Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters (excluding Lorena), there will be some direct quotes from the books.
The rough spun dress scratched against her once soft skin. Blinded by the sun she tried to shield her eyes, but someone to her right struck her with a crop. The sound of laughter exploded in front of her and she instead stared at the ground. The auctioneer started up the bidding but she could barely hear over the weeping of the woman and child who were next in line.
Lorena peaked up from the platform that she stood on to see a large, lively crowd. They were dressed lavishly, and staring at her intently. She then noticed one young man, dressed in tattered travel clothes, who clenched his jaw and soon walked away.
"Sold!"
Someone grabbed her arm and dragged her off the platform before the bidding continued. Lorenas' heart sank when she saw that it was a small child, their mother weeping uncontrollably on the side of the platform, before a slaver used a smooth wooden stick to silence her.
Near all the slaves had been sold when a man dressed in yellow came to pay for her. He was short, about five foot five, only an inch taller than Lorena. His hair was starting to grey and his face shone bright red, possibly from alcohol.
"Come." He barked, as he grabbed the long chain connecting her wrists and gave her a tug.
Lorena stumbled, but caught herself and followed. The man did not speak to her again, only giving her a rough tug when she lapsed too far behind. Watching her surroundings, attempting to calculate an escape. She had been travelling with the slavers for weeks, crossed over most of Alagaësia, and was determined that her days of slavery were done. The man in front of her didn't seem like he could put up much of a fight, but Lorena was worn, and had only been given food every second day during her travels. She wasn't confident that she'd get away, but when he turned down an alleyway, she figured it was her best chance.
Clasping her hands and forearms together, she smashed the man against the back of the head with her shackles, just as she had imagined doing to her slavers. He dropped instantly and silently. The young woman then rolled him over, and heaved him up to sit against the wall, hoping that anyone who found him would simply think of him as a drunkard.
She tucked the arm chains as far down her sleeves as possible, before quickly exiting the alley. The street outside was busy so she walked out with her head low and kept close to the buildings. It was not long before she heard a shout, and looking behind she saw guards running down the street. Believing that they had discovered her already, she bolted, running down the street, skipping through alley ways trying to find an exit to the city and hoping to lose anyone following her.
As Lorena ran past an inn with the faded sign reading "The Golden Globe" she made eye contact the same young brown haired man from the auction. She started to turn, and dart in a different direction, when a silver haired man with him also turned and looked at her.
"Esther?" The silver haired man questioned. Lorena stopped cold. How did this man know her mother? Coming to her senses, Lorena ran to him, holding out her hands to show the chains, hoping that he would help her.
"Jierda!" He shouted and the chains snapped. Lorena ran to the man, jumped up behind him on his horse and wrapped her arms around his waist. Just as she steadied herself he took off at a gallop with the brown haired man not far behind.
Terrified, confused, and exhausted Lorena simply held on as they galloped through the streets, almost crashing into the masses of people. When they did stop it was only a few seconds when the men shouted to the other and then they were off again, there were shouts and then they passed lines of soldiers and were out of the city. Though they didn't stop there, they continued to ride through the outskirts of Dras-Leona and eventually into a cluster of trees.
The trees parted before them and Lorena gasped. Before her stood a fiercely beautiful blue dragon. Standing as tall as a house, with a long arching neck, and glinting scales that the sun reflected off causing blue lights to be cast all over the ground.
The brown haired man jumped off his horse and climbed onto the magnificent beast, and then they were air born buffeting the man, woman, horses, and trees on the ground.
"Esther, get on the other horse!" Lorena did as she was told, dismounted and leapt onto the brown, riderless horse. Then the old man was off, galloping at an incredible speed and Lorena had no choice but to follow.
They rode away from city, into harsh lands. When the wind began to pick up the dragon landed, and they stopped the horses.
"What's wrong?"
"The wind's too strong."
"It's not that bad," objected the silvered haired man.
"It is up there," the brown haired man walked over to Lorena and mounted behind her. The wind grew steadily worse so they wrapped clothing around their faces to protect their eyes. The group was eventually forced to stop and make camp when darkness fell, and that's when the questions started.
"Who are you?" The silver haired man asked, "How do you know Esther?"
"My name is Lorena, my mother's name is Esther." Lorena sighed with relief, "How did you know her?"
"She and her husband were a part of the Varden when I knew her."
Lorena nodded, she had heard her parents speak of the Varden on numerous occasions.
"Why were you in chains?"
"My parents and I were captured by slavers months ago, I don't know where they are but I was brought here and sold at auction today."
"I thought I recognised you," said the brown haired man.
"Who are you people? How do you have a dragon?"
"My name is Brom, this Eragon, and Saphira. We are on our way to the Varden. I would actually wish to not have you here with us, but I don't know what to do with you especially since you have now seen Saphira."
"Trust me," Lorena told him honestly, "if I could do anything to be at home and not have experienced any of this to me or my family, I truly would."
"I may be able to remove your memories, but even if I did I wouldn't know what to do with you."
The group sat in silence, no one really knowing what to say or what to do. Lorena not even believing that this had really happened, waiting to wake up and find this all to be an odd dream.
Eventually Eragon went through the supplies and removed a small amount of food, he handed it out between the three of them and they ate dinner silently.
After the sparse meal, Eragon turned to Brom and asked bluntly, "How did they find us?"
Brom and Eragon continued to talk about how some creatures named the Ra'zac had managed to find them, and how they could possibly lure them out for a fight. Lorena listened silently and intently, hoping to find out as much as she can from her new captives.
"I'll take the first watch," said Eragon after a long silence. He stood, hesitated, and walked to the edge of camp.
"What is it?" asked Brom as he unrolled his blankets.
"I don't know. I thought I saw something. It must have been a bird." He said as he turned back around. A pained expression took over his face, and Saphira roared. Then Eragon toppled to the ground, unconscious.
