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Visit From The Future

Chapter Four

Clarity

Estarael gasped as thick foliage collided with her face. She wanted to get out of here. At once. But before she could do anything, blackness engulfed her.

"What do you think we should do with her?" Eragon asked Murtagh.

"Leave her here."

"We cannot do that, what if something happens to her?"

"What if she's a spy. She cannot be trusted." Murtagh ground his teeth hard.

"Are you afraid she would turn you in or me?"

"Both."

Leave her be. She's not dangerous Eragon, Saphira whispered sniffing the strange girl's hair.

"Saphira said she is not dangerous."

"Believe what your dragon says, I work with common sense." Saphira promptly turned her head and growled at the dark haired man. She still had not let her guard down around him. Murtagh's eyes widened a bit but he drew his cloak over his face and body. " So she won't see me. It won't help if she is a servant of Galbatorix's and recognizes me."

"Do what you want, hungry?" The fire crackled ominously as the pot of dried meat and stew bubbled. the dark sky held no forgiveness for the travellers and seemed to cast an omen upon them. Both boys took their share of meagre food and ate in silence. Though not voicing it Murtagh wondered about the strange girl. He felt a pull to her, which he chose to ignore.

Deep into the night when both Dragon and Rider were asleep, Murtagh silently padded toward the girl. His brow furrowed as he looked her up and down. Her hair, almost as dark as his cascaded in torrents along her sides. How she would travel with that mane he had no clue. He sighed. Life for him was getting more different every day.

My eyes felt heavy to open. A low moan escaped my lips as a pounding headache ascended me.

Shh little one.

Dragon?

Yes, It is I, Saphira.

Saphira? Eragon Shadeslayer's dragon?

Shadeslayer? Maybe not of yet, but Eragon is no shadeslayer youngling.

Where am I?

The dragon hummed in confusion. Well we are travelling to the Varden. We are in the Hadarc Desert.

I don't believe I understand. Eragon is not a shadeslayer?

No...

Yet my father witnessed him slay his second shade!

The dragon ruffled her wings in thorough confusion. Where are you from? The dragon spoke with a new tone as if she reassessed me.

Uru'baen. I am Princess Estarael Mirwell, Crown Princess of Alagaesiia.

Saphira growled. My eeys widened at the sudden change in her behaviour.

You do not lie and your eyes speak of good, yet. The dragon then bent forward touching her forehead to mine. I dared not move. Her warm breath though soothed me. Saphira's eyes opened slowly.

What?

You are of the future princess. Somehow you have found yourself in the lands of...old.

I do not think I understand. My heart raced. What was she speaking of?

Eragon and I are now heading to the Varden to seek guidance and training. I sputtered. Of course. I remembered it from the history lessons now...though vaguely. I knew I should have paid more attention in history. My rider and ...his companion are awakening now.

His companion? The history texts never mentioned a companion. ...Maybe Murtgah was right. The old fools who wrote the texts really knew nothing.

Well, you better greet them well.

"Hello, I see that you have awakened," the boy with the sandy hair colour smiled. Eragon. The other stranger hid behind his cloak, not speaking. Eragon followed her gaze and grimaced. "I am Eragon and that is...Nathaniel."

Nathaniel...I tossed the name around in my head not placing it anywhere. "Hello Eragon Sh- Eragon and ...Nathaniel," Saphira had given her a stern glance when she almost mentioned Shadeslayer.

I think it important that you let nothing of your life slip past your lips youngling. It could change everything with dire consequences.

So what do I tell them.

That you remember nothing.

I nodded at the dragon. So you are not telling Eragon of...well who I am either?

No, I cannot.

I didn't quite understand but looked toward Eragon.

"Eh...hello. I am Estarael," I didn't know what else to say. I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly, " I don't remember anything."

"Maybe you hit your head, that could explain why we found you unconcious." Eragon seemed just as he was in the future and that did not surprise me. He still held the same boyish charm and uncertain air about him. I smiled. Though I had not met the great shadeslayer in person I had heard a lot of praises about him and it felt even better meeting him now, at the foot of his long journey. "You must be starving, we have some food here if you like."

I nodded enthusiastically. I was surprised that I was actually starving. I shoveled food into my mouth not caring about princess etiquette at the moment. I looked over to Nathaniel, something about him seemed familiar, yet I couldn't place it. I looked at Saphira and smiled sadly. She made me think of Icefire. He must be still in the present, or future should I say.

Little one?

I miss my dragon.

Ah, I knew you were a rider. You seemed impassive to my size. I laughed a little.

It is an honour to be speaking to you right now Saphira. I inclined my head in a bow. The dragon seemed to be blushing and I smiled at her.

It is hard not to ask you what My rider and I are like in the future, it could cause destruction to everything.

You keep saying that wise one, but what do you mean of it?

I mean that if some piece of information of the future were to fall into the wrong hands, or even ours, we could use it and things would not follow along the apth they were meant to be followed.

Oh. I'll try not to let anything slip by then.

Yes you do that.

The dragon flew up into the sky, possibly looking for a source of water, or just tiring of conversation. I smiled at her beauty. My eyes watered. O how I long for Icefire. It was so hard to be seaparted from one's dragon for a day. I could only imagine what my dear is going through right now too. My heart hurt thinking of his pain. Icefire was a sensitive dragon, his own personality differeing him from all dragons. He even frowned upon killing which was strange for a dragon. When my father had found out about it he was enraged. But who was he to go against a dragon? especially my Icefire, so full of spirit and fire, no pun intended. we always discussed that maybe his ways were meant to be. His strange personality.

I broke out of my reverie when I felt eyes upon me. Nathaniel looked at me beneath hooded eyes. Unlike most he did not look away upon being caught staring. he held his gaze. He slowly walked froward until he was about two feet in front of me.

"I thought it wise to inform you that we would be heading for travel soon."

"Yes thank you," I answered, my gaze narrowing. He spoke in an authoritative tone. I tilted my head and walked away.

About a week had passed without much exchange between the two boys and myself. We ate slept and rode. My heart had shut down and life dulled. i didn't even know what was going on or had any clue as how to get back. I had asked Saphira about this and she had told me she knew nothing. But she also said that Eragon was heading to the Varden. That had reawakened my spirits. Someone there must know how to send me back.

But so far, it looked as if i would be accompanying the Shadeslayer, or yet to be, to the Varden.

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