A/N: Yes, it's been a while since I've updated... I am aware of that. But, I only got ONE review for the last chapter. Thank-you maddy midnight for your review.
Anyhow, I've had writer's block for a while now, and it's starting to go away, so, here it is.
Also, I will not update unless I have at least five reviews for the chapter. Or I might just update it anyway, but still, you've got to review this, people, or I will lose all hope in my story. Yes, I'm aware that I'm addicted to reviews, don't bother me about it.
Dislcaimer: Eragon/ Eldest © to Christopher Paolini.
Taya twisted and turned in her sleep, a memory flashing in front of her shut eyes.
--
She sat huddled around a small fire the boy had made.
"What's your name?" she asked.
The boy looked down at his feet. "I'd rather not say," he answered softly.
Being younger, she had much more faith and trust in him.
"Alright," she said. "My name's Taya."
He looked up at her. "Hello, Taya of..."
Taya looked up. "We didn't live in a town," she said.
"Oh," the boy whispered. "Why were you in Gil'ead?"
"I don't know," she answered honestly.
She looked up at the hill with burnt wood at the top. Tears pricked her eyes as she saw two men digging through the rubble. Anger bloomed, and at a young age, she learned the meaning of hate.
"I'm sorry," the boy said.
Taya looked up. "It's not your fault," she said. "It's not like you had anything to do with the fire.
The boy's face darkened and he murmured something she couldn't understand.
Taya looked up at the sky and wished she could stay out in the streets with the boy forever.
"I don't want to go with them," she said, thinking of her new stepparents.
He looked up. There eyes locked for a moment, and it gave her a feeling of comfort.
"Why?" he asked bitterly. "You'll have a home with people who love you!"
Tears fell from the boy's eyes. Instinctively, Taya walked over and placed an arm around his shoulders. He leaned forward, trying to conceal his tears.
"Careful," she said. "Mommy always told me not to go to close the fire."
He looked up at her, wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Thank-you," he said.
She released her grip on his shoulders, sliding back to her spot across from him.
"Why don't you want to go with them?"
She looked down, making marks in the dirt with her fingers.
"I guess... it just doesn't seem like they care."
The words hung in the air as the boy looked up to the sky.
"Taya of Nowhere," he said, "I promise I will come and take you from those people, and together, we can have all the adventures we want."
--
Taya awoke, due to Visii hissing in her ear.
"What?" she hissed out loud, wondering why the werecat was waking her.
It's time to go.
Taya's eyes widened, and the wind from her open window blew against her cheek.
It had been four months since Wyrda had hatched, and since that fateful day, she had known she'd have to leave Teirm. She just wasn't expecting it to happen so soon.
Now? she croaked.
Visii's eyes flashed.
Yes.
Taya swung her legs over the side of her bedlooking down at the dust covered floor. Visii was resting on her pillow.
Hurry and pack, she said, licking her paw, eyes flashing.
Taya nodded her head, and grabbed her tunic and boots, the same outfit she'd worn when Wyrda's egg appeared.
Speaking of Wyrda, the dragon had gotten smarting and had begun forming sentences. His presence was constant in Taya's mind, and it frightened her at times.
Wyrda, she said, we're leaving tonight.
Excellent, he said, his voice ringing in her mind.
She smiled to herself as she packed clothes into her leather sack. 'Excellent' had been a word that Wyrda had learned about a month ago, and he'd been using it as often as he could. Ever since he'd been able to communicate with her using words, he'd been attempting to expand his vocabulary. It was somewhat tiresome, having to go over words with him hundreds of times before he understood what they meant, but thankfully Taya had Visii with her, whose vocabulary was very large, having been around ages longer than she had.
Fully dressed and packed, Taya snuck downstairs, holding her boots in her hands so the sound of her walking wouldn't awake her stepparents.
What are you doing? Visii asked, her eyes changing from green to blue, for a reason Taya knew not.
Getting food and money.
Quietly slipping into her stepparents bedroom, Taya walked slowly and quietly towards the side-table on her stepfather's side. Quietly pulling the bottom drawer open, she rummaged through her stepfather's possessions until she came to a thick coin purse. Pulling it out, she slipped it into her pocket, and she felt a pang of guilt.
She couldn't take their money without an explanation, could she?
Taya quickly walked to the other side of the room and got a piece of parchment and paper and wrote a note to her stepparents.
Dear Stepfather and Stepmother,
Please do not be angered with me, but I am leaving home. I know you must think it is improper for a girl to leave home without a husband, but certain events have occurred that would involve me putting all of Teirm in danger. I know that when you read this you must think I am playing a childish game, but I am not. A friend of mine (if you can call her that) has warned me of the possibilities. I know now that if I stay, I could endanger all of Teirm.
I am sorry for taking you money, but it's necessary.
Sincerely,
Taya
Taya folded up the note and placed it on the table. She tiptoed out of the room, pressing her hand against the coin purse to keep the money from jangling.
Your sword and bow! Visii exclaimed.
Taya gasped. Right!
She dashed past Bartimus's room, and into her own. She ran to the back of the closet and retrieved her sword and bow, attaching them to her back.
As she headed back out her door, she couldn't resist the temptation of stealing something of Bartimus's.
You could say it was to remember her dear brother by.
She entered his room, and it smelled foul. She pinched her nose and quietly walked towards a small chest in the corner of his room. She had never been permitted to open it, but, she couldn't resist.
Tilting the top open, she gasped as she saw jewels glowing in the moonlight that streamed through the window.
What caught her eye the most was a small emerald on a thin, gold chain, and she felt drawn to it.
She lifted it up and gazed at it. She started as Bartimus snored, and quickly tucked it into her sack, not noticing something glittering on the back of the jewel.
She tiptoed out of the room and down the stairs, heading towards Felice's chamber on the lower floor. She opened it slowly and stepped into the small, windowless room. Though the walls were cold stone and the floor was concrete, Taya found it the most comforting room in the whole house. Felice had made it warm and comforting with the smell of her home cookie and herbs. She had decorated it with warm colors, and whenever Felice had enough, she'd use the money to buy something new for the room, because she claimed she wanted it to look like her home in Therinsford. Taya spent a lot of time here, as Felice was only in her early twenties, and Taya in her late teens, and the two talked a lot about things. Things Taya would never feel comfortable talking about with her stepparents. Having Felice around was like having a sister.
Taya felt a pang of sadness as she shook Felice awake.
Felice opened her eyes, revealing deep pools of blue.
"Taya?"
Taya nodded her head. "Felice, I'm leaving."
Felice blinked, wide awake now.
"Leaving?"
Taya nodded her head. "Some... circumstances have come up... that... I just wanted to say good-bye. You're my best friend, Felice!"
Felice blinked back tears.
"Of course," she whispered. "And you're mine. Even when you're old and gray, I'll remember ya."
Taya smiled. "Thanks." The two hugged for a quick moment, before Felice broke away.
"Go where you have to go," Felice said with an encouraging smile. "Go now, before the mistress wakes up for her one-in-the-morning snack. She's been putting on some extra pounds, eh?" Felice asked, nudging Taya comfortingly on the elbow.
Taya grinned. "Yeah, she has. Good-bye, Felice!" she exclaimed as she turned towards the door.
As she left, the last thing she heard Felice say was:
"Whenever you say good-bye, remember, it's always until next time."
Smiling to herself, Taya walked down the stairs, grabbed some food, and left, making her way out of Teirm.
--
The cool air hit Taya's face as she climbed up the hill to where Wyrda and Visii sat.
"Hello," she said, setting down her heavy pack on the ground.
Greetings, said Wyrda, nudging Taya's shoulder.
Taya smiled at Wyrda and leaned against his legs, allowing herself to relax for the first time that night.
"Hello, Taya."
Taya stiffened. The voice was not inside her head, so that meant someone had followed her.
Worried, she whirled her head around and found a small girl with dark black smiling at her. Her emerald green eyes flashed, and suddenly, they were blue.
"Visii?" Taya asked tentatively.
The girl nodded her head.
"In human form, yes," said Visii. "I thought it would be easier for flying purposes."
Taya nodded her head, somewhat dazed. She supposed it might be hard for a werecat to fly on a dragon's back, but Visii could have at least told her she was in human form instead of giving her a huge start.
"Well, do you intend on leaving this desolate hill?" asked Visii, awaking Taya from her thoughts.
"Er... I suppose I do," Taya responded. "So, how do we...?"
Wyrda snorted.
Just hop on. Visii found a saddle that should fit, Wyrda said as he lowered himself.
"Put the saddle on," Visii suggested with a sarcastic hint in her voice, her eyes turning brown now.
Taya nodded and carefully placed the saddle on Wyrda, having done this many times with a horse, it wasn't too difficult. Though, adjusting the girth posed a problem.
Wyrda, she said, I'm afraid you might be too big for the saddle!
In no way am I too big for this saddle, Wyrda huffed. Are you saying I'm fat?
Taya blushed. No! Simply that you're larger than a horse...
Well that makes me feel a whole lot better.
Taya grinned, and with a final pull, tightened the girth. Wyrda let out a trail of smoke that swirled through the air as the wind came and swept over Teirm. Taya looked down at the city and felt a sudden rush of longing, to be with her stepparents and to never have found Wyrda.
I am deeply sorry.
She looked up and her eyes met her dragon'sThey were round and full of guilt and sorrow, as if it were his fault that she missed her home.
It's not your fault, Wyrda, she whispered, patting his neck. It was fate. Good fate.
Wyrda's eyes warmed.
"Done reveling in your pasts and sorrows?" Visii asked, walking up to them with a stick in her ivory hands. Her eyes changed to hazel.
Taya nodded and tentatively climbed up onto the saddle. She wobbled slightly as she placed her foot in the stirrups, and suddenly felt as if she were about to tip over as she attempted to swing her foot over her dragon's back.
Hurry hatchling.
She nodded her head and swung her leg over, sitting deep in the saddle to try and balance herself.
Visii nimbly jumped on to the saddle, sitting casually.
"You act as if you've done this before," Taya whispered, eyeing the werecat.
"I've been around a while."
Taya grinned and looked up at the sky.
I guess we're ready.
Wyrda spread his emerald green wings, fanning them out, making the grass shake from the wind his wings created. Flapping them, they hovered a foot above the ground for a second, and they slowly rose into the air.Taya gasped as they rose higher and higher into the sky, veering in the direction of Surda.
As she flew, the weight of the world suddenly fell on her shoulders. She was now responsible for Alagaesia's future.
She, Eragon, and Murtagh could save Alagaesia or destroy it.
--
As she reveled in her thoughts, she was surprised to find almost a day had passed. She'd spent her time attempting not to fall off, talking to Wyrda and Visii, and wondering how to defeat Galbatorix.
That night they stopped by a cluster of trees large enough to conceal Wyrda. It was pretty uneventful, they ate and slept.
That morning when Taya woke up, the sun streamed through the leaves, casting gorgeous shadows on the ground. She shook Visii and Wyrda awake, letting them know that they had to get moving.
They packed up camp and continued flying towards Surda, when Wyrda claimed to have spotted something up ahead.
What is it? asked Taya as they drew steadily closer. Perhaps a bird?
It's too large, Wyrda responded.
Get closer, Visii said, narrowing her eyes, which flashed to emerald green.
As they drew closer, Taya gasped.
It wasn't a bird. It was a sapphire blue dragon and her rider, heading in the direction of Surda.
A/N: Well, what'd you think? Like it, hate it, review it. Remember, at least FIVE reviews for this chapter before I update. Well, I might just end up updating if no one reviews, but still, you people have to review out there.
Bet you couldn't guess who the dragon and rider were, huh? XD
Review!