Chapter 3: Tea Time With Dragons

Alright: Disclamer: Everything Eragon belongs to C.P.

It was a few weeks after the traders had come and gone. Jocelyn sent Riley over to Brom's to deliver him her freshly dried tobacco. It was a short walk over to his small house. As Riley approached the door, she could hear his muffled voice. Someone else was in there. Riley had no idea who it could be. Brom usually kept to himself. She didn't want to disrupt and considered coming back later, but the decision was made for her when she heard Brom call out:

"Enter if you wish."

Riley pushed open the door and strode in. Brom's house looked exactly as it did the last time she was here, almost a year ago. She quickly took in the cluttered small room, filled with books and scrolls and other ancient looking cabobbles. And sitting across from Brom, in front of the lit fireplace was Eragon. She stared at him from the corner of her eye. He seemed thinner. Maybe she'll send over some soup.

She said to Brom, "Here's some more for you pipe, Brom. Jocelyn thought you'd be getting low." As always the old man had his pipe in his mouth but took it out to smile slightly.

He said, "You can put it on the mantle in the box. Tell your mother 'thank you' for me."

Riley made her way around the table to the fireplace. She had to move carefully, trying not to knock over any piles of dust covered books. Brom ignored Riley and continued with his conversation, "As I was saying...a brash elven youth hunted down a dragon, and killed it."

Just as Riley was reaching for the box, her foot caught on the tip of a book. All her weight was towards the fire and she felt the flames get hotter as she fell closer. It all happened so fast. She did it without thinking. She said the first word that popped into her head, vivid from reading the journal, and everything seemed to slow down, everything besides Riley at least. She twisted her slim body, so it faced the other side of the room. Then she tucked in her legs and sort of did a flip. The room spun and then stopped. She found herself right side up and still on her feet. The room was silent, the flames moving back and forth now at normal speed. Riley blinked and realized as the vertigo dissipated that it was the other way around; she had sped up. Her limbs moved at lightning speed. Eragon was gaping open mouthed at her.

"Well, that would have been bad," Riley laughed, making an effort to slow her body. She turned to the box and dropped the tobacco in. Her arm felt heavy as she brought it back to her side; her whole being felt tired and heavy. She heard Brom cough and get up, the chair making scraping sounds across the floor. She felt his hand grip her arm and he led her to an almost empty wooden bench. The tea kettle began to shriek. Riley was hardly aware of it. She watched dimly as he took out the whistling kettle, rapidly poured some tea and brought it to her.

"Um, thank you." She took a burning sip. He looked at her seriously for a moment, stopping at her bare neck for the briefest glance. Frowning, he turned and gave some to Eragon and himself, then went to sit back down. Riley drank again. She noticed that it quickly brought back energy. There was a familiar taste to it. "Hey, Brom? What's in this?"

"It's your mother's rose tea. Now Eragon, where were we?"

Eragon shook his head and blinked, "I don't remember."

Brom inhaled from his pipe. "Ah, I know now. The story of your namesake." He cleared his throat. "No one knows why that egg was abandon. Some say the parents were killed in an elven attack. Eragon saw the value of raising a friendly dragon. He cared for it secretly and, in the custom of the ancient language, named him Bid' Daum among the dragons. They convinced them to live in peace with the elves. To ensure that war would never break out again, they decided that it was necessary to establish the Riders.

"At first the Riders were intended merely as a means of communication. They were given more authority as their worth was recognized. Now I believe I have answered two of your questions."

"Yes," Eragon, "What does Eragon mean?"

"I don't know. It's very old. I doubt anyone remembers except the elves, and fortune would have to smile greatly before you talked with one."

At that moment the small cup slipped from Riley's grasp as she sucked in a breath after what Brom said. She reached for it. Luckily she was ready for it and caught it before it would have hit the floor. Eragon glanced at her curiously. He was about to say something to her, but Riley answered before he even asked.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm fine. Really. Go on, Brom."

He took her advice and went on as if nothing happened. "It is a good name to have, though; you should be proud."

Then Eragon asked where humans were when Riders were established. To which Brom told him that they didn't arrive until another three centuries. Eragon asked if there were any more dragons alive.

"That is the greatest mystery in Alagaesia nowadays. The only dragons spared by Galbatorix were those twisted enough to serve under him. If there are any free left, they are hidden."

Riley watched patiently, her tea half gone. Eragon seemed to be very keen on knowing as much as he could about dragons. Of course it interested her too. As she listened, she learned that they were huge creatures that never stopped growing; that they could breathe fire and mate at around six months. Then Eragon mentioned that he heard their 'scales shone like gems.' And they did according to Brom.

"They came in every color and shade...But who told you that?"

"A trader," was Eragon's answer. Brom tried to find out more but Eragon told him that he never knew his name. Brom's pipe had gone out and now he relit it after Eragon quickly said that the trader explained that Riders could hear their dragon's thoughts. To Riley's dismay, Brom said, "He was wrong. It isn't in any of the stories, and I know them all." Brom's eyes had become slightly narrowed throughout the conversation about the trader's intel.

It flowed to another subject of dragons. Through this Riley also learned that day about the lifespan of dragons. They lived forever if not killed or their Riders died. And that Riders lived forever too.

Brom looked at Eragon seriously. "Dragons were magical creatures. They affected the things around them. Their Riders grew stronger and minds were sharper. A human Rider's ear would gradually become pointed, but they were never as much as an elf's were." Riley noticed Eragon react as his fingers twitched. Then he asked, "Where they smart?"

Riley scowled just as Brom did. After everything she heard about them, it seemed obvious that the marvelous dragons had superior intelligence. To enhance her thought, Brom went on. "Of course they were, as much as you or I. The dragons were just as important as the Riders. Who would fight if they saw a fire breathing dragon?"

Brom silenced and watched as he blew smoke rings. Riley had finished her cup a few minutes ago, but only now realized it as she tried to drink more. It was wonderfully warm and revitalizing. She set the ceramic cup down beside her on the bench. Riley moved, lifting her legs to her chest. She wrapped her arms around and leaned her chin on her knees.

"What were some of their names?" Riley looked to Brom curiously, "What would seem fit to name a beautiful creature like that?"

Brom nodded and listed off at least twenty. The last name said was Saphira. Riley would have missed that name, if she had not been so entranced with the subject.

Riley could tell this discussion was drawing to a close. It was confirmed as Eragon stated, "Well, Roran's probably finished with Horst. I should get back, though I'd rather not."

Brom acted surprised. "I thought you'd want me to answer even more about their mysteries. What about dragon battle tactics or aerial combat? Are we really done?" Riley couldn't help laughing, although she would have liked to hear Brom tell more about dragons.

"For now," laughed Eragon also, "I learned what I wanted to and more."

Brom and him stood up and walked to the door. Brom told him goodbye and Riley waved to him. The door closed and Brom turned to Riley.

"That was interesting. He's a very curious boy as of late. Again, thank your mother for me."

"I will," replied Riley," Brom?"

He had been picking up books and scrolls, moving them from one stack to the next. "You're wondering what happened when you went to the box?" Brom set down the book and strolled to the fire. "It's not unusual. Not for someone like you."

"What did I do exactly? It was like my body knew what to do before I did." Riley always had this strange feeling throughout her when there was talk of these sorts of things. But she didn't have a clue why. Maybe Brom would be able to clear things up.

"It depended on what certain word you said. You enhanced your movements." Brom said this with a guarded look, as if he didn't want to say too much.

Riley's mouth opened, her mind trying to process this. "But how? How does that work?"

"I've already told you. Now, it's getting late. You should get back to Jocelyn," he said in a gruff voice.

Riley didn't want to leave yet but knew she had stayed long enough. She stood, all wobbliness disappeared, and returned the mug to the table and looked back at the bearded man as she passed through his door. He was staring into the fire with a deep faraway look. She wondered what he was thinking about.

Not for someone like you. What in the world did he mean by that? What did he know about herself that she didn't know? Riley huffed. She would have to work up the courage to talk to her mother about it. Jocelyn didn't like to talk about the past. It always ended up in arguments. She'd seen it enough times between Cori and her. But there had to be something with Riley's upbringing that Brom was referring to. Or maybe he was just stating that because she knew a few words of the Ancient Language.

Riley frowned her whole walk home.