Every name and event that you recognize is owned by Christopher Paolini. Everything else, belongs to me, myself, and I. Unless I say otherwise of course, because then it belongs to whomever I say that it belongs to. Such as the name at the end of this chapter; it belongs to Sherwood Smith. So with my blessing, Read, Enjoy, and Review or else I won't have the incentive to update since I know the whole story. If you want to know it, make it known to me!

Where am I? Via couldn't help but wonder as her eyes opened to see the open blue sky. She wasn't in the window seat of her room and she had never been one to sleep walk. She raised her hand to her head and tried to sit up but found that she could hardly do so. She also discovered that her legs felt bruised and torn even. And all though she had woken herself up, she was still thoroughly exhausted. She wondered why but then the events of her wedding poured into her head. Was it last night? Or longer? It must have been the night before, Via mused, or how else would she have survived?

You survived because you had me, a thought interjected Via's own and although she could hardly move and was hardly sitting up, she visibly recoiled. "Who said that?" she demanded, her voice coarse from not having spoken for over five years.

Look up, oh brilliant one, the same mocking tone cut into her thoughts once again. But the woman did not look up. Instead, she looked around. After she discerned that the egg she had stolen was not on the ground, as she hoped, she looked up towards the sky. "And here I was hoping I was just happening to go mad," she muttered as she saw the awe-inspiring sight above her head.

A rather large green dragon, with scales to match Via's own emerald green eyes, glittered in the sunlight as it beat it's wings, flying steadily over Via's head. It's been hard to travel with you asleep and having to eat for two, but I managed, the cocky voice said once again and then swooped to the ground suddenly and landed right in front of Via. Only then did Via notice that there was a blanket thrown over the dragon's back. She was about to ask how it had been placed there when the voice entered her thoughts again. I tapped into your magic, hope you don't mind. I figured you wouldn't like to be scraped up after the first time I was able to fly with you a few weeks ago. You have no idea how irritating it was to sit in that mountainous forest with only being able to hunt, waiting for you to awaken and for me to grow.

"Weeks?" Via exclaimed, "that's impossible! I couldn't have slept that long. It's not humanely possible. And why are you talking to me, anyway?"

If possible, the green dragon looked at Via with a look of amusement. Months, actually. At least four but it may be more. I lost track after the first one.Of course it's possible, it happened. And I'm talking to you, because I marked you. And you're a rider now, anyway so it may not be humanly possible, but it is possible.

Via finally stood up from her spot on the ground and looked at her right hand. And saw a shiny Gedwey Ignasia on the back of it. "I can't be your rider. I don't want to be. I was supposed to retrieve your egg and nothing more. There must be a law against such things anyway."

And as for you being my rider, why not? You saved me and gave up five years of your speech to do so! And there is no law against female riders. I just never heard Shruikan tell any to Thorn while he was teaching him.

Via looked at the dragon, her eyes open wide. "You could hear in the egg?" she exclaimed, truly flabbergasted. "I never heard anything of the sorts. And that's not why I don't think I'm eligible to be a rider. My bloodline-"

But I'm sure you never heard of a rider killing another and taking that other's dragon. Galbatorix did it. And as for your bloodline, that hardly matters now. You are a suitable rider because I picked you to be. Now, you have finally awoken so I suggest that you get yourself onto my back because I find it very irritating to have to pick you up and then toss you on my back. The only reason I let you off my back today was because you were speaking in your sleep and that was the most I've heard from you in all this time, so I figured you'd be waking up.

"You're pushy," Via muttered and the dragon snorted and black smoke escaped his nostrils. Via walked over to his side and looked as if she was about to climb onto the blanket but then looked at him. "If I'm to be your rider, at least until I find a way to change this and you must understand that I do not want this, I need to call you something."

It does not matter if you do not want it, he said with only a bit of arrogance on the tone of his thoughts. Unless you die before our thoughts and emotions as well as the Gedwey Ignasia bind us, you will be my rider. I suggest you accept the idea.

Via shook her head, "it's impossible. I won't see the Empire freed of Galdran only to let another rule in my family's stead. But we can discuss this once we reach the Varden, since I do imagine that we are heading to Surda. You have been flying in that direction from the Spine, correct?"

The dragon made yet another snorting sound and if a dragon could roll his eyes, he did just that. Of course I am heading for Surda; although you did not speak aloud when we were in the Spine, as I have discovered that mountainous forest region is called from your thoughts, when I marked you, I caught a glimpse of your friend, Orrin, in Surda.

The dark haired woman couldn't help but laughing. "Orrin is the king of Surda."

Not your friend? I saw a memory of you two laughing over something, then dancing, and then him comforting you.

Via frowned. "I never said we weren't friendly. But don't pry into my mind without my permission again," she said curtly. "It's my mind and although we may be bound together for a time, I plan on keeping my mind my own."

As you wish, however we will soon become connected by emotions, although you should be able to tell which are yours and which are mine. Now, are we going to spend all day sitting in the sun where anybody could look down from the mountains and see us?

"The mountains?" only then did Via look around at her surroundings. And then she swallowed a bit of saliva that was in her throat. "We're in the Hadarac Desert!"

Yes, the dragon thought impatiently. And I'm beginning to become feverish. If you want to make it to Surda within the next few days, I suggest you climb on my back swiftly.

"But… Why did we come to the Hadarac Desert? I thought you said we were in the Spine? We could have just flown south!"

Yes… And not a single soul would see me! Although you may have desired it, I did not wish to alert the king that I actually hatched. You must realize that now the entire Empire is looking for you and, although I tried to be careful, I believe I was seen several nights ago, so the King must have received a report that I have hatched by now, although I cannot be sure. I flew north and then east and only then did I fly south into the Hadarac Desert and now I plan on going southwest, if that is all right with you?

Via shrugged, "it's not as if I have much of a choice. You picked the course when I was sleeping." After a moment of contemplation, she finally placed her hands on the edge of the blanket and somehow pulled herself atop of the green dragon. "How am I supposed to hold on? How did I not fall off while I slept?"

I've been very careful and that is the primary reason for our lack of progress. I'd prefer to go swifter, however, as we're only halfway through the Desert now. If you'd like, hold onto some of my scales. Don't hold on too tightly, however, because you may cut yourself or hurt me. It's too bad that you don't have gloves, but then I guess wedding dresses wouldn't have strong enough ones anyway.

A wave of sorrow passed through Via as she realized what Murtagh might have thought about her now. I didn't mean to hurt him, she reasoned. I was just doing what was best for the Empire. But he'll be hurt by the fact that I didn't confide in him even before he became Galbatorix''s puppet.

Oh, stop your worrying about your lost love, the thoughts once again interjected her own as the green dragon started to beat his wings.

"I told you my thoughts are to be my own! And he's not my lost love!"

Not your lost or not your love? And you actually said your mind, your thoughts are fleeting and I figured those were not restricted. And, if you desire them to be, I am sorry but I cannot acquiesce to your request. You are my rider and as such, we need to be able to understand each other's actions by knowing one another's thoughts.

"Have it your way," Via said, paling as she looked down to the ground beneath her. "I think I may be sick."

And I have hardly picked up any speed!

"I'm sure you preferred me asleep."

Yes, I did. You were more polite.

"You're not the most polite person ever!"

I am not a person.

Via accepted that and soon her stomach became settled and she started to actually enjoy the flight. Not that every time she looked down she didn't a bit unsettled. She was used to traveling by horse or by magic. The former was a mere few feet from the ground and the other… Well, she had only done that twice and both times she had not remembered a bit of the journey, although the first one she had been awake when she arrived at her destination. That time, another witch had cast the spell.

As she tried to think of how much time had passed, and how badly she must smell, a thought, of her own, appeared suddenly in Via's mind. The dragon had not told her his name. He obviously knew what she was thinking, for a split second later; he directed thoughts in her direction.

Although usually the rider picks a suitable name for the dragon, I do not know my True Name and I did not feel like calling myself 'dragon' for the time that you were asleep so I picked a name I had once heard while in my egg.

Via waited for him to tell her his name, but he did not. She scrunched her eyebrows towards her nose, showing her frustration. She was about to demand of him to tell her, when he once again interrupted her thoughts.

Vidanric.

A/N: Sorry, this chapter isn't as detailed as the other two. I wanted to have Via meet the dragon, and show a lot about their relationship. I don't want to have to write chapters about their relationship since I only have one review so far. I know their relationship in my mind and so I only feel the need to put a bit of it onto paper since it seems that nobody enjoys my story.

And for anyone who recognizes the dragon's name, yes, he does have an irritating drawl!