A few days passed since the meeting with all of the important figures on this expedition. Every day was more or less the same for Eragon and Saphira. Waking up, eating breakfast, going for a patrol, and then a mental combat training. One can only do repeated daily duties for so long before one becomes restless or burns out. Eragon didn't like to be idle, therefore he asked Glaedr to change their daily routine for other activities as often as possible. In such occasions, he spent time training swordplay with one of the elves or, like at this moment, reading scrolls that were brought on board from Ellesmera's libraries. He was sitting next at a table with one of such scroll during the night. It was a copy from the Doru Areba's archives given to the elves by the Dragon Riders when the order was flourishing. The elves' unhealthy admiration of dragons made them collect all of the knowledge they could possibly gain. He found it a bit reassuring considering those species were fighting in a bloody war a long time ago till his namesake bonded with Bid'Daum. Time could heal wounds even from a terrible conflict like that one.
However, Eragon didn't choose this particular scroll to catch up with his history education. Saphira's sleeping habit hadn't improved at all despite him spending time tucking her to sleep each day. The young rider decided to look for a medical explanation for the dragoness' state, something he could have simply overlooked, therefore he went straight to the illness section of the scroll. There were many diseases listed in alphabetical order from something so simple like a cold to organ failure. Each one had written down symptoms and detailed information about the treatment. In the case of the most life-threatening illnesses, the scroll suggests using magic. Eragon knew how dangerous it was to use the ancient language without a proper understanding of its meaning. Even after fixing the wrong he had done to Elva, he hadn't fully forgiven himself for cursing her unintentionally. Fortunately, these scrolls contained spells needed to save a patient's life; they would certainly be helpful when new dragons start hatching.
'It will take a while to read it…' Eragon thought, but he knew it was worth a shot. The time passed and the young man was reading through the scrolls. There were moments he believed he found the reason for Saphira's condition like restless leg syndrome or sleep apnea but, after longer contemplation, he rejected them. It was already pretty late in the night and he was losing focus. With a long exhale, he leaned back on the chair feeling a bit bitter. "What's wrong with you, my Saphira…" he said out loud. He went back to reading and, at one point, he groaned loudly and rubbed his hands from the top of the face downwards, trying to push back his tiredness. His tedious reading lessons with Brom were suddenly brought to mind.
"Perhaps the cause of her condition is not physical," the deep voice of Glaedr broke the silence in his mind. Eragon gasped as he was caught by his master. "You are not the only one who is worried."
"I don't know what that could be. We don't have any secrets between us… " his words said one thing, but a tone of uncertainty in his voice proved otherwise.
Glaedr hummed in thought and, after a moment, decided to bring up the matter that Eragon and Saphira had been avoiding since the departure from Alagaësia.
"Eragon, please tell me what her relationship with Firnen was like."
The rider's pupils widened as he was caught off-guard. He actually didn't pay much attention to the affairs between the green male and the blue dragoness, thinking it would have been tactless to ask her about it. After a moment, he spoke.
"She was surprisingly really fond of him… Saphira spent most of her free time with him when she didn't have to be at my side." He trailed off for a few seconds. "I'm not sure what to think about it. Since the courting flight, I had hardly ever talked with him, nor had Saphira talked about him with me," he admitted with sudden realization.
Eragon remembered that day very well. The excitement to see the first free dragon after the fall of Galbatorix in Alagaësia had filled his and his dragoness' veins. When he had realized who was in the saddle of the green dragon, he couldn't have been happier. It'd been a long time since he saw Arya and he had been bursting with energy at the prospect of meeting her again. After the introduction, what had happened next went by in a flash. Soon, the dragons were circling each other, tails snapping in each direction and both dragons were growling deep from their chests. He had raised a brow at what was unfolding in front of him, but Arya didn't seem to be concerned at all. He had reached for Saphira's mind and what he had found had almost made him step back. The memories of what had happened between her and Glaedr still lingered in his mind, he had feared that history would repeat itself. He wasn't terribly familiar with dragon courtship, but he had known that something had been wrong. However, after Saphira had asked an unspoken question, he had shoved his doubts back, embarrassed. "Do what you must," he had said and the gust hit his face. The dragons had climbed the sky in a ritual almost as old as the world itself. After a moment, he had become a silent observer of his dragoness making love… That thought had left him with a bitter taste; his fists clenched as eyes darted up at the sky. His mind had claimed that this was how it was supposed to be, but his heart… Then the gentle touch on his arm distracted him as his eyes met green ones.
"Eragon?" His memories was interrupted by the golden Eldunari. "Are you alright?"
"Yes… I was just lost in thought…"
"What were you thinking about?"
With hesitation in his voice, he started "I recalled to my mind Saphira and Firnen's courting ritual."
"That may shed some light on the matter, please continue."
"Considering what happened between you, Glaedr-elda and her…" That made the elderly dragon react with a knowing grunt. "I was concerned that she attempted to court that young male after just a few minutes. I wasn't even able to start talking with Arya properly before they were standing in front of each other in a combat stance." His bitterness became more present as he talked. "I didn't want to deny her happiness, but I didn't want her to make a mistake either." He trailed off for a bit. He felt his heart and mind becoming more and more confused thinking about that event.
"What happened next?" Glaedr hastened.
"I asked her if she was sure about it. In response… " he trailed off, finding it difficult to say what her reply was. "In response, she said she hadn't been that sure in her life before, but I also felt…" The Eldunari felt Eragon's hesitation and waited for his student to answer, fully patient."her burning lust…" he finished in a quiet voice.
The silence was between them for a long moment. Eragon felt ashamed for mentioning that, though some part of him had urged him to say it out loud. He lowered his gaze and stared at the scroll in front of him. He didn't know what Glaedr would think about it and waited for his reaction. A deep sigh was the first thought he heard before Eldunari spoke up.
"It is really similar to what happened to Saphira when she tried to court me. While I was talking about our ancestors' past, I felt it from her. It became more and more pronounced the longer we spent at the Stone of Broken Eggs." Eragon sensed the elderly dragon wasn't comfortable recalling that either.
"When dragons are young adults, they're usually really impulsive in their choice of partners and desire clouds their minds…" Glaedr finished with a distant voice.
Eragon took a few seconds to figure out where his master's train of thoughts was going. It wasn't easy without rest for so many hours.
"Do you assume Saphira is starting to realize Firnen might not have been the one she was looking for?" the rider added in a concerned tonne.
"There is such a possibility… But it can't be the only reason. Like many things that happen in our lives, the outcome is caused by many events which are insignificant at first glance.."
"I guess it's not a wise idea to ask her about the relationship with Firnen up front, is it?"
"No, it's not, to put that mildly," he replied sharply. "It's a delicate matter so be careful. Maybe she will talk about it when she is ready. For now, take care of her. She may need you now more than ever before."
"I'll do my best."
"I'm sure you will, Eragon. Now, go to bed before you blackout in the chair," he said in a more cheerful tone to brighten Eragon's mood. Eragon tensed at that tease.
"O-Of course, Glaedr-elda. Good night," he replied sheepishly.
"Good night," and thenEldunari withdrew from his mind, chuckling.
With a deep sigh, the rider got up from the table, giving a last glance at the scroll he had been reading; there was much more left to read.
…..
The morning started with a well-known routine for Eragon. After he sorted himself out, he went to the quarterdeck of the Talita to wake Saphira up. When he reached his destination, he took a moment to look around. The Edda River turned northeast and its bank became wider and wider for the past few days, but it wasn't the only change the expedition noticed; flat meadows with thin foliage were replaced by hills and old pine forest.
'Maybe we will reach a mountain range soon. It would be perfect for our needs,' he thought. He turned his eyes to his dragoness with an analytical gaze. The scales that had been once shining like diamonds were now dull and her wing membranes were covered by dust. He started walking to the sleeping Saphira when an idea appeared in his mind and he turned to Glaedr to bring that up for him.
"Good morning, Glaedr-elda."
"Good morning. I hope you rested well enough. I can feel you're eager to ask about something so go ahead."
"Can I take a break during our patrol and go for a swim with Saphira? I think a bath will do her well."
"Certainly!" the Eldunari growled with approval.
By the time conversation was over, he stood next to the dragoness' head and then kneeled. Eragon noticed her eyes were twitching under her eyelids and her ears made subtle jerking movements. He sighed deeply.
"Hello, my dear. Did you sleep well?" he started with a soothing voice. The dragoness opened her eyes widely as soon as she heard his voice and then her eyelids dropped heavily.
"Eragon… I think…" She closed her eyes tightly and then opened them. "…I slept longer than… yesterday."
She finally said, avoiding answering the question directly.
"I'm glad to hear it," he said as he ran his hand over her sensitive nose gently, earning a glance straight into his eyes from Saphira.
"You know… I was thinking that we may take a break in the middle of the patrol and go swimming in the first lake we can find in the nearby area," he said, sending encouraging thoughts to her.
"But… What would Glaedr or… Umaroth say about it?"
"Don't worry, Glaedr allowed it. We can relax for a bit," Eragon finished and reached his hand to scratch her eyebrow; that earned him a faint hum of pleasure from the dragoness.
"Give a moment, I need to get a few things and we can go."
Eragon stood up and went to his room. He felt the dragoness' gaze before he disappeared below the deck. He walked to his chamber and grabbed a few things: Dry clothes for himself in case the ones he had on him got wet, and towels to wash and polish Saphira's scales. As far as he remembered, she had loved it when he took his time to clean her scales carefully. It was a long and tiring process, but her draconic purring was enough of a reward for him. Eragon packed everything into his backpack and went back to Saphira. She was at the same spot waiting, and her eyes snapped to him as soon as he took a step on the deck. He smiled at her broadly but, to his regret, she broke eye contact quickly.
"Let's put the saddle on and we're good to leave."
"Yes, Little One." He grabbed the saddle and, after a few minutes longer than it usually took to attach all the straps, they were ready to go. Saphira swayed on her legs like she was carrying a heavy payload and, with noticeable struggle, took off from the Talita. Eragon didn't say anything about it, trying to avoid adding more things for her to be stressed about. However, her troubled feelings reached him anyway. They were flying for a while to the northeast, spotting a few lakes in the distance that might be perfect for a little break later on. The pair flew in silence, maintaining contact with their minds, though Saphira had trouble holding it all the time. Eragon hesitated for a brief moment before he spoke softly to her mind.
"Saphira, you can slow down if you need to. We aren't in a hurry," he finished while rubbing her neck.
She was silent for a few minutes and Eragon could feel her swirling emotions before she withdrew from their bond a bit and said, "Alright…" He rubbed her neck a bit harder in response.
Gradually, she slowed down until her wings were swaying in a lazy rhythm; just enough to keep them in the air. They were getting close to one of the lakes that they had observed earlier. The rider extended his mind toward it out of curiosity. Nothing seemed to be unusual and he came to the conclusion it may be a good place to rest and wash his Saphira. Apparently, Glaedr thought the same because he addressed both students.
"Younglings, you have been in the air for long enough. Go and rest for a bit."
Eragon felt the faint sigh of relief from Saphira and decided to point out the narrow beach at the edge of the water. "My dear, do you see it?"
"Yes… I do. Do you… want to go there?" she replied with an anxious voice. Eragon wrapped his mind gently around hers and said, "It's a lovely spot. I'll bathe you if you don't feel like swimming."
"That would be nice…" she said with a more relaxed tone.
The dragoness started to fly around the middle of the lake, losing altitude slowly. At the last turn, Saphira evened her flight and glided gently towards the spot above the beach. Eragon felt her muscles tensing under him preparing for the landing. As soon as she touched the ground, the remaining velocity made her run for a few meters. Eragon bounced in the saddle and had to hold the spike in front of him tightly. Her run slowed to a trot and, at last, she folded her wings. Eragon patted her neck before stretching his back and saying out loud "Ahh… I don't remember last time we were at a lake." Saphira didn't respond; instead, she was scanning the line of trees with caution. The rider took notice of it while he was removing the straps that held his legs and then addressed the dragoness' concern.
"Don't worry, there is nothing to worry about nearby." Then he dismounted Saphira and proceeded to take a few items out from the saddlebags and lay them on the ground nearby.
"I'm not sure about that…" she darted her eyes around the place and her body was still tense.
Eragon came up to her head quietly and wrapped his right arm around it. It startled his dragoness, but she gave in to her rider's intentions. He reached out with his other hand to stroke her long muzzle.
"It will be fine, Gleadr will keep an eye on the surroundings. Won't you, Gleadr-elda?"
"Naturally."
"I trust you, Little One."
Eragon smiled at his partner's words and then pecked her on the cheek, an action that sparked pleasure from his dragoness in their link. Then he released her head and she looked at him with her beautiful eyes. He stared for a moment but quickly came back to his senses.
"Would you like to swim, take a bath, or both?
Saphira took a moment to consider all the options before she spoke. "I think a bath will be enough… we can swim another time," she replied shyly.
"Alright, come here. I'll take the saddle off you first," he said with a smile. After a few minutes, the saddle lay a few meters away on the ground. He returned to his dragoness. "Ok, I'll take my clothes off first and then join you." Saphira puffed warm air in his face, turned around, and started walking towards the water.
As Eragon took off his shirt, he noticed her tail swinging with barely restrained excitement powered by her hips bouncing and leaning from side to side with her each step. It caught the rider's attention and his mind found the view… allu— The splash of water took his mind out from daydreaming; Eragon turned his eyes to the side, feeling his cheeks getting warmer, and managed to block his emotions and confusion from their bond. 'I just checked Saphira out. Great,' he commented dryly and shook his head, wanting to get rid of the image of her feminine hips…"Oh, snap out of it!"he said out loud this time.
"Eragon? What are you talking about?" The rider looked at the dragoness with thoughts flowing in overdrive, trying to come up with an excuse as she tilted her head to the side.
"Ah, nothing important; I got lost in enjoying the view." The dragoness' confusion, followed by suspicion, flooded their bond. To distract her, he continued taking his clothes off as if nothing happened. He could tell she didn't buy his story to some degree, but Eragon hoped his casual behavior would save his little secret.
"Hhm… I see. Will you… hurry up?" she replied as she lay down on the bottom of the lake near the shore facing him.
"Coming!" Finally, he took off his shoes and went towards his partner with only underwear on. Saphira was looking at him in silence, her gaze piercing like she wanted to look into his soul. Eragon tried to pay no attention to the dragoness' stare as he carefully entered the water, finding it a bit cool, but thankfully not so cold to freeze his feet. He came up to her head with a towel in hand.
"Where shall I begin, Saphira?"
She took a moment to think as her sapphire eyes darting around his face.
"My wings, Little One…"
"Sure! Spread your wings, please." Saphira spread her wings until they were easily longer than the Talita was wide. It was always an impressive view from the ground when Saphira used them to decelerate rapidly before landing. Eragon walked towards the base of the dragoness' neck with towels on his shoulder. He was about to begin climbing, but he stopped to put protection wards on his legs and arms. He knew well just how sharp Saphira's scales were; something he had figured out the hard way during their first flight. At last, he sat on her back between each of the wings' joints. "Adurna reisa," he incanted as he lifted water from the lake and held it nearby before putting one of the towels inside to wet it. 'Sigh. Let's do this.'
He began with wide strokes on her joints, getting rid of the layer of dirt and dust from her scales. Then he switched to another towel to finish the process. He also cleaned her back as far as he could reach from his position. Meanwhile, Saphira's head lowered to the shallow water as tension was leaving her body. He climbed down, released the now brownish water from his spell and started the same procedure with her wing arms and hands. Once that was done, he wondered for a moment how to deal with her membranes. Eragon realized he would have to hold it from below to wash it properly. He began cleaning them carefully and slowly, knowing how sensitive they were. A sudden gasp from Saphira only confirmed it. It was almost hypnotizing, feeling the soft and silky membrane under his fingers. Saphira began purring from the sensations coming to her mind. "Keep going…" was the only response the dragoness could muster. The rider smiled hearing her purrs. After some time with his arms burning from the effort, he finished cleaning her wings. He stepped back admiring his work; her scales and membranes got their former shine back.
Saphira growled in their bond softly "Will you clean my back and my tail now…?", Eragon felt she hadn't been this relaxed since their expedition began. "Anything for the Queen of the Sky," he said as he bowed in an exaggerated fashion, making her laugh. He looked up at her with a smirk on his face and could see her head jerking a bit from laughing. Storking the dragoness' vanity a little bit brightened her mood usually and the rider didn't regret taking advantage of it. "Turn so you'd be parallel to the shore." He chased her up and, with fake pouting, she did so. Eragon shook his head at her antics with a smirk on his face.
He began from the tip of her tail and then down to the base, cleaning and polishing her scales slowly. It must be some kind of massage for her, he realized. He pushed the towel hard, trying to loosen knots in her muscles wherever he could find them. The rider enjoyed the feeling of her smooth scales gliding under his fingers and found the bath as relaxing as Saphira did despite the manual effort he was putting into it. With steady progress, he got closer and closer to her hindquarters where the tail was joined with her hips. He was sitting on top of it, reaching as far as he could with his hands without falling down. As soon as he started, Saphira's reaction was immediate. She purred even louder than before with subtle growls in between.
"It must be her sensitive spot," he thought.
"Yes… It is…" A faint gasp left his mouth as hearing her pleased as punch voice reminded him their bond was still open.
"I'm glad you like it," he said with a smile.
"Very."
By the time he moved onto her back, he felt more knotted muscles under his hands; one of the reasons why she couldn't sleep perhaps, he thought. He was maneuvering between the back spikes, using them as handles. After some time, he finished there and climbed down from her base of the neck.
Saphira turned her head and looked at him with a gleam of adoration in her eyes. He smiled widely and said out loud, "Alright, please stand up so I can wash your underside."
"Hmm…?" lost in thoughts and in the split second called to her mind what her rider asked. "Wouldn't it be better to roll on my back?"
"If you want to get your scales muddy, then yes."
She rolled her eyes. With a grunt, she raised from the sandy bottom of the lake and stretched her spine and limbs. The mud was dripping from her belly in large quantities.
"Like an overgrown cat," Eragon chuckled at her behavior.
"I heard that, Little One…"
"I know you did," he patted her shoulder. "Hold up your left front leg for me, please. "
Saphira did what she was asked. She appreciated the effort and care her rider put into the simple bath. They had many baths like this one whenever they had free time for themselves in the past, but the stress she has been dealing with for the last few days made the whole experience incredibly relaxing. Eragon eased the tension in her muscles that she was not aware of, leaving her in the state of bliss. She didn't even register when her partner-of-mind-and-heart asked her about the next foreleg and when she held it out for him. Her gaze was unfocused and her head swayed to the sides. She was tired before coming here and Eragon's delicate touch was lulling her to sleep slowly.
The rider moved on to her belly. The scales were wider and longer there, similar to a snake's on their underside. They were flexible and soft to the touch, allowing the dragoness unrestricted range of movement in the air or on the ground. Saphira felt her rider getting lower and lower towards her hips and couldn't help but croon softly. She felt happiness coming from him and then decided to wrap her mind gently around his. A moment later, she pulled back gently but stayed within his reach inside their bond.
Eragon moved lower down her belly and kneeled between her hind legs. He had to put more pressure on her scales to remove the mud and dirt from there. A dragon's spines have a gentle, bow-like curve. As a result, when a dragon lays down, it puts the most of its weight on the chest and underside of its hips. Here it's the less desirable effect of dragons' anatomy. The rider pushed hard into her scales, trying to get rid of the dirt that was stuck between them. Suddenly, Saphira jerked and yelped in pain. Eragon pulled his hands back in shock and worry. He turned around to face her. She lowered her head towards him.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"he apologized, feeling bad for causing her pain
"It's fine, It's not your fault, Little One," she reassured him.
"I can check what's wrong here and heal it," he offered as a way to make up for his mistake, as he looked at the spot that caused her harm.
"No… I appreciate your concern, but… I will be fine."
"Are you sure?" Eragon asked in a concerned tone.
"Yes," she nodded in human-like fashion.
"If you change your mind, let me know."
"Of course, just be careful down there."
He nodded and went back to work, paying more attention to the force he put in each stroke. Saphira held her head in the same place for the moment, looking at her companion before she pulled back. She felt her rider start cleaning her thighs. He began at the place where her thigh was connected to her hips and then moved the towel down, following the edge of the limb. Soon, he pushed into the crook between her thigh and the side of her main body. A shiver ran through her body from the sensation as a growl left her jaws.
"Did I stroke too hard?" Eragon asked in worry.
"No… It's just another… sensitive spot"
"Oh, alright."
Saphira smirked at the rider's obliviousness, puffing smoke through her nostrils. 'He has no idea how sensitive it truly is…' she thought and made sure it was hidden from their bond. Meanwhile, her partner moved to her inner thighs with his careful strokes. It felt more like a teasing massage rather than casual cleaning of scales, but she didn't want to change that. He proceeded to her calf and then feet and repeated the same process on the outer side of her left hind leg. Then he went back to the spot below her and did the same thing on her right leg. When he reached the sensitive spot, another shiver of pleasure ran down Saphira's spine as she crooned gently. She felt her rider's confusion that made her laugh a bit. It made him even more puzzled. The dragoness heard his quiet "whatever" comment, as he went back to work. Soon her right leg was clean and Eragon took a few steps around her and kneeled beside her rump.
Saphira felt his uncertainty in their bond as well as hers. In the past, none of them paid much attention to it, because it was simple cleaning of her scales like anywhere else on her body; dragons don't feel ashamed of their bodies in general. However, being bonded with Eragon made her inherit some part of his concept of privacy. She mustered the remaining confidence that was slipping from her grasps and decided to not overthink it. They were two parts of the same soul, there was nothing to be embarrassed about. "Right…?"
"Little One… We've done it before. It's just washing. No need to be embarrassed about it," she said, trying to not make it awkward.
After a moment, he replied, "Yeah. You're right".
With a sigh, he came closer to her groin and then wetted his towel. Saphira raised her tail a little bit to grant him better access. He looked up at her vertical slit covered by scales so small that they could be mistaken for normal, human-like flesh from a distance. One would think that the slit would have been large considering the dragoness' size but, in reality, it wasn't longer than his hand. Above it, there was another, significantly smaller slit covering the anus.Thankfully, he didn't smell anything unpleasant; it was simply the earthy scent of his dragoness. Except for the mud, the place was relatively clean. To calm down his shaking hands, Eragon began further away from her genital slit and tried to focus on the manual part of cleaning. He stroked the scales with precision to avoid another unpleasant surprise like when he had cleaned her lower abdomen. He cleaned the area around her anus without giving it a thought. Inevitably, he was getting closer and closer to her private parts as his muscles became more and more tense. He slowed down a little. 'Here goes nothing,' he said, bracing himself and making sure he sealed off his mind from her. Eragon doubted he could have done this while Saphira was listening through their bond.
He ran the towel in parallel to her slit. As he observed her soft flesh yielding under his touch, his cheeks started warming up with blood flowing into his face and to another place. His mind became blank, unable to formulate any sensible thoughts. He didn't realize how much time had already passed. After a while, the rider ran his towel across in a finishing wipe. Distracted, he put too much pressure and pressed the towel inside her folds accidentally. The tight space made the cloth wrap around his fingers as the pink and moist flesh of the vent was revealed to his eyes. Saphira grunted and a jolt shook her entire body. Eragon's eyes bulged out and pulled back his hand immediately; the towel fell into the water. He turned around with his face red from blushing and prepared himself for Saphira's wrath. But it never came. She stood still, frozen in place. He glanced back at her slowly. She was stiff.
Finally, Eragon decided to break the silence by opening his mind to her again.
"I'm sorry" were the only words he could think of.
Saphira felt her rider's embarrassment and shame. She tried a few times to reply and at last, she did. "It is… nothing. I am not angry at you… " she said in a shaky voice.
Eragon took a moment to collect his thoughts and then asked with hesitation in his mental voice, "Shall I continue?"
"Ehm… Yes, please. " Saphira's mind was a mess. She tried to assure herself it was just an accident and that it's silly to keep worrying about it. He had done something like that at least once in the past and it wasn't a big deal. 'So why does it seem to be now?' She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. The dragoness focused on her reflection in the water, trying to occupy her mind with something else.
Even though Eragon was the first to break the silence, he was going through similar turmoil.
'Oh my… I can't believe I was affected in…' he began. As soon as he looked down towards his groin, he didn't dare to finish his line of thought anymore. He grabbed the towel from the water and reassured himself Saphira was looking in the opposite direction. With shaky hands and the blush disappearing from his face slowly, he reached out towards the underside of the tail. Eragon shook his head, 'I hope nothing else as embarrassing as… that thing will happen today.'
Eragon and Saphira were silent for a quite long time as the rider was cleaning her tail. Both of them were afraid of touching one another's mind. After another few minutes, Eragon felt he regained his composure enough to dare to look into her eyes again so he decided to move on. However, Saphira didn't look back when he came up to her neck and began polishing her scales there.
She really liked it when her companion did that. It reminded the dragoness of the carefree times when she was young, held in Eragon's arms and listening to his gentle beat of the heart. His hands stroked her neck in the same way. During those times, he just talked about everything; plants, animals, teaching her how to speak, basically. Each day, her understanding of words improved and, one day, she called him by his name finally. Saphira felt very proud of herself back then.She recalled their games of tag or hide and seek…
'They were the most wonderful moments of my life…' she thought in a longing tone.The memories of her childhood calmed her nerves at last.
'I should… reassure him everything between us is still the same.' She contemplated the idea for a moment. 'One's action speaks more than words.'
She turned her head and looked at him with the corner of her eye. She timed his strokes and, when he began another one, she arched her neck, putting more pressure on her scales. The dragoness felt a spark of surprise in their bond and, as she continued to twist her neck like a very pleased cat melting due to her owner's petting, his relief emerged.
Eragon felt like a heavy weight was removed from his shoulders. He reached out to her mind and brushed it in shy thanks. As he ran the towel across the underside of the neck gently, she purred in a low tone, telling him it is fine. The rider doubled his effort to thank her for her forgiveness that eased his troubled mind. As time went by, his body became more and more relaxed with his mind nudging hers gently and regularly. In exchange, Saphira grabbed him in the bond playfully a few times, feeling proud for catching her prey so easily. Soon, Eragon got into the spirit of play and his mind started to wonder. He wasn't sure if it was appropriate considering what happened but… 'Well, it's not like she isn't used to it.'
Saphira felt her rider stepping back to admire his work. After a moment, he turned to look at her with a grin on his face.
'Oh no… I know that grin.'
"Come here, it's time to wash the beautiful muzzle of yours!" he said out loud. Saphira went all shy at his comment, surprising herself.
"You look cute when you're shy like this, you know?"
"Stop… teasing me, Little One," her voice was a bit shaken from the effort to regain her composure.
"What? You do have a beautiful muzzle; just stating a fact."
"Oh. You're unbearable like a hatchling sometimes," she said in an exaggerated fashion, shaking her head as he saw her pupils shrink a bit.
"You love it," he laughed at her reply. "Come here, before you would decide to be violent."
"Don't tempt me…"
He could chuckle at it in earnest.
She lowered her head to his chest level, waiting for him as Eragon wetted one of the towels again. He held her muzzle gently with his left hand and pressed the towel to the sensitive tip of her snout and began stroking carefully. It was an incredibly sensitive place and he didn't want to hurt her by accident. He ran the cloth across her muzzle back and forth slowly, then made circular strokes on the snout, paying attention to leave each scale clean and polished. He began to move his hand to the bottom of her lower jaw and, without the need to ask, Saphira exposed her vulnerable throat to him. Eragon caressed her sensitive spot in wide, circular wipes. Soon, the deep hum resonated through her throat and up to the rider's hands. Noticing how much she liked it, he spent a fair amount of time massaging her throat gently. Then her cheeks received the same blissful treatment. As he reached out towards her ears, he noticed Saphira' eyes were locked on him. Something encouraged him to return her gaze. When his eyes met her half-lidded ones, she crooned softly. Then she pushed her snout into him, nuzzling his chest. Soon after he felt the smooth tip of her tongue licking his skin in a slow pattern. He was lost in her beautiful sapphire eyes and his heart swell with love for his dragoness.
Eragon hadn't been that intimate with Saphira before. Sure, he stroked or pecked her muzzle from time to time, as well as she returned his affection with nuzzling or a lick on his chick. However, this was something entirely different. Some part of his mind was awkward or unsure about it but, at that point, it was a quiet voice. Soon, he leaned over her muzzle then grasped her head in a tight hug. Their minds held each other in a warm embrace, appreciating the closeness and the intimate bond they shared. No words were needed to be said.
After a minute, Eragon released her from his embrace and guided her head up. With his hands on her scaly cheeks, he began caressing her; small scales were yielding under the pressure of his thumbs. As he continued, he looked up at a very happy dragoness; he felt the warmth spreading through his entire body. The rider massaged her for a while before stopping. Only then did Saphira open her eyes with a gleam of pure joy.
"Did the Queen of the Sky find this bath acceptable?" He saw amusement in her gaze.
"Yes, I did, Little One," she puffed a few times, laughing in her unique way. "Thank you," she bumped her muzzle onto him.
"You're welcome!" Then Eragon facepalmed himself mentally."Right, I need the bath too. "
"Mhm." Saphira chuckled in earnest but remained where she stood.
"Shoo. Go dry up. I'll join you in a moment," he said, his face brightened with a grin.
The rider's eyes observed gentle and relaxed sways of her hips for a moment as she left the water. With a quiet sigh, Eragon took off his underwear before tossing it on the grass and began scrubbing himself.
…
After a while, the rider joined his partner, gliding his hand over her wings as he walked by before settling down next to her. Soon, they enjoyed the closeness only a dragon and rider bond can provide in comfortable silence. The pair was admiring the view of this peaceful place; the evening sun basking trees in warm light. Saphira glanced at him a few times, noting how past training had changed his body. His body looked slim, yet strong. The muscles of his arms pronounced, but not too much. Her eyes travelled down his body, stopping at his groin for a moment, her mind stopped but soon she looked back at his face. After the Blood-Oath celebration, he became neither an elf nor a man, as Saphira realized quickly enough back then. He had traits of a normal elf such as tapered ears or angled facial features, but she still could see subtle physical traits of a boy that she bonded with two years ago. Her gaze lingered on him long enough for Eragon to take notice. He looked at her with a smile and the dragoness hummed softly as their eyes met.
Their bath occupied their mind so well that they forgot completely about someone. With a grunt, the golden Eldunari reminded them of his presence.
"As I can see, you enjoyed your little break, my students." Glaedr felt embarrassment rising in their three-way link and spoke again to reassure them, "Don't worry, you both deserved it." After a pause, he continued, "We shall leave in a few minutes; we still have a few things to do."
"Give me a moment to put my clothes on."
The dragoness kept watching him as she walked up to the place where the saddle was. She nudged it and gave it an evaluating look. Eragon never complained, but she knew that emotionless look on his face every time he put it on her and then struggled with that pile of straps. The leather was in good condition, though it had grazed here and there where Eragon usually sat; nothing too worrying regarding safety.
'I'd like to have a new and prettier one, but is it too much to ask now?' The dragoness grazed the soil with her talons. Suddenly, her rider's feet appeared in her field of view. She curled her head back a bit perplexed. As soon as she gave him space, Eragon bent over and picked it up.
After regaining balance, he said, "You know the drill."
A few minutes later, every strap was buckled and the rider gave it a final check before asking Saphira if everything laid well on her.
"We can go now," Saphira replied softly, then lay down to let her partner mount her. As Eragon was securing his legs in the saddle, something caught the dragoness' attention at the tree line as her body tensed. She didn't see anything, but she had a strong feeling of being observed. Her sense of smell didn't help either with the wind blowing from behind her.
"Eragon, we have to go now." Without giving the rider the moment to reply, she took off, beating her wings as strongly as possible.
"What was that, Saphira?!"
Instead of answering, she asked, "Eragon, Elbrith. Will you check that tree line over there?" as she climbed into the sky. Feeling the dragoness' distress, both reached out with their magic. They looked around trying to find whatever had put Saphira on the edge, but they couldn't find anything.
"Saphira… there is nothing there."
"Indeed, Bjartskular," Glaedr added.
"But… I swear, I…." she switched to the ancient language, but trailed off, then curled her neck to look back at the tree line; her anxiety was rising. She felt ashamed and started to doubt if whatever she felt was real or if it was the result of her tired mind.
Eragon felt bad for her and he reached out to stroke her neck. "Hey… Whatever it was, we'll be more careful next time."
"I see…" she replied weakly. Saphira changed her course, leaving the lake behind and flew to the Talita with a sour mood. They flew in such a state for the rest of the flight.
In the evening, the pair caught up with the Talita; the ship looked tiny compared to the wide bank of the river even though it could fit an adult dragon on the deck without a problem. Saphira circled around it to give the elves time to remove anything from the landing pad. She spread her wings to slow down almost to halt. She extended her hind legs and, as soon as she felt wood under her feet, she leaned forward to cushion the impact with front limbs. The dragoness growled in dissatisfaction considering the manoeuvre was less gentle for her liking, shaking her head. Eragon didn't mind it, on the other hand, and began unbuckling the straps to dismount her.
Meanwhile, Saphira waited with folded wings with an unfocused gaze. Her mind couldn't find peace recalling the moment she thought they were being observed on the beach. She tried to analyse that event to figure out if it was her imagination or something real. If the first case was true, then she cannot trust her judgment anymore in this state, but, if the latter was true… A cold shiver ran through her. The one person she could rely on every time could have been gone in a matter of seconds with no one to heal his fatal injuries. That thought made her breath quicken, as her anxiety became more and more prominent. Instinctively, the dragoness looked around expecting danger from all directions.
She heard someone calling her name; pupils widen in fear. "Saphira!"
Hands cupped her muzzle and a pair of worried eyes looked into her own frightened ones. She had a strong urge to pull back, to hide like a wounded animal, but one part of her mind made her stay and look at a being she loved the most. The dragoness felt herself being pulled into a tight hug; she was trembling in the arms of her partner-of-mind-and-heart.
"Shhh… You're safe…" She listened to the soothing voice and felt soft fingers petting her across her cheeks and ears gently. Lowering the walls around her mind, she let him in. Saphira felt like her mind was being hugged from behind as her Little One leaned his head onto hers. The dragoness listened to his beating heart, trying to find relief from the stress. Eragon was doing his best to sooth his partner as they stood there in a tight embrace.
When the rider realized she had calmed enough, he spoke up softly, "My dear, let's ask Glaedr to skip today's' mental defense training. You need a break," he finished in concern.
It took a moment for Saphira to realize what she was asked. As the dragoness pulled back from his hands' grasp, she replied with a desperate voice, "I can't… I have to be prepared for everything. I cannot fail you when you're in need, because I am…" and, after a long pause, "…weak." Privately, she added, 'Losing you would be…' her thoughts trailed off, '…than leaving him behind.'
"Saphira, you have never failed me and you are not…".Whatever he said got lost in her mind as a long, deliberately ignored matter came back in full force. Saphira began recalling a green, male dragon she had found happiness with. Firnen. Since she had become his mate, life seemed to normalize for her after two years of mortal danger and carrying the responsibility of saving all races of Alagaësia. However, the shortcomings became plainly apparent. 'So… Why did I… choose him…?' It seemed like her mind just stopped at that question. Before she could dwell on the matter, she felt a hand on her cheek again.
"Hey… " he caught her attention with a worried voice. "I can't stand seeing you in this state. Please, we have all the time in the world to train later."
"I'm sorry… I have to do it." Eragon heard pleading in her voice.
Glaedr was paying attention during the entire conversation. In general, he respected the privacy of his students, but today's events made him bend his own rules. The Eldunari took notice that Bjartskular closed off some part of her mind after Eragon began assuring her worth; it was barely noticeable in the mind link and the rider was too worried to spot it as well. Glaedr hummed in deep thought while listening to the exchange between them.
Eragon sighed in defeat, "Alright, but tomorrow, no training." He looked at her, his face expressing deep worry.
Saphira was about to protest yet again, but she backed out at the last second. "As you wish…" she turned her head to the side, avoiding his eyes. Eragon winced at that.
"Let me take this saddle off you," he said, trying to change the topic. He worked emotionlessly, unbuckling each strap and, after a while, he put the gear in the storage box. He heard a thud and, when he turned around, Saphira was laying on the deck in the same spot she had landed. Eragon could already spot Blodgharm coming their way to begin the daily mental defense training.
The rider called his master, "Glaedr."
"Yes, Eragon?"
"I… We can't push Saphira that much. I feel she is falling apart inside."
"I'm aware of it, as I said to you last night. I know what you would say about today's training," he said preemptively as he felt his student's thoughts forming. "I don't want it as well, but Saphira is persistent about it so let's give it to her."
"But Mast…" he was about to protest.
"Now now, It'll be less difficult than it usually is and I'll let Blodgharm know about it," he assured the rider.
Before Glaedr ended the conversation, he said to Eragon, "Spend this night with her; she would feel better with someone she can call family at her side."
Blodgharm came up to him and then greeted him in the elven fashion. "I hope the patrol was alright, Shadeslayer," he smiled showing off his sharp teeth.
"It could have been better,"Eragon didn't really want to talk about it, thus he changed the subject quickly leaving no chance for his friend to reply. "Gleadr and I decided to modify our today's mental defense training. He'll share all the details." After a moment, Blodgharm looked back at Eragon and simply nodded.
The rider went back to a brooding Saphira and his heart clenched at the sight. The once proud dragoness had been becoming a shadow of herself. She lay sprawled on the floor with her wings spread carelessly to the sides. Only when he was close did she give him a glance and, even then, she averted her eyes quickly. He kneeled in front of her head hesitating to speak up.
"We can begin training when you're ready…"
"Let's do this," she replied emotionlessly. The rider sat down next to her as Blodgharm sat in front of the pair.
Once again, Eragon and Saphira joined their minds but, as soon as that happened, the rider felt like his dragoness was closing off a big chunk of her mind to him slowly. At once, he knew it was not part of the mental training. He sensed she was not aware of what she was doing as walls were being arisen between them. Eragon opened his mouth a few times, but no words came. After a moment, he realized she stopped but, if he tried to touch the affected part of her mind, he would have found there iron mental walls.
He looked back at her, "Saphira, please let me in, my dear."
"Wha…" She snapped out of a daze. Eragon felt complete confusion from his partner and then huge embarrassment. Her mental walls were being lowered with a struggle like two parts were fighting over the control of her mind. At last, he connected with her fully.
Eragon wrapped her mind with a comforting hug then laid down the plan.
"We will lure them inside, and do a counterattack when you smack your paw on the deck on my mark."
"Wouldn't it be too pre… predictable?" she asked, struggling with words.
"As far as I can tell, we have never tried using your paw as a distraction. Perhaps Glaedr experienced such a trick in the past, but it was such a long time ago, he might have forgotten about it. Blodgharm hasn't experienced that so there is a chance to surprise him at least."
Saphira took a moment to think about; something in her mind told her it was a foolish tactic, but she had no energy to argue while the elf and Glaedr were waiting for them.
"Alright, let me know when."
"Ebrithil, Blodgharm, we are ready," they both said to their sparring partners.
As soon as the last word left their mind, they pulled up walls around them. Then they felt enormous pressure around them. Eragon was reciting an old poem as Saphira was focused on a polished scale on her paw. They balanced on a thin line; they had to leave a door open, but not so much to reveal their plan. A sharp stab went through their minds as their teachers went through the first barrier but it didn't make them exposed enough for a counter-attack. The rider's face twitched in an involuntary grimace, but his elven opponent stood there in a relaxed pose. Meanwhile, Saphira was doing her best to remain concentrated while Glaedr was focusing his attack on her. Years of experience made him a dangerous foe. She played along her rider's plans, falling back step by step and made sure Eragon did the same. Unfortunately, regular waves of drowsiness began affecting Saphira. She felt like her head was swimming as she was about to lose her consciousness but she regained it at the last moment.
"I can't do it. A few minutes longer… and we will lose because of me," he reached out to her Little One while he was luring Glaedr and Blodgharm into the trap. "Eragon… I… We must do it now."
"Do it."
With the last spark of her strength, she slammed her paw on the deck. A loud thud broke the silence on the ship. She noticed the elf flinched and withheld the attack, as well as Glaedr. Then Eragon pushed back harshly and Saphira assisted him as much as she was able to in her state. They were breaking through their mental defenses like butter. It was quite odd for the dragoness because their sparring partners were one of the most skilled beings she knew. Her pondering made her fall behind Eragon's attack, watching him all doing all of the work. Soon, Eragon had put Glaedr and Blodgharm into a corner. The dragoness felt Eragon withdrawing which announced the end of the training session. She lingered in the space between advancing with the attack and withdrawing, with her suspicion growing. Then, with a mental growl, she pulled back. Snapping out of her daze, she looked at her rider, trying to read his face.
"Well done, my students," she heard Ebrithil's measured words. "It was a good idea to use your paw, Saphira. Blodgharm didn't expect it."
"It was Eragon's idea…"
"It was still you that did it. It's not a bad thing to follow someone's advice, Bjartskular," he added in a reassuring tone.
She could tell she didn't deserve the praise her master gave her and it made her feel worse.
Glaedr waited for Saphira's response for a moment, but it didn't come.
A draconian grunt of the Eldunari broke the uncomfortable silence by addressing the elf. "Master Blodhgarm, even with your knowledge, there are still some things that can surprise you."
"Indeed, I will meditate about it later certainly," he added in a melodic voice.
Eragon stood there listening to the conversation, feeling an urge to be excused to take care of Saphira; he could feel in their bond the strong waves of sleepiness and sorrow clouding her mind.
"Ebrithil, may we take a rest?" he asked, doing his best to not sound impatient.
"Ah. Yes, you are free. Let me know if you need me."
"Of course."
Eragon turned to Saphira and locked his gaze with hers. In the link, he felt like their minds were separated by a no man's land that his dragoness was afraid to cross. He decided to walk up to her slowly and place his hand on her warm cheek before pushing his thoughts towards her. She let him in and the rider was almost overwhelmed by the emotions he got a glimpse of. Eragon quickly wrapped her head in a tight hug as he heard her breath quicken with strong gusts of air that flowed down his legs, followed by her muscles trembling. Saphira winced, trying to push him back.
"Why…?" she said in deep sadness. "Why did Gleadr and Blodgharm… go easy on us? I was… I was barely able to hold them back… as they gave me… a head start," she continued with a shaking voice.
"Did you… know about it?" That question made Eragon even tenser and it told Saphira everything she needed to know.
"You did…" She couldn't hold back anymore. She swung her head sharply, making Eragon lose his grip and stumble back. Suddenly, a loud yowl of the distraught dragoness was heard on the entire ship. Eragon watched with wide eyes, as Saphira was thrashing on the deck with her claws digging deeply in the wooden planks. Her tail smashed all crates within range into pieces. The rider was calling her loudly, but his voice was nothing compared to the crying dragoness. In the corner of his eyes, he saw elves coming to see what's going on, some of them with swords in hands. Blodgharm went to them and quickly told the others to go away because their presence wouldn't have helped. A moment later, Saphira stopped her thrashing and slumped on the deck. Then she managed to curl her body into a ball, trying to hide her head between her forelegs and under her wing. She rocked her body back and forth in the fetal position.
When Eragon realized it was safe to approach his dragoness, he rushed in heedless of danger. He immediately tried to contact her through their bond and, as soon as he did that, Saphira's thoughts flooded his mind. Nothing was clear in the swirl of emotions in their bond except for one thought that struck Eragon like a lightning.
"I am… worthless. I'm not worthy to be his dragon…" The bond was getting weaker. "Sooner or later, I'll lose my rider… as I lost him…" The rider knew there was more to it, but her voice was being clouded by overwhelming despair and soon he couldn't hear her anymore. He lay down and wrapped his arms around her neck as much as was possible, doing his best to take her pain on himself. In a matter of time, Eragon joined her in sorrow with tears running down his cheeks while he was saying sorry repeatedly.
The pair were left alone except for Glaedr who kept the watch. The elder dragon knew he shared in the responsibility for his students' state. In his life, there were times he had to comfort young dragons under his care but, in this case, he thought it would make the matter worse. As he felt the pair falling asleep from exhaustion, he asked Blodgharm to bring a blanket for Eragon, who was holding Saphira's neck close to his chest. The light of sunset fell on the couple through the clouds, highlighting deep scars and holes on the wooden deck. It was as broken as the dragoness' soul.
'Rogue mages, dangerous animals… It's something we all knew how to deal with, but nothing provides a bigger challenge than healing a broken heart…'
A/N:
Special thanks to my beta readrs BlueDragonRider, Nikoladies, Mark and Merc for betareading 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!