Chapter Seven

The Winged Ones,

And a Massive Headache

Disclaimer: See chapter two.

Saphira soared above the world flying a routine patrol, ever watchful for stunted-thoughts-red-scales-Thorn and his murderer-traitor-round-ears-two-legs-slave-Rider-Murtagh, or the soldiers of the wicked king.

But, deep down, she was grieving the loss of her mentor, gold-scales-cripple-mentor-Glaedr; or more accurately, his soul's imprisonment in his eldunarí, his heart of hearts.

But something puzzled her, and friend-of-her-heart-round-ears-two-legs-Eragon: Murtagh's retreat, directly afterward; Caused, according too pointed-ears-two-legs-forest-queen-Islanzadì, by the explosive materialisation, of four, strange, literally otherworldly, bird winged youths.

Then, a further report, maybe three hours later, that two of these same beings, had been captured by a group of soldiers attempting too flank the elven camp during a skirmish.

The other two had taken flight and hadn't been seen since.

Worse, it appeared Murtagh and Thorn had taken possession of the captured pair.

Saphira felt a twinge of sympathy for the sorry wretches that had been captured.

At least the humans in their world saw the use of being able too fly instead of plodding from place to place. Thought Saphira with amusement.

Movement caught her keen gaze, the movement of two sets of massive bird wings.

Saphira hissed in surprise, and touched the minds of the pair of odd beings.

She recoiled at the memories of depraved rituals performed on them, and the horrific tortures.

She felt desperation as well, too reach friend-of-her-heart-Eragon, to save, or at least, get the help too save, two others like them, from a man, and a scarlet dragon.

Saphira withdrew from the mind's of the strange-winged-round-ears-two-legs, and cast her mind out too her partner-of-mind-soul-and-heart-Eragon.

What troubles you Saphira? Asked Eragon wearily, Saphira could feel his grief about Oromis's death.

Two of the beings Islanzadì mentioned are heading for the city, they seek you, for good or ill, I can't tell though. Replied Saphira.

See if you can't convince them too head too the castle, I will inform Arya and Blödhgarm, and we will meet you and them there. Said Eragon after a few moments of silence.

I cannot talk with them for some reason, I'll have too find another way. Warned Saphira.

Just don't kill them. Replied Eragon, and broke the link.

With that, Saphira dropped behind the two, and buffeted them with a gust from her wings.

When the pair had recovered from the gust, the one on the left, a male youth with dark gold-brown wings, looked back.

His grey-green eyes bulged in terror, and he immediately twisted in midair, folded his wings and dived towards the ground, shouting an expletive Saphira had never heard before, in fright halfway through.

The second youth, a young woman with red hair, looked back, and her blue eyes widened, not in terror but in shock, and she rolled too the side as Saphira lunged, to try and catch her in her paws, Saphira looped around in the air, in time too see the girl dive after her companion, she was flying so fast that Saphira knew that too a onlooker on the ground, who didn't possess the farsight of magic-wielders, the girl would be little more than a fast moving blur.

The chase was on.

Barely a minute later, the ground was large in Saphira's view, and at the last moment, the girl flared her wings, and swooped over the land, before flapping a frantic tempo, towards the city of Feinstar, her fast flight had come at the price of giving Saphira the advantage of height though.

The girl swooped over the wall at the last second, and pivoted too try and hide in a guard tower.

Saphira spat a jet of fire, that caused her too swerve away from the tower, and head towards the castle.

Every time the girl attempted too hide, Saphira breathed a tongue of flame that caused the girl too continue flying towards the castle.

Just as Saphira was about too push the girl out of the sky with gusts from her mighty wings, the male youth, dived out of the sky above, her, falling at incredible speed.

As he neared Saphira, he swung his cocked right leg, that was bent right back at the knee, delivering a thunderous kick too Saphira's forehead.

Saphira hissed in pain and shock at the shear power the blow had had behind it.

It had come at a price too the dealer though.

He howled in agony at the impact, and Saphira felt and heard his shin bone break clean in half.

Saphira would have a bad headache later on.

In retaliation, she swatted the youth at the central tower of the castle with her snout, and continued chasing the girl, who'd peeled away, headed back towards the wall.

When she reached the castle wall however, she looked back too check on Saphira and when she turned back, crashed head-first into Eragon.

Saphira felt the impact square in her chest and winced in sympathy of Eragon, due too the shared pain.

What came next felt just as bad, but lasted longer: The pair toppled down the stairs, seemingly hitting every single one on the way down.

Saphira landed next too the crumpled pair in concern, at the same time, Arya and Blödhgarm, accompanied Angela, Solembum and Nasuada, ran up in concern.

They stopped short when they saw the girl, entangled with Eragon in a crumpled heap.

'Disentangle them and get them too the healers, quickly!'

Maybe two hours later, the two winged youths, and Eragon, were asleep the castle's sick bay, in a deserted wing that was out of the way from the main one.

Saphira was hunched inside, anxiously guarding Eragon, nursing a bad head-ache, brought on by the young man's attack, and keeping a close eye on the two unconscious winged youths.

Suddenly, the girl stirred.

The young lady awakes. She said mentally too Arya and Blödhgarm, who were waiting outside.

The two elves slipped inside and quietly walked too where the girl was awaking.

'Are you well?' Enquired Arya curiously.

The girl looked at Arya groggily, then noticed Blödhgarm standing next too her.

A look of sheer terror flickered momentarily in her eyes, then it hardened, and without warning, she attacked.

No prizes for guessing who Elizabeth is going to fight.

So, what do you think?

Review after reading, chapter eight is under way.