From previous: 'His path ahead may not be the clearest, but he was certain that he could improve the outlook of the coming months.'

The Dragons' Gift

Chapter 2: Preparation

Eragon Shadeslayer, the first new Rider in over one hundred years, collapsed tiredly onto his bed.

'Saphira, where are you?' he called out with his mind, to the empty room. 'Still hunting?' While normally they would remain in each others' minds the entire time, she had wanted to try out something new. Something she wanted to surprise him with.

'Here I am, worry not Little One.' Came the reply, laced with haughtiness. As he opened his a single, bleary eye, a feat laced with great effort in his current state, he could make out the significantly larger shape of his sapphire companion.

It was astonishing the rate at which she grew. Exponential to say the least. In fact, it seemed even faster than the last time. She was already closer to the size of a stag, yet two weeks since her hatching.

'What were you out practicing this time?' he asked, his eye closing again. 'Frightening some poor birds? Oh, what a fearsome picture you must have posed.' His sarcasm was evident in the words.

'Oh hush. Look at you, the mighty warrior exhausted after a day of working in the fields. A fine Rider you are!' though the words were harsh, the amusement in their tones lent to the lightness of the situation. After so much time among the elves, it felt comforting to not have to worry about how to watch what they said. To have everyone judging the slight nuances of a casual conversation. 'For your information, I have discovered something significant. Look!'

'As you command, goddess mine.' Groaning with the effort of stretching, Eragon sat up on the bed and properly focussed on his partner. His fatigue seemed to evaporate at the sight before him – smoke streaming from Saphira's nostrils. 'How is that possible? It took months before you could get to that stage last time!' he exclaimed.

'Exactly why I wanted to test it. I think the magic we have been practicing might have something to do with it, along with my increased growth.' The smug dragon explained.

Ever since their return to the farm, on top of his daily chores Eragon worked on building up his magic reserves and physical strength, in secret. He wanted to be in the best form possible before they had to hit the road, and the blue dragon was of a similar mindset. She herself had focussed on strengthening her flight, and juvenile body. And apparently, her dormant fire-breathing abilities.

'You should be able to produce flame much sooner than we thought. Well before we even reach the Hadarac!' the possibilities raced through their shared mind. Dragon fire would be an excellent advantage in the attempt to rescue Arya.

The ebony-haired Elven Princess had been at the forefront of their minds the past weeks. A great friend to them both, every minute she spent in the clutches of the vile Durza made them both shiver with worry. But neither yet had a proper plan of action for the rescue itself. There were just so many variables to consider.

'I think it's set – we should leave after the traders come next week.' This was their main plan thus far. The particulars still needed to be sorted out.

Garrow had been ecstatic when Eragon had strode back to the farm, a deer carcass in tow. Furthermore, a brace of rabbits he had come across on the way home had lead to a hearty meal that very night. Whilst Roran and his cousin had persevered in the fields, Eragon's Uncle had spent a day curing the majority of the deer's meat in preparation for the lengthy winter. With another hunting trip planned prior to the Traders' Market, there appeared to be the possibility of a somewhat-comfortable winter.

'And with one less mouth to feed, it should last even longer.' The Rider mulled across their shared connection. His dragon simply hummed one of her strange tunes while licking at her talons. He dare not think about dragons and their vanity, lest she pick up on those thoughts. 'We just need a way to convince Roran to stay.'

'How about we 'find' something in the Spine? Something that could be traded for proper coin with those traders.' His visage lit up at that thought.

'My gracious thanks, oh beautiful dragon, for such a brilliant proposal. Oh, if only my feeble human mind could have comprehended such ingenuity on its own!' though the words seemed over the top, the sentiment itself was sincere. Via his knowledge gained under Oromis' tutelage, there would be a simple way to create something, that while insignificant to the resident of Du Weldenvarden would appear magnificent to the simple men and women of Carvahall, and in turn the travelling traders. 'But still, we have not sorted out the situation with Brom. How do we convince him to come with us? I don't know if telling him the truth straight away is a good idea, but we can't appear too naïve. He's too sharp for that.'

'We shall cross that road when we come to it. We will have days to concentrate on it during our next 'hunt'. After all it won't take more than a few hours' work to obtain the meat, and whatever you choose to make.' Eragon could see the wisdom in this plan.

The old storyteller/accomplished rider/Varden fighter was a conundrum in their eyes. He was powerful in his own right, and would be a welcome asset in rescuing Arya.

The problem lay with his trained observational skills. It would be impossible to hide their extensive knowledge of the Ancient Language, advanced knowledge of the world outside Palancar Valley, Swordsmen skills and whatever else. But the duo could not predict what his reaction would be to their revelation.

If they spoke the words in the Ancient Language, he would have no choice other than to believe them. And the more they spoke, the harder it would be to deny. After all, the only way that the elves were able to 'lie' was to speak half-truths, something that would not hold up in the face of direct questions and proper explanations.

'I must hide – your Uncle approaches!' and with a single snort, the dragon leapt off the ledge and winged off into the darkness. They had built her a secure nest up in one of the larger trees at the edge of the Spine. While a fair distance away by foot, it was but a few minutes' flight for the young-in-body dragon.

'Now Eragon, where are you hiding? Tired after a little work in the fields?' came the boisterous voice of his maternal uncle. Though normally a quieter man, the recent good fortune had improved his spirits remarkably. Rarely did Eragon's forays into the treacherous region bordering the Valley prove so fruitful, and with the prospect of an upcoming winter any extra meat would be invaluable. Eragon let a little smile play on his features at the thought of what effect his upcoming 'good fortune' would have on his Uncle's mood.

'I just want to sleep Uncle. Roran worked me too hard in the fields.' He weakly protested, though still in good spirits. It was more of a reaction than anything, as well as a bit of an act as he was supposed to be a tired teenager resting in his room.

'Get up you lazy boy. Dinner's on the table. Some of that meat of yours smells rather good right about now. Your cousin has threatened to eat your serving, and he did seem rather hungry when I left…' his Uncle didn't have to continue further, the young Rider had leapt up with newfound energy and raced past him. 'Youthful exuberance,' the man chuckle to himself, as he followed his nephew back to the kitchen.


A bajillion apologies to everyone following this story. While I could ply you with excuses, it boils down to me being somewhat lazy combined with a host of other things. Needless to say, I won't leave you guys hanging for so long again. I know how much it infuriates me to read stories like that, and I can't be sorry enough to make it up to you.

My passion for this story has been reignited, and I have a much clearer idea as to the plot.

At this point I am planning on writing a whole bunch of chapters, and then editing/releasing them over a more regular time period. Would you mind a break of a couple of weeks, followed by weekly updates.

Ratty

Sé onr sverdar sitja hvass!