Hey readers! Again, I don't own Eragon or any of its characters. Only my OCs. Hope you enjoy!
In the months Armelle and her father stayed in Carvahall, she had had made close friends with Eragon, acquainted herself with his cousin, Roran, and Argenta had grown to the size of a large horse within the first to months of her her hatched life, with their shoulders at an even level, though according to Brom, she was still small. Eragon had showed her the egg he had, but her father had advised her not to tell him it was an egg, to let him keep believing it was a large carved stone. Eragon continuously tried to sell it to merchants traveling through Carvahall, but none would take it, for they didn't know the value. Armelle's daily schedule rarely changed; she would hunt with Eragon in the Spine of the mornings, sell the meat to Sloane, the town's wretched butcher, and afterwards she would help Eragon or spend time with Argenta, which she did daily as promised.
Armelle waited excitedly for the day Argenta would be large enough to fly with. She had stopped bringing the silver dragon food because she could never bring enough to satisfy her hunger and Argenta had started hunting for herself. She was growing large enough for the half-elf to lean against comfortably, warmed in the chilling air with the fire in Argenta's belly. She found a comfortable place to sit leaning against her, between the bend of Argenta's back leg and hip, and when they would talk Armelle found herself giving secrets to her sister-of-heart-and-mind that she would never dream of telling others.
She bad walking through town one day with Eragon, as he was doing chores for his uncle, Garrow, when she heard a happy call from Argenta.
Armelle! She cried, the sound lit with happiness. Oh, you will never believe it. There is a hatchling here. A dragon hatchling. I am no longer alone!
Armelle smiled, replying in thought. Good, though the egg wouldn't hatch without a Rider, would it? I wonder who the new Rider is... she recalled what Brom and her father had told her; she was the first in a new generation of Dragon Riders, and she was in grave danger from the king because of it. When Brom informed her that her only choices were to join the Varden for sanctuary or to join Galbatorix's forces, her father hadn't taken it well. All he had ever wanted was her safety. Argenta watched the memory as Armelle relived it.
"Armelle?" Eragon called, whistling as he waved a gloved hand in front of her face.
She blinked her silver eyes a few times as she looked at him. "I'm sorry," she sounded sheepish, "I got lost in my own thoughts."
Eragon smiled, shrugging. "It's perfectly alright. I do it too. I was just telling you that we have arrived at Horst's and if you want you can visit your filly."
Armelle smiled and nodded. "Retrieve me when you are ready to leave." She stated before dashing toward the stables and unlatching the door. She pulled the large wooden door open and Dana and Mordor whinnied at the sight of her. She stroked Dana's golden muzzle, whispering to her gently. She stayed with the horses until Eragon poked his head in, calling that he was finished with his chore here. She whispered goodbyes to Mordor and Dana before leaving and pushing the barn door closed.
"Are you going to the Spine again this afternoon?" Eragon asked, glancing at Armelle from the corner of his eye.
She nodded. "As always."
He smiled. "I might accompany you. There are some... things I must tend to."
She raised an eyebrow. "Like?"
He said nothing.
"Like secret things." Armelle confirmed to herself. She adjusted her half-fingered gloves, the gedwëy ignasia on her left palm itching uncomfortably.
Eragon sent her a sheepish glance.
"I have a compromise," she said quietly. "I'll tell you my secret of why I always run off to the Spine, if you tell me your secret of why you need to be there today."
He looked wary, but nodded.
She felt Argenta's a quick pang of anxiety.
She looked up at the position of the sun; it's was almost noon. "Come on," she said, taking his gloved hand and dashing out of town.
She pulled him at her quick speed into the Spine, letting his hand go when they were close to Argenta's tree. "Take your gloves off." She ordered him, her silver eyes glittering with the firmness of her tone.
He looked wary again, but did as she said while she pulled off her half-fingered gloves at the same time.
He held them out to her, palms facing downward.
She took his thumbs in her hands and turned his gently, and on his right hand was the gedwëy ignasia.
Her silver eyes widened. "You... You're the new Rider?"
His cheeks flourished with bright crimson color. "Please don't tell anyone. Please."
"I won't," she said gently, clasping both of her slender fingered hands around his right hand. "I swear on my life I will hold your secret." She released his hand, moving her left hand so he could see her own Rider's mark.
"You... You're a Rider too?" Eragon asked, taking her wrist gently in his hand.
She nodded. "That was the secret I was going to tell you. I suspected you were as well. I noticed that you started wearing gloves constantly or always rubbing your hands in dirt, and my dragon informed me there was a hatchling in the Spine.
"Your dragon can speak with you?" Eragon asked, incredulous.
She nodded again. "Though she is almost two months old. My dragon spoke with pictures and images, and comprehended them better than words when she was younger. No need to worry, Eragon, your dragon will speak to you in time."
He smiled. "Come on," he said, tugging on her arm. "I want you to see my dragon."
Armelle smiled and followed him through the Spine.
Argenta! She shouted mentally. Eragon is the new Rider. Find us and follow; we're going to meet his hatchling.
I see you, Argents replied, excitement that matched her Rider's own bubbling in her reply. I'm on my way.
Eragon stopped in front of a small hut beside a tree, and knelt to poke his head inside. He looked up at the tree, frowning.
"Eragon," Armelle said with a smile. "I think I found your dragon." She watched a sapphire blue dragon hatchling bouncing on a branch above her head, squeaking and flapping its wings happily.
He looked over and smiled, the hatchling floating down to his outstretched arms.
Argenta landed behind Armelle, her long neck stretching her height far above the tall half-elf's.
"Whoa," Eragon breathed with wide eyes.
The dragon shimmered with light bouncing from her silver scales, casting rainbow reflections in the shade of the tall trees around them. Her metallic gaze of the same color landed on Eragon, examining him with slitted black reptilian pupils. She tucked her leathery wings against her her scaled flank, the large plated scales on her belly a much paler silver than the shiny, polished coin-like scales covering the rest of her.
"She's beautiful," Eragon commented, looking at her with large eyes that were filled with admiration. "How old is she?"
"She hatched two days before my father and I arrived at Carvahall." Armelle replied, stroking Argenta's scales as she blew a puff of smoke from her nostrils in a smug manner. "Though she seems a bit small for her age, and I have yet to ride her."
"What's her name?" He asked, the hatchling in his arms squeaking as her large blue eyes examined the older dragon.
"Argenta," the half-elf replied, and the silver creature extended her long neck downward, closer to Eragon.
He slowly reached out with his right hand, touching her snout with the hand that held his gedwëy ignasia.
So it's true, Argenta said softly, the few suspicions she held gone from her mind. He is the new Rider.
Armelle ran her slender fingers down her silver scales, glancing at the dragon with a blonde eyebrow raised. You doubted me?
Never. Argenta replied, adjusting herself to a more comfortable position before lying down. Her Rider sat and nuzzled herself into the bend of her hip, stroking the leathery membrane of her silver wings. Argenta's spiked tail swung around and wrapped them closer together.
Eragon sat on the outside of the barrier her tail had created, and let the blue hatchling down from his arms, and she nuzzled against his leg.
The next weeks were spent like this; the two new Riders together, their dragons growing at quick paces as they learned more and more about each other and their dragons. They were becoming the new generation of Dragon Riders.