Ch 4.

We have been traveling for almost a month in this fashion. From what Brom says I have more magic in my blood then he has ever seen, "it must be because you are the first free rider in over a hundred years. With practice you will be able to accomplish spells that would leave me unconscious, but do not let this get to your head it is easy to misuse the power you are given and hurt more people than you would help, yourself included." After that being said I took great caution in learning spells and their strict uses.

We never saw anyone in the woods, except the time that Brom have to convince a bear in the ancient language that he was scary and we would never cross his path again. The bear puffed out its chest and continued on like nothing ever happened. The bird seemed attracted to Brom because every hour on would come down and land on his shoulder and sing a song, he said that he was communicating with it and reviewing what the bird has seen in his travels. That was my next area of studies, reaching out to animals and seeing everything they have seen while continuing to travel, which was proving quite difficult.

Saphira continued her explosive growth, her shoulders were now even with my head and legs as thick as my torso, rippling with muscles with every step she took. She was fifteen meters from the tip of her tail to her snout with a wing span of twice her length. Her teeth as long as my forearm and sharper than any blade I have laid eyes on.

One night as we were sitting around the fire after yet another awful sparring match I ask Brom "is there a way to see someone without being there with magic? I would like to see how Roran is doing."

"What you are asking is called scry or in the ancient language Draumr kópa which means dream stare. Since you are showing no difficulty with the spells I am giving you now I see no reason why you couldn't attempt it now. Grab a bowl and fill it with water." I do as he says and return back on the log by the fire. "Now Picture Roran like he is standing right in front of you, his hair, eyes, chin, every detail until it is fixed in your minds eye. Now reach for your magic and repeat the words Draumr kópa." As the words leave my mouth I feel a drop in my energy and see the water turn black, until slowly Roran's face appears. His eyes are more gloomy then what they were the last time I saw them, and instead of smile lines the start of frown lines were over ridding his cheeks.

"Why can I not see his surroundings? It's only him on a white canvas but I know he isn't alone because it looks like he is talking to someone." I ask looking up at Brom.

"That is because you have never seen where he is at nor the person he is talking to. You can only scry that what you have seen before."

"Is there a way that I can speak to him? I want to see how he is doing with uncle gone." I say looking back to my cousin that has been like my big brother my whole life.

"There is but the person you want to talk to had to be close to a mirror so that he can see you as well. I don't think it would be good for you to try that now either, Roran probably would think he was dreaming or break the mirror thinking his mind was playing tricks on him. Give it time Eragon, you will see him again in person of that much I can assure you."

Caught off guard I let the magic slip until I am staring at a reflection of myself, but I looked so different than I remember. My face has lost all the baby fat it once had, my eyes looked older with a twinge of blue in them. My dark brown hair grew past my ears, and I have a stubble of hair on my face that I could never grow before."How can you be so sure about that?"

"Roran is a strong man that will have a great destiny if my senses haven't dulled over the years." He said while he slowly holds his palm out and a blue fire came to life, slowly he reaches back to throw it but instead of throwing it into the fire he throws it at me. As the ball of fire traveled towards me I try to think of a counter spell "Vindr Brisingr" I shout and to my amazement the ball reverses course and flies toward Brom. The old man's eyes widen as he holds his hand out and the ball extinguished into his hand.

"Very nice Eragon, you have a very smart mind in that hard head of yours to think of that spell so fast. To think of it I have not taught you the words for such spell, how did you know those words?" he asks with a puzzled look on his face.

"I don't know, as I saw the fire coming towards me, like some sort of instinct took over my mind and the word just came to me. It has never happened to me before." I say as I search my mind to find where that instinct came from and if I can access it on command.

"The fates have really blessed you my boy, the only other rider that is recorded to have the power that you have from such a young age was your namesake, The first rider Eragon. It is written that before he found the egg he could not use magic so he never really bothered to learn the ancient language as of a spell weaver only to communicate with other elves. But once he shown himself and Bidaum his dragon it is said that he was the best spell weaver the elves have ever seen. When questioned he only said it was pure instinct. No other rider has ever had the instinct that the first Eragon had but it seems that you do."

"Does this mean I don't have to practice magic? Cause I would love not feeling drained every second of everyday."

With a smile on his face Brom replies "Oh no boy you are not getting off that easy, now we shall start sparring with magic and whenever your swordplay improves we will do both at the same time. Now enough talking the sun set hours ago get to bed, we have a lot of traveling left to do in the coming days."

Looking up I notice that he is right, we must have been talking for hours. You were little one and it has kept me from my sleep so close that mouth of yours and stop thinking so loud so I can catch up on what I missed! Saphira says while staring at me with one large eye.

R&R!