Hi! It took me about three weeks to write this chapter and I have no idea why. I'm kind of running short on ideas, so any feedback at all would be appreciated. I want to bring in some characters from The Inheritance Cycle, but I seem to do better with my own characters. I guess we'll see.
Areyna turned over in her sleep, frustrated beyond measure. Her body kept urging her to shut her eyes, yet something pulled them open again. Something was keeping her awake.
She looked enviously over at Peter, who was perfectly still, not quite relaxed, yet asleep. They had a long journey ahead of them and she needed to be rested. She glanced over at the dragon, wings curled in on itself, eyes gleaming bright. It stared at her with such intensity that she pulled back, just a bit.
Don't be afraid.
It seemed to be impossible but the dragon was talking to her. Who else could it have been? And she somehow just knew.
"Wh…what do you want?" Her voice trembled
I mean you no harm, Areyna Vasili.
"I never told you my name," she ventured.
And yet I know it. Haven't you ever heard of the bond between a dragon and its Rider?
"Its Rider?" Areyna repeated. The full impact of this event had not hit her until that very moment. She had heard whispers of a new Rider rising up. He planned to take on the tyrant king and save them all. She and Peter had dismissed them all to be mere fiction, fanciful stories that were fabricated to feed the flame of hope they thrived on.
Perhaps there was really a Rider out there. Could she be the next? Could she possibly survive long enough to be the next? She did know one thing. She had to reach the Varden. They would have the answers.
Tentatively she reached forward, lightly placing her hand on the dragon's forehead, as one may stroke a cat. Something fiery shot up her hand, throwing her backwards just slightly. She wondered what had jolted her. Touching the dragon had felt like sticking one's hand on an open flame. Turning her palm so it faced upwards, she searched for the burn, eyes widening at what she found instead.
A shimmery silver mark glimmered on her hand. It fascinated her. She stared at the mark until when she closed her eyes all she saw was silver. What exactly did this mean?
You have been marked, the dragon whispered. Areyna cast a fearful glance at Peter, who had not stirred. She continued to look from the mark to her dragon, unable to sleep for the rest of the night.
It's been awhile since I've read Eragon so I don't remember how exactly Saphira interacted with him at the beginning. I think it's time for me to stop putting off naming the dragon so that should come in the next chapter. Reviews would be an amazing belated Christmas present!