Tracking the day old deer prints along a well trampled pass, I continued my 2 day Journey into the spine.
It had only been a few hours after crossing over the narrow path of the Igualda falls, which overlooked Carvahall. When I came across the recent tracks of a decent-sized herd of Forest dwelling deer. I had noticed a set of prints a few yards behind all the rest, a limp clear in its stride.
From there I took my time tracing the herd as it moved slowly from grazing grasses and patches of wild grains, to the winding mountain trails.
Standing, I began stretching out my tired shoulders and even worse, my sore neck. I peered through the warm late summer breeze as it ruffled the still healthy dark green leaves of the massive pine, fur and oaks that populated this stretch of the mountain forest. I absently noted that the wind was blowing from in front of me, masking and keeping the Herd from smelling my scent. Crouching down with a sigh, I once again continued my Approach stealthily through the foliage.
Keeping slow and slow, I kept a steady but silent pace, as the sun drifted away, nearing late afternoon I finally found my quarry, beginning to bed down for the evening.
My yew bow, that my uncle had gifted me for a previous name day, was in hand, three of the decent crafted arrows in the off hand. I ever so slowly lifted my weapon and sighted in my shot.
'Luck is with me!' Came unbidden to my mind, as a sly smile tugged upon my lips as I found that the largest of the herd, a stag with massive antlers laid in my direct path of sight, with no obstacles in the way.
'No point in going for the weakest if I can bag this massive buck!'
Quickly and just as silently, nocking the first of the arrows, and drawing back with my full strength, I took a steadying breath and released. Staying stalk still, I released a breath not moving a single inch as I did so. The arrow flew true and then…
'BOOM'
My concentration was shattered as a force of a hurricane ripped through the meadow the deer had bedded in. At the same moment I jerked my head towards my prey, just in time to see the stag shift as the arrow neared..
But the Gods were on my side as the arrow pierced its throat from where the animal had shifted, instead of the broadside as I had intended.
I held my breath as the magnificent and kingly stag gave a single huff and its body crumbled unto its final resting place.
At that moment the force of the blast, from the other side of the herd, hit me full force.
My body was low enough to where I wasn't blown away, but I felt the wind pound my body but a second, before it abated and disappeared.
Waiting a full minute, I raised my head and glanced at the scene in front of me. It was as if a tornado had landed but then blew outward in a circular fashion. Tree's on the perimeter had been blown down, and half the herd took a full force blow, I could count 5 other than my own kill, laying on their sides, chests neither rising nor falling. They were dead.
The rest it seems had run full tilt away from the area of devastation, and back into the rapidly darkening forest. I inched myself back on to my feet, slowly taking a step at a time as I moved closer to the center of the destruction.
'The deer took the real blast, or else I would probably be dead.' I thought to myself as I absently passed my largest kill, in my 15 years alive. Striding now through the wind swept grasses I came to a halt at the center, and found the catalyst of destruction.
A stone of deep dazzling blue, with veins of what looked line ivory snaking thinly through it.
Beautiful.
The word came immediately to my mind as I reached out, and without thinking, placed a hand on the stone.
Warm, it was warm, but not burning or scalding hot as it should be.
Not able to take my eyes away I picked up the stone, the size of most likely my own head, but not nearly as wide and held it up to my face. Magic. Magic is the only way this is possible.
Quickly I came to my senses, but couldn't bear to leave it, I took another long moment to gaze in wonder before making a decision. I quickly unslung my pack, another gift made by my uncle Garrow, a bit larger than a normal hunting pack. Unloading the large bundle of quartered logs and tinder, the dozens of cheese cloth I had brought along as well. I began wrapping the stone in my extra shirt, and then placing it in the pack reverently.
Standing I moved the logs and tinder to where the stone had been and began arranging them into a fire, I scouted around swiftly to find stones to circle to the indention where the fire would be, and where the stone had appeared.
In all 15 mins had passed from time time I picked up the stone, and 20 since it had appeared. The sun was falling rapidly by the time I had drug the 6 carcasses towards the fire.
I knew without a doubt I would not be able to take it all, but I was going to do my damnedest to try and at least be able to take the skins of them all.
I worked throughout the night, skinning by firelight, and After that, digging a wide and deep trench to place the waste and bodies once I was done.
I found a stream a hundred yards up to wash in, and long thick branches to create a large enough litter to carry, meat, and other useful materials back.
By late Morning I had all the meat from my kill wrapped in cloth and both smoked and cured. I arranged it on the litter judging the space and weight I would be able to pull.
'I could possibly get the two medium sized ones taken care of, but the rest wouldn't be feasible.' I thought calculatedly to myself, before setting up the next round and laying down to rest for a few hours.
Waking in late noon I looked up blearily and my mind registered where I was.
Rising I stretched and approached the fire to tend the fire.
'Uncle and Roran won't believe this! We will have enough food for winter, and not have to ration as we have had to in the past!' With that thought I took a look around the area I was working in, to find in my total surprise a cave 200 yards away.
"What in the hell..?" I spoke allowed for the first time in days, my voice rough from disuse.
Before checking it out, I decided to create fortifications around my fire and kills, you never know when I true predator would come.
Driving stakes into the ground, near five feet long and then sharpening the tips, I ran into the forest a short ways and carefully brought clumps of brambles back to weave in between the spiked barrier.
Looking around I took note of the skins drying across several logs, the smell alone would be a deterrent, from the mixture of brains I had scrubbed across the skin side of furs.
A grin on my face I took in my work and made several torches, and made sure the fire would be fine for a few hours before heading up towards the cave.
My curiosity took peak as my uncle's voice took root in my mind , 'That damn nosiness will be the death of you boy, I swear it!'
Still, I couldn't help but be curious, it was a part of who I was. I reached the entrance and the smell of stall air hit me. I lit my torch and brought my hand axe out and held it at the ready.
The axe was one I had only just made with the help of Horst, the master blacksmith of Carvahall. Every summer after the fields are planted either myself or my cousin Roran would go and help at the smithy to help bring in extra money for the family.
This axe was my first time making a tool. With the guidance of Smith, of course.
Its head connected to a haft of fire hardened ash, and wrapped in leather strips. It had been the largest boon I could have ever wished for over the last day or so. From cutting up wood for fire, breaking down the kills, and even for safety, it was a truly a useful tool.
I strode carefully, and as quietly as I moved farther into the cave system, surprisingly no water ran here, it seemed almost manmade.
The further in I went the more sure I was, especially after seeing the crude pictures carved into the walls of the cavern.
Finally I reached the end, and what I saw amazed me.
An altar of some type stood elevated above the ground, half a dozen hand sized glowing crystals laid around a short stretch of bark, with some hieroglyphs etched into its rough interior.
'Who enters this place of solitude?' A voice that seemed to be in my mind asked.
"What? Who is there?" I called aloud, my axe raised as I spun in a circle looking for the owner of the voice.
"Who am I? I am all, and am nothing. But I asked, who are you?" The voice answered in kind.
"I I am Eragon son of none and from Carvahall!" I thought back, knowing I must respond
'Well son of none, you bring with you an egg of the dragons, why did you do this? We shall see!' The voice responded abruptly.
'Dragon egg??' My mind said before a great force overcame me.
I fell on my knees, the torch and axe strewn in front of me as images passed through my mind, but they were my own..
The time I was five my aunt and uncle celebrating the Harvest... When I was seven and my uncle moved my cousin and I to a farm Farm several miles away from the town after my aunt's death…… working at the forge... Making fun if my cousin for his crush on the butcher's daughter... Images Brom the Storyteller, of my uncle and all the townsfolk…... The track over the balls on the many trips have into the spine. The latest trip bringing me to the iridescent blue stone…
'A Good heart, a strong mind, loyal and caring.. Yes you would do well to bring the balance..' The voice trailed off after relieving the pressure on my mind.
I lay flat on my stomach gasping for air.
"What are you? What have you done to me?" I gasp in shock, as new memories, of knowledge rushed into my mind, and suddenly I knew things, of a language, so ancient, it had been forgotten and then found over the course of history.
Of dragons and their history, of the first dwarves and elves as they built empires throughout the world…
My mind struggled to assemble the knowledge coherently. It took hours until I was capable of standing, and facing the altar again, this time I knew of what laid in front of me.
"(What would you have me do, great one?)"
I spoke softly aloud in what I know knew was the ancient language of Alagaësia.
"Take the name, take it and protect it and the youngling in your care, for the balance and fate our land is on your shoulders. The Eldunari are of the eldest Dragons of the Order of Riders, they were placed here when it was found by your namesake, Eragon the first rider. They will guide you and the youngling until a master can be found." The voice told me as I approached the altar and lifted the ancient piece of wood, memorizing the words and committing them to mind.
"Good...now burn it. I have, as you have already shown, given you the knowledge of language and understanding of not this language but of all in this land, of the history and of the long and short lived races here. Now do as I say, so I may become one with the land as was intended." Its voice fading away as it spoke..
Lifting the torch I placed it at the edge of the bark and like tinder it caught and consumed the piece of dangerous, but wondrous history.
Sighing, my mind spun wildly as I
Reached hesitantly toward the crystals that I know knew were the hearts and souls of ancient Dragons.
"Greetings young two legs, place us in the bag you have and I will speak to you as you tend to your duties." The largest crystal pulsed as I heard the words.
" Yes ancient one." I replied doing as I bid, my mind only now realizing I had left the fire unattended for some hours.
"My name is Bid' Daum, young one, and I was the first of our order."
'The first Dragon of the Order??'
Aloud I spoke, "It's truly and honor to meet you Bid'Daum.".
And it truly was. I secured my pack and lit a second torch as the first began to die out. I gathered my axe and scooped the ashes of the bark up and made my way out to the cave.
I walked with purpose as made a beeline towards the creek, spreading the ash into the water, to allow it to be lost and never found.
The voice of Bid'Daum sounded in my mind.
"That was a fine idea youngling. Now finish up what you came here to do, we eldunari will help fuel your strength so that you may carry back more food for your kin. "
I nodded and then verbally relayed my assent.
It took a total of 2 full days to smoke, salt all of the meat, and then revise my litter to carry the burden of six full grown deer. Even without the bones the weight easily exceeded 450lbs, but as the elder said, they fueled my strength as I finished repacking my bag, and lifting the long handles of the litter.
Moving swifter and sure footed I wound my way through the forest, taking game trails, while not always accurate gave the quickest way out.
I listened to the elder Dragon speak of his time as a youngling, and of the forefather of all riders, Eragon. He explained that I wasn't just gifted language and history, but of magic and in time, the strength and grace beyond my dreams. The spirit of the Alagaësia had blessed me with traits of each of the peoples of the land.
"And so, in short once you are bonded with the hatching you will begin to change in appearance, to that of an Elfling, as all riders, though your change may be more pronounced…"
"How so?" I asked mentally, as it was explained that I need not speak aloud to be heard.
"As the spirit blessed up with the trait to others, it said you would have the bones of the mountain dwellers, the grace and speed of an elf, the strength and stamina of an Urgal, and the sight of a Ra'zac, which rivals a hawk."
"I will still look like me though?"
"Yes, only the Riders bond will change your actual appearance youngling" Bid'Daum grunted laugh filled my mind.
'That's good'. I secretly sighed in relief.
As I trudged the Dragon elder taught me rudimentary mind barrier techniques used by both human and elves. Due to the knowledge I possessed, and the secrets I protected, he made it clear I would be doing this until he was satisfied.
In all it took 3 full days of traveling to reach the falls.
Laying the litter down I approached the path, reaching to the top of pack on my back I untied several lengths of rope I had brought, just for this moment.
Steadily moving forward, and towards a set of stumps at the side of the falls, I wrapped the rope and tied them off, making loops for the litter and stepped back towards my burden. Taking my time I edged it towards the ropes and stumps, being extremely careful not to lose my hard earned load as I was reaching the end of the hardest part of the journey.
I secured the furs skins side down, lashing it over the meat with a strong cord and vines picked up as I had moved through the forest.
Completely focused I moved behind the stumps and began the lowering of the litter.
By the time it had been lowered my arms were burning, but a fresh wave of energy washed over me.
I unknotted the rope and climbed after the litter, as I had noticed several people looking in my direction.
A thought came to my mind
'Never can be too careful with villagers..'
I sped up my progress and made it down in record time.