Footprints in the snow

A year passed. The traders had come for their annual visit, and were gone again. What worried me was that Alieina was not with them. Had she died? Had she found a way to go back to out world?

I was out hunting, in the mountains as usual. It was near the place where Alieina had first used magic. There was the spot where the fire had been. The ground around it was still clear of snow, a lasting reminder of Alieina's power.

I walked a few more feet and stopped. There stood a dragon. Like I said before, I would do anything for a dragon. But I was not at all happy to see this particular one. It was Thorn.

That meant Murtagh must be nearby.

I probably had nothing to worry about. After all, why would Murtagh care about a bunch of 16-year-olds just old enough to be allowed into the pub for the first time last Monday?

We had stopped reading the Eragon books in public after the disastrous day when Eragon had happened to see it.

Just then, I felt Jennet's presence touch my mind.

"Help! Murtagh's here and-"

That was as far as she got. With a sick feeling, I knew that something was wrong. I hurried back into town, (I forgot to mention that it had been named Dre Une) I now had something to worry about.

The entire town was ablaze. It seemed deserted. The shadows must have run out when they first saw smoke, and my friends…

I hurried into the store, which wasn't burning that badly yet. Inside, I grabbed the backpacks (still intact and hidden under the counter) and was about to leave, when I heard a groan. It was Leah.

I knelt down beside her and shook her roughly. "Le, wake up, we have to go, now!"

She opened her eyes, saw the fire burning. With evident difficulty, she stood, and I helped her hobble out of town.

The town. After the fire had been put out, barely anything was left. A few charred remains of houses were still standing, and the well had survived, but that was it. Even the fields surrounding the town were ruined. There was no where else to go.

I took Leah up to the mountain. No one else liked to go up there, so it was safe to assume we wouldn't be interrupted. Just to be safe, we spoke in English.

"What happened? I asked, "Jennet said Murtagh"-

"Murtagh came into the shop while you were out. Don't know why, but it seemed like he knew there was something different about us!"

"How could he know?"

"Well… Mark and Charlie were talking about cars."

"That would explain it."

"Well he just started threatening us, and then he said 'is anyone else here?' And I was in the back, so I didn't say anything, but the others all said no, then I don't really know what happened next, I think he must have used magic, and then he just left. Then I noticed the butcher next door was on fire, and I ran out into the main room and the others were gone!"

Suddenly I gasped.

"What- oh. That's bad."

Murtagh was coming back. Far, far, above, the distant shape of a dragon was soaring, round and round in little circles, Circles that were becoming bigger and bigger. Or maybe the dragon was just coming closer.

It was the latter. Soon, the dragon landed, but it wasn't Thorn. It was Saphira!

On her back was Eragon.

He looked at us, and asked us if we had happened to have seen Murtagh anywhere.

I politely explained that he had just kidnapped three of my best friends, almost killed another, and burned down an entire village.

Eragon fainted. How unexpected.

When he came to, he told us that he had been following Murtagh but had lost track of him just before our village.

"Will you help us rescue them?" I asked him.

"Rescue them!" Leah and Eragon asked at once.

"Oh no!" said Leah. "I'm going somewhere quiet where I can raise horses! I've had enough of adventures!"

Eragon said, "Are you crazy! Murtagh probably took them to his castle! There's no way we can get them back!"

I blinked. "What?" They had both spoken at the same time at high speed. You can't blame me for being a little confused.

After they had repeated themselves, I threatened to go by myself. Leah said she was still raising horses. Eragon said he'd tie me to a tree.

I hate trees.

Leah says they're out to get me.

I have no idea why.

Anyway, all looked hopeless, when Saphira butted in.

"I agree with her."

"What!" (Guess who that was)

"Did you not go after the Razac after they killed your uncle? Were the odds not much, much worse than? And hasn't she got more reason for revenge then you did?" True, the razzac killed your uncle, but Murtagh has destroyed her entire life, not once but twice."

"Twice?"

"Once at the village, and almost certainly it was either him or Gallbatorix who brought them out of their own world."

It took a little longer, but finally Saphira convinced Eragon to go with me. Leah still said she wanted to raise horses.

But Eragon was coming, and that was pretty cool (Alieina would die if she knew who would be my traveling companion!)

I might not have mentioned this yet, so I'll say it just in case.

I LOVE dragons.

Especially the persuasive kind.

But before we left, there was one thing I had to do.

Thank goodness I had managed to save my backpack.

Thank goodness there was a certain DVD inside.