The fire crackled merrily in the main hall, casting dancing shadows upon the walls and floor. Eragon sat at the head of a long table, elves and dwarves along the sides, all in conversation but for the Rider. Saphira lay curled to the left of the hall, her eyes closed as though she slept, but Eragon new better. Her mind was active, conversing with the Eldunari in flashes of thoughts and images. Blodgharm sat directly to Eragon's right, flipping through sheaves of parchment, eyes scanning quicker than a human's eyes could comprehend. Within these pages were Eragon's plans for his future students, outlining their training. Blodgharm finally put the pages back in order, handing them back to Eragon.
"Shur'tugal, your plans are thorough, encompassing many subjects, more so perhaps, than the riders of old deigned to study. I find no flaws in your planning." Eragon nodded when he paused. "Yet a question itches in your mind, Blodgharm-elda. I would answer if you would but voice it. All concerns need to brought up and satisfied before we begin. I do not plan to enact a plan with flaws when we currently have the time to rectify any that could potentially occur. I need everyone to be on the same page." Blodgharm made the sign of respect over his chest, and hesitantly voiced his concern.
" You mention nothing that concerns me, what concerns me is what is not mentioned. These plans would be satisfactory for a student with a basic knowledge of magic and the arts of war. However, when will they acquire such knowledge if they don't already possess it? Do you plan for a basic training to be partaken in Ellesmera before they journey forth to our home?" Eragon smiled kindly at Blodgharm, feeling the amusement radiating from Saphira as she snorted.
"Blodgharm-elda, while I have no doubt that any elf who resides in the great forest could teach the younglings what they need to know, I shall not shirk my duty. It is a long trek from here to Hedarth, maybe a month and a half on horseback. Tautha de orothrim shall be performed upon this journey. Any who become riders shall be escorted to Hedarth immediately, where they shall be escorted here. It gives me a chance to see the personality of our students, along with allowing their dragon to mature to a trainable age. Brom taught me enough to be trainable when I reached Ellesmera. I will take a page from my fathers book. Knowledge learned under duress will serve our younglings well, and make them appreciate the rest of their training more when they reach the keep." Blodgharm's face showed no emotion, a trait Eragon feared the elf would never willingly let go of. "Is Arya Drottning not capable of training the Riders as well?" Eragon smiled at the elf. "On the contrary, Arya Drottning could likely teach them more than I could by far. But it is my duty to prepare them for their roles, as it is her duty to rule the great forest. I would not deign to expect her to do both, capable as she is." Blodgharm smiled his pointed teeth at the Rider. "In that case, I find your plan acceptable, Shur'tugal." Eragon realized that the elf had been testing him.
"Are there any other questions, or observations, that should be made apparent here?" Thorv, the dwarven warrior who had volunteered to travel forth from his home, cleared his throat, drawing the rooms attention.
"Forgive my ignorance, if it is apparent, Argetlam. You have included lessons in dwarven and elven culture in your lessons, and clearly the culture and ways of the mighty dragons, but what of the werecats and the Urgals? Despite my natural dislike of the Urgals, I understand the riders are to keep the peace in the land. Would it not be beneficial to have someone to teach of their cultures and customs, along with those of the werecats?" Eragon grew thoughtful, slumping back in his chair. "You bring up a valid point, SteelFist. I shall confer with my cousin, who still has ties with the Urgal tribes, to see if he could find one who would take up the task. As for the werecats, I shall have Roran send a letter to Angela, and ask that she and Solembum seek a solution for the werecats. Is this acceptable?" Thorv nodded. "Aye, Argetlam. That strikes me as acceptable." Eragon stood, sliding back the chair he once sat in.
"If it is acceptable, I say we break for the day until dinner time. I wish to feel the sun upon my back for a time, and maybe the wind underneath me. The tables occupants nodded at him respectfully, and he took his exit, stepping into the sunshine, his bare feet touching the grass. He walked, his feet taking a well worn path, that meandered into the tree line, winding between solid oak trees and boulders larger than Saphira. The ground eventually began to slope upwards, climbing slightly until it ended atop a knoll. From there, Eragon could see the silver snake that was the Az Ragni, and for miles around him, he saw forest. Trees of green, flowers of purple. This place, Eragon thought, would be a superb place for a home. Images flashed in his mind, of his old home, ramshackle as it was, with its drafty walls and leaky roof, it still held a place in his heart. He decided that he would build himself a home here. A place to escape when he could. A place to conserve his privacy, when he felt he needed solitude. He sent his thoughts to his life partner, who sent him images of a depression by a crackling fireplace, in a place that looked similar to his old home. He smiled to himself. She approved, and that meant more to him than anything ever could. He sent waves of affection her way, and could feel her snort to herself, basking in his mental praise. Delving deeper into her mind, he felt her flying, meandering on the currents in his direction.
Eragon turned his head towards the sky, seeing the glittering azure mass, wings spread wide,circling into a slow descent. Her landing was incredibly gentle for her size, and she turned a large eye in his direction, filled with excitement for the flight to come.
The pair had spent hours in the air, minds open to such an extent that an outsider would have thought them one being, and at this height, they would have seemed to be but a bird. Eragon had left the saddle behind an hour ago, standing barefoot upon indigo scales. Saphira seemed not to mind his pacing, maybe it felt as a massage, Eragon mused. He suddenly found himself coughing in a cloud of smoke. "You are barely noticeable with your pacing, light as you step. You must begin to eat more if you wish to give me a massage." Eragon laughed, walking back to the saddle, and up her neck, until his feet were upon her head. "And now, queen of the skies? Am I still as light as a feather?" She didn't deign to respond, but Eragon could feel the increase in pressure from her senses. Her pride would not let her admit that she was straining to hold him there. He decided to test her pride, knowing he had the upper hand.
And suddenly, he didn't anymore. Saphira disappeared from beneath him, and he was free falling. He quickly spread his body out, catching as much wind as he could, stabilizing himself. High as they were, he had time, he thought. He felt Saphira's amusement at his new predicament. "It seems you were right, little one. You fall much faster than a feather." Eragon jabbed at her mind gently. "I believe you owe me an apology, then. You denied the truth from yourself, despite me telling you otherwise." Eragon felt a flare of annoyance from his partner. "No." Eragon shook his head, trying not to smile to himself, knowing the wind would pull at his mouth. Instead he breathed through his nose. "Will you at least come save me then?" Saphira was silent for a moment, before..."No." Eragon gulped to himself. "You are being vindictive, my heart." He felt her feelings of eminent victory. "You are too rude to save. Mayhap the collision will knock some sense into you. You should never insult a dragon". Eragon quelled his panic. He could save himself. By thickening the air around him, he could slow his descent by increments, without actually slowing his actual mass. It was a method he had discovered in the last few years, practicing it frequently with his life partner. Murmuring the spell within his mind, he felt his body slow. He had almost cut it too close, he thought, as he saw herds of animals scattering from the area. He landed a little harder than he planned, buckling his legs beneath him. He stood, ending the spell, just as his dragon landed beside him. Regaining his feet, he turned a glare her direction. She puffed smoke from her nostrils, her amusement apparent in his mind. Sensing he would get nowhere with her, he struck out in the direction of the keep. Instead of taking back to the air, to his surprise, Saphira stayed at his side, matching his plodding pace. After some time, she finally deigned to speak to him.
"Do you plan to build there?" Setting his annoyance aside, knowing he would never win against her, he replied. " I see no reason not to. Until an egg hatches, we have naught to do other than study. It will be good to work with my hands." He felt her acceptance in his mind. It was silent for a while, so long he almost forgot what she was talking about. "I believe you are an acceptable weight for one of your stature." Eragon smiled to himself, letting his previous mental arguments he prepared to float away into nothingness. "Thank you, Fireheart." He felt her pleasure at the name. Nothing more was said, and while the sun was still a handsbreadth above the horizon, they arrived at the keep. The fires were lit inside, and the glow of the place gave Eragon a warm feeling in his heart. The rider and his partner entered in time to break bread with their companions, before they bid farewell and retired for the night.
Eragon woke early the next day, hours before the sun made its appearance in the sky, trekking up the hill carrying a pick and shovel. He marked the outline of his future home out with sturdy sticks, verifying that it would be in square, and after a quick water break, he began to dig, removing stones and shovelfuls of dirt from what would be the foundation of his home. The work was slow going, and when the sun finally began to rise, he quickly shed his tunic. The sun quickly drew sweat from his skin, but the farm boy within him revelled in the manual labor. Eragon worked until he felt Saphira stirring from her slumber. He then hung his tools in the nearest tree, and struck out towards the river for a quick bath, before returning to retrieve his tunic. He struck out for the keep, arriving in high spirits. His normal day of work continued, studying, planning, and trying not to think of the endless waiting. Thus the days began to pass swiftly for the rider, as he became content with his lot in life.
Eragon did not finish digging the foundation of his home for another three weeks. He woke early every morning and proceeded with his routine. The tediousness of digging out stumps and roots and rocks didn't bother him, nor did the soreness of his limbs. He had finished drawing the plans for his home within the first week, and had been forced to modify the size of his foundation, but fortunately he hadn't proceeded far enough to have to undo any of his previous work. The pile of stones to the side of the foundation grew taller every day. Eragon refrained from using magic, his mind wandering back to his conversation with Rhunön, when his body was still broken from his battle with Durza. Her advice had stuck with him, something, he thought to himself, she would quite likely find pleasing. Thus Eragon plodded along at a snails pace, though a thoroughly enjoyable snails pace, in his opinion. At the end of the third week, the sun found Eragon sitting on his pile of rocks, his waterskin in his hand. He finished it off, surveying the fruits of his labor. The foundation had been dug, the rocks saved to be put back, half a man deep and a man wide. He would have to find more stones, he thought. He stood fluidly, grabbing his tunic as he jogged down to the river. It would be the best place to find what he was looking for, he reasoned. His mind flashed back to the night before, or rather the morning.
He and Blodgharm had spent the last three weeks hashing out the training regime that Eragon had organized down to the last tedious details. When the two had finished their debates last night, or rather early this morning, Blodgharm had finally been satisfied with the plans. However, despite his normally introverted personality, he had remained with Eragon in his study, drinking from a bottle of faelnirv that Eragon had stored on the shelf beside his hand bound books. The two had sat in a comfortable silence, the room full of the crackling fire and silent thoughts.
"You are a strange man, Shur'tugal." Eragon had looked over towards the wolf man, his blue fur shining in the firelight. His eyes met him dead on, no waver within them. It was not an accusation, Eragon knew that, just a statement. "Strange is not necessarily a bad thing, Blodgharm. At least I don't think so." The silence had returned to the room, but Eragon could sense the wolf-elf's curiosity. "In my short life, Blodgharm, my life has changed drastically, but I am still filled with curiosity. As are you, right now. I can feel it in the air. Speak bluntly with me, for we have accomplished much together, and the formalities weigh heavy on my patience. I am still human, after all." Blodgharm's eyes were unreadable, and he never broke eye contact. Eventually, he gave a sharp nod of his head, before he stared back at the fire. Eragon poured himself another glass, setting the bottle on the table between their chairs.
"I have observed you closely these past few weeks. You retire late, and wake hours before the sun rises. You sleep little and accomplish much, and never do you let any exhaustion show. Until a month ago, I didn't know this study was here. That tells me you value your privacy, as do most of my kind. I will not pry into your private affairs, but I am curious why you have shown me your private study, and my curiosity burns to know where you go so early." Blodgharm had spoken bluntly, as Eragon had asked. Eragon decided to be honest with the elf.
"I have brought you here because I trust in your discretion, and if ever you had need of me or access to the Eldunari in my absence, here you shall find it. As for where I go every morning, I am building a house." Eragon had answered him just as bluntly as the elf had asked, and the surprise on his face was enough to make Eragon smile. He stood fluidly, the faint buzz in his head not hindering his movements. "I shall retire for the morning, Blodgharm. I have much work to accomplish before lessons tomorrow, and must take a few hours rest. Shut the door when you leave if you don't mind. I would rather preserve the anonymity of this chamber as long as possible." Eragon promptly left the room, not waiting to hear the elf's acknowledgement.
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My thanks for the two reviews this story has already collected! I have a couple more chapters ready already, just pacing them out to give myself time to write more! I appreciate reviews a lot, and thank you all for reading!!