Edited 1/22/22 - all chapters are getting a overhaul. Things might not match until this process is complete.
I do not the Inheritance Cycle


Winter's Breath

Rose was not quite certain that the objects resting in front of her were in fact real, tangible things. She had heard stories, of course, but never before had seen dragon eggs, nonetheless dreamed of touching one of them. Even as a she pressed her fingers to the smooth surface she had difficulty believing that the eggs were in fact genuine and not imitations. Her fingers lightly glided down the dancing spiderweb of thin pearly veins- she was afraid that if she pressed too hard than the emerald green egg would shatter beneath her fingertips. There was another dragon egg seated before her resting within the depths of a plush bag, completely safe from any harm. She had left it untouched.

She looked up from the egg and passed it carefully into Ailis' waiting hands. "How is this possible?"

The woman took the egg and looked pointedly at Tornac before busying herself on rising the fire. "Many things are possible. What is achieved depends wholly on how hard you work for them," said Ailis avoiding her question. "What's wrong, Rose? You've gone dreadfully pale just now."

Rose narrowed her eyes, giving the woman beside her a hard look, as she breathlessly stumbled to her feet. "I'm in need of fresh air, if you will excuse me," she said as she stepped around the woman, without waiting to be excused. She walked out of the fire-warmed shelter and into the night, gasping at the bitter air. Her boots crunched on the frost covered ground as she stepped further away cave. She took one last quick look inside, cursing the things under her breath.

Dragon eggs! she thought sourly, the woman could not have stolen something sensible like gold and gems, or a book that told of the King's weaknesses, or an enchanted sword that fought for its wielder but instead took the blasted dragon eggs. To merely attempt to steal these eggs from the King was a fool's mission that would likely end in a punishment worse than death. But to have succeeded… Well, Rose simply wondered how that was possible. She wondered who exactly she had placed her trust in, for in truth if all went wrong there would so very much to answer for.

If Rose were truly loyal to the King, she would take the eggs and lay them at his feet and pray for his forgiveness… but she could not. She would not. And perhaps because of this she was the greatest fool of all.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she sunk onto the ground and covered her head with her hands. She was not a fool as much as a coward, for it was dread that kept her from returning to the castle. Rose should go back but there was no going back to Urû'baen, now. The only place she had to go to now was with Ailis and Tornac, wherever their path may lead, to the Varden or not, she was now without a home. This thought settling over her, darkening her mind. She knew this when she set out with Ailis, however, the severity of her decision only now took its full effect.

Rose shivered and looked up the sky. My chances out here are better than becoming the King's servant, she thought grimly, trying to comfort herself, I may be without a home and a warm bed but I am free, for now. However long this bitter version of it will last.

She could remember, even after the years that faded her memories or perhaps it was the tales she had been told as a child, either way, she recalled a massive beast with smooth iridescent, burgundy scales that gleamed like bloody opals in the bright afternoon sunlight, and the long, deadly silver spikes that ran down the length of it long neck and covered the tip of its bulky tail. That savage beast only answered to her father, and would snap its massive teeth and growl out a sound like thunder each time she had to misfortune to come across it. It was her father's terror of a dragon and even after its death its memory haunted her throughout her childhood. The King's dragon, Shruikan was not much different. Being a creature who strived only for madness and death, it was something that Rose took joy in avoiding though she had only seen it a handful of time from a far distance. And for the life her, Rose could not envisage how the unhatched dragons would be any different than the beasts she had met but surely, the eggs were safer away from the king who readily set to send children to their death.

Rose stood up and hunched her cloak around her shoulders, glancing suspiciously at the shadows in the night. Ever since she seen the dragon eggs she felt like someone was contently spying in on her. A violent shiver rocked her body on its own accord and she walked back inside, seeking warmth.

Ailis, who had been talking quietly to Tornac, looked up as Rose walked in. "It looks cold out there," she said.

"It is," Rose said not looking at her. She cast her eyes around the cave looking for the dragon eggs and not seeing them, she sat down. She didn't want to know where they were hidden- the less she knew the better. "The ground has already begun to frost over."

Tornac looked between them and then frowned. "That's never a good sign. It might begin to snow soon. My body aches at the mere thought of it."

"Just you wait until the weather turns completely," Ailis hummed. "You'll be wishing for a fast trek south then."

Tornac turned to glare witheringly at the woman, and Rose quite glad she was not on its receiving end, wrapped her cloak closer around her. "If you're tired, Rose, go to bed," Tornac said not turning to look at her. "No one will hold it against you. The last couple of weeks have been trying."

She looked at him and nearly laughed- that was an understatement if there ever was one and she knew that the coming weeks would be even more tiresome. Rose turned to her bedroll and blanket, shaking them out, and then curled up under the blanket. There she listened quietly to the soft murmur of Tornac and Ailis' voices as they continued their conversation and surprisingly quickly fell asleep. She was woken by Tornac gently shaking her. It was still dark outside but the cave was lit by the warm glow of embers. She hadn't slept well that night, her head was swimming with thoughts that demanded her attention, her dreams twisting around her thoughts, commending her to a light, fitful sleep.

"Good, you're awake," said Tornac.

Rose rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands.

"Get up and pack. Ailis is eager to leave, not that I disagree with her, we have dwelled here far too long. Once you're ready, come out. You can eat on the trail." Tornac sighed, and she heard his footsteps as he left the cave.

The small cavern was empty, expect for the empty pack that held Rose's blankets. Yawning, she crawled out of her warm covers and into the freezing air. She quickly slipped on her boots and shoved the bedroll in the bag, leaving the blanket out draping over her shoulders as an extra layer of protection against the chilled air.

That day they continued through the woods. In late afternoon Rose thought she detected a thinning in the trees and wondered if they neared the edges. Ailis confirmed this. "By sundown tonight we will be nearing northern regions of Leona Lake. From there we should head northwest to the road that goes through the Spine to Teirm. Our destination is not Teirm, mind you. I would dearly like some news but we cannot risk someone noticing either of you, I think."

"Aye," said Tornac, "going unnoticed by the Empire is most desired."

As the day wore on Rose began to notice a sort of sorrow that seemed to envelop Ailis. Her shoulders were hunched and her face was grim. Ailis spoke seldom and when she did it was but a few words.

As the sun set Ailis was proven correct by her reckoning, in the far distance shone a cerulean lake like a massive beacon in the setting sun. Ailis took them farther back in the woods until she came to a suitable clearing of tough grass. There they made camp and ate a cold meal of bread and cheese. Tornac made Rose face him once more with her sword while Ailis silently watched. As soon as the last light faded from the shadowy heavens, the travelers fled to their bedrolls and thick blankets to escape the chill. A bitter frost came again that night.

The steely overcast held fast, turning their world into a monotonous shadowy replica of the colors it once held. Their days where tedious and it wasn't long before they assumed a repeating pattern. Each morning they awoke, their minds numb and slow from the shock of the frosty air and more than once with frost in their hair and cold stiffening their clothing. Cold and still fighting off the remnants of sleep they would pack up their camp and break their fast. When their bellies were satisfied with an insipid breakfast of stale bread and dried meat, they would began their tedious journey through the bleak rolling valleys of arid grass that surrounded the northern regions of Leona Lake. Much of this time was passed by challenging riddles and puzzling mind games in a futile attempt to keep their minds off the merciless chill. Rose would often stare unseeingly ahead during these games at the infinite vale before her, dreaming of the crackling of a fire and the soft cushioned winged chair that sat in Urû'baen. She soon found that it hard to think of anything but the previous heat of the summer and began to wonder if her earlier life of warmth and comfort was nothing but a fantasy her mind had concocted to torture her.

At midday they would stop for a quick meal and allowed the horses to drink from an occasional stream. After resting they resumed to their aimless trek. In the afternoon they ceased their chatter, their throats raw and their lips chapped and bloodied from the chilled air. Tornac was able to lessen their pain by tying rags around their faces, which covered their mouths and nose. This solution left their faces moist from their breath so when the wind blew, it bit deeper than before and they soon tossed the rags away. On the fifth day of their traveling, Rose began to consider that they were lost as the distant shine of Leona Lake was far behind and neither road nor Toark River were in sight. Despite her warm gloves and thick boots, Rose had chilblains, and she was certain her nose was bright red from being pinched by the cold. She didn't voice her troubles and endured the punishing cold in silence.

Each night they were forced to camp in the barren plains as they have found no signs of either road or humans. Though their minds were tired and their bodies stiff from the infinite cold, they unburdening their steeds and set up a rough camp. Before resting they collected a small mound of grass and bits of wood from a stray tree for the fire that promised little warmth for their skin and heat for their food. Once their bellies were satisfied, though never full, Tornac made Rose practice her swordcraft. He was a tough teacher, who accepted nothing less than perfection, and he would push Rose well past her limit, though the nagging cold often distracted her greatly causing her to fumble and forget much of his advice the moment it spilled from his mouth. Despite her blunders, he enforced that her practice was demanding enough so that within a week's time she no longer dropped her sword every time he struck. Meanwhile, Ailis poured over the map, occasionally muttering under her breath, her face glowing bright in the firelight. Once Tornac announced that they were done for the night, Ailis would fold up the map and check on the dragon eggs. When the sun had set and the warm fire baked the ground, the travelers protected themselves as best they could against the punishing cold by swaddling in their blankets and cloaks.

On the day that marked their nineteenth, remarkably little had passed and so it was a welcoming sight when the sky cleared. The sky was a crystal colored blue and soon cleared of any clouds, the blazing sun was cruel as it brought no warmth to the land below. Yet, despite the cold, Rose was cheered and pulled off her hood grateful for the sunshine.

At midday the air shifted and a bank of swirling dark gray clouds replaced the sun sending the world back into its grey slumber. At the same moment Ailis turned her head alertly and sniffed the air, as if she were a deer sensing danger as a sudden strong wind came up, blowing the grass flat to the ground, and died away into to steady current of air. None of them remarked the change but traveled on with new determination.

Late that afternoon the wind picked up further, and it began to snow heavily. Soon the ground was covered in a frigid blanket of feathery white. Worriedly, Ailis sped up their pace. The horses trudged along with their tails miserably between their legs and their ears flat against their skulls. As the day grew on the light grew worse and worse until visibly ceased to exist.

It was the most miserable day yet, and Rose almost cried with relief when Tornac pointed out a shadow of a roofed building on the horizon. They hastened their gait, keen to reach shelter from the storm. At one point Ailis turned around shouting but her words were lost to the raging howl of the wind.

At last they reached the building and were able to identify it to be a barn. The old barn stood tall and worn from eras of use with weathered pale wood riddled with cracks and holes. The clay tiled roof was crumbling and tattered, in some places it ceased to exist, offering painfully little protection. The front half of the barn was nonexistent, looking as if it was torn entirely off by the jaws of a great fiend.

Apprehensive Tornac dismounted Shadowless and was first to step over the crumbing wood and check the inside. He was gone only moments, leaving the women to shiver in the cold, when he came back out shaking his head but he beckoned them inside. Rose and Ailis both dismounted and guided their horses through the splintered wood.

"It shan't offer us much shelter but at least we are safe from the worse of the storm," said Tornac once they were inside.

The inside was in the same sad state as the rest of the barn; frayed and worn. A pair of twin bronze briers climbed up the high walls of the barn. The ground was littered with droppings and trampled from the years of use from both humankind and animals alike. Few possessions from the prior resents remained; a rusted horseshoe, leaky wooden pails, and a shattered glass vial.

Once the horses were unsaddled, the travelers went to work on removing the dung and broken glass. Soon after a large section of the earth was free of waste, Tornac collected wood for a small fire. They gathered around the flame exultant to warm their stiff and frozen bones. Rose took off her tightly woven gloves and stretched out her naked hands towards the warmth.

That night Ailis made a hot dinner, a mildly seasoned stew of dried meat. They sat and ate in silence listening to the wind rattle their feeble shelter.

The barn was hardly cozy, since it was little more than sheltered half walls of patched wood. Shrieking blasts of wind threw handfuls of sleet and snow onto the floor, where it melted and ran sizzling into the fire. But it sheltered them from increasing gale of the storm that was steadily growing worse. Rose sat hutched with her blanket and cloak both wrapped tightly around her body, as close to fire as she could without catching fire herself.

"I pray this storm blows itself out tonight," said Tornac, "else we could be holed up here for days."

Rose hoped they would not be trapped in that barn for days, it was gloomy enough in the blackness of night. With a sigh she leaned back, and closed her eyes. The intense heat from the fire was beginning to burn her face, and, by the gods, was she tired. Exhausted seeped into every bone of her body, twisting and coiling there as if it were a snake.

"That would be the least of our worries." Ailis said in a high voice. The woman had gotten up minutes after she had finished her serving to look over the dragon eggs as she did every evening. In slow movements she stood up cradling the bag that held the dragon eggs with both hands and walked over to them. She slowly sunk down to the ground where she wrapped her head in her hands. "Of all the horrible events that could happen! It is as if our good fortune had run out the moment we left Urû'baen! If it were not for this wretched storm, I'd be riding out of here at this very moment," she moaned dejectedly.

"What are you going on about?" Tornac asked.

"The bag-! I can't say it! Look in the bag and you'll know!"

Ailis offered the pack to him without looking up. Tornac leaned around the fire so to pick up the large buckskin sack and looked inside. A peculiar expression crossed over his face and he sighed deeply and closed his eyes.

"How could this have happened?"

Rose glanced between Ailis and Tornac, pondering what could have happened to cause such behavior from both of them. Perhaps an egg and broken and they had discovered there was no dragon inside.

"That's what I'm wondering," said Ailis. "The bag has been heavily charmed to hinder such problems from occurring. I was there myself when the bag was spelled and I could see no omissions. You asked how this could have happened, Tornac, but I do not know."

Tornac turned away from them and set the bag aside before looking at Rose and placing it on her lap. "You are a part of this, as well," he said simply before looking back into the fire.

The bag was made of soft yet durable light brown leather on the outside. On the inside there were two twin pouches big enough for the large dragon eggs to dwell side-by-side. These pouches were made of a foreign spongy leaf-green fabric. The stretching that held the bag together was like nothing Rose had ever seen before, small and barely notable. Inside one of the pouches was a large oval emerald green dragon egg lined with pearly veins. The other pouch was empty and a sizeable tear spread across the seaming at the bottom. Rose reached in and pushed her arm through the hole wriggling her fingers as they came out the other end.

Rose looked up at Ailis, who still sat with her head in her hands.

Rose swallowed. "Ailis?"

"Yes?"

"What protections did this bag have?" Rose asked, running her fingers over the dragon egg.

Ailis rubbed her face and looked up at Rose. Her eyes were red and swollen though they held no tears. "Still have, Rose, the spells hold strong. There are enchantments to protect against thief; to prevent any unwelcome eyes from peeking; to protect the eggs from ill; to prevent the bag from tearing or ripping and a many, many more countless spells. All these spells are fueled by a diamond sewn within, do not look for it, it is hard to find.

"These spells were performed by a powerful elf who made the bag itself. The elves played a colossal part in this flight of ours, as they used much of their learning to insure the eggs salvation. And so, I am puzzled as to why the spells still hold and yet the bag is torn, and the egg is missing." With that she fell silent and looked down at her hands.

Rose nodded and looked over the bag with a new respect. This bag was created for one purpose: to insure the eggs safe delivery to The Varden and in return to the Elves yet somehow it had failed. How many or how little protections do we truly travel with? Rose wondered. And how many of those still hold strong?

"What shall we do now," Rose asked, staring at the shining green surface, "Do we look for the egg?"

"What other choice do have?" Ailis began. "We cannot leave one of the last dragon eggs to fend for itself and pray that Galbatorix or one of his servants do not happen across it. I think we shall have to begin a search when this tempest slows. Until then we will have to wait."

Tornac agreed, too tired to tutor Rose in her swordcraft, he bid them good night. He then turned away and swiftly fell asleep. Rose wondered how he found sleep so easily as she would not be able to find the soft folds of sleep in this deafening storm. As if prove her point, the barn shuddered from the wind and a shrill whistle filled their ears. Rose sat silently beside Ailis, cradling the single egg in her lap and running her fingers over the smooth surface. She stared out weary into in night and whispered a silent prayer, that was lost to the wind, that the other egg was safe and that they would find it soon else it be lost forever in the dull plains.