Success

Eragon stumbled backwards, trying his best to make no sound. He darted back into some bushes, treading carefully, and saw then all marching silently with their elegant bows slung over their backs and slender swords at their belts. He shuddered at the thought of the deadly metal meeting dragon scales.

He whipped around and sprinted into the centre of the dragon-camp, hissing at every dragon he passed to take to the air. He tripped and staggered, running as fast as he dared, almost falling onto his face several times.

Many of the dragons listened to him and drifted off gracefully, beating their wings methodically as they rose out of sight. They did not question him, but frowned and shuffled their wings suspiciously. Some did not believe him, and they growled and flicked their tongues at him when he approached.

He rushed over to Bid'Daum, who was having a conversation about flying with a honey-yellow dragon. Her bright yellow wings hung at her side, and her neck arched gracefully, bringing her slender head closer to Bid'Daum.

"Bid!" Eragon cried, running to his side. Bid'Daum lurched around, his eyes whirling in anger and frustration.

'What… it?' He asked urgently.

"Army of elves." Eragon gasped. "Get everyone to fly away."

The yellow dragon listened politely as Bid'Daum told her to warn everyone she saw, then she unfurled her great wings and, with one great stroke, she was airborne.

The skies were a flurry of activity, with older dragons ensuring that youngsters were safely clinging to their spikes, or flying along beside them. Mothers scooped up eggs in their claws, and some lugged animal carcasses into the air with them.

Bid'Daum headed straight for the main cave, where the amethyst dragon would undoubtedly be, but inside, they found not only him, but an enormous white dragon that had probably lived for millennia.

The dragon's claws were all the size of Bid'Daum's head, and his massive body was hunched inside the mountain as though it had been carved from the rock. He lowered his great marble head to the ground and watched them through an enormous sparkling eye.

Bid'Daum bowed, and Eragon did the same, although he had to place a hand on Bid'Daum's flank in order to steady himself. The sight of the great dragon was unnerving, and he couldn't help but be wary of the colossal creature.

The white dragon stretched his neck out to Bid'Daum in a friendly manner. 'I thought I was the… white.' He said thoughtfully. 'He is indeed destined for…' He then swivelled his great neck to face Eragon, and, to his surprise, he dipped his head with respect. 'You are destined for greatness with him.'

Eragon couldn't answer in a tongue that the dragon would understand, so he merely nodded.

The giant white dragon made a rasping dragon-laugh in his throat. 'I am one of the few dragons that understands the Elvin tongue.' He said.

Eragon was shocked for seconds, before he straightened his face and said, "Thank you, Lord, but it seems we must go. An army of elves is heading this way, they are mere minutes away from us now."

The white dragon closed his eyes wearily and heaved his great bulk into a standing position. 'Then I suppose we must go. I assume the others have been told to leave for the mountains beyond? It will be a long journey, but at least we will be safe there, with no need to fight.'

Bid'Daum nodded. 'Yes, Lord.'

The amethyst dragon had stayed beside the white dragon with what seemed like awe engraved onto his face, but now he deftly jumped to his feet and dashed to the much bigger dragon's aid, for the white dragon could hardly manage to walk.

He noticed Bid'Daum's worried glance. 'Not to worry.' He said gently. 'I am better in the air, as all dragons are.'

Bid'Daum seemed satisfied with this, and he loped along ungracefully beside Eragon, who eventually clambered onto his back when they emerged from the cave.

There were only three dragons left in the enormous camp, and each of them were hardy, fierce-looking specimens.

The white dragon beckoned one of them over with one of his razor-sharp talons. 'Search the surrounding areas and caves and tell… you see to head for Pinnacle Mountain.'

The dragon bowed and led the other two away, and the amethyst dragon surged into the air, followed by Eragon on Bid'Daum.

The white dragon was still unfolding his immense wings, and when they were fully stretched he could have covered the whole clearing with them.

He took a while to take off, shifting his massive weight until he was balanced, and then leaping into the skies with a push from his muscular hind-legs. He rocketed up further than the others, and soared gracefully off after the smaller dragons.

Just as the dust from his take off cleared gradually, Bid'Daum peered down to see an army of elves standing in utter confusion underneath them, and Eragon laughed gleefully. They were shifting their weapons and checking caves, and shouts of anger and annoyance could be heard echoing eerily through the empty clearing.

Before the elves could look up, Bid'Daum followed the other dragons in a steep glide; heading for a cluster of pointed mountains on the very border of Ellesmere.

Eragon had never been so far from home.

* * *

Eragon and Bid'Daum settled with the dragons in a series of caves high in the mountains. Meat would come to them every day, and before long they found themselves enjoying life there immensely.

There were evenings when the dragons would all gather together and tell stories of their childhoods; a very important time for them. When Eragon and Bid'Daum told theirs, the dragons would lean in to listen intently, and many would rustle their wings uncomfortably when he mentioned Kassia.

'We met her too.' The white dragon sighed. 'She smashed a nest of our precious eggs; the others wish for her blood.'

Eragon got better and better at the dragon language, and many dragons joined together to learn his. He got to know these, and found their company as pleasant as any elf's. It was there that he discovered how wrong the elves were about the dragons. They were not stupid beasts, they were as intelligent as any other creature.

There were many dragons that hated him and wanted him dead, but whenever they snarled or glared at him disgustedly, the white dragon would put them in their place.

The blissful time at Pinnacle Mountain ended one evening, when Eragon stood, watching the sunset, on the ledge of his and Bid'Daum's cave.

There were so many caves around Pinnacle Mountain, and almost every dragon family had their own. The only way to reach each one was by dragon-back, as they all pocketed the mountain face.

Eragon sighed happily and inhaled deeply as red light washed over the mountains around them, making the snow glitter a dazzling-red colour.

Birds swooped and dove around the peaks, cawing softly to one another. Just as Eragon was dropping off, waiting for Bid'Daum to return so they could huddle together by a fire in their cave, he did return, but not with the same peaceful expression as he usually did.

'Eragon,' he said. 'Elves have attacked the dragon settlements still left in Ellesmere, many are believed to be dead.'

He shook the tiny ice droplets from his hide and crawled over to his elf, who hung his head sorrowfully.

Eragon heard it; the keening from the dragons that meant the loss of one, or more, of their own kind. He shivered and stepped closer to Bid'Daum, pulling his tunic around him tightly. "What does this mean for us?" He asked.

Bid'Daum answered the death-call with a high-pitched howl that made the hackles on Eragon's back rise, before turning back to him. 'It means we may have to leave; we are the last hope for the dragons.'

"We have to somehow make peace between them all?" Eragon asked dubiously.

'Yes, they may feel different when they see our union. The white one is sending dragons out to all known dragons involved in the war, to spread the word of us.' The pride in his voice was unmistakeable.

"When do we leave?" He asked quietly.

'Tomorrow.' Bid'Daum nudged him affectionately with his nose, and they entered the cave together.

Morning brought many dragons to their cave, congratulating them and wishing them a fruitful journey. They bowed and chatted with Bid'Daum, and the sight of all of them made tears glisten in Eragon's eyes. He realised he did not want to go; the mountain was the only home he had had since his own burnt down.

The dragons brought gifts and stuffed the pair with food, and the straw mattress that Eragon slept in was stuffed with feathers for him, 'For when you return.' The dragons said.

He recoiled at this at first, but they assured him that the feathers had been found on the ground, so he had gratefully accepted.

The two of them watched the dragons hunt in the woods below for a while, and when they next peered towards the sky the sun was bright and high in the sky.

'We should go.' Bid'Daum growled softly.

Eragon agreed and mounted him slowly. They did not bid farewell to the other dragons, but merely zoomed away into the horizon; heading for a tiny Elvin settlement near Ceunon.