Chapter 5-

Alianna

I ran until I could run no more. Finally I collapsed into a heap, crying, unable to move. As I lay like that, I thought about my life and how it changed. My entire life had turned upside down in an instant; my father was gone, Murtagh ripped from my life and all in a terrible instant I was alone.

I don't know how long I was laying there before I heard a voice. Alianna. Alianna, get up. You are not safe yet. Move to a safer location and then wallow in misery.

"Who's there?" I sat up, wiping way my tears, looking around. Never had I heard that voice before. Looking around, I realized that the voice was right. I was not in a safe location.

Yes, you need to move. The voice said.

"Who are you? Where are you? Why are you helping me?" I demanded looking around, trying to spot whoever was talking.

Why am I helping you? My dear Alianna, how could I not help the granddaughter of Cadfan, my rider? That probably answers who I am. Now, where I am; I am in the bag your father always carried around.

"Hosea? But you are dead. You died a long time ago." I gasped, digging into the bag and pulling out a large, and heavy green stone. In the bag there was also a smaller green stone.

Yes my dear, I did die. My body did at least. I can explain everything later. Right now it is imperative that you move to a safer location. Once you do, I promise to explain everything. You'll want a location that you can live at for a good long while. That means a location that is well hidden and secluded, close to a stream or river, and where there is plenty of game.

"Hosea, you better tell me everything once I get there ok?" I demanded.

Of course Alianna dear. You are not alone in this world. I am here to help you. However, you do need to move to a safer location.

"Very well," I said standing up. Once I put the green stone back in the bag with the other one, I started moving once more. This time, I was not running but taking my time, looking where I was going, memorizing the layout of the land, just as my father had taught me. I would not let my father die in vain.

Finally, after hours of searching I found the perfect spot. I had found a little cave in the side of a gully that had a stream at the bottom abound with fish and fresh deer tracks.

Yes, this is the perfect place. Hosea said. Plenty of room in the cave for you. Plenty of game around as well. Alianna my dear, I know I promised to tell you everything once we got here and also to let you wallow in misery, but both of those are going to have to wait for a while.

"Yes, I can't wallow in misery. That's not what dad would want from me. The honor in his death would disappear if I did so." I said sitting at the mouth of the cave.

Well said Alianna. But however, right now…

"I need to collect firewood for tonight." I said standing up. "And then possibly some food."

Yes, you do. Alianna, you are just like Cadfan, strong in the face of adversary. That is the highest honor I can bestow, little dragon rider.

Several hours later, I was sitting next to the fire I had made, watching the meat of the buck cook. Hosea sat in my lap while she explained that what I was holding was her heart of hearts.

This is how I am still alive, Alianna. I will explain it to you the same way I did to my rider and my pupils, Glaedr and Oromis. Unlike with most creatures a dragon's consciousness does not reside solely within our skulls. There is in our chests a hard, gemlike object, similar in composition to our scales, called the Eldunari, which means "hearts of hearts." When a dragon hatches, their Eldunari is clear and lusterless. Usually it remains so all through a dragon's life and dissolves along with the dragon's corpse when they die. However, if we wish, we can transfer our consciousness into the Eldunari. Then it will acquire the same color as our scales and begin to glow like a coal. If a dragon has done this, the Eldunari will outlast the decay of their flesh, and the dragon's essence may live on indefinitely. Also, a dragon can disgorge their Eldunari while they are still alive. By this means, a dragon's body and a dragon's consciousness can exist separately and yet still be linked, which can be most useful in certain circumstances.

"So that's what you did?" I ask in shock.

Yes, that's what I did. However doing such exposed me, like it does when dragons do so, to a great and terrible danger. Whoever holds our Eldunari holds our very soul in their hands. With it, they could force us to do their bidding. This is how Galbatorix remains so powerful. Hosea said disgusted.

"If this is so, then why did the riders even learn about the Eldunari?" I asked. "I am grateful that you are still here to help me, but it seems like more harm came to be than good."

Yes young one, it does seem that way. However, before Galbatorix's rise to power it was not uncommon for a Rider's dragon to disgorge their Eldunari merely for the sake of convenience. Anyone who holds a heart of hearts may communicate with the dragon from which it came without regard for distance. The whole of Alegaesia might separate a Rider and dragon, and yet if the Rider had with him his dragon's Eldunari, they could share thoughts as easily as if they were right next to each other.

"Share thoughts" I was confused. I knew that Hosea could only communicate with me by speaking in my mind. It made sense; she did not have a mouth.

Yes my dear. That is how a rider communicates with their dragon; just like we are now. I know you are using your voice, but there is no need to. In addition to sharing thoughts, a magician who possesses an Eldunari can draw upon the dragon's strength to bolster his spells, again without regard for where the dragon might be.

"Again, why then do dragons disgorge their hearts of hearts? Wait, no, this is what I meant to ask. Why do they tell their riders? That can cause greed." I asked slowly comprehending what Hosea was saying.

Yes, it does. In the wild, a dragon would learn about his Eldunari from one of his elders when he was old enough to understand the use of it. That way a dragon would not transfer themselves into their hearts of hearts without knowing the full importance of their actions. Among the Riders, a different custom arose. The first few years of partnerships between a dragon and a rider are crucial to establishing a healthy relationship between the two, and the Riders discovered that it was better to wait until newly joined Riders and dragons were well familiar with each other before informing them of the Eldunari. Otherwise, in the reckless folly of youth, a dragon might decide to disgorge his heart of hearts merely to appease or impress his rider. When we give up our Eldunari, we are giving up a physical embodiment of our entire being. And we cannot return it to its original place within our bodies once it is gone.

Picking up the smaller green stone, I said, "Oh. And this must be a dragon egg. I thought there were none left."

Yes, as far as I know, this is the last dragon egg. I rescued this one. I had hopes that it would hatch for your father, but then you were born Alianna, and I knew. Your destiny is to be a dragon rider and this is to be your dragon.

"Wow." Was all I could say. Then something entered my mind. "Hosea, why did you rescue this exact egg? Why not other ones as well? Or was it random chance?"

No, this was not random chance. I choose this exact egg because this is my only egg. Hosea said. Finally I understood why she was so proactive and loving towards the egg. I was entering the world I had always dreamed of.

A/N: Ok, sorry this took longer to write than I was expecting. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. In the next we will see how Murtagh is holding up at the castle. Since I do not own the Inheritance Cycle, and I knew that it would be best to leave explain the heart of hearts up to the master, I underlined everything that I took from Brisingr. Thank you for reading. And please review! Let me know what you are thinking!