Chapter V
Dragon and Rider

I woke to the sound of roaring, Amber, get up! roared Ellestygia.
"What I'm up!"
Come on get up!
"I am not as lazy as you are!"
Well then get dressed, quick!
"I'm trying!" I yelled belting on Felvëra's gift. We left just after I put on her useless saddle.
We met Eragon and Saphira in the designated clearing, just like the day before.
"Greetings, Shur'tugal, Skulblaka," I said in the ancient language.
"I see you're working on the ancient language, Shur'tugal," replied Eragon.

"It's not like I didn't use it before, but you're right I have been working on improving it," I said, "well, what's our lesson today?"
"Today you learn to be a Rider," he replied.
"But she's not... I can't…"
I am strong enough to be ridden, thank you very much, roared Ellestygia.
A few minutes after Eragon told me the dos and don'ts of ridding Ellestygia, she crouched down so I could get on. I swung up on her saddle and tightly gripped the saddle out of excitement and fear. She started to walk toward a nearby cliff that hung over a forest and in it a stream. As she was walking Eragon was shouting last instructions, " Amber!" he called with excitement," don't forget use Skulblakas ven to get Ellestygia's sight!"
And more importantly hang on, little one, called Saphira.
Ellestygia walked over to a cliff and bounded up into the sky, and before I could say anything she went into a steep dive flying very fast toward the ground. I noticed Eragon laughing right as Ellestygia had launched from the cliff, probably from nostalgia. Ellestygia pulled up before she flew into the river.
It was amazing; I could see the gorge's river and forest about fifty feet below, and the cliff and beautiful, blue sky above.
"Come on, Ellestygia, you can do better than this!" I yelled over the wind.
Oh, you want more, well why didn't you say so sooner!
"What does that mean?"
She gave a huge flap of her wings and went from her regular speed to about ninety miles an hour in about two seconds. I was barely holding on to the saddle until my grip finally slipped and I was pushed back by the high-powered wind rushing at me. I grabbed Ellestygia's tail as I flew off her back.
"Whoa you're crazy, STOP it, Ellestygia!"
You're the one who asked for it!
She slowed down and I pulled myself up onto her back and carefully got back in the saddle.
You hung on well, young one! Ellestygia said.
"Ha, ha!" I said madly at her.
You know Saphira told me you can fight from anywhere on my body even my tail, but don't you try and do it!
"I know what happened to Eragon with that, I'm not ready yet, but let's try this, Skulblakas ven!"
After I said the last word my normal sight exploded in to colors of mostly yellow, some blue, and a little red.
"This is amazing, this is how you see!"
Yes, I love my sight, I see like this all the time, it is truly wonderful, and it gets better, look!
Her vision zoomed in on the forest. I could see a lot more detail than regular.

"Wow this is even better!" I said.
We were almost back to Eragon, before I saw two red-orange figures moving toward Eragon.
"What are those!" I asked getting scared.
Ra'zac! said Ellestygia scared too.
"Eragon! Ellestygia, go!" I yelled, but she had already pulled into a dive.
She roared, as she was half way down. When Ellestygia was at least ten feet from the ground I made a jump that would have killed a human.
"Eragon watch out!" I yelled drawing my sword and slashing at a Ra'zac.
"I saw them in the air!" I said slashing at another Ra'zac.
"We must fight them, they've seen Ellestygia, they will inform Galbatorix!"

"You're right we don't want that sort of trouble again!" he said drawing Brisingr.
"Adurna!" I commanded randomly as Eragon ran toward another Ra'zac. The water froze midway down my blade as a Ra'zac was running toward me.
"Garjzla!" I yelled stunned at what my blade had done.
The Ra'zac fell to the ground shrieking from the fact that it's sensitive to light. It got up, and because I was behind it I took my sword and stabbed it in the back, pinning it once more to the ground. When I pulled my blade back the Ra'zac dissolved into what looked like a thousand bugs, that dissolved into nothing. Eragon soon succeeded in killing the other Ra'zac and walked over to me a single gash on his arm, "It's getting late let's go back," he said sounding downcast.
With that we walked back to Ellesméra.

Chapter VI
What's at the Hadarac Desert?

The next day I got up, and Ellestygia and I met Eragon in the same clearing.
"What will it be today?" I asked when we had arrived.
"Saphira sensed terrible trouble at Leona Lake," said Eragon, "so I want you and Ellestygia to investigate for us because we have important and secret business to attend to."
"Okay, we'll go because you say so, and you are our teachers so we'll obey," I said.
Amber, what are you thinking! roared Ellestygia, it could be extremely dangerous!
"Oh don't say that, Eragon and Saphira would never put us in harm's way!"
We would never, little ones, said Saphira calmly.
"Your dragon's right you know, you would be very close to Helgrind and everything," said Eragon.
"Alright let's go, Ellestygia!" I said excited.

Now wait just a second!
"What is it Ellestygia?"
Before we go take this thing off of me! she said indicating to her saddle, I mean you are strong enough to hold on and I fly a whole lot faster if I didn't have the extra ten pounds or more, so you can take it off, if you want.
"Oh, okay, I am strong enough to hold on now that you mention it, alright just hang on," I said gripping her saddle and pulling it off, "there now can we go already?"
Oh please, Amber, you're being very impatient right now, said Ellestygia.

"Well Amber is right, you need to get going if you want to get to whatever is causing trouble," said Eragon.
"Okay, let's go Ellestygia."
I told Ellestygia that I would sit where the saddle had once been and hold on to her neck spike in front of me. Once we had that decided we said our last good-byes.
"Amber, be careful," said Eragon.
"You know you already said that."
"I know, but I can't say it enough times to express how dangerous it could turn in a second."
"I get it, Eragon, it's very dangerous for just me and Ellestygia alone, right?"

"Uh... well… yeah."
"So you don't think we're strong enough to handle a little trip!"
Now, little one, be calm he didn't mean it like that, but it is dangerous even for us because we don't even know what it is, said Saphira her soft voice calming me down a bit.
"Well I just...but I...I'm sorry, Eragon."
"It's fine I should start having more trust in your strength, now that you're a Rider."
Can we please go now! asked Ellestygia.
"Oh! Of course!" I said. I walked over to her as she crouched down to let me on.
"Amber, what ever you do don't stop at any towns or cities on your way. Galbatorix's soldiers might be there and their orders are to destroy the rebellion so you'd be in big trouble."
Yes, do be careful, little one, we don't want you to end up like that traitor and his too-quick-to-hatch dragon.
"Oh, you mean…"
"Don't say it!" snapped Eragon.
And don't worry Eragon and I will be there soon after you so you won't be alone for long.
"Yes, Saphira is right, we have one little thing to deal with and then we will come straight there, we promise."
Yes, we do promise, little one.
"Alright then, Ellestygia, let's go."

I said getting on her and grabbing on to her neck spike.
"Good-bye, Eragon."
"Good-bye, Amber."
Good-bye, little ones.
Ellestygia bounded one…two…three times and fired into the air, flying, fast upward into the rising sun. She was flying so fast and steep that my grip was so tight my hands were white.
"I do notice a difference in your speed, Ellestygia," I said after a few minutes of flying.
I can too because there is not as much weight. Humans have different weight change than us because the smallest change can throw our weight off more than it should.
"Whoa, that's a lot to deal with, but how does it happen?"
Well since we can fly our balance is different so when we fly the extra weight can make us slow down a little bit.
"Okay, well remember our plan, where to go?"
Yes, keep going at this diagonal, and then turn again…
"…and then turn more to the Hadarac Desert avoiding Urû'baen, and then turn back around and fly to Leona Lake."
Oh, look it's Gil'ead, said Ellestygia sarcastically after a few hours of flying.

"How about landing there?"
Are you insane! she exclaimed, and you're seeing like me so it seems close, but it's leagues away.
"Right.. oh, Ellestygia, do you mind?"
Oh, no it's perfectly fine I don't mind you sleeping.
I soon dozed falling into what the elves call waking dreams, we do this instead of sleeping.
I woke soon to a blinding light and soon realizing I had slept over night.

"What is that, Ellestygia?" I said waking fast because of the level of light.
How am I supposed to know!
"Well you have better… oh forget it Skulblakas ven!" I commanded. It didn't really help because of, once again, the light. It took me a few moments to realize what the light really was. It all made sense to me now, the desert, the light; it was what I thought.
"Ellestygia, go down there and that's an order!" I said.
Okay, if it won't cause you danger, will it?
"It won't, I promise," I said in the ancient language, which you can't lie when using it, so I didn't have to repeat it.
When she landed we were a mile away, "Oh, come on, Ellestygia,it's not going to hurt me," I said," I even said it in the ancient language, so I couldn't have lied."
Okay, because you said it in ancient language, she said reluctantly.
I started to walk with a quickened pace Ellestygia not walking so quickly. Ellestygia was quiet the whole walk until, Amber I'm thirsty, can we do something?
"Oh yes, I have a solution, Eragon told me about it before we left. Now dig a hole deep enough for your thirst."
Okay.
She started to dig a hole with one of her front claws, and she dug a hole at least five feet deep.
"Is that good enough?"
Yes.
"Adurna rísa!" I commanded.

Clean water filled the hole up to the edge, and Ellestygia lowered her neck to drink the water. When she lifted her head up she had drained the hole completely of it's contents, and we started to walk again.
Minutes, which seemed like hours, passed before we got so close to the light I could finally see through it. After the light had cleared I saw what was it meant to be, or at least it felt like it: the Diamond Tomb. Ellestygia's eyes widened, Amber, why didn't you tell me? she said sounding like she was holding back tears.
"Saphira told you, did she not?"
She told me, but nothing could prepare me for the real thing.
I drew my sword and placed it in the ground in front of me, still holding it, bowing. Ellestygia bowed like a horse, but rose still in a bow by her wings, or it seemed, that had been previously been spread on the ground. She ended up on her back legs, her front legs still bowed, her head respectfully bowed.
"I am truly sorry, Brom," I whispered under my breath to myself.
What do you mean?
"It's a long story, and you probably don't want to hear it."
Amber, I long to know as much as I can about my Rider's past life, that's my job as a loyal dragon, and besides it's morning, is it not, we have enough time.

"Okay, but try not to interrupt, it will take too long with commentary, and don't fly off if you get scared of my past, it's not all happy and good."
I promise, she said in the ancient language.
"Alright, here it goes."