Here it is!! I know it took a while but I had a hard time figuring out what should happen. Plus my friend took forever to beta it. Thank you to those who have read this story so far.
Chapter 4
Meeting
Atrea jumped down to the ground lightly. She stumbled slightly before regaining her balance; her legs were sore from staying on Garett's back for so long. She looked around her, awed by the beauty of the lake she and Garett had landed by. Garett stood behind her, just as entranced by the sight before them. After four days of traveling they had reached Eldor Lake. From here they would have to continue on foot.
Atrea had only walked a little ways into the forest before she was stopped by three elves. She had been afraid since Garett had left her, unable to contain his hunger that had been building up for four days, and when the elves appeared out of the trees she almost jumped in fright. Luckily she contained herself and began to study the three men in front of her. They were tall, as were all elves, and towered over her slender frame. They had the slanted eyes and hawkish noses characteristic of most elves. Two had hair so light it was more white than blond, while the third had hair as dark as the night.
"Why have you come to our forest, dwarf?" demanded the dark-haired one.
In reply, Atrea touched her first two fingers to her lips and said,
"Astra esterni ono thelduin."
The trio looked surprise but recovered quickly and finished the greeting, confusion and joy in their voices. Atrea recited the final line, deciding it was a good idea to get on their good sides. She could tell that her knowledge of Elvin traditions and her show of respect had raised their opinion of her slightly.
"You have yet to answer our question. What is your reason for coming here?" asked the black-haired one again. Apparently he was the leader and spoke for the others.
"My dragon and I need to see the your king or queen as soon as possible.", she said, still speaking in the Ancient Language. The shock was evident on their faces.
"You speak the truth. How can you be a Rider? The last egg is in Galbatorix's possession and any stray ones would have been found by now.", said the leader, his voice suddenly full of suspicion.
Atrea gave them a brief explanation of the prophecy and how her ancestors had hidden the egg until it hatched for her. She went on to explain what had happened to her father.
"Call your dragon. Although you speak in the Ancient Language we must be sure of your honesty." This time it was one of the blond elves.
She sensed Garett flying towards her before she could give him any orders. He had been listening the entire time and had heard what the elf said. In moments he was landing, the group in the clearing backing up to avoid being buffeted by the strong winds his wings created. The elves approached him slowly and respectfully before exchanging the proper greeting, Garett projecting his answers directly into their minds.
"Now you have proof. Will you take me to Ellesmera or refuse the help that is being so freely offered?"
"We will begin our journey tomorrow. It's too late to start tonight. You can stay with us tonight."
"Thank you. I was wondering if you could answer a question." The elves finally shifted their attention from Garett to her. " While in Tarnag, I heard rumors of another Rider, and there was even mention of war. I assume that the dragon is sapphire and the war is being started because you think having him will enable you to win. Am I correct?"
"How do you know about the dragon's color?"
"It's mentioned in the prophecy. A shroud of darkness will cover the land. When the sapphire of hope arises, the silver one will hatch, and the savior will appear. An impossible bond will be made and, and death and shadow will stop the conqueror. I'm not sure about the last line, but the rest of it's pretty clear." She explained.
"You are correct. As for the war, now is not the time. You can discuss that with the queen."
"So the Elves have a queen?"
"Yes. Her name is Islanzadi. She has ruled since the death of King Evandar."
Atrea thought about what to say to the queen as she walked with the elves to their home. She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't notice when the elves stopped. She looked around, at first not seeing anything other than trees. Slowly, her eyes began to make out the form of several huts at the base of a gigantic tree.
The elves set about making dinner as Atrea watched, thankful she didn't have to supervise the cooking of her meal to avoid eating meat. The dark-haired elf, who had introduced himself as Lifaen, and one of the fair-haired elves, named Nari, prepared the food, while the last one, Celdin, gathered the necessary dishes. It took slightly longer than normal due to the absence of Edurna, whose hut Atrea would be staying in. He was away on business for the queen.
"I hope you don't mind, but elves don't eat meat. You are welcome to hunt for yourself as long as you keep it away from our cities." Nari told her.
"Actually, I don't eat meat either. In fact I have trouble just watching Garett eat."
'I never knew you were bothered by it. I'll try to refrain from eating in your presence from now on.'
'Thank you for the offer, Garett, but I don't mind. After all, you're a dragon, a born hunter. I don't expect you to be a vegetarian.'
The elves recognized that they were talking to each other and waited until they were finished to inform her that the meal was ready. They ate quietly, Atrea discussing the events of the day with Garett; the elves, no doubt, were thinking about what had happened and what having a new Rider that no one knew about on their side could mean. Once they had finished they went to their respective rooms, Garett staying outside as the buildings weren't made to accommodate dragons.
Atrea laid in her bed for several hours before falling asleep, her exhaustion overcoming her nervousness at not having Garett beside her. It seemed like only a few minutes until she was being woken by Celdin and handed a tray with a small breakfast on it. She got dressed and went outside to find Lifaen waiting for her at Garett's side. He had already packed enough for the trip and the bags were hanging off the saddle on Garett's back. They climbed onto the gleaming neck and he shot off into the air.
Although he was nervous at first, Lifaen eventually adjusted to the sensation and began to enjoy it. They had a long journey ahead of them and had to progress slowly to avoid setting off the traps that had been placed for intruders. Slowly but surely they made their way towards Ellesmera, the queen, and Atrea and Garett's future.
I hope you liked it. I have the next two chapters written and will probably have the entire story done by the end of next week. Spring break has finally started and I've been having a burst of inspiration for almost a week. All I have to do is type them and send them to my friend. PLEASE REVIEW! I need some feedback!Even if it's just to point out a mistake or comment on something you think should be changed I'll appreeciate it. All you have to do is click the little button in the corner.