Armelle was awake by the sunrise the next morning, even before Argenta rose. She watched the sun come up, lighting the tan brown colors of the plains with oranges, yellows, and pinks. It was beautiful, and when she glanced back at her sleeping dragon, the same warm colors were reflecting in her scales with a shimmering iridescence.
The half-elf smiled. She might have the only color of dragon that could be another color based on their surroundings. Her scales were almost like tiny mirrors all over her, though they reflected light instead of images.
Argenta cracked open one silver eye. Are you thinking about me?
Armelle grinned. Maybe. Go back to sleep.
The metallic dragon snorted a little at the order before promptly ignoring it and lifting her head to look at the sunrise with her Rider.
The colors turn your scales, Armelle explained softly. You match the sky.
They do the same to your eyes, little elf, Argenta said simply, the image flashing through her mind like an afterthought, but it was proof of her statement. It was followed by a sudden, strong sense of mischief from the silver beast.
What is it? Armelle asked, raising an eyebrow.
Argenta's large silver eyes gleamed. Do you think we could slip away while the others are asleep? I haven't flown with you in so long, my sister-of-soul. I think it is well past time we share that joy again.
Armelle smiled and nodded. I completely agree.
The dragon carefully pushed to her feet, creeping away from the others sleeping around their camp. She was careful to not even wake the horses.
Armelle followed her, and once they were far enough away for the sound of Argenta's wing beats not to wake the others, the half-elf climbed on the dragon's back.
A few powerful beats of her wings, and Argenta had them soaring toward the wispy pink clouds of the morning.
Armelle felt blissfully free for the first time since they'd left Carvahall. The wind rushing through her hair was crisp and cool, bringing sharp attention to every elfishly defined curve and sharp edge of her face as they soared, long golden hair swept far back from her face.
Argenta swept them through a cloud, and Armelle laughed at the soft, foggy feeling of water droplets cooling her skin, soothing her sore muscles, and clinging to her long eyelashes.
They weren't in the air nearly long enough.
They landed to find the three males and Saphira awake, settled beside the campfire where breakfast was finished.
Brom looked at the two of them with a small scowl. "I don't believe I have to tell you two how foolish it was for you to fly together this morning."
Armelle was a little startled at the sudden negative reaction as the dragon and Rider settled beside the fire.
I never considered you to be an enemy of a Rider and dragon bonding, storyteller, Argenta challenged, teeth slightly bared.
Brom narrowed his eyes at the creature.
Eragon grinned at the dragon's tone.
"That isn't what the old fart meant," Armelle's father said simply as he slid Armelle breakfast.
Brom frowned at Devon. "You're not as young as you think you are."
Devon grinned. "I aged better."
Eragon snorted
"Then what did Brom mean?" Armelle interjected with an exhale as she tried to get them back on track.
"It wasn't the riding that was in question," her father explained. "It was that you left without telling any of us."
"Saphira knew," Armelle said simply. "She was on watch when we left."
The blue dragon dipped her head in a nod.
"And her knowing was the only reason we didn't send her and Eragon after you," Brom said gruffly.
"We didn't even fly out of the reach of the plains," Armelle said with a sigh. "And the sun was still in the process of rising. No one saw us, and if they did, they thought Argenta was a large bird."
"You hope," Brom grumbled again.
"Brom," Devon scolded, shaking his head. "She's more careful than you give her credit for."
"She's young and excitable," Brom argued. "And we cannot risk capture because she wanted to fly in the sunrise. You overestimate how careful she truly is."
Argenta growled, deep in her chest.
Armelle put a hand on her shoulder, the touch calming the dragon just slightly.
Devon frowned deeply. "You don't know my daughter well enough to claim anything about her. Curious, yes. Young, yes. Excitable? I think you have her confused with someone else."
Brom only grunted. "Perhaps. Someone from many years ago. Pack your things. We need to get moving."
Armelle looked at her father with a puzzled expression. "Who would he be thinking of instead of me?"
Her father smiled softly and kissed her forehead. "Me. Many years ago. He doesn't realize how much you're like your mother."
Armelle only hummed before she packed her bedroll and readied Dana for travel while Brom and Eragon bickered about the stick-sword training.
Argenta moved toward Saphira, and the two female dragons looked to their Riders. There's nowhere to hide on the plains, Saphira said simply, so we'll not bother trying to stay out of sight. We'll just fly above you from now on.
The shimmering beasts took off, and the four two-legged beings began the steep descent down. The trail was patchy, filled with places where there was no track at all and they had to forge their own. There were several places where they had to stop and lead the horses down on foot, holding onto sparse trees so they didn't lose their footing. Armelle's elven heritage made her light-footed enough that she had an easier time on the loose rocks and thin paths than the males did.
They stopped to rest once they reached the bottom, around midday. The trek had left the males, Brom and Eragon especially, hot and irritable despite the cold air around them.
Armelle found that the plains weren't as pleasant on the ground level. The north flowing Anora River to their left was the only thing that wasn't immediately attacking them. A hissing wind bit sharply at their faces in the cold, and the dry, cracked soil flew into their eyes at the slightest notion. The half-elf pulled up the hood of her mother's cloak to keep the pointed tips of her ears safe from the frigid winds, and wrapped it tighter around her body.
Devon slipped closer to his daughter as they rested in an attempt to warm her up, knowing the wind would only take away any heat she has left when they started riding again.
The trail split in three different directions once they reached the bottom. One branch turned northward, toward Ceunon; the second led straight through the middle of the plains; and the third turned south.
Once the three trails were examined, the four—each of which a more than adequate tracker—determined that the Ra'zac followed the southern path.
"It seems they've gone to Yazuac," Brom said, a note of confusion in his voice.
"Where's that?" Eragon asked over the sounds of the whistling winds.
"East," Devon answered simply. "About four days away, if no unforeseen circumstances arise."
Brom continued the explanation, knowing better than to think that was enough explanation for Eragon. "It's a small village situated by the Ninor River." He waved a hand at the Anora. "Our only supply of water is here. We'll have to replenish our waterskins before attempting to cross the plains. There isn't another pool or stream between here and Yazuac.
Armelle kept the hood of her cloak up as they filled their waterskins and watered the horses, only lowering it so she could drink as much from the river as she could, just like the others. The dragons landed and did the same before they turned east and started to cross the plains.
Armelle had never wanted to cut off her golden hair so badly. The long locks tumbled in the strong winds, stinging her face like small whip lashes and wrapping around her neck in strangling tangles that nearly had her in a panic when she felt like she couldn't free them. That wasn't the only terrible thing the wind was doing, far from it. Her lips were chapped and cracking, her tongue was dry as the dirt the horses stomped, and her silver eyes were bloodshot and watery, the rushing winds drying them out far too quickly.
As the sun lowered, the wind grew stronger, and the group was forced to camp in the open, victim to the harsh conditions.
Armelle laid against Argenta's warm belly, thankful for the relief from the cold winter winds.
They lit a fire, though Brom ended up having to use magic to do so, and trained with their mock swords while the food prepared. They were short sessions, but Armelle was sure she ended up with more bruises than she had in her other practices because her thick hair would blow in her face and blind her to Brom's strikes.
They all woke up the next morning wind-burnt and frigid from the strong, cold winds. They let the horses drink sparingly from their water supply before they started on their cold, miserable trek for the day.
On the third day, they were all pleasantly surprised to find that the winds had ceased, leaving them all better rested through the night. Their quick joy was tamped down quickly by the sight of huge thunderclouds in the sky where they were headed.
Brom cringed at the sight. "Normally I wouldn't go into a storm like that, but we're in for a battering no matter what we do, so we might as well get some distance covered."
Armelle steeled herself and calmed her filly before they rode toward the storm.
It was still calm when they reached the shadows caused by the massive black clouds, and the half-elf's silver eyes grew wide at the sight of a huge ripple tearing through the grass before them, flattening it almost completely. A gust of wind, stronger than any she had ever imagined.
Armelle hunched in nervous preparation, but a fearful thought tore through her. Eragon! She thought in a panic, knowing better than to think he could hear her over the howling if she tried out loud. Argenta and Saphira!
He looked at her with the same fear flashing in his brown eyes before he turned to shout at his blue dragon. "Saphira! Land!"
"Argenta!" Armelle tried anyway, knowing her voice wouldn't carry that far, and trying to shout as loud as she could with her mind at the same time. "You must land!"
Both of the older men paled.
They watched in terror as the two young creatures dove toward the ground, Argenta just behind Saphira to make sure the younger dragon landed safely, despite the silver dragon knowing she was small for her age and knowing the winds would be just as dangerous.
NO! was all Armelle had time to think before the tempest crushed them with agonizing winds.
The two dragons landed heavily and crouched, Saphira managing it just before Argenta. But neither beast managed to tuck their wings in time.
Saphira had just started to fold her wings when the powerful gale yanked her back into the sky, leaving her helplessly hanging before she was dropped onto her back.
Eragon turned Cadoc around violently and galloped back up the same trail to reach the blue dragon.
Argenta had a similar fate. The lithe silver dragon hadn't begun to furl her wings yet when the winds struck, and she was thrown even further into the sky than Saphira had been, and she tried desperately to steady herself for a half-graceful landing, but a violent downdraft shoved her toward the ground once again, sending her tumbling onto her side, only barely managing not to crush a silver wing while the other was being thrown around by the overpowering winds.
Armelle whirled Dana back around, following Eragon's example and charging toward the silver dragon. The wind had Dana balking before they were nearly close enough to Argenta, and the Silver Rider reacted by sliding off of her filly and running toward the dragon. But Armelle was light and lithe, elfish, and the winds tossed her around much easier than they had the dragons. Armelle's hands and knees were scraped and bloody from the many times she'd fallen by the time she reached Argenta.
Little elf! Argenta called in a panic, both for her Rider and herself as she roared in pain while the wind threatened to rip her wing from her body.
Don't fight it, Armelle ordered quickly, else you'll only get hurt worse! Roll with it. You must!
Argenta roared again, but the sound was drowned out by a huge clap of thunder.
Armelle leapt onto her dragon's side and pulled desperately at her wing to press it back into her side. The wing had been stretched to its limit, and Armelle could only hope it hadn't been pushed past it.
Distantly, she saw the black form of her father's war horse, Mordor, catching up to Dana and taking her reins. She wasn't sure what her father was thinking, but he had to be panicking. She didn't have much time to consider it as they managed to contain Argenta's wings again.
Stay low, Armelle said urgently as she strapped herself into Argenta's saddle. She could feel the dragon trembling beneath her. Are you alright, my sister-of-soul?
I-I think so, Argenta's usually smooth and strong voice was wavering, small. It showed how young the poor creature really was. My side aches, and I am sure my wing will be sore, but… I don't think anything's broken. I… I have never felt so helpless before…
Armelle put a gentle hand on her side, leaning forward in the saddle to duck the winds. You're safe now, Argenta. We'll do this together now. We're stronger together, right?
A soft affirming thought came from the dragon before she slowly began to creep forward, beside Saphira as they inched through the gale.
Once they reached Armelle's father on Mordor, he led them back to Brom through the storm winds.
"Are they hurt?" Brom shouted urgently over the sounds of the storm.
Armelle was quick to answer no, but slow to dismount the dragon. She didn't want to leave her now, not while she was aching and frightened and they still had so much storm to fight through. She eventually pulled herself off of the dragon's back and took Dana's reins from her father, just in time for the icy bullets of powerful rain to reach them.
The half-elf was shivering and miserable by the time the rains and winds and lightning passed on, exhausted from fighting the elements. But as the sun returned and the earth smelled fresh, everyone had brighter spirits. Saphira and Argenta both stretched, necks craning to their full length, the silver dragon's only slightly longer than the blue dragon, and Saphira roared happily.
The four two-legged beings smiled at the display of happiness, though the horses didn't enjoy it as much.
They stopped before the sun went down, camping out in a shallow depression. After battling the rain and winds, they were all too exhausted to spar.
Armelle tucked herself into Argenta's side and fell fast asleep.