For all who are reading this, I rewrote the chapter and will change chapter two as well, since I couldn't any longer be content with how it was originally. The most changes are in the way Eragon and Vanir react/behave, but it isn't that relevant now if you've already read it before.

Just less cringe.

Rewritten: 21 September 2020

CHAPTER ONE - BLOOD OATH

He still remembered it, the dancing, the vivid colours, the way the magic had sparked in the air and how his fate opened another path to him, a path laden with self-discovery and self-reflection. For all its trials and grief, he couldn't imagine what would have happened had the dragons of old decided different that night…

ERAGON

Magic was a wonderful thing, Eragon thought, standing in a circle with the others celebrating through the night. It was the third day, or night. Time was hard to keep track of. The moon had come and gone and come again. It was a half disc in the dark sky now.

In the centre of the circle were two female elves who shed their garments, identical white cloaks hold by an ornate clasp. The dragon painted on their naked skin was glowing in vivid detail with every scale a different colour or shade. And they started dancing, a stomping of feet underlined by the sound of drums. It continued with twirling movements around each other, the dragon tattoo coming alive by their dance. Other instruments followed the drumming, flutes and harps. The elves were dancing and dancing, the dragon circling them like it was flying.

The song the two weaved to the melody was like a ringing bell, the elven magic taking hold of the participating crowd and Eragon couldn't make sense of separate words anymore as he, too, got swayed by it.

Everyone was singing along. Eragon had no idea how but the words came to his lips, his voice joining the others and filling the air with sound. The dragons were humming; the sound deep and heard over the bright elven voices, accompanying the melody.

The dragon was flying around the two elven dancers; they were giving it life as they twirled round and round, ever faster. Eragon knew at some point not what he saw. As it let out a stream of fire, he followed the majestic creature with his eyes, saw it fly up and above the crowd, always connected to the dancing twins with its tail tip. It roared at the night sky, glided down and touched every elf with its ghostly wing before it looked Eragon dead in the eye.

There was a moment when time seemed to stand still.

Eragon felt a mind touch his own, so unlike anything he had felt before.Then came the images, flickering before his mind's eye and too fast to comprehend. A streak of blue scales, a glitter of gold.

This is our gift to you, so that you can do what is needed. Forgive us, for we cannot change the outcome, only the consequences.

Was it one voice, or many? The dragon touched him upon his Gedwëy Ignasia – his hand was reaching towards it - and it was like an electrical shock to his system. His whole body was burning as he let oblivion take him.

Awareness came back to him slowly and in stages. At first, he could feel Saphira's mind against his own, a comforting warmth tinged blue like her scales. It made him think of the blue skies during summer in Carvahall, more carefree days spent hunting in the Spine. Life had been about working on their uncle's farm, helping their small family to survive through winter, but it hadn't been like his life now.

Eragon missed his childhood, the old pain of losing Garrow a small stab of pain in his chest. He'd mostly overcome the worst of the memory and could reflect on the nicer ones, winters spent together in their home. Garrow teaching him to hunt. Teasing Roran about his crush on Katrina.

The dragon rider sighed, his mind returning to the present at the feeling of another presence. It was like a calm river, different colours and the faint sense of a melody behind it all.

It shouldn't be there. His mind was still shielded from anyone foreign to him. Only Saphira was meant to be there since she was his dragon.

Furrowing his brow, he opened his eyes to be greeted by the ceiling of the treehouse he shared with her. It startled him how clear everything was despite the darkness. He could see the intricate lines in the wood above, still different to how it would look in daylight, but he shouldn't see it this clear.

Aware of his improved sight made him suddenly hyper aware of his other senses. The fabric of the sheets told him he was on his bed, the fresh air coming in from the dragon entry indicated that it wasn't closed because Saphira wasn't here.

Using his connection to the dragoness, he asked her: How long was I unconscious?

The answer came swift, like she had waited for him to wake up and ask her.

No more than a couple of hours. The elves were frantic. Nobody knew what to do. After Oromis made sure you were fine they carried you back. I would have gone with you, but they needed me and Glaedr here.

She shared her view of what had happened. Eragon felt it the moment he'd connected to the dragon spirits, through her memory. She'd been just as overwhelmed by it, but she hadn't fainted like him. Her worry at him was visible.

I feel fine, he assuaged her. Her mindscape rippled like she wasn't quite believing his words, but she didn't say anything in reply.

Eragon, there's something I need to tell you. You weren't the only one who was affected by the dragon spirit.

He sat up and looked for his boots. His clothes were still the same he'd worn to the blood oath ceremony. I wasn't?

No. There was someone…

Saphira. What aren't you telling me? He asked. Eragon was now outside the tree house, slowly walking down the stairs winding around the trunk of the old tree the house was grown from. She was silent for a long time and Eragon would have repeated his question if she hadn't answered him then.

Remember the elf you train with every day?

Vanir.

He collapsed same as you, but they weren't immediately flocking to him in worry. They brought him to the Tialdarí Hall by order from Izlandadi.

Why would they bring Vanir there? He asked but got only an 'I don't know either' from his partner.

Whatever, it wasn't like he cared. He made his way back to the Menoa tree, where the celebrations were still ongoing. His feet led him all the way to Saphira, until he saw a familiar shape through the trees. Arya. She was alone and his heart pounded with the beat of the forest around him.

Little one, don't…

Eragon ignored Saphira's soft but warning tone.

He would regret it later when he had to deal with Arya's frosty rejection. Her words had cut deep into his heart, his thundering heart now from his dreams being shattered. She didn't return his feelings and it hurt. It hurt so much, he thought.

His soul thought comfort, and he wasn't really thinking about it when his steps through the forest led him somewhere. Maybe he should have. As it was, he came to a halt at the tree house, where someone else was leaning against the tree.

"What are you doing here?" he asked the elf accusingly. He'd recognised Vanir instantly.

Vanir had never been to the tree house since it was for visiting dragon riders. Of course, he must have known where it was, but Eragon wondered why he would visit him now. Obviously, he'd been waiting for the rider to show up.

"I want to know what happened. What did you do?" Vanir asked. His gaze stayed on Eragon while he waited for an answer. Too bad for him, because Eragon had none. Even if he had, he wouldn't have told the elf. Eragon felt a sudden spike of anger, and it wasn't his.

"I should have known this would lead to nothing."

The elf stood, and now showed clear signs of annoyance. Eragon felt it simultaneously in his mind. A foreboding feeling started to form inside him as he had an idea of what must have happened, why they were both affected.

He had to be sure, as much as it made him feel sick to his stomach doing this. He sought the mental presence he'd felt earlier and spoke inside his mind to it.

Then why are you even here?!

Eragon made sure to convey his annoyance with the words. Vanir gave a startled look. All hopes to have been wrong vanished with it.

"I'm not sure.", he answered, looking spooked. Eragon felt Vanir shield his mind, but the connection didn't lessen. It was still as strong as before. From Vanir's grimace he must have noticed too.

Eragon wasn't in the right mind to deal with this. He wanted to be alone, get over his broken heart for Arya, and maybe get some sleep.

Vanir's sudden panic over their discovered bond – because it felt just like his bond with Saphira – was not helping.

The cold dislike was easy to discern among other more complex feelings. Thoughts were shielded from him, but emotions were flowing back and forth between them like a river. Vanir would be the last person Eragon would want inside his head and now it seemed they were forced to such a fate.

Eragon was still horrified by discovering the presence of the elf inside his mind. It wasn't panic, he told himself.

Channelling his fear into anger was the easiest, and Eragon grabbed the elf by his tunic, bark pressing into Vanir's back as Eragon held him there, his new strength making the elf freeze in shock.

"You stay out of my mind!"

"How do you think I can stay out of your mind? In case you haven't noticed, our shields do nothing!" Vanir sneered. His glare was making his eyes flash dangerously and Eragon didn't know why he noticed the intense golden colour they were.

Eragon couldn't forgive this invasion of his privacy. With Saphira it had felt natural, like she belonged. Vanir wasn't somebody he wanted anywhere near him.

Eragon glared, holding back the urge to lash out and hit him for sounding like he was better than him even now. Though, he couldn't stop the fear he felt at the prospect of being forever tied to this arrogant elf.

His mental barriers were crumbling to dust as the whole situation seemed to become a terrifying reality around him. He let go of the other, taking a step back, away from him.

Vanir still glared, but there was something else in that gaze now and Eragon couldn't look at the elf anymore, his hands clenched at his sides. The dragon rider needed to be away. Away from the elf in front of him whose eyes held the most emotions he'd ever seen in any elf so far. Bastard, he thought to himself. His whole body was tense, his mental barriers nothing but dust, his emotions clear as day to Vanir and he hated it. He hated it so much.

"Stay out of my mind." He whispered harshly.

"I can't block you out, you idiot rider! Neither seems it to work for you- "

"Stop prying then!" he hissed. Golden orbs narrowed. The darkness around them made them shine even brighter. It was something he couldn't not notice, it seemed.

"Why would I want to, even." Vanir replied mockingly, but his emotions betrayed him, because they didn't quite match his words.

Eragon let out a sound of frustration, his anger making him lash out and shoving the elf back against the tree, hard. Vanir's surprised exclamation was chocked off when his back hit the rough bark. Eragon ignored the twinge between his own shoulders in favour of making Vanir feel how angry he was and relished in the flinch he got when he shoved his anger over the link.

"I can't stand you. You are arrogant and always shoving in my face why I'm below you!"

The rider felt Saphira who'd been silent until now, trying to make him be reasonable. He ignored her in favour of focusing on the elf whose mere presence aggravated him now.

"Whatever have I done to you?!" he shouted.

Vanir's eyes strayed to the side, before settling on the rider again. His shoulders drawn up, he looked ready to flee into the night. Eragon didn't feel any guilt for what he'd done. The question was one he'd wanted to ask since Vanir had begun taunting him during their spars.

"…nothing. You have done nothing." Vanir said. He sounded like he'd just realized this. There was silence, loaded with the anger Eragon still held, and the stunned elf who suddenly seemed less ready to fight and more willing to flee from the situation.

"I need- I need time to think about this." Vanir murmured, and before Eragon could hold him back, he was gone.

What should I do? He asked his dragon. Saphira was just as confused as him. Sleep, she said gently. Tomorrow you'll be able to talk to him.

I'm not sure I want to.

His mind was tired, the anger had left him as soon as the other was out of sight. Emotions not his own were coming through the bond they now shared, and he couldn't stop experiencing secondhand confusion, nervousness, restlessness. A bundle of a complex feeling he couldn't discern because it was just a flash, gone as fast as it came. Hopefully, he wouldn't get a headache from it.

I don't think you have a choice, Eragon. This seems to affect you both and you better talk, or it could become a problem later.

It's already a problem.