The hardships of war have never been easy to deal with; not for a young rider and his dragoness. One would think after two years of fighting, sacrificing things they cared about the most, and defeating the ultimate enemy of all races in Alagaësia; they would have been able to finally find peace and happiness. However, fate has other plans for them. On the board of the Talita, Eragon and Saphira do their best to deal with the loneliness, the longing for loved ones and the world they may never return to. This journey will turn out to be the biggest challenge they have ever faced.
Chapter 1Rays of light slipped through the Talita's windows, waking Eragon from his meditation. He resisted the urge to wake from his not-slumber, considering there was no mortal threat lurking in the background, but his mind tried to convince him otherwise.
'Eh… I shan't spend the entire day in bed…'
With that thought, he gently probed Saphira's mind, finding her still. 'No one would bother sleeping dragon,' he thought with a smirk. 'I'll give her a few minutes; she deserves it.'
Today was as good a day as any to create the plans and daily schedules for the coming journey into the unknown. The sooner this matter was dealt with, the better, as the Eldunarii and Elves said. Eragon knew that it would take weeks or even months of traveling before reaching their destination so he thought it would be best to prepare for challenges this wild land may have.
Eragon changed his clothes, attached his sword to his belt, grabbed an apple to eat, and headed for the deck of the Talita. As he was walking to the staircase, his hand moved over plant-themed decorations covering each wall that displayed the trees and plants native to Du Weldenvarden. The wooden texture felt like the cloth made of luxurious fabric that was inviting to the touch while the dim light made the interior feel like he was back in Ellesmera relaxing in his house after tough training with Master Oromis and the gentle sways of the ship and smell of the wood reminded him of ancient trees. If he closed his eyes, he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.
After a moment, he reached his destination. He breathed in a deep lungful of the clean, salty air and felt the fresh breeze on his face as he stepped outside on the deck of the Talita. The weather was perfect— neither too warm nor too cold with a few clouds here and there in the sky. The aura filled him with optimism. He noticed elves already on their feet taking care of their duties around the ship. Each of them greeted him in an elven fashion which he responded to in kind. Then his eyes found his partner-of-heart-and-mind at the quarterdeck sleeping peacefully.
Her sapphire scales shone like diamonds under the sun; it was always a breath-taking view for him. Her sharp claws, long tail and neck, and muscular yet slim body made her the most beautiful member of her kind in his eyes.
'Even though I've seen this so many times, it always amazes me…'
He stood there admiring his dragoness for a few moments before his mind returned to more problematic matters. It had been a few days since they departed from Alagaësia and, since then, neither of them had brought up the subject of Arya or Firnen. He assumed she would not have taken the separation from the green dragon well, but, so far, she seemed to be doing well.
'She was really fond of him. They were inseparable before our departure…' His train of thought was stopped by the arrival of Blodhgarm.
When he saw Eragon, he greeted him, touching his lips with two fingers. "Shadeslayer, are you ready to discuss our course of action for the near future?"
Even after the death of Galbatorix, these lands were dangerous. Eragon still remembered the encounter with the Fanghurs during the trip to Az Ragni. If he had been separated from Saphira during that attack, he wasn't sure if he could have escaped without a scratch. After all, the place they were going to may have even more powerful creatures.
"Certainly, Blodhgarm; give me a moment. I need to wake Saphira from her beauty sleep." The elf only grinned in a response, showing off his fangs. Eragon walked to Saphira's head and looked down at her. She looked so peaceful that he regretted waking her up, but their duties could not be neglected. He knelt in front of her and started rubbing the brow above her eyes gently while his other hand explored her head. Her triangular head was almost as big as his entire upper body. Soon, his hand moved over a slightly inwardly curved horn stuck out from the back of her skull and went down her neck. He reached the nape of the dragoness that was covered by spikes, making it look like a hedgehog's back. It provided protection that had been tested every time she fought with Thorn. 'All in all, nature is the best designer,' he thought. On the sides of her head was the part of her body that Eragon was only able to describe as very pointy ears coming out from right below her horns. After a moment, he noticed her eyes twitching in sleep.
'Perhaps she is having a dream. Well, too bad I have to interrupt it.'
With that thought, he started calling her name out loud but gently. "Saphira…" he tried, not getting any response from the sleeping dragon.
"Saphira, it's time to get up. Our friends would like to talk about our plans," he spoke in her mind, trying to wake her up that way. Saphira only grunted and moved her head away from him. 'Alright, where was her ticklish spot around the head… Aha!' He started gently rubbing his fingers over the scales around her ears, his fingertips gliding in the grooves between the scales. She stirred a bit and, after a brief moment, her mind reconnected with his own. Eragon wrapped his mind around her's in a hug, allowing her warmth to envelop his mind. "Good morning, sleepy head," he said playfully. She turned her head sluggishly towards Eragon and looked at him with her sapphire eyes.
"Good morning, Little One," she replied while nuzzling his cheek, allowing silence to provide a small pause, savouring the small moment. "I'm not that sleepy," she added quietly.
"I beg to differ. It's almost midday and it took me awhile to wake you up." Eragon noticed that her movement was a bit sluggish considering they went to bed at a reasonable time. Perhaps she didn't fall asleep as soon as he left after all. Her tired voice in his mind seemed to confirm that. However, he felt there was no point in bringing that up.
"Hmph, perhaps I was just tired."
"Good morning, both of you." Their conversation was interrupted by the leader of dragons from the past, Umaroth, and their former teacher, Glaedr.
"Good morning, Ebrithil," Eragon and Saphira greeted the elder dragons.
"It's time to discuss our plans for the near future. After all, it is an unknown land and we have no idea what to expect," Umaroth said.
"Ebrithil, may I have breakfast first? I am quite hungry."
"Unfortunately, no. First, we need to deal with this matter. Then you may hunt, Bjartskular," Glaedr replied.
"Of course."
"I'll come with you," Eragon said privately. Saphira hummed in response.
"I really feel like hunting a deer…" she murmured back to him.
"Haha, you'll catch one soon. Come on, let's get going." With that said, Eragon stepped back, giving Saphira some space.
He watched his dragoness rise from her spot and start stretching her body like a cat. She arched her spine into a bow, pushing her weight onto her muscular hind legs, the long tail swinging in each direction and wings spread to each side surpassing the width of the ship. Eragon could feel Saphira's satisfaction through their bond. It was her morning ritual and was one she absolutely had to do. It's a similar situation to people who have to wash their face in the morning in order to be fully awake. She turned around carefully; the memory of pushing crates over the railing with her tail was still fresh, thus the dragoness paid attention while turning her long body around. By the time Saphira finished her morning stretching, she caught her rider's eyes still attached to her blue scales, transfixed on her.
"Eragon? You're staring at me," she said in a neutral voice.
"Oh, sorry," he replied abashedly. "Let's go"
Eragon and Saphira settled down next to the table where the elves had already gathered while the dragoness and her rider were talking. Eragon noticed a map of Alagaësia laying on the table with a marked position of the Talita. However, soon enough it would be useless because lands in the east were just white spots. There were also a few books, a sheet of paper, and cartography tools. "It seems finding a new home for the dragon riders is not the only goal," Eragon thought and Saphira shared his view. Nearby stood Blodgharm, who was ready to begin.
"Umaroth-elda, Saphira and Eragon," he began by addressing everyone. "Our main goal is to find new settlements for the next generation of dragon riders. However, there is not a lot of information about the place we're going to. We are explorers of this new land."
"What do we know?" Eragon asked, looking at the eastern side of Alagaësia's map.
"The dragon riders' and elves' records told about a land significantly bigger than Alagaësia itself. Many believed the Edda river reached an ocean coast in the far east. We can assume plants and animals would be the same as the fauna and flora here but, the further we go, the less recognisable the environment may be," Umaroth chimed in.
Saphira could sense the question that was forming in Eragon's mind before he asked it. "Why do we know so little about it? Someone has to live in that region. It's hard to believe there are no humans, nor elves, nor dwarves."
"Before the Fall, the council was planning to send an expedition to that region trying to answer the same question. However, the rise of Galbatorix and his Forsworn came before the plan could be executed…" the elder dragon finished with a tone of grief in his voice.
Blodgharm decided to add his thoughts about the matter. "Our records from Ellesmera tell that neither Elven Kingdom, Broddring Empire, or Dwarves have established any contact with people who may have lived there for the last several hundred years. It is not quite reassuring."
Eragon sensed conclusions forming in the dragoness' mind. "So… the place we're going to could be a wasteland after all… If the plants and prey are similar there, and with proper climate… there should have been someone living there in large groups. Sooner or later, they would have started exploring the area..." The rider focused on Saphira's feelings during her internal speech and everything else became quiet, pushed into the background. While she was speaking, Eragon could feel her tiredness emitting from their bond. Meanwhile, she continued "… so we may travel for a long time, sailing further and further away from Alagaësia, looking for a suitable place to settle down… and find nothing good enough..." Saphira's voice gradually became quieter as she continued.
Eragon reached towards her with his mind in private. "Saphira, my dear, are you alright?" he said softly, touching her arm. "You're tired."
She looked back at him like she was dazed., "Yes… I… I am alright. I might have slept too little, but I will be fine…" She muttered back to him absentmindedly. Eragon felt sympathetic for the poor dragoness; she would never usually admit that she was tired, certainly not openly.
"We'll go to bed earlier today and make sure you have a nice deer to eat," he finished, hugging her mind warmly.
It seemed the dragons and Blodgharm hadn't been paying attention to Saphira's behaviour. However, one golden Eldunari who knew her very well noticed that her state was quite unusual. She had never been like this in all the time he had been training her. He decided to keep an eye on her for now. Then, he returned his focus to the discussion and sensed her rider's frustration that was reflected in a simple question that got straight to the point of the meeting.
"What should we do ,then?"
Glaedr had been contemplating this very question ever since he decided to leave Alagaësia so he chose to suggest his ideas.
"My idea is that you and Saphira will patrol the area nearby the Talita and report anything you find interesting or that may be important to the mission. During those flights, you will try to memorise the landscape so the elves can start on the cartography for the new land. The Talita will continue sailing down the river and you'll come back on board for the night after patrols. Your daily schedule will include magic training and mind shielding; Blodgharm and I will lead these lessons." The elf bowed slightly in response. "We do not know if magic users live there and you both can't be caught by surprise like you were during an encounter with Fanghurs. Creatures with similar abilities may live there. Are there any questions?"
"What should we do if we encounter the natives?" Eragon asked. He knew breaking the ice with locals wouldn't be easy with a massive dragon behind his back.
Umaroth found Glaedr's plan to be reasonable enough so he sent a thought of approval to his friend and then replied to the young rider. "If you sense humans, dwarves, or any sentient creatures; we should observe them from a distance before we decide whether or not we should reveal ourselves. However, we should avoid making any contact before we find a place to secure the dragon eggs."
"Is there anything Saphira should be worried about?" Eragon asked in a slightly concerned voice.
"There are very few things that could threaten a dragon, Little One. However, I shall be cautious as always." He could feel Saphira would protect him whatever the fates would throw at them.
"I do believe there is one other thing to consider as well," Blodgharm interrupted. "The real problem that may arise when we find the place for the new dragon riders order is the distance." Eragon never thought about that particular issue since Saphira was able to fly for a long time and cover great distances relatively quickly. On the other hand, they were no longer in Alagaësia and had yet to find the perfect place to settle down. "The issue is to find a place isolated and far enough away from Alagaësia so the dragons could flourish peacefully, but close enough so the dragon riders would not have to spend a month or longer traveling back and forth between the new sanctuary and Alagaësia."
"That's a good point. I am afraid I cannot give an ideal solution to this matter," Umaroth said, deep in thought. "Perhaps the answer will be clear once we reach our goal."
"Of course," both the dragoness and the rider replied.
"Alright, as soon as Saphira has had breakfast, you'll start your first patrol," Umaroth addressed the pair. With that, the meeting was finished.
Eragon watched Blodgharm return to his duties leaving him, Saphira, and the Eldunari alone. The rider observed him walking away and, after a moment, turned to his dragoness. "Alright, give me a moment. I'll grab your saddle and we can go." He noticed that she was not listening and was looking towards the horizon. He glanced that way, but there was nothing in the sky. A bit confused, he reached for her in his mind.
"Saphira, did you hear me?" She jerked her head like she was startled by something. Her voice seemed as though it were in a fog.
"I am sorry, Little One. What did you say?" Hereyes were looking at him, but it was like she was staring straight through him.
"I said I was going to bring your saddle so we can go on the patrol that Glaedr mentioned."
"Oh… I'll wait here, then." Eragoncould feel embarrassment coming from his partner. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable; a proper breakfast will do well for her.
After a moment, he added in a gentle voice, "After we are done here, a full breakfast will put you on your feet." The rider smiled. In response, Saphira sent him feelings of gratitude. "I'll be right back."
Eragon headed to a nearby storage box were Saphira's saddle was being kept. They decided to bring both types of saddles, but, for this expedition, the best-suited one was designed for combat and maneuverability. It was pretty simple to build, but it fulfilled its role entirely. From an outsider's perspective, the saddle looked like the pile of straps that had no purpose, but it made sure the rider would not fall off during extreme maneuvers. Eragon grabbed it firmly as his muscles compensated the additional weight. The rider felt the rough texture of leather under his hand, reminding him that the saddle had seen its fair share of his and the dragoness' adventures; so far, it had yet to fail them. However, Saphira mentioned to him a few times that they should get a prettier one in the future.
Turning back, he saw Saphira already laying down and waiting for him. He carried the saddle and harness to the base of her neck, reaching up to put it on her. Thankfully, his task wasn't too troublesome, because Saphira's nape was at the height of his chest whilst she was lying down. Eragon adjusted the saddle on the back of her neck, carefully attaching the straps into the right positions around the spikes that adorned her back.
"Saphira, stand up, please," he asked. With a mental sigh, the dragoness stood up, the rest of the unattached straps dangling around the sides of her body. Saphira extended her wings subconsciously to allow him to attach the harness straps, but, in his hurry, the arm of the wing collided with his head, bumping it forward into the crook above her shoulder. Saphira felt the spark of pain through their bond, her worried eyes turning to look down at Eragon.
"Don't worry, I'm just clumsy," he reassured, answering her unspoken question. Eragon attached the rest of the straps around her chest, the harness tightening with each strap. He could feel her gaze as she watched him working attentively. Once again, he went around every strap, checking the tightness whilst he lightly caressed her neck with his free hand, hoping to soothe his partner's nerves from the events of the morning. After some time, he heard the pleased rumble from her chest, forcing a smile to his face.
"Okay, we can fly," he announced, turning to face her dazzling eyes once more.
"Go ahead. I'm ready," she replied in a more cheerful voice and bumped her nose at his shoulder, urging him to climb into the saddle. She lowered her chest to let him climb on. Eragon attached Brisingr to the saddle and then, with a learned move, he climbed her and on top of it. Quickly, he tightened the straps on his leg.
"Let's go!" he said cheerfully. He felt the dragoness' muscles tense and, in the blink of an eye, she pushed herself into the air using her hind legs, her wings starting to swing powerfully as they fought against gravity. After a moment, she reached her cruising altitude and headed further towards the plains.
The landscape below them was indistinguishable and lacked any points of interest except for the nearby Edda river. Further in the north, a forest could be seen. Eragon wasn't sure if it belonged to Du Weldenvarden or if it was a completely different place. The lack of any natural barriers also contributed to the wind in this region. He looked around before he spoke to Saphira.
"What do you think about this place?"
"Wherever I look, I can see only grassland mixed with small areas with trees. There is the forest up north too," the dragoness replied with a dry voice.
"We can go there. There must be plenty of animals you could hunt."
"Unfortunately, it's too far to go there in a reasonable time. We can't fly too far from the Talita, Little One." Her words were true considering the forest was barely visible on the horizon.
With slight resignation in his voice, Eragon replied, "Well, we can try to find big prey further down the river. Every animal needs to drink."
With that said, Saphira changed her course to follow the general direction of the river while Eragon was checking the nearby vicinity with his magic. He also didn't forget about the other task they were given, gathering information about the land so that maps could be drawn. What he could see only confirmed Saphira's observation. Most animals he spotted were small ones such as hares. It may suffice for a human, but not for his dragoness. 'Perhaps this is the reason why no people live here,' Eragon thought. They had been flying in silence for an hour when the rider shouted "There!" through their bond. There was a herd of deer at the bank of the river a ways in front of them.
Saphira suddenly dropped a few feet as she heard the sudden scream through their bond, quickly following the mental image of the place Eragon sent to her. Humming in thanks, she quickened her pace. Saphira spotted seven animals within the herd led by a large buck. Eragon felt the hunger coming from his dragoness, thus he knew she would approach her prey as fast as possible. She flew around the area to have the sun behind her and began her descent. She dived sharply and gained outstanding speed. Eragon held the spike in front of him and the landscape below him started to blur while the flowing air became painfully loud. Saphira folded her wings to further increase her velocity. They quickly approached the herd and the rider noticed his dragoness had not yet begun to slow down. "Saphira! Slow down! You'll miss!" He felt hesitation in their bond, but he could only watch, believing that nothing could be done at that point. Saphira extended her hind feet to catch the deer like a bird of prey, but at such a speed it was not easy. Eragon felt the air current swaying Saphira sharply. "Watch out!" He was about to use a spell to save them when the dragoness surprised him and managed to grab the largest buck in her talons. The rest of the herd turned their head towards the cries of their caught leader before running away.
He felt the adrenaline pumping in his veins as the dragoness stabilised her flight and turned to follow the herd.
"Since when have you been an expert at flying, Eragon?!" Her jaws clasped loudly. "I have done that hundreds of times in the past!" He could feel that he had hurt her pride quite a lot.
"I was just worried that, due to your speed, I'd have seen you shattered on the ground split seconds before I'd have shared the same fate!"
Saphira regained her self-awareness and flooded their bond with her unreadable feelings. The dragoness started to fly slower and slower without a general direction, lost in thoughts.
"Perhaps you are right, Little One. I'll listen to you next time…" Her voice had become quieter.
"Alright, let's take a break."
The dragoness came back to the river bank where she dropped her prize before landing. Eragon dismounted and stretched his legs. Saphira, on the other hand, turned around without giving him a glance and walked to her food, standing in front of the carcass for a moment. Her tail was hanging low to the ground and her usually tightly folded wings were loosened on the sides of her body. With a grunt, she laid down and started devouring the deer trying to sate her hunger that had become unbearable after the adrenaline wore off. Eragon found a root to sit on and was watching his dragoness from a distance, trying to read the emotions of his partner. 'She is not herself today. She really needs to get some sleep later.' He felt nothing in their bond and he wasn't sure if it was a good sign. Minutes passed and he noticed Saphira finished her meal. He was about to ask if she was ready to take off, but he was interrupted by Glaedr.
"Younglings, since you are done with breakfast, let's talk about your patrol schedules."
"Yes, Ebrithil," both dragoness and rider replied in unison, taking them out of their trance.
"Everyday, after you eat your breakfast in the morning, you will fly around the area where the Talita is at the time. You should not fly further than a few hours' range so as not to get lost."
"I see," the dragoness replied.
"What's my task, then?"
"As I said earlier, you and Eragon will search the area with your magic and try to memorise everything you can find. After the patrol, you will share that knowledge with our cartographer."
"Understood."
"When you are ready, you shall start the patrol." Then Eldunari withdrew from their bond. Saphira and Eragon looked at each other for a brief moment, but Saphira shifted her gaze away from him quickly. An uncomfortable silence had set in between them. Eragon decided to break it first.
"Saphira, are you still hungry?" he asked in a warm voice.
"No, I think I ate enough." He knew she could have eaten more than an entire large buck if she had been really hungry, thus this was something new for him. 'Let's not torment her more. We had enough thrills for today.'
"Okay, let's get going." He came up to his partner and quickly climbed on her. He gave her a reassuring pat and they took off heading northeast. On the ground, the carcass of the large deer was left half finished.
…
The patrol, fortunately, went without incident, allowing the pair to relax a bit. Eragon was sitting focused on Saphira's back, reaching his consciousness as far as possible around them while the dragoness was observing the land in front of them with her sharp eyes. The land below them had not changed much since they had left the Talita except for larger areas of trees here and there and thicker vegetation. They weren't talking a lot, only sharing their observations if they noticed something unusual. After some time, Glaedr decided to assist them in searching, though his help didn't change the result of the patrol. After two hours, Eragon brought up his remarks about this land.
"I am not able to sense any signs of human, elven, or dwarven presence; only animals and plants. What does it mean, Glaedr-elda?" The rider looked around nervously and his dragoness shared the same concern.
"This land seems to have enough resources for bipedal races to live. Prey, water, wood. Everything they may have needed." Eragon and Saphira's observations seem to confirm that. Small critters they originally found nearby the river were replaced by bigger and more desirable animals for hunters. There were more trees and that meant easier access to building material for small settlements. Not to mention small lakes they spotted from the air. After a moment, the golden dragon continued. "There may be someone or something that drove the people from this land a long time ago and the people who lived here never returned." The possibility sent cold shivers down his students' backs. "We shall be even more cautious from now on."
Soon after, the decision was made to return to the Talita. No one felt comfortable in that place anymore. It took some time to find the ship, which had covered a significant distance during their absence but, after another two hours, it was found. Saphira approached the landing pad upwind lazily and landed carefully. The elves on board observed her with politely concealed admiration. Eragon unbuckled the straps that held his legs and dropped to the ground. The time spent in the saddle didn't do well to his strained muscles considering his shaky step. Suddenly, he heard Blodgharm calling him. "Shadeslayer, Bjartskular, we were worried you got lost."
"Don't worry, it just took us longer than we thought to find something to eat for Saphira," The rider replied followed by a grunt from his dragoness.
"I hope the patrol went without any problems at least?"
"That's true, but there is one matter that made us concerned." Before he managed to explain what it was, a large muzzle bumped his arm reminding him that Saphira wanted the saddle off her. "Apologies, Glaedr or Umaroth can explain in detail what we discovered," he said after asking the old dragons for assistance.
"Of course, talk to me later. There is still one task left from your schedule."
'Oh right,' Eragon thought.
"Eragon..?" Her large sapphire eyes looked at him with a subtle gleam of impatience and tiredness.
"Yes, yes. I'm taking the saddle off now, my dear." He received a blink in return.
The process was the opposite to what he did this morning and wasn't anything unusual to him. Saphira, on the other hand, moved noticeably sluggishly and he had to pat her wing's arm to make her lift them up so he could unbuckle and remove the strips from her chest. Finally, she laid down and allowed Eragon to take the saddle off and carry it to the storage box. After securing the locker, he turned around and found Saphira in the same position with her wings unfolded on her sides and her head swaying. He walked up to her silently and grasped her muzzle with his hands. He could feel her warm scales under his touch. Then he started rubbing her nose gently. "Saphira, you don't look too well," he said, voicing his concern. "Maybe we should tell Glaedr to call the mental defense lesson off till you get some sleep."
She refocused her gaze on him and he could tell through their bond that she was considering his offer. However, to his surprise, she declined. "It sounds tempting, Little One, but I can't neglect our duties…" He didn't think it was a good decision and he wanted to convince her anyway. Unfortunately, dragon pride had surfaced, and that left no place for discussion. With a deep sigh, Eragon gave up and asked her to follow him.
He approached the furry elf to begin their training. It was decided Eragon and Saphira would fight against Glaedr and Blodgharm during this lesson. The rules were simple: try to break through the others' minds by any means necessary. Without wasting time, they began the fight. At once, Saphira and Eragon were pushed by the experienced foes onto the defensive due to their swift and brutal attack. Their opponents had years of practice, thus it would take a lot of effort to push them back. They both felt extreme pressure around their minds. Eragon repeated the same old poem that Master Oromis taught him that had yet to fail him. Saphira was holding under assault pretty well, focusing on her first successful hunt in the Spine. The key to defending against this attack on the mind was to stay focused on one thing the entire time. The attacker would see only what the defender imagined and wouldn't find any holes to slip through the mental barriers. With their combined strength, they started to push back at Glaedr and Blodhgarm by joining their consciousnesses. The tides of battle turned in their favour, breaking their attackers' mental walls slowly. "Come on Saphira, we can do it!" Eragon cheered his partner. It seemed the victory was in their grasp. Suddenly, the silence of the battle was interrupted by a loud bang; Blodgharm had hit the metal frame of a storage box.
"Oh!" was the last thing the rider heard from the startled dragoness before Glaedr struck back and broke through Saphira's defenses like butter. Eragon wasn't able to shield her against their master's assault and soon Glaedr had her in his grasp. After a moment, he withdrew from her mind, leaving Saphira shocked to the core.
"Saphira Brightscales, you cannot afford to be distracted during mental battles by background noise," Glaedr began with an authoritarian tone. "You, Eragon, did well and I appreciate your attempt to shield Saphira at that moment, though it's unlikely you'd react fast enough to save her. What's more…" The blue dragoness knew her teacher was right. She failed her duty as a dragon to protect her rider. If she lost in a real mental battle, Eragon would fall with her as well. This is how Thorn and Murtagh were forced to serve Galbatorix. The boy couldn't stand watching his dragon being tortured and swore loyalty to the tyrant. After he got access to Murtagh's mind, nothing was left to protect Thorn's mind. Saphira was certain she was able to protect her partner of mind and heart every time. Today's training session made her question her confidence in that regard. Saphira was deep in thought while Eragon was listening to his teacher, trying to memorise all tips that were said. Suddenly, Glaedr addressed the blue dragoness.
"Saphira, what should you do to improve your focus?" he asked, suspecting his student stopped paying attention. Saphira yelped mentally and Eragon came to assist her, sending her his memories from Glaedr's lecture.
"I should spend more time focusing on one thing in loud environments…"
"And…?" Her teacher pressed.
"And… Get more sleep…" she added with an embarrassed voice.
"Good. Eragon, Saphira, you are free for the rest of the day. Be ready to depart tomorrow morning." With the last word, he withdrew from their minds.
Blodgharm still stood next to them and, after a moment, spoke up. "I could help you with your training, Bjartskular, if you wish."
"Thank you. I'll let you know if I need it."
"Certainly. Have a good evening my friends,"he addressed both of them before walking away and leaving Saphira and Eragon alone.
They observed the furry elf for a moment before Eragon turned back to his partner. She didn't look great; her beautiful eyes were unfocused and her head swayed from side to side like she was drunk. There was still some time before night fell. The sun was low in the sky painting it yellow and red. 'It would be the best for her to go to sleep.' He touched her mind to get her attention.
"What would you like to do?"
"I don't know… We could do something together."
"What would you say about laying down and relaxing for a bit?
"That sounds nice, Little One."
They turned around and walked towards Saphira's sleeping spot. There were some waterproofed mattresses and pillows that fulfilled the role of the dragoness' bedding; It wasn't much, but it was better than sleeping on only a wooden board. Saphira extended her paw to move them around and prepare her bedding, then settled down, making a noticeable contented hum. Eragon sat next to the dragoness, leaning on her shoulder carefully. The rider was also tired after the eventful day and welcomed the moment of peace with open arms.
His eyes started to close when Saphira's head appeared in his view as she laid her head down on his lap. Soon, she looked at him with tired eyes with an obvious question that he was happy to answer. The rider reached out his hand and started to caress her gently above her eyes; the smooth texture of her scales felt great under his fingers and soon he started enjoying the little massage as much as the dragoness did. Her eyes never left his sight as Eragon moved one hand to pet her on the top of her long muzzle with slow, gentle strokes, and his other reached to rub her ear carefully. Soon, the great pleasure coming from Saphira filled every corner of their bond, followed by her draconic purr. It made Eragon smile widely.
After a moment, she fell asleep in his arms. The rider leaned forward and pecked her above her eyes and spent some more time with her, continuing his caress. When the sun was really low in the sky, Eragon decided to go to bed as well. He used his magic to lift and hold Saphira's head and laid it down on the pillow. He made sure she was comfortable before heading towards his cabin. "Eragon…" He felt the faint voice of the dragoness, but she was still asleep. "Good night," he replied softly, even though she couldn't hear him. Then he walked towards his cabin to sleep.
The author's note:
Dear Readers,
It is the first story I have ever written and I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know if you find grammar or spelling mistakes. I am not a native speaker so help will be appreciated. I am open for feedback so please let me know what you think about the story so far. I can't guarantee regular updates of the story due to the fact University's tasks occupy my free time mostly. However, I'll do my best to finish what I started. I have other 2 chapters written and I'll upload 2nd one when 4th one is ready.
You may notice the different size of Saphira. The change was intentional because there was one thing I dislike about dragon sizes in many fantasy stories a lot is the fact dragons usually are gigantic there. It makes really difficult to imagine how dragon moves around and the world reacts to it actually, not to mention such big creatures would not be able to sustain themselves. Therefore Saphira is big enough to carry Eragon and small enough to imagine how she interacts with Eragon and the world around her.
Big thanks to my friends, Blue Dragon's Rider www. fanfiction u/10496088/ Nikoladies www. fanfiction u/7469362/Nikolaides and Mark and The Vilifiedwww. fanfiction u/8177657/ (I recommend checking their stories out!) for beta reading and support :)
Have a nice day :)
UPDATE 1st of September 2020..:
One eternity later… I uploaded edited version of the chapter that has fixed remaining grammar problems with Zelenal ( u/1999182/) help, Big thanks for your work!
Have a nice day!