Sorry I haven't updated in so long, I caught a sinus infection so I couldn't really get to the library to write for you guys. Thank you for your patience. Also, Inheritance Book 4: End fans will want to pay attention to this fanfic, as a major plot point in it will be wrapped into this somewhere.

Story 1: The First Adventure

Chapter 4: The Blizzard

Eragon lay there wrapped in his blankets for hours. But no matter what he did, the biting cold got to him. His eyelashes and hair began to frost quickly. Also, the wind was picking up heavily, and Eragon knew that the tent wouldn't be able to stay rooted in the ground for much longer if the wind kept picking up.

To make matters worse, Eragon could see that his fire was starting to fail, and would soon go out.

I can't stay here. Eragon thought. The thought reverberated through his mind. I'm glad I dressed warmly…

The fact that Eragon could not stay where he was pressed hard upon him. He knew if he stayed where he was then he would soon freeze to death, especially if his fire went out, which he knew would happen soon.

At that moment, the grew smaller, emitted a small flicker, and died. Angrily, he unwrapped himself from his blankets and undid the tent flap from a sitting position. He threw the fire out as the wind pulled the tent flaps away from him. It's raging howl blotting out all other sound. He rewrapped himself into his blankets.

Pain crossing his limbs from his mad dash earlier, Eragon stood, and left the tent. As he stepped out into colder air, he was immediately buffeted by fierce wind. His blankets were blown from his clutches and flew into a nearby tree. The wind was so strong that it nearly threw him off his feet. But he dug his feet into the snow deep and was able to maintain his standing position.

Eragon, with his teeth chattering due to how cold he was, dropped to his knees and pulled out the wooden stake that held the corner of the tent in place. As he pulled out the stake, the corner of the tent suddenly flew into the air and the other two stakes were pulled out of the ground after it. As it reached the opposite corner, the wooden stake securing that side was also pulled out.

Unfortunately, this stake was pulled from the ground with so much force that the stake was thrown at Eragon. He attempted to dodge the flying piece of wood, but it was too quick and the broad side of the stake slammed into the left side of Eragon's face. He was thrown to the ground and his face slammed into the snow with much force.

As the warmth of his face touched the freezing cold snow, some of the snow melted and droplets collected on the right side of his face. Ignoring the pain now infecting the side of his face, Eragon stood and touched where the wood had struck him. Fortunately, he was not bleeding, but he was sure to have a nasty bruise later on.

But none of this mattered; Eragon realized he was in an extremely dire situation. He was trapped, in the middle of a blizzard two weeks walk from Carvahall with no blankets, no tent, and only a week's supply of food and the little water remaining in his water skin. The blizzard would also slow his walk, possibly extending his walk time almost a week if it kept up that long.

What have I gotten myself into? By diving into the river I have forced myself into a corner far more dire then an angry bear. Eragon thought. Diverting his attention to surviving his current situation, he immediately turned his thoughts away from worry.

I need to get to lower ground; the air is far too cold at this altitude… especially with the blizzard going on.

But, knowing that he would probably not leave the Spine alive, he started his walk. He passed through many woods, and there were many times he thought that his legs might give out. He fell a few times due to the ferocious wind, but he kept going. By nightfall, he had only traveled a mile or two from his original position, and the wind was still blowing hard. He knew he couldn't stop though, and he kept going.

When morning again came, he was freezing, his teeth were chattering. He was shaking from head to toe. He wasn't sure how much more he had in him. Hope had long depraved him.

Even though I still have my tinderbox, I can't start a fire with this wind blowing. I need to find some sort of cave... I won't survive much longer out here.'

He looked everywhere as the snow kept coming down in blankets and the wind kept blowing as if angry. Eragon had not slept in two days. After several hours stumbling around in the snow without finding anything, he finally could not take anymore. He dropped to his knees, and from there to the ground. His limbs felt frozen stiff, and pain coursed through every inch of his body. He couldn't move, and if he didn't... he knew he would be buried alive by snow.

There isn't anything I can do... rather then being trapped here forever. I should make peace with my maker, for I'm about to meet him.

A voice echoed through the forest, distinctly female.

"Eragon..." it said.

"Who's there?" asked Eragon, looking up from his stomach lying position.

"You shouldn't give up so easily." it said back.

"Wh-who are you?" Eragon asked.

"One who wishes to help, now stand. Follow the sound of my voice..." it said, fading into the distance.

Eragon all of a sudden had energy coursing through his veins, and he stood up, ignoring and defying the pain that had held him for the past hours.

"Wait." Eragon said, running in the direction where the voice was coming from.

He kept running for several minutes, the voice still calling his name. Eventually, he came out in a small perfectly circular clearing. The world started spinning as he stood there.

"Am I dreaming...?" Eragon asked the voice tentatively. It did not answer. The world kept spinning, picking up speed. Then, all of a sudden, Eragon's vision went black, and he fell to the ground unconscious.

Eragon woke with a start, not immediately opening his eyes. He was under a blanket and he could hear the steady crackling of the fire next to them. His face was warm.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and sat up. He was in a small cave, he was in a small blanket with a pillow softer then anything he had encountered. Next to him was a fire, and near the caves exit was his pack, his quiver and bow, and a tent was there as well. Eragon could see the blizzard was still raging outside, yet the wind did not seem to enter the cave. Looking into the darker sections of the cave, he shouted "Hello?"

No one answered, and Eragon stood up. He noticed that he felt good as new. He stretched and reached for what appeared to be a torch. He grabbed it and lit it, he went into the darker reaches of the cave only to find a dead end. Eragon went and checked his pack, his amount of food had not changed and nothing in his pack was different. The tent was actually the one that had got blown away, and the blankets he had lay upon were the ones that had blown away as well. The only new thing was the pillow. He examined it and found that there was no pillowcase to speak of, and it was not filled with any recognizable... anything.

Shaking his head he headed to the exit of the cave, slipping on his warmer clothes. Right before exiting the cave, he stood there. No wind. He stepped outside and was taken aback as the wind struck him. He fell on his side, and crawled back inside. As soon as he crossed the threshold, there was no more wind.

Magic is at work here. Eragon thought. He went back and wrapped himself in the blankets. Magic or not, he would have to wait here until the blizzard calmed, and he could start his trek to Carvahall.

It took 3 days, but eventually the storm calmed. When Eragon stepped outside, the air was dead still, as if there had never been a storm at all. The bad thing was that as he waited, several feet of snow (even taller then Eragon) had piled up. He remembered how to make snowshoes and he quickly climbed the snow and went to a tree. Taking his hunting knife, he cut off a piece of bark large enough for his foot. The then cut out the interior. Going back to the cave, he cut up several pieces of fabric from his blankets and tied them onto the oval of bark. He had an effective snowshow.

As Eragon stepped outside with all of his supplies intact and he started walking after finding out where exactly he was by walking to the cliff. He would have a long while to go yet, and he knew it. This would be a long walk.