Disclaimer, kudos to my sister for hearing this one: I don't own this story but I do own. Takes out box of dirt. This piece of land! And someday I hope to build on it.
It is male. The thought seemed to chase itself around and around in Eragon's head. Each time it made a revolution it seemed more and more amazing.
The girl Thalia was still sitting on Eragon's bed at her leisure. She had settled the small dragon hatchling on her shoulder as someone would a bird. She was content to fiddle with a knot of some colorful yarn she had produced from her bag, and answer all the questions the elves had to ask her. She would occasionally hand the dragon a slice of dried meat, or jerky as the dwarfs called it; she even occasionally handed him an herb or two.
It is male. The thought made a revolution again and Eragon realized what a fool he was being, of course it was male had not Murtagh proclaimed it so in the Battle of the Burning Plains? Satisfied Eragon began to listen to Thalia's stories and to study the dragon some more. He had constantly thought Saphira the fairest of all dragons but was quickly being over ruled by the small hatchling in front of him.
Though the small thing did not have Saphira's grace it seemed to possess a certain kind of fierce nobility that somehow reminded him of a bird of prey. When he grew he was going to have a slightly longer neck and jaw than Saphira. His scales were a sort of green that would make the world's purest emerald cry with envy. He had no spikes, which Eragon found rather odd; Saphira, Gladear, and almost every other dragon he had heard of had had a line of razor sharp spikes down their spine stretching all the way to the tail. But as Anduin breathed Eragon saw a spine of almost feather like spines lift slowly off his back and tail before settling down again almost completely blending in with his scales.
While he listened to some of Thalia's stories he realized they were almost all of her stealing some wonderful or entirely impossible item and then putting it back and stealing smaller, less valuable, but still priceless items. She proclaimed she loved the thrill of stealing something rare and dangerous, but as soon as she would try to sell it she would be caught. So she stole other, but multiple items that would sell well on the black market. But it seemed when she came to the dragon egg, which she recognized immediately, she could not leave it behind and go after a set of jewel encrusted cups as she had intended. "Once I was there I knew what I needed to do," she had remarked with such an easy confidence it made Eragon envious.
It was around this time that Eragon realized they were the only people, he thought, that knew of this dragon. Some people of significant importance would have to be told soon, if not immediately.
"I think we should tell Nasuada about this soon," Eragon announced around the tent in general. He watched as Thalia face drained of what little color it had and began to frantically shake her head.
"Tell anyone else," she begged, "tell Galbatorix himself I don't care! Tell anyone but Nasuada!" To say Eragon was shocked was to say the least.
"Why not," he asked breathlessly. Blodhgarm seemed to gaze at her shrewdly though his expression remained exactly the same.
"Why is it, little thief, that you manage to charm the hearts of all sentient beings in the land excluding those in high positions; such as King Orrin, Queen Islanzadi, Ajihad, and now Nasuada?"
Thalia shifted in her seat and twisted a small strand of coal black hair between her fingers, while a sheepish grin formed on her features. She looked, Eragon thought, a young girl waiting to be chastised by her father for something extremely foolish. Finally she replied,
"It's a natural talent embedded in my very bones. I can't escape the wheel of fate, and my fate seems doomed to irritate anyone in a high position." Blodhgarm performed a very humane gesture and rolled his eyes in exasperation. To Eragon it was fascinating, the elves which he had always perceived as noble, capricious beings whose thoughts and actions far exceeded humans, but now he witnessed a scene all too familiar to what he had experienced growing up with Garrow.
"Where are your sisters and brother so that the exhausting task of chastising you may fall to them?"
"They're about a day and a half a day away; I didn't sleep most nights and switched horses every so often when I came across a town. So you'll watch my back when you aren't watching Eragon's."
"You have sisters and a brother?" Eragon asked.
"I have six sisters, one brother, 12 cousins, one aunt, and two uncles. We all travel together but I, being a Dragon Rider now, had to go ahead and join the Varden before them. We all originally planned to join together, because the Empire is becoming rather perilous to travel, so it was either join the Varden or suffer under the old moldy king forever. We chose the first option." Eragon was stunned at the vast differences between the two Dragon Riders. She had seven siblings, he only had a half-brother albeit an evil one he wished nothing to do with.
"What part of Alagaeisa are you from?"
"We lived near …. And … but we were mainly kept to ourselves. I haven't really been outside the forest before. It's quite fascinating. Oh dear, I'm getting tired again. Blodhgarm will you please explain my family while I take a quick nap?"
"I would love to, little thief." Blodhgarm paused for a moment before continuing. "Thalia and her family have always been a mystery to our kind. Thalia's mother, brothers, and sister all came from a place beyond Algaesia's borders and settled in the forest. They cut no trees but rather used stones and added chemicals to mud to make much more solid. There dwellings are rather fascinating places."
Eragon stared at the slight girl beside him, and wondered at what kind of life she had led. Blodhgarm watched him with a sort of amusement.