I think you will like this one so I won't say anything more than enjoy.

She sighed with frustration, "Just get out, GET OUT!" The soldiers quickly removed themselves from Nasuada's presence. She had been reading texts and scrolls for the past three weeks since the phoenix had revealed itself at their meeting and once again threatened her life.

Arya had been doing the same, but the elves knowledge on the creature was limited, all they knew was that the Phoenix and the Dragons had an odd relationship. Some texts clearly stated that they were enemies through and through, but others suggested another type of relationship, one that Nasuada and Arya couldn't make heads or tails off.

Unfortunately these phoenixes hadn't been around since before the spell that created the riders had been woven, and Glaedr had only very limited instincts which only helped them to be certain that phoenixes were enemies to dragons; he had no instincts on this other relationship, whatever it was.

There was another knock on the door and Nasuada was about to yell but before she could Arya opened the door. "Oh it's you Arya." She walked in, dismissing the elves who tried to follow.

"Have you discovered anything new?" She asked a glint of hope in her eyes that was quickly covered up. Nasuada shook her head and Arya sighed. She sat down opposite Nasuada and picked up a scroll and began to scan it.

"They all say that Phoenixes are enemies to dragons but some say that they have another relationship. Unfortunately it doesn't say what type; it could be a hunting relationship, or hatching relationship, at this point we could guess anything; we could even guess that they had a mating relationship."

Arya raised an eyebrow. "Now I don't think it would be that."

Nasuada laughed. "I know, but I was just trying to stress how little knowledge we have on the subject, so little in fact that we should expect anything."

"Yes, but let's keep it within the laws of nature shall we." Nasuada sighed once again and continued her reading.

--

The guards listened to the strange screeching that filled the castle. Many of them found it incredibly annoying and had to leave the castle to get any work done at all. The ones that were close enough, however, also heard strange cooing noises coming from the throne room, and the ones right outside the door heard the constant ruffling of feathers.

The few people that had been allowed entrance into the throne room had spread gossip after leaving. They reported that the phoenix had acted strangely towards them. She greeted them kindly and had a tendency to strut around the room. Her feathers had also changed slightly, they had become richer in colour, and her flames danced over her body. She also had a large pile of bones that had been chewed on that she asked to have removed every day.

The gossip was halted for a time however when the phoenix refused to let anyone enter the room. She had called for luxurious cushions to be left in the room before she had banned people from entering and soon the guards heard the unmistakable sound of tearing cloth.

The room was off limits for two weeks and during that time the room was quiet. Afterwards, when the first of the guards that had been called for entered, they reported that they had seen the phoenix roosted in a nest of shredded cloth and feathers. She hadn't let them get too close but gave them orders to find the location of either Thorn or Eragon as quickly as possible.

After that, they figured that the phoenix had returned back to normal, aside from her strange nesting behaviour. The man in charge of finding the dragons approached the throne room and knocked. It opened by its own accord, as always, and the usual heat wave passed over him.

He cautiously entered the room and found that the phoenix had returned to her perch on the broken wall, watching the clouds streak across the sky. He had heard the gossip about her appearance but her brilliant plumage and distinctive tuft of feathers at the back of her head had returned to their former colours. Her head, breast, and back were their usual scarlet, or reddish-gold, as the flames on her body sometimes distorted the colours.

Her feet had a purple hue and her long tail feathers, of rose with hints of azure at the tips, stretched along the floor behind her. She turned as he approached, her sea-blue eyes squarely fixed upon him, and he bowed. Have you found the dragons? She asked, a note of urgency in her voice.

The man cowered slightly. "The men have only just been dispatched to search the mountains, it will be some time until they can report back, please...be patient." He feared that he had gone too far with that last remark and braced himself, but nothing happened.

I am being too eager, it is only because the dragons had entered their mating season, which is now over, and I should return to my senses. Dispose of that, in my nest; destroy it personally, by the tree in front of me. I will be watching and if it isn't destroyed and buried I will burn you to your very soul.

The man walked towards the nest in the corner of the room. As he approached it he gasped as he gazed upon an oval red object nestled in the feathers. He gingerly picked the egg up and examined it. It was smooth to the touch, flawless, a perfect oval. The deep red colour seemed to shift and change when turned at different angles. He turned back to the phoenix. "Why would you want to destroy your egg?"

The phoenix eyed him. There is nothing inside it. Without a mate the eggs I produce contain nothing but yolk. Unfortunately, I produce them whenever my thoughts wander to towards the process that makes them and they are also made during the dragon's mating season for reasons I will keep to myself, now GO!

He quickly hurried out of the room. As he walked through the hallways several people questioned him on the red egg in his hands but he ignored them. He made his way out into the courtyard and made a left turn, which led to the castle gardens that the throne room overlooked.

He quickly hurried towards the tree that the phoenix had indicated and when he reached it he looked up at the gaping hole in the throne room tower. The phoenix was watching him intently, her eyes boring in to him. He shuddered at her attention and then dug a small hole at the base of the tree.

He placed the egg inside and then he picked up a rock. He looked up at the phoenix to see her nod her head slightly. He then brought down the rock on to the egg, shattering the shell and spilling the contents all over his hands. He wiped them on the floor and then covered the egg shell, which was now swimming in a lake of yolk.

He looked back up to the phoenix who kept her eyes on him. He shuddered once again and she spoke to him as if she was standing right next to him. Now return your attention back to the dragons. Find them, or your life is forfeit.

--

Nasuada and Arya continued their studies. At the request of Nasuada the dwarves had scoured their own library for any books mentioning the phoenix. All they had found was transported to Ellesméra by magic. A series of magicians had been lined up so that the energy required to move the books such a long distance was reduced. Despite this, the books still took three days to reach Ellesméra and Nasuada and Arya had spent a further three days studying them.

Nasuada closed the book she was reading and not long after that Arya closed hers. They had read all the books available and they were ready to discuss. "Well what did you find?" Nasuada asked Arya.

Arya repositioned herself to be more comfortable. "Well, the dwarf's recordings go back further than the elves, as they were here long before we arrived. As such, they have recorded much on the phoenix's and dragon's conflicts." She paused whilst Nasuada scribbled some information down.

"The dwarf's had many conflicts with the dragons over live stock and gold but they never initiated a war with them. They obviously studied the dragons to learn how to effectively combat them, should they come for their farms again. During these studies they discovered the phoenixes." Nasuada continued writing down Arya words as she dictated what she had learnt.

"They watched these 'fire birds', as they so aptly named them, closely to see if they would attack them for the same reasons as the dragons. However, they discovered that the phoenixes were more interested in the dragons than any other species. They seemed to fight often, but only ever in pairs, two dragons of both genders and two phoenixes of both genders. If a phoenix and a dragon were alone they would not fight but it doesn't say why."

Arya waited until Nasuada finished writing down her words. Nasuada then handed the parchment and quill to Arya and then proceeded to tell her what she had learnt. "Yes, what I read seems to coincide with that. The dwarf's found that single members of the two species didn't fight, but would act civilly with one another, unless one single member met a paired member." Arya quickly wrote down Nasuada's words in the flowing script of the elves which made Nasuada's calligraphy look like a spider crawling across the page.

"It seems, that when a single phoenix encountered a mating pair of dragons, that the phoenix would try and entice the dragon that was of the opposite sex to the phoenix. For what purpose the dwarves didn't know but it seems that the phoenix was almost always successful."

Arya finished writing down Nasuada's words and then reread what they had written. She frowned as she finished. "It seems then that this phoenix will try and break apart Eragon and Saphira but why?"

Unlike Arya, Nasuada was not bound by the logical thought that Arya constantly lived in. She could think of a reason why the phoenix would want to split up the two dragons but it didn't make sense. The phoenix could not produce young with Eragon, could she?

--

Eragon woke with a start when he felt Saphira kick him sharply. She did it again and he got up and moved away from her. She had lost all the weight she had gained from eating and her belly had returned to its previous size. The area between her hind legs however, had swollen, creating a large lump which caused her to stretch her back legs outwards.

She was growling as she propped herself up on her front legs. What's wrong? He asked with a worried growl. She grunted and her tail rose up over her back.

It has been a month and I am ready to lay the egg. She said to him. Eragon grew apprehensive.

What do I do? Are you in pain? Saphira chuckled between her breathing which was coming in quick gusts.

No Eragon, it does not hurt, it would have done if I had mated when I was first capable but I have grown in size since then so it is just uncomfortable...and tiring. You do not have to do anything except comfort me in my labour. Eragon opened his mind to hers and began to rub his head along her scaly back.

He could feel her muscles trembling with the effort of expelling the egg and for the first time since he had been transformed he wish he was human again to use magic to help her. He knew, however, that that wasn't a possibility and all he could do was just comfort her.

She grunted and growled with the effort and soon Eragon's head slipped down her back with greater ease as sweat began to seep out from between her scales. Eragon was licking the sweat off her brow to prevent it from entering her eyes when Saphira gave a shudder and Eragon heard a dull thud.

He looked underneath her and saw the slippery glistening egg that had come out of her. He was about to take the egg that reminded him so much of Saphira's, but his mate began to shudder again. I am not yet finished, be patient. He apologized and withdrew his head from beneath her.

He knew that she may have had to still lay one more egg but he had forgotten about that fact when he saw the first egg. I guess we will be having twins then. He said to her as he continued his back rub.

He tried to give her energy through their mental link but she wouldn't take it. She struggled for a further five minutes before she gave a gasping sound and another shudder. Her tail twitched upwards and Eragon heard another thud.

Now that she had finished, he ducked his head back underneath her, careful to not rub against her underbelly. The second egg was just as wet as the first and it was an almost white colour, except Eragon, with his keen eyes, saw that it was actually a very light blue.

He was about to grasp the egg in his jaw when Saphira gave a swift buck of her hips, driving his head into the nest and causing him to become soaked. He quickly pulled his head from underneath her. What's wrong? He asked urgently as he growled with worry.

Saphira growled with uncertainty and gave another gasping sound as she began to contract her muscles again. T-there's a third. She said, sounding surprised. Eragon was also surprised.

I thought that you said that on your first laying you could only lay two eggs at the most. She hissed as sweat stung her eyes and Eragon resumed licking it away.

I thought that was the case but obviously I was mistaken. I am so tired; I don't think I will be able to. Eragon came round to her front, her teeth were bared with the effort and her pupils were constricted so that they were mere slits in her sapphire irises. He gave her a lick on the tip of her snout and then began supporting her weight by snaking his neck underneath her.

She relaxed her front legs and placed her entire wait on to Eragon. He didn't let his neck dip and kept her in the same position that she had chosen. Thank you. She said and then continued her struggle.

From his position he could see where the egg would come out and he encouraged her to continue. When he saw the tip of the egg Saphira began to lose her strength. No, Saphira, you are almost done, don't stop, I can see it. Just hold on a minute longer and you will be able to rest soon.

Saphira roared and shuddered one more time and a black glistening egg dropped into the nest. Her body went limp and her head and neck fell heavily on his back. He carefully lowered her and slid out from under her. She lay on her side panting heavily. You did brilliantly, my mate. Now rest and I will fetch your eggs.

He picked up the eggs with his mouth, one by one, from where they had been set and placed them next to Saphira's side. She eyed them happily and she began to hum. Three eggs, She said to him. We have three eggs.

Aye and such beautiful colours, a sapphire one exactly like its mother's was, a blue so light it is almost white and a black as dark as night itself, I bet they will be the most beautiful creatures in all of Alagaësia when they have hatched. Saphira huddled the eggs close to her side and then began to lick them clean.

They glistened like polished stones once clean and then Saphira began to clean herself. Eragon, in the meantime, began to head towards the exit. Where are you going? She asked, her tongue hanging limply from in-between her teeth in mid stroke.

You are tired and I know you said that you will hunt yourself but I feel as if I should go, I will be back shortly.

But I am supposed to go.

My mate, at the moment you couldn't even catch a sleeping fawn. He said to her, mimicking the words she had spoken to him when they had gone hunting after mating. She nodded her head, accepting that he would not take no for an answer. Eragon then left his mate and his eggs, safely tucked away in their high cave, whilst he searched for food to feed his family.

Well now we have eggs. I hope you like the colours I have chosen and suggestions for names are welcome as long as you are aware that I may not use them. I wish to thank the people who have reviewed 'The Return of the Dragons' and it should be updated tomorrow. Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review.