EEEEEEPPPPPPPP, can you tell that was a really girly squeel? Thankyou all for your reviews!
I would just like to take a moment before you all rush off to read the next chapter, to reply and clarify something one of the reviewers asked me. It's the only question a reviewer asked that will not be specifically answered in the story and I thought some other readers could benefit by the answer too. So this is for Goundry and anyone else that was wondering-
Hermione's changes are complete. Her body changed only as much as it needed to in order to comply with the rules of magic in Alagaësia. As dragons are the only species in Alagaësia with something like a magical core her body had to adapt some parts of her in order for her to retain her ability to use magic as a witch. If she had completely changed into a dragon she would be unable to use magic, like all other dragons. Harry Dragon (who I really need to give a name to at some point, any suggestions please feel free to post), as Snape always liked to complain, will be the exception to this rule in some ways. Duh, like you didn't see that coming! ;-)
So on with the show...
Updated 5/07/15
Chapter 3
The Birth
'What do you mean there's another egg?' Brom asked, an edge of panic entering his voice.
Hermione looked to him then, 'I told you I had a vague memory of flying through the air. I remembered… I remembered all of it. I was falling, falling and flying so fast I didn't think I'd live. I had the…the egg in my hand and I saw a blue light flash past me, it was, it was faster than me but I saw it, a large round blue stone, flying…falling, I think it was falling when I saw it, it was falling down… I was…' Hermione sighed and put her fingers to the scales at her hairline, scratching her talons along them and into her hair, 'The stone fell somewhere below me… I think… I blacked out as it passed me…but I was flying over a forest at the time.'
Brom looked to the dragon and said, 'If you allow me into her memory I can look to see if it is the Spine or another forest she speaks of. If it is the Spine I can see where the egg may have fallen.'
The dragon gave the old rider an unimpressed look before an image of a landscape was shoved into his head.
'I do not trust you not to see something you shouldn't,' stated the dragon, before padding over and planting himself in his friends lap where she promptly began to scratch his scales.
Brom huffed but turned his attention inward to look at the image the dragon had presented to him. Mountain after mountain stretched out before him, the valley floors blanketed with huge conifers as numerous as the spines on a hedgehogs back and in as many different shades of green as could be named. Snow tipped the points of the mountains, an ominous sign of early frost and the sky glowed a collection of colours that sung of fading heat and warm fires.
In the centre of this idyllic scene the stuff of nightmares dazzled the eye; a dragon egg Brom knew very well fell willingly into unknown and hostile land.
It was the Spine, of that there was no doubt. From what Brom could see, the Ardinial mountain lay just to the east of were the sun was setting, and the egg was falling into the shadow the mountain cast.
'The egg was being sent to me,' Brom stated, opening his eyes to look at his two companions, 'What worries me now, is where the person who was supposed to be carrying it is. I fear the repercussions should the eggs former carrier be captured.'
The dragon frowned, 'Are they not trustworthy, surly you would not entrust the your future as a free nation to someone who's loyalty is in question?'
Brom shook his head, 'Arya's loyalty is as strong as dragon scales, and I do not fear she will break under torture, I fear what will happen when she does not. Arya is a princess and her mother is Queen Islanzadí of the elves. Should she be captured or killed I fear the queen will withdraw her support from the Varden. I need not say that the elves are a major part of the resistances power; without them…I fear many more lives may be lost before this war is over.'
Hermione's eyes flashed and she spat, 'If withdrawing her support means so much, then this queen is a very selfish person.'
Brom looked at the girl in surprise, 'How would you feel if your only child was captured by your enemies?'
Hermione's hand shot up to clutch her stomach and she whispered, 'I would be devastated, but I would not… I could not stand by and watch as others paid the same price. I could not watch them suffer as I was suffering.'
Brom hummed, but said nothing more as he turned back to the map laid out on the table, 'Regardless of what has already happened, we need to find that egg. From what I could see, I would say it fell somewhere in this Valley,' he pointed to the left of one of the larger mountains. 'The region is within two days hike, but I will have to go on my own.' Turning to the little dragon he said, 'From what I can see, your wings will actually grow feathers, something I'm rather puzzled about if I'm honest. Every dragons I know of has had feather like scales for their wings, not actual feathers.'
'What if there was an alternative to walking?' Hermione asked, looking between Brom and the dragon with a twinkle in her eye.
For a second both looked rather confused, but then the dragons eyes lit up and he let out a raw of laughter, 'Brilliant Hermione, you and Brom shall be back in no time, and by being up in the air you will be able to find the egg that much sooner!'
'What do you mean, are you not coming with us?' she asked in confusion.
The dragon scrunched his nose in disgust and replied, 'I am a dragon Hermione, once my wings have fully grown I will soar above the clouds and scare all my enemies with my might. I refuse to fly any other way and depending on a rickety piece of wood to stop me from plummeting to earth does not sound appealing in the least.'
'What in the name of Alagaesia are the two of you on about?' Brom demanded.
Hermione smirked and opening her beaded bag pulled out a shiny black broom.
The dragons eyes widened, 'Where did you get a Nimbus 2001 from?'
'Books are not the only things I found in the Malfoy library.'
'Would the two of you please explain what use a broom is?' Brom asked in exasperation.
In answer Hermione held the broom out in front of her and swung her leg over it before willing it to rise about a foot into the air.
'If we fly there we should be done within the day,' Hermione said, laughing at the dumbstruck look on Brom's face.
Slowly lowering herself to the ground Hermione said, 'Before we leave though, I think I'd like a bit of breakfast.'
A happy snort issued from the dragon 'I agree with Hermione, I need to hunt or I think my stomach may start eating itself.'
Brom gave the broom one last sceptical look before making his way over to one of the cupboards, muttering about strange magics and odd dragons as he pulled out some bread and cheese. While Hermione eagerly ate the food offered the dragon turned away declaring, 'I see no need for me to eat such basic food when I can go catch a rabbit. I shall see you when you return from your egg hunt.'
So saying, the little dragon slipped out of the hunt and made his way towards the forest.
'Will he be ok?' Hermione asked in worry as she watched the dragon disappear behind the trees from the window.
Brom nodded, 'I am sure he will be fine; dragons are natural hunters, and we shall not be away long, though I wish we had a way to contact him.'
Dragons bonded by the Scales of Alliance can communicate over any distance, a voice suddenly spoke in Hermione's head, causing the witch to jump in fright.
At Broms curious look she explained, 'Apparently we can communicate mentally over any distance.'
'How is that possible if you are not bonded?' Brom asked in confusion.
Do not tell him, the dragon warned, Marking each other in different ways is how wild dragons instinctively acknowledge relationships. It's a part of our culture lost to the dragons that formed a Rider paring.
Hermione frowned, What do you mean?
Hermione felt sadness and anger echo through the bond, As soon as a dragon marks their rider any wild part of them that acknowledges or remembers Marking is completely snuffed out. A bonded rider dragon cannot be marked or mark another dragon. It is one of the reasons why the dragons were so close to their rider, they were never able to form true bonds with any of their own species so they concentrated wholeheartedly on the one bond they did have. Sometimes dragon and rider bonded so close that they forgot who was who. Many of the dragons never mated or had hatchlings because they were too close to their Rider. Some even fell in love with their rider.
That must have been horribly distressing and confusing for the dragons, Hermione thought despairingly, And the humans now that I think about it.
It certainly makes me question whether bringing back the Riders of old is a good idea. Whereas children were ten before they were tested, dragons bonded as soon as they were out of the egg. So much of the Ancestral memories the wild dragons lived by became clouded. All a dragon ever knew was their Rider and if the Rider had a particularly dominant personality the dragon often took on their characteristics and attitudes.
I am surprised the wild dragons didn't get angry when they found out, Hermione thought in astonishment.
A dark anger washed over her thoughts as the dragon responded, Oh they were angry, but in the beginning they didn't realize what was happening. When the Riders were first formed, after a dragon hatched for a rider the pair would go off with the dragons parents for the dragon to get to know it's heritage. They spent so much time around their parents, that all gaps in their Ancestral memory were filled through telepathic communication with other dragons. The wild dragons didn't realise they were teaching their young what they should already know. In general young dragons very rarely performed Markings, a dragon could go hundreds of years without marking another, a very few loners even their whole lives, so the absence of the ability wasn't noted in much later.
In fact, when the wild dragons started noticing the differences, it was that the Rider dragons were far less aggressive and primal than their wild counterparts. Dragons of both gender would fight both mentally and physically over the right to Mark each other. Wild dragons chose their mate, not only for their intellectual compatibility, but because of whom that particular dragon had ties too through their Marks. If a dragon had to choose between two potential mates and liked them both equally, the dragon would choose the one with the most impressive Marks. Because the Rider dragons were unable to perform any kind of Marking and they didn't want to fight unless it was for the protection of the land they hardly ever mated with wild dragons. Over time as the demands on the riders grew the rider dragon hatchlings spent less and less time with the wild dragons and the problems came to light.
What a mess… Hermione mumbled.
The dragon agreed grimly, The worst part is because the connection dragons shared with their riders was so profound and overwhelming, they didn't see the need for anything more. With their dragons happy to go on as they had, the riders didn't care. That's when the wild dragons started to refuse to give up their eggs. In the last two hundred or so years before Galbatorix came into the picture, the numbers of riders declined rapidly. The wild dragons would lie about how many eggs they had hatched, hiding them away so the riders couldn't have them amd the rider dragons had so few eggs anyway -
Hermione was jolted back to herself when Brom shook her hand rather vigorously, 'Oh sorry,' she said, 'did you say something?'
Brom was looking at her curiously, 'I've been talking to you for a while; you just haven't been answering me.'
Hermione smiled sheepishly, 'I'm sorry Brom, suffice to say, communication shall not be a problem between us.'
Brom looked close to asking another question, but when Hermione shook her head he thankfully gave in and went to pack some provisions.
Not long after, the unlikely pair set off in the direction of the Spine. Brom worried about being seen by anyone in the forest but his fears were put to rest when Hermione cast a disillusionment spell on them. He was also unsteady for a while, but when he got used to the sensation of flying with only a stick between his legs instead of a scaly dragon he started to enjoy himself immensely, having not flown in years.
It took less than two hours for the pair to find the landing site, but they were dismayed to discover that the blue egg was nowhere to be seen. As Brom examined the land around the site, he discovered an arrow imbedded in a tree and soon found human footprints half covered in snow.
'Someone took the egg?' Hermione asked, both in her mind and out loud to Brom as she spotted what the man was looking at.
'It would appear so; we'll have to go on foot now. I can't track the footprints from the air. Be careful where you step and watch your surroundings, you don't know what lurks in these woods.' With that Brom took off into the trees, carefully examining the path of the person they thought had the egg.
A feeling of worry vibrated through her connection to the dragon, and he said, Look at the track Hermione.
Looking down at the tracks, Hermione allowed the Dragon to see through her eyes, They are quite fresh, less than a day old from what I see. Whoever made them is of average height, and quite used to this type of terrain, they move quickly and with a purpose. They picked the egg up and put it down a few times, they may not know what they carry, but they are taking it with them.
You can tell all that from the tracks? Hermione asked in astonishment.
It's all about the depth of the footprint, how far it is between the tracks, what foliage has had time to settle on it, that sort of thing. Pick up some of the dirt and put it to your nose, see if you can sent them.
Hey, I'm not a dog you know! Hermione exclaimed, brow furrowing in slight disgust.
No, you're not a dog but you are part dragon, which means you should have dragons senses. If I am wrong you should simply smell wet dirt, but if I am right you should be able to smell something about this person. Remember these people are still living in the middle ages. While a high amount of ambient magic makes them live longer, cleanliness is not a high priority so they should smell, especially if this person has been in the woods for days.
With a high amount of scepticism Hermione bent down and picked up a good amount of dirt that had been trodden on and put it to her nose. A multitude of smells shot up her nose, caressing her sinuses and making the world explode as her brain connected smells with things. A family of squirls, a wolf, blood from a rabbit, excrement of some type of rat (she almost dropped the dirt at that one, before she realised it was more than a year old), fresh water, rotting leaves and wood; even what her brain told her were snail eggs ready to hatch, which she wasn't sure was more or less disturbing than the rat droppings. Almost overpowering all of those though, was the smell of human sweat and leather.
It's a he, came the dragons voice over the bond as the different smells made their way to him, He's young, possibly in the second or third year of puberty. He almost defiantly from one of the villages in the Spine, his scent is too clean for him to have been here for more than three days, four at the most.
What do you want to do?
Keep tracking him, there's little else we can do.
As the sunset dragon silently made his way through the undergrowth of the forest, he observed the village of Carvahall like a soldier would the enemy. Though Carvahall was small, it was one of the few places in Alagaesia where Dragon Tails still grew. An odd vine like plant, it sprouted with the changing of the leaves and grew wildly in the dead of winter, coming into full bloom as the spring lambs were born and drying out by the summer solstice. It was the collecting of these crumbling flowers and it's grinding into a silvery dust that kept the small village alive and able to support both a butchers shop and a blacksmith, though only just; however before long, even that would be a hardship. The villagers, and indeed most of Alagaesia had forgotten its many uses, it was now used only as an ingredient in healing tonics, and not a widley used one at that. Whoever kept buying the dust must be a curious individual, for there was only one buyer of the dust. When the Traders roled into town each year, one of them bought up all the whole crops worth of dust. He then sold it on to a mysterious customer that refused to identify himself.
At one time the plant had grown all over the continent, but gradually it had died out, now only growing here and according to some rumours the dragon had heard in the minds of the villagers, somewhere in the Beor Mountains.
No one knew, but the absence of dragons in the land was responsible for the flowers scarcity. It grew only where dragons were nesting, their ambient magic seeping into the earth and changing the plant into what was now before him. These plants hardly held any ambient magic, only clinging onto their supernatural properties because Carvahall valley had once been the nesting ground for many large clans of dragons.
The dilemma the dragon now faced, was whether to steel the seeds of this almost unremarkable plant to which the dragons owed so much, there by killing off a village within days when it could still cling to life for another hundred years or so.
Shaking his head in indecision, the dragon slinked away from the edge of the forest, making his way further from the village. He need not decide now, the seedpods would not start opening for weeks yet. So he could afford to think this through for a little while longer.
According to Hermione, she and Brom were starting back to Carvahall, having lost the trail of the boy with the egg in a sudden flurry of rain and snow that morning. It was frustrating, and made their self appointed task of finding the egg all the harder, but from the direction the tracks had been going, the egg carrier had been making his way to either Therinsford or Carvahall. If the first, then they would be leaving soon, if the second, then all he needed to do was wait in his current position to see if the little busybody would immerge from the Spine.
It took hours for even the smallest movement to be perceivable, even to a dragons eye, but when he eventually glimpsed a slip of a boy through the trees a few miles away, he knew his mission to retrieve the egg had just gotten ten times harder; Eragon. The boy was carrying the egg, and to make matters worse, he could feel the little she dragons mind singing with joy at having found her rider, he could not allow that to happen. With a final frustrated glance at the boys slow progress, he took to washing the feathers just starting to grow into his wings, licking a spiked tongue over them.
When the boy made it to the edge of the valley in which Carvahall lay, the dragon had finished his evening wash and was able to watch as the boy made his way to the village. He almost choked when the idiot offered the egg to the butcher as payment for some meat, and sighed in relief when his deal was turned down.
By the time the boy had trekked the ten miles from the village to his home, Brom and Hermione were just coming over the last rise to the edge of the forest.
Hermione, the dragon called, I need you to do something for me, and I need you to do it without Brom knowing.
What do you want me to do?
I need you to go into the village and erase the a memory from three of it's inhabitants, he replied, still growling under his breath at the boys stupidity, though he supposed the boy had no clue what the egg actually was.
The little dragon could feel the shock emanating from his friend as she asked, What exactly am I erasing?
The dragon gave another growl, Start with the butcher, look at his memories from four or so hours ago, you'll know it when you see it.
The dragon could feel his friends' frustration at him, but even after some prodding on her part, he wouldn't tell her what was going on. He watched dispassionately as Hermione told Brom that she was going to find him and made her way out of the house and disillusion herself before sneaking into the night.
Her shock at what she found in Sloan's mind was like a ship being attacked by an angry sea monster, such was her fury as she wrapped her mind round his and demanded to know why he thought he had a right to keep this from her.
Because of this very reaction Hermione, he shouted back in one of her infrequent pauses, Brom's only child has the egg. If I had told you what was happening in his presence, he would have never let you leave to do what was needed. Not only that, the she dragon has found her rider, she's going to hatch for him if I don't do something soon.
Hermione's fury stilled as his words registered in her mind, What do you mean, if you don't do something about it?
Exactly what I said Hermione, you remember what I told you about the rider bond. I refuse to let that happen to one of the only remaining dragons in quite possibly the whole world. Not to mention that she is the only known female.
Hermione's resignation and support of whatever he wished to do echoed along the bond and with one last nod he said, Good, now I once you have dealt with Horst and Katrina, I need you to do one last thing for me…
Wake up… wake up… WAKE UP HUMAN! With a shout Eragon sat bolt upright in his bed, turning this way and that as he tried to find the source of the voice.
Looking for me will do you no good child, came the voice again, deep and calm where a moment ago it had been fraught with frustration. It was then that Eragon realized the voice spoke from inside his head.
'Who are you?' he asked into the darkness, ignoring the voice's advice and looking this way and that for it's speaker.
Do not worry so child, whispered the voice, I mean you no harm, but you have something of mine. I simply want it back.
Eragons eyes flickered to where he knew the blue stone lay under his bed.
A deep chuckle seemed to echo through his head and the voice spoke again; this time deep amusement colouring his tone, Yes, it is the stone I speak of. Someone was trying to send it to an acquaintance of mine, but they failed, I am here to retrieve it.
'How do I know you're telling the truth?' Eragon asked with trepidation.
More amusement not his own echoed through Eragon's head, You don't, said the voice simply, But you have little choice but to trust me. I am allowing you to give the stone up freely and find out exactly what you found out there as a reward for finding it and bringing it back. If you don't give it to me however, I will simply take it for myself and erase all knowledge of it from your mind.
'You can't do that!' Eragon whispered, truly frightened as he dived under the bed and grasped the stone, holding it tight as he looked about the room for an escape from the voice.
Child, please listen to what I am saying, I will not do anything to you if you do as I say, and no matter what happens, I will not hurt you or your family in any way, said the voice calmly, only a hint of frustration tingeing it's voice.
Eragon brought his breathing under control and asked, 'What do you want me to do?'
Take the stone to the fairy ring in the forest beside your house, I will wait for you there.
'How do I know you're not just trying to make me leave the house?'
There was no hiding the voice's irritation as it replied, I am in your head child, do you think a simple door would stop me if I wished you harm? Though I really am starting to think it may not be such a bad idea, you are a very annoying child.
The last part was almost a grumble, and it was that more than anything that reassured Eragon of the voices honesty, You said the fairy ring in the woods?' he asked.
Yes, was the only reply he got as an almost sleepy fog Eragon hadn't realised was there lifted from his mind, allowing him to think far more clearly than before. With cautious movements he rose from the floor with the stone in his hand and silently made his way down the stairs. Taking his bow and quiver from where they hung on the wall, Eragon made his way out of the house and into the forest. After climbing the rock face for about twenty minuets, he found himself at his destination, a rugged outcropping of rock where a huge circle of twelve standing stones, most twice the size of Eragon, surrounded a large deep crater in the ground.
Eragon walked between the stones and stood at the edge of the crater, looking down into the darkness, 'Well I'm here!' he called, not sure if he should expect a reply.
Movement from behind him made Eragon spin to see a dark hooded figure sprinkling what looked like tiny silvery pebbles on the ground. A moment later Eragon realized the pebbles encircled the whole of the fairy ring, as they all started to glow a bright white.
Terrified, Eragon twisted around another of the standing stones and made to leave the fairy ring, only to find his way barred by a wall of silvery light that was quickly forming a dome over the entire circle.
Turning back to the hooded figure he demanded, 'Let me out! Here,' he shouted, throwing the stone at the hooded figure, who caught it deftly but said nothing, 'take it. You said you wouldn't harm me or my family, now let me go!' He pounded frantically at the barrier, which felt almost like liquid under his hands.
He was startled from his pounding by the voice he had heard in his head echoed from above him, 'And I have kept my word child, neither you or your family have been harmed. Do you not want to see what it is you carried for two days through the Spine?'
Head shooting up, Eragon's eyes widened in fascination as he beheld the scaled body of a dragon, perched atop one of the standing stones, it's tail curling round the stone in order to hold it in place. In confusion Eragon's brow scrunched in confusion, 'If you're the one that was talking to me, then who...?' he turned to the figure holding the stone, who lowered their cloak to reveal one of the most ethereal and beautiful beings Eragon had ever seen.
The woman grinned as he took in her scaled face and almost luminescent green eyes, 'It's rude to stare you know,' she said, laughter threading through her voice as nimbly jumped into the crater and skidded to the centre.
'She is quite amazing isn't she?' the dragon asked, causing Eragon to spin back and look at him in wonder.
'What is she?'
'What she is does not have a name,' was all the answer he gave before jumping into the crater himself and slinking up beside the woman.
Eragon watched in curiosity as the woman placed the stone in the centre of the crater, before running up the side and coming to stand beside Eragon with a smile. Gazing at the dragon curling round the stone in the crater, Eragon suddenly realized what he was seeing, 'It's a dragon egg,' he whispered in awe, worr that he had somehow harmed the being inside coming to the forefront of his mind.
The woman beside him nodded, looking almost as exited as Eragon as she answered, 'Yes, and it's about to hatch.'
Eragon turned back to the centre, about to ask another question when a high, drawn out keening sound emitted from the dragons mouth as he circled the egg, wrapping his tail around it with another, deeper note. As the sounds of the dragon started to echo round the shielded space, they overlapped and bent until a tune started form. Not long after, the egg started to glow and the song started to take on a life of it's own, notes of sound the dragon had not uttered coming to life and dancing with his own. The glow of the egg grew so bright and the sound so loud that both Eragon and the woman had to cover their ears and close their eyes.
In the next second however, the song, for that was what it now was, started to recede; the light started to fade, all converging, being pulled into the centre until once again darkness and quiet ruled the night.
Eragon had barely opened his eyes when it happened, the sound of a loud crack as the she dragon from within the egg hatched, and an explosion of light, sound and magic cleaved the very air in two.
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