I do not own the Inheritance Cycle.
Edited 1/30/22

Please let me know your thoughts throughout the story, I'd love to hear for you :)

Enjoy,


Child's Play

Saphira let out a deafening roar.

Her neck bent down toward the ground and with her tail arched, she dove into the green crowns of the tree, like a fish jumping into water. She rose up, not a moment later in a spiral, with a something in her grip.

Saphira was a fierce sort of beauty as she arched into the clouds and dropped the wiggling something into the air. The rising sun glistened off her violet-blue scales as she bowed back, and painted the cloud streaked sky in lavender and pink and gold. She snapped at the something, her teeth snapping mere inches from it, before grabbing it once more. The scream the something was letting out was cut off in a moment they both disappeared high into the clouds.

Rose watched in silence, her mouth agape, as the something appeared from above once again and plummeted toward the ground. This time Saphira did not dive after the now silent form as it disappeared into the foliage below. There was a dull thumping and then a short silence before the frantic outcry of men could be heard.

Rose didn't even want to imagine what they were seeing.

She turned away with small shake and mindtouched Thorn, calling out to him. She knew he could hear her, she felt determination surge from him as him acknowledging her, though he did not answer her back but instead began to climb higher into the heavens.

Saphira lunged past them, her wings whistling in the air, towards the trees once more. As she neared a volley of arrow arced into the air, only to be blown away as Saphira spread her wings and blew them away, snapping and snarling at the tops of trees.

Thorn had risen enough now that the misty clouds enveloped them both, and she saw nothing more than a curling of color. Rose swept her gaze up to the back of Thorn's head, feeling slightly faint. She wouldn't dare look down now. With a deep breath she closed her eyes and called out to him again but he continued to ignore her and turned, angling himself back down until the clouds were again hanging above them.

Thorn began to circle down towards the woodland below, though Rose was not looking she could hear Saphira's continued spat; the roars were rather hard not to hear. Then without so much of a warning, Thorn dived, forcing Rose to grab desperately onto the saddle between them, and stopped just as quickly, snapping at Saphira's head. With a snarl, Thorn back away as Saphira turned her attention to him, her tail swinging in surprise.

Saphira growled and twisted away, returning her attention to the unseen men below but Thorn took another swipe at her, fully gaining her attention this time. There they hovered, mere feet from each other, in, what Rose could only describe as, a silent battle. Slowly Saphira's upper lip curled in warning and she snarled an objection, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous light, which made Rose think that the tales she heard of monstrous dragons might just be true. Then quite suddenly, Saphira swirled around and flew into the clouds, clipping Thorn with her wing as she went.

Seemingly unbothered by this, Thorn bellowed at the trees himself before flying away. He flew just beneath the cloud cover, the tips of his wings occasionally disappearing in their mists. As he flew, Rose could feel his emotions settling into a more reliable state and her body to unfreeze as her mind began to clear, allowing her to think again.

Below them, Rose could only see the green crowns of trees. Thorn was flying away from the city of Gil'ead and towards the east, still though he was distantly silent. After a time when Rose could not feel the slightest ting of emotion from him and she knew he was allowing them both time to think.

She couldn't make complete sense of what had happened, the events stilled seemed jumbled but she knew that she would have to work through them before making any sort of decision. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

Somebody would have had to tell to the guards about where they were planning to meet Dormnad, Rose knew this having thought of it earlier. It seemed all too likely that Dormnad was the one who told, but an echo of Tornac voice kept warning her not to make a hasty judgment, and she turned the thought away. She couldn't help it the building anger that came whenever she thought of the man nor that the thought that it could not be anyone else; no one else knew.

At times her thoughts turned to the man she thought she had recognized after leaving Dormnad with the promise of meeting. She had believed, when she had seen him that he was someone she had seen before but without the knowledge of who that person might be. It was not possible though for him to know, he was not in that room. He could not have been listening. She could not think of way that the man could have known when or where she and Eragon would be meeting Dormnad. Perhaps he was, as she thought the night before, nobody important and she was simply overthinking the matter.

With a sigh, she looked at Thorn and bit her lip as her mind turned to the events in the valley. Why, she thought, why would the King ally himself Urgals? If the King was aligning himself with such distasteful creatures he must believe himself to be in an ill position indeed. Very few people would believe this tactic to be a good omen, would lead to anything that could well for anybody. The question was though; why?

She tried to think back to what Tornac had told her, when he had return to Urû'baen from Gil'ead, many months ago but she could not think of his words. Everything that he told her then seemed so jumbled and faded, surely, though, surely he said something about it. She was quite certain he had.

Her frown deepened as she looked past Thorn. She was not certain of what happened to Eragon. She knew she could not dream of leaving for the Varden without him. Not only would she have Selena's wrath but the people of the Varden as well. What sort of person would leave their fellow and their brother no less? Rose knew she could not leave him, she just didn't know where or what happened to him, nonetheless how to get him back.

There were too many questions, too many mysteries for her to work though, and if she did not have the answer to at least one of these there was little that she could do. For a time she picked at a knot on the saddle, thinking over the battle- which made little sense and as confused as she was she didn't remember half of it.

Finally giving up she looked at Thorn and thought about trying to talk to him but was silenced as she realized that whatever it was that he had done or said to Saphira caused her to leave Eragon behind. Rose tried to think of what could be said to make Thorn leave her behind, and thought of nothing. Thinking this, she called after him, Thorn, she said. What did you say to Saphira?

Her question was met by a long silence, and then, Are you alright?

Rose studied her shaking hands, which felt frozen in front of her. I believe that I will live, she said, feeling muddied and heavy. You didn't answer me, though, what did you say to Saphira?

The truth, he said after a moment of silence.

She didn't appear to take the truth all too well.

No, he said, she does not.

Rose bit her lip and went silent, closing her eyes for a time. Please, tell me what happened to Eragon, she requested after a moment, if you do not mind.

I'm not completely sure of that myself, Thorn told her. You will have to ask Saphira once we land.

It was not long after Thorn said this that he began to descend towards a small breaking in the trees. Rose saw that to the north of them a massive body of water sparkled in the sunlight from which a fat, blue river snaked towards the south. She recognized the river almost immediately, having been raised mere miles from its waters, as the Ramr. Though so far north, its waters swirled in a clearer blue than it did near Urû'baen, it seemed purer to her.

Landing near the banks of what she knew to be Isenstar Lake, Thorn walked slowly towards the waters and began to drink, a sound of satisfaction came from deep within his grumbling chest. Rose slid from his back, and crouched on the muddy shore. She dipped her hands into the cool water and splashed her face, trying to force some sense into herself. After rubbing her cheeks for a moment, she stared into the distorted refection and then stood, drying her hands on her thighs.

When Rose turned around, and what she saw startled her so much that she nearly fell into the shore. Saphira was staring down at her balefully, her crystal blue eyes cold and full of a strange light. Her long tongue was flickered in and out between her sharp, very large teeth. Rose backed down the bank, and would have kept going to its water had Thorn not growled in warning.

Saphira then snapped her head up to look pin Thorn with that stare instead, and though Rose was quite grateful she was not no long the target of the dragon's wrath, she didn't dare move. She didn't hear what Saphira said to Thorn, but heard the roar she let out. Rose stepped back, splashing the water, and Saphira turned back to her.

A slow burn crossed her mind almost like the feeling of being seated too close to a fire. She heard Thorn let out another growl and snap his teeth at Saphira, making Rose believe that the feeling came from Saphira trying to mindtouch her. The feeling ebbed as Saphira stepped back, one of her wings hanging limply at her side.

Rose looked between Saphira and Thorn, and gripping the handle of her sword with a shaking hand, she ran quickly to Thorn's side. What's wrong with her? she asked him. I have not ever seen her behave in such a way.

Thorn waited to reply until she stepped out of the banking beside him. She blames you for Eragon's capture, he told her. She thinks that if you had held onto him or tried to stop him, he wouldn't had jumped from my back to help her.

Her stomach sunk to, what felt like, her toes. For a long moment she felt that she could not think. He was taken then, she said when her mind began to work again. She bit her lip. I had feared that he might have been but I had hoped he had gotten away.

Thorn said nothing for a time, but his tail swept across the ground when Saphira swung her head in his direction. She blames me as well, as she has just informed me, he told her. It seems to everyone's fault but his own. He paused. No, especially his own.

You are talking to her? Rose looked up at him with a frown.

Of course, I'm trying to reason with her, Thorn said asSaphira continued to glower. Mind you, I did say that I am trying.

Rose felt herself smile slightly as she nodded. As silently as she could, she walked around Thorn to allow him to do what he felt he must, and sat down at the edge of the water. She didn't want to unpack either of the dragons, she had a feeling they would not be staying for long.

Looking up at the dragons she saw that they were staring at each other, both showing signs of agitation. Thorn's snarl had turned into a faint curl of his upper lip and his tail was flickering back and forth, occasionally hitting his leg. Slowly, he was beginning to relax into a crotch but his tail never stopped moving. Saphira though, Rose felt was harder to read, her tongue continued to flicker and her claws anxiously kneaded the ground. Unlike Thorn she seemed ready to take flight at a moment's notice, and her gaze was continuously on the sky to the west- towards Gil'ead.

Sitting back, Rose noticed that she still had hold of her sword. She went cold as she stared at it at the pale blue hilt until finally the shock resided.

She cursed rather violently. Shooting to her feet with burning cheeks she kicked at the water, nearly falling into it yet again.

How could she had been so thoughtless- so completely idiotic? She should have known better, she certainly had been taught better than to leave her sword in its hilt when danger was about. What had she been thinking? But Rose knew that was just it; she hadn't been thinking at all. She had been far too shocking by the Urgals and their monstrous faces, by the simple fact that they had been trapped in that valley without any true way to escape- Thorn was too far to swoop down without notice, and only Eragon knew where Saphira was at that time. None of these things, however where an excuse for her carelessness.

Perhaps it had been because the weeks she had gone without the warning, without listening to Tornac's constant badgering to keep on her toes and always draw her sword incase need be, perhaps that was why she had acted like such a complete fool.

Suddenly she felt like cursing again but bit her lip harder instead, and began to toss the stones around her feet into the lake. Foolish though it may have been perhaps her imprudence had saved them time and hurt. Perhaps it was because of the lack of any real weapons that the soldiers did attack with the Urgals, but then again that could because they saw Saphira's rage and took a run for it.

Rose knew that if she had been the objective of Saphira's wrath she would leave- or Thorn's for that matter. Thinking of the dragons she turned to check on them, she hadn't heard much snarling within the last few moments and was beginning to think that perhaps Saphira had calmed down.

She hadn't.

If anything Saphira appeared antsier than she had before, truly looking as if she was about to fly away. Her wing still hanging slightly limp, and Rose knew she wouldn't be flying much furtherer that day.

Rose didn't have to think about it for long, she already knew that she had to check on Saphira, and slowly stood up to make her way over. The stones beneath her feet were damp and sleek- more than once she skidded over their smooth surface.

"It would be best if you allowed me to check on your wing, Saphira," she stated as she regained her footing after slipping. "You shan't be flying far if you've injured it."

Saphira looked around at her but it was Thorn that said, It is nothing major. Don't worry about it.

With a frown, Rose edged closer. She had conversations with Saphira like this quite a number of times before, and while before it bothered very little, now she simply exasperated by it. Was she not capable of talking with Saphira without Thorn playing messenger? She struggled to push the feeling away but when she spoke she could hear the anger in her words. "Best to hedge our bets," she said tautly. "If there is nothing wrong, then we'll know for certain."

Saphira, despite being as anxious she was, did let Rose look over her wing. As Rose's fingers slid carefully over the thin velvety skin, she thought of how strange it was that such a fragile feeling thing could be part of a dragon, was the part that allowed the dragon to fly. It was a miracle that dragons flew at all, being as big as they were. Birds she could understand, they light, nimble creatures but the two dragons in front of here were nothing like birds.

Shaking her head to rid it of such thoughts, she felt Saphira twitch as she ran her fingers over a slight bump near the thicker part of her wing. She looked closer and saw the dark, almost black, patching of a bruise. Saphira moved her wing away and when Rose looked up, she saw the dragon looking at her as if to say: 'I told you so.'

Still, though, Rose felt better knowing that no real damage had been done to Saphira and soon conversation moved to what they would do next. Rose spent much of this time glancing between the two dragons as they glowered at each other in a debate that she did not hear. What she did hear was majorly revised by Thorn, or she had to assume this was so when Saphira once nipped at him.

"You two are worse than children," she muttered, after a time of watching their dispute. Her eyes narrowed at the two dragons in front of her. "Spatting at each other like this. It's senseless."

It was not long after she said this that the earlier touch of passion returned to her mind, though this time it did not leaving her feeling as if she were burning. With a start, she noticed that Saphira had moved around and was now looking down at her. This is ridiculous, said a low and slivery voice that could only be the blue dragon. I will not continue to speak through the means of a messenger. We are getting nowhere.

Silently Rose agreed with the statement. Next to her, Thorn snorted, blowing smoke into her face and whacked the ground with his tail. She coughed and waved the gray vapor away.

I will return to Gil'ead, continued Saphira, alone if I must. I will tear apart every tower, every building, to get Eragon back.

"You shan't be going alone," Rose said, turning to Thorn. "I'm not going to stay here and do nothing, nor shall I leave for the south with only Thorn."

Thorn grumbled unhappily and swatted at an insect near his tail. I will not allow you to simply walk into that place, he said.

"I mean you no affront, Thorn, but you are not my keeper," she said. "I plan to take as much precaution as possible."

How? asked Thorn grouchily, his tail sweeping across the ground faster than before.

Rose frowned and looked down at her hands. "I'm not certain as of yet," she said honestly. "I do wish to return to the valley before this day ends. It would do us good to get a layout of the land, see what might have happened there."

There could be somebody there waiting for you to do just that, Thorn said pointedly.

"If that is so than we shall have be that much more careful," said Rose as she folded her hands. "Now that we know they that know we are here, we can prepare ourselves better. They caught us off guard today, and they shan't be expecting a return to that place."

Still, Thorn said in firm tone, I will not take you into such a risk.

You may not be willing, she said only to him through their mindtouch, but I'm willing to wage my bets that Saphira is. She values getting Eragon back much more at this moment than my safety. If you won't take me I shall ask her. She sighed and looked up at him. He was not looking at her, his tail switching through the air angerly. Mind you, that I would rather not act in such a way but I will if means that the King shall not touch Eragon, I shall. I will not allow the King to use him without trying to stop it from happening. I'm not going to allow myself to play his games.

Thorn then fixed her with such intensity that she for certain that was going to burst into flame right then. He thumped his tail against the ground rather loudly and then stood up and walked to the stream. He took a long draft from the water and lay near its edges, and was quiet for a very, very long time. Remember, he said to Rose after he agreed that he would take her, that I have warned that you may very well be playing into these games.

Rose frowned at him but said nothing more about the matter because at that moment. Perhaps he was right, perhaps she was still playing into the King's games.