I am not awesome enough to own the Inheritance Cycle. Though I wish I did.
Thoughts over bond
David was startled awake when a loud squeak sounded throughout his tent.
He sat up on the cot and leaned back against his hands. Squinting against the darkness his eyes quickly adjusted but he saw nothing. Assuming it was nothing he laid back onto the bed.
Another squeak sounded and this time it came from underneath his bed. Growling David casted his mind out, only to find nothing but the green egg hidden beneath the cot. He used his mind to watch his entire tent but nothing happened.
Until the egg moved.
Rolling out of the cot in a tangled mess of sheets David reached under the cot and grabbed the shadow bag he kept the egg in. He set the bag on his cot and allowed the bag to melt back into the shadows. Quickly lighting the lantern beside his bed with a spell he kept his eyes on the egg.
Another squeak emitted and this time when it shook, a small crack appeared on the surface. David swore violently in both English and the Ancient Language. He didn't understand why it was hatching, he was already a rider for Aquila. Was it even possible to be a rider for two dragons.
What is going on little duck?
The egg is hatching and I don't know why!
It is supposed to hatch for Arya yes? Has she ever come in contact with it?
David remembered back when he and Murtagh returned to the Varden. When he had been shown his tent Arya had come to visit him. He showed her the egg then…and her hand brushed against the egg. But why is it hatching now? Arya isn't even here!
You know a dragon will not always hatch immediately David. When it felt Arya's presence brush up against his egg that may have been when he decided. But when she left to retrieve Eragon he kept from hatching. Now she's returned to tha Varden and with her close by he wishes to choose her now.
More cracks were webbing across the eggs surface. "No stop! Don't hatch your rider isn't here!" The egg stopped momentarily before it resumed its shaking. Urgent squeaks were sounding throughout the tent and David quickly erected a privacy ward to prevent anyone from overhearing.
Despite his urging protests the egg burst open to reveal the small green hatchling that was once inside. The hatchling wobbled onto his four legs and shook off any remaining egg shells.
The low lighting from the lantern on Davids bedside allowed him to see the beautiful emerald green scales covering the dragons body. Small white teeth poked out of the hatchling mouth, along with ivory claws on the dragons feet.
The dragon looked around the tent with interest and when his eyes landed on Davids shocked form sitting on the floor it gave a low squeak. He observed David before quickly growing bored and continuing its observation of the tent. When it realized its rider wasn't in the tent it gave a low keen if distress before awkwardly scrambling down from the bed.
It started waddling towards the entrance of the tent, determined to find his rider, and David lunged forward in the hopes of stopping him. NO!
Hearing the loudly shouted command through his mind made him cringe and swerve away, right before he was about to touch the dragon. What?!
Should you touch him now than he will be forced to bond with you and won't be able to be with his chosen rider.
Realizing what he was just about to do made David feel horrified I'm sorry I didn't know.
Well you do now. Now figure out another way to stop that hatchling before he gets out!
Scrambling for his blankets David gripped the edges and flung them over the hatchling, just before he was able to escape the tent. Throwing himself on top of the wriggling pile of blankets David scooped up the hatchling and wrapped him into the sheets. Cutting both the light and the privacy wards he slipped out of his tent and into the dark of night.
Hushing the bundle of dragon in his arms David silently weaved his way passed the quiet tents of the Varden. With his barriers down he made sure nobody was nearby as he made it to the specific tent he was looking for.
He slipped inside the dark interior of the tent and magically lit the lantern next to the cot. "Arya," David hissed, "Arya get up!"
Her eyes snapped open and she immediately sat up in the bed, pulling a sword out of nowhere and falling into a defensive position. David would have held his hands up in surrender but they were currently occupied with the struggling bundle of blankets.
"What are you doing in here?" Arya lowered the sword and returned it to wherever she had gotten it from.
"I'm not sure whether it's good news or bad news." David walked over to the table that was set up inside the tent and dropped the bundle of blankets onto it. He carefully folded back the blanket until the hatchling was able to shake off the rest.
When the small dragon was revealed David took a step back and looked over to Arya's slightly shocked face, "He must have felt your presence when you came back to the Varden."
Arya paid no attention to David as she got up from her cot and walked towards the hatchling. When the small dragon caught sight of Arya he gave an excited squeak and stretched out from the edge of the table.
They stared at each other for a moment when Arya looked over at David, "I've a,ways wanted to be a rider."
"Then what are you waiting for?"
"When you presented the egg to me you gave me the option for whether or not I wanted to become a rider now or later, and I decline because I was worried of the dangers it may bring."
"And what dangers might those be?"
Arya looked David directly in the eye, "The dragon is young, practically defenseless. Galbatorix could easily come and take him away. Now that there are four dragons on the Varden's side there will be no doubt that Galbatorix will make a move against us."
"Arya," David set a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "do not worry about these things now. Your dragon has chosen you and should you reject him I fear what would happen to him."
"I will not reject him!" She retorted viciously.
David took his hand off of her shoulder, "Then go ahead and accept your new future as a rider."
Arya returned her gaze towards the eager hatchling. She hesitantly reached out her hand and the hatchling briefly sniffed at it before butting his head against her hand.
A flash of bright white light momentarily blinded David. He blinked the spots from his vision and saw Arya had collapsed to the ground.
Worried he kneeled down next to her and carried her over to her cot. He laid her down and the small hatchling jumped onto the bed with her and curled up onto her stomach.
It wasn't much later when Arya opened her eyes and looked around the room in confusion. She felt something heavy on her stomach, and when she saw the hatchling curled up recognition lit up her eyes and she looked at her palm to see the gedwëy ignasia shining on her palm.
Arya saw David still in her tent and sat up, making the hatchling tumble into her lap with an indignant squawk. "What shall happen now that he's hatched?" She began petting the small dragon, eliciting a purr of content.
Why is she asking me this? "Well we're going to have to at least tell Nasuada, as well as Eragon and Murtagh. We can meet with them all in the morning, but for now I wish to return to my tent."
Arya agreed and when David opened the flap to leave she called out to him. He looked back to see what she wanted, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"You have given me the opportunity become something I've only dreamed of becoming."
David just shrugged, "Think nothing of it, and besides," he motioned to the small dragon in her lap, "I wouldn't have been able to get him without Murtagh's help." With that he slipped out of the tent and made his way back to his own tent so he could sink into his cot and return to sleep. He would deal with any problems in the morning.
AN: I had a lot of conflicting feeling when making this chapter. I wasn't sure whether to have Fírnen hatch or not but it happened.