to hold her daughter back. Selena just shrugged out of her grasp. "He would have done the same thing." She said mechanically.

-:-

Ugh, what kind of dream was that? I feel like I just fell from the dragonhold… I gasped when I realized that I wasn't anywhere near the safety of my home or my rider. I looked at my surroundings with my eyes half opened due to the unusual amount of light in my eyes. Or just one eye to be exact. I checked to make sure I wasn't mortally wounded, and so I was ecstatic that I found nothing out of the ordinary except my freshly opened cuts and dried blood.

"Eradon! Eradon!" I heard three voices chanting in loud and worried voices. I opened my mouth to roar at them but nothing came out. I tried the same thing with smoke and it worked. I lifted my head enough to send a blazing inferno to the sky before my strength failed and I passed out.

-:-

"He's in a tremendous amount of pain…" Selena said. "I can feel it." She suddenly gasped and sprinted south of their direction. "ERADON!" She screamed when she saw his head covered in blood. The wildlife around him was still burning when she fully reached him.

"Father!" She called unnecessarily. Eragon made his way over the his child's dragon, saying the words of healing so he could live long enough for them to take him back from the clutches of death. Selena, Arya, and Eragon all used magic to help them carry him to the castle. The healers, consisting of twenty or so mixture of elves and humans, were summoned via dream stare to make all haste to the dragon hold. All groggy humans were shocked by his amount of injuries where as the elves were struck dumb about him still being alive but they worked through the night with Selena's parents. Selena sat outside helplessly with Saphira and Firnen trying to comfort each other.

Firnen wasn't much help as far as comfort. He will live Saphira. He has your stubbornness after all. Both were in the biggest dragon hold large enough for 10 dragons with his head over hers rubbing affectionately. No one noticed the elf named Blödgharm until he spoke at the entrance of the room by the door quietly.

"Lady Selena, Lord Eradon is alive and recovering at an alarming rate… you may go in and see him if you wish." He said looking completely exhausted and ready to collapse when Selena twisted her head so fast in his direction it was nearly blurred. Selena jumped up and ran to Eradon's now healing body like a rabbit running from a hungry wolf.