Volun and his family and the story line are of my creation, all other material belongs to the Inheritance series and its brilliant owner, Christopher Paolini. Enjoy!
Chapter 1: Invaders
Volun shot through the woods as fast as any animal trying to escape danger, the heavy footfalls of his pursuer were easily heard behind him. He needed to think of something fast, he was getting tired of running; always running, he truly wanted to just settle somewhere with his family without the worry of being hunted. He also wanted to know where his family was, the last time he saw them they were all on the run trying to escape from Galbatorixes men. They were in quick pursuit of him and his family so he decided to hide them and lead the pursuers away from the ones he loved.
Over the first couple days he took the pursuers all over the western edge of Du Welden Varden where the great forest rose and fell like great waves from the ocean located even farther to the west. This territory although ruled by the elves, they liked to stay within the boundaries of their great cities and didn't bother him or his family who chose to dwell in this isolated spot. The elves had a different reason for not settling this part of the woods and that was because apart from Ellesmera these parts of Du Weldon Varden were thought to contain the oldest and most powerful known to the elves. Although they knew of it, they weren't even close to understanding it or whoever conjured it. This is the area Volun had been losing the servants of Galbatorix in. He know that two of his pursuers had fallen near Leafel Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in Du Weldon Varden. Two more were lost on the foot pursuit after that, Volun didn't know if they just fell behind or they were overwhelmed by some kind of ancient magic. The only thing he knew right now was that all he could here was one pursuer currently chasing him and although he was tired, his determination to outrun this enemy and set to the task of finding his family made him all the more determined.
Volun was running through possible scenarios of how to lose whoever was chasing him when he stopped. The footfalls had stopped, he strained his Elven ears to the limit trying to hear anything. He heard nothing but the croak of a frog lingering near a stream some yards behind him.
He was just turning back around to get back to fleeing and make a wide curve out of Du Weldon Varden when the familiar twang of a bowstring reached his ears and he barely recognized the flight of the arrow before it embedded itself in the tree he had been standing in front of. The tree exploded sending shards of wood in all directions and leaving a gaping hole in the ancient plant. Thoughts raced through Volun's, so his pursuer could use magic, no wonder this one was able to track him flawlessly. All he had to do was keep up his spell. Volun knew, he had used it to track his little brother down during games that they used to play, he would hide of Volun had to find him.
Volun ran to the other side of the tree where the arrow was protruding half-way. The shaft was glowing red hot and the tip of it glowed white with heat so intense Volun could feel it from a yard away. What remained of the ancient tree burst into flame around the magicked arrow and flames rapidly ascended the wide base. Volun was pained watching the tree be burned as any elf would with their immeasurable love for nature and all things in it. But he had to go and all the sooner now he knew his tracker could use magic.
He would have to change his whole tactic on trying to outrun this magic user. As he understood, which wasn't much but all the same, magic users that were properly trained and had a source of great energy could go almost a week without sleep. Volun knew whoever was after him was sent by Galbatorix and was meant to kill him. Lots of thoughts raced through Volun's mind, if this person could use magic then what had become of his family, he had hid them and tried to lure them away but what if the trackers magic had alerted them of his ruse. The thought put bile in Volun's throat, if he allowed these thoughts to run his conscious there would be no way of concentrating on the task at hand. He pushed any thought or emotion that weren't directly related to problem he was now facing to the very corners in the back of his mind. He would deal with them later.