The morning was cool and pleasant as Eva rode into Carvahall, the stone tucked away in her pack. People were rushing here and there as they bought goods from the merchants and nearby shops. Several stalls caught Eva's interest, but she had to solve the mystery of the stone first. She tied her gelding outside the bakery shop, deciding to ask Balard what he thought.
The smell of flour and sugars enveloped Eva as she entered the bakery. The store owner was in the back, pulling out a fresh loaf of bread from the oven. He slipped off his mitts and came to see his potential customer, a warm smile spreading across his face as he noticed who it was.
"Well, now! If it isn't my favorite cousin's daughter. What can I do fer yeh today?" He leaned over the counter and gave her an apologetic smile. "Tell yer ma I'm sorry, by the way. I heard from another customer Agnes was a real witch to her yesterday. "
"She understands," Eva replied, sliding her pack off of her back and in front of Balard. His curious expression morphed into shock as Eva pulled the green stone from her pack. "I was wondering… or well, hoping, actually, if you could tell me what this is?"
"May I?" Balard almost whispered as Eva handed it to him. He held it as if it were about to shatter, the shocked expression seemingly locked on his face. "Where did yeh get this?"
"I found it in the river yesterday while I was fishing. I didn't know what it was; I never told mother about it either."
"A wise choice, that," Balard muttered, his eyes studying the stone as he carefully turned it in his hands. "Yer ma hasn't got the strongest of hearts fer these kinds of things."
"So it's not a stone then?"
"Nay, you'll never find a stone the likes of this one. Even the dwarves of the southern mountains would find themselves unable to recreate it. No, my dear, this is worth more than all the gold of Alagaësia."
Balard carefully placed it back in Eva's hands, his eyes scrutinizing the windows. "This," he said in a soft, yet almost pained voice, "is a dragon's egg."
Just as he said the word dragon, the egg stirred. Eva jumped in surprise, the egg slipping from her hands and onto the counter. A large crack split across the egg, which stirred even more. Balard grabbed it quickly but carefully and placed it in her pack.
"Get out of town," Balard ordered as he shoved some bread and pastries into the pack around the egg to keep it from cracking more. "You'll be safe once yer back at home. If yeh need anything in town, just ask yer ma to let me know. I'll stop by later on." He stepped around the counter, placing both his hands on her shoulders. "I never thought I'd see the day when the Riders returned to Alagaësia. And to find that it's you," He shook his head, stepping back. "Go on, get goin. If anyone's seen yeh, there might be trouble."
Eva nodded and thanked him, rushing out of the store with her pack. As she leapt onto her gelding, her pack shrieked, startling a couple about to enter the shop. Avoiding their eyes, she nudged the horse's belly and raced home.
Eva slowed her pace as she came into view of her farmhouse, not wanting to alert her mother. She rode to the barn, setting her pack down amongst the square bales of hay stacked along the far wall. After she'd taken care of her horse, she sat before the pack, carefully taking out the egg. It had fractured in more places, but remained intact.
Eva smiled as she traced her finger along the first crack. The egg peeped and trembled as she touched it, before completely falling apart. Eva gasped, staring at the small creature before her with both excitement and caution. The small, dark-emerald green dragon stared up at her with curious eyes, stretching its neck towards her. Eva hesitantly reached out to touch the dragon, gently placing her hand on its small head.
Suddenly she was thrown back, her arm exploding in pain. The dragon shrieked and leapt off the bale, knocking pieces of eggshell everywhere. Eva laid her head back, sighing in relief as the pain faded, leaving her hand only throbbing slightly. She examined her hand, where a silvery scar was now stretched across her palm. She frowned as she touched it, then glanced at the dragon curled up on the sandy floor. It peeped at her, flicking its tail slightly.
Eva smiled, picking up the dragon without a thought, glad to find the pain didn't shock her again. The dragon curled up against her, closing its eyes. She held it like a mother would her newborn, stroking its smooth, gem-like scales, which matched the color of the egg perfectly.
My dragon, Eva thought to herself in wonder. She swore she could hear the same possessive thought coming from the creature curled up in her arms.