I don't own the inheritance cycle or it's characters. I'm sorry for not updating and all. I was busy and all. I was also upset with the length and quality of the chapters and have now hopefully made it better. Again, I'm sorry for no updating this.
Rose opened her mouth and replied, but nothing came out. She frowned as she remembered that she was now mute. She frowned and tapped her throat with her middle and index fingers.
"Can you not speak?" he asked. Rose shook her head 'no'. She offered him a hand to help him out of the ally, but he rejected her and took the reigns of the bay from her. He leaned on the animal and used it to leave the alleyway. Rose railed after him, pointing to where the old man lay. The boy made his way over to the man and looked him over.
"Did you do this? The bandage I mean." Rose nodded 'yes'. "Where did you get the cloth?" She reached down and held up the bottom of her cloak, showing that it was ripped. "Ah..." he said. "Thank you for doing that." he murmured.
A loud thunderous sound soon caught her attention. Rose tensed. What's going on? Are more Urgals coming? She glanced around worriedly. The the thundering sound got louder until it was right above them. That's when she finally looked up. There, above her, a beautiful blue dragon descended from the air with a threatening roar. It landed fiercely, wings still half raised and gave what looked like a quick glare at the boy before shifting it's glare at the peachy haired girl. The dragon's icy cold blue eyes glared into her own green eyes, assessing her. It then let out a low, threatening growl and stood between her and the two males. Rose held up her hand in a friendly gesture and took a step back. The dragon growled again, taking a step forward. Rose felt her dragon climb out from the cloak's hood and onto her shoulder, then jumping from her shoulder to the ground and went to stand between Rose and the large dragon, letting out a little growl (which sounded more like the purr of a house cat than a growl) of its own. She could see both the dragons and the boy's eyes widen slightly.
"You're a rider?" he asked. Rose shrugged her shoulders. The blue dragon snorted and looked more intensely at her. Rose felt a presence prodding in her mind; she panicked slightly quickly threw up barriers in her mind. The dragon growled and blinked once at her. Rose understood then that it was the dragon who was trying to get into her head, not an enemy. She cautiously lowered her mental barriers the presence of the dragon filled her head.
Greetings, small one. A soft but firm female voice said.
Greetings, O' daughter of the wind. She responded, bowing and twisting her hands in an elven greeting her mother had taught her. The dragon blink in surprise at the young girl's display. I mean you and your rider no harm. I'm just one of the villages here.
"What's she saying?" The boy asked. The dragon's great blue eye slid over to her rider and relayed their conversation.
Do you by chance know if there are any other survivors? The dragon shook it's great and blinked at her, showing her an image of the pile of bodies in the center of the town. She gasped in shock. She focused on the image and made out a couple of faces. The baker, the butcher, the nice little old lady that used to read to her, and her neighbor's new born babe. But that wasn't the worst part. Near the bottom, she saw the pale, lifeless body of her father, his face streaked with blood and gore. She hunched over covered her mouth to keep from retching. Her dragon squeaked in alarm and ran to her feet, placing it's forelegs on her shins and stretching up with it's neck and looking at her, checking if she was okay. It then started to squeak worriedly.
The boy stepped forward and placed a hesitant hand on her small shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded and straitened after a moment. She pointed to the old man.
"What is it?" the boy asked. She looked intensely at the boy and tapped her head, warning the boy of what she's going to do. She reached her conscious out to him and touched his. She felt his mind recoil in shock and another presence appeared, blocking the boy's from hers'. A growl came from the sapphire dragon as she snaked her large head over to her and glared. She frowned and took a step back, raising her hands in a friendly gesture. She tapped her neck, indicating that she can not speak, then tapping her head and pointing at the boy's, indicating that since she can not speak normally, she wishes to speak with him through telepathy. She replayed this action over a few time, but the boy seemed like he did not understand. She threw her hand over her head in annoyance. She reached her conscious out to the dragon, and waited for the dragon's conscious to accept her. Seeing that she wasn't forcing herself into the dragon's mind, the dragon accepted her.
What is it, Small one? The dragoness asked.
Why is it that you will not let me speak with your rider? I mean him no harm. She says, an unset tone to her voice, well, mental voice.
He does not trust you. The dragoness responds. She sighed.
I wanted to know how you two planned on transporting him. She asked, pointing to the older male. He is not that badly injured, but being jostled too much will hurt him even more. The sapphire dragon relayed the girl's words to the boy. The boy stood in thought for some time before he started to move. He want to the man and lifted him off the floor with effort. Rose came to help and helped lifted the man off the ground. The boy looked at her gratefully and followed the boy as he made his way to his dragon. They lifted the man and placed him in the saddle. Their eyes snapped up when they heard the old man moan.
"Did Saphira get here in time?" He asked. The boy shook his head.
"I'll explain it later. Your arm is injured. This girl here bandaged it, but you still need a safe place to rest."
"A girl?" He said wearily.
"Yes. She seems like the only one who survived the attack." There was a pause. "She's also appears to be a rider."
"What?" the man asked, surprise making it's way onto his face.
"Yes. Don't worry, Saphira believes she's not a danger. As I said before, I'll explain it later." The boy said. "We need to find you a safe place to rest."
"Yes." The man said. "Do you know where my sword… Ah, I see you founded it." The boy finished tightening the straps.
"Saphira's going to take you and follow me by air."
"Are you sure you want me to ride her?" the older one asked. "I can ride Snowfire."
"Not with that arm. This way, even if you faint, you won't fall off." The man nodded.
"I'm honored." He said, wrapping his good arm around Saphira's neck, and took off in a flurry, spring high into the sky. The boy got on the white horse and offered the brown one to Rose. She dipped her head gratefully and climbed up onto the horse. She made sure her dragon was secure and took one last glance of her ruined home before they left Yazuka and traveled on the trail that went southward.
They stopped briefly to let the horses drink. The boy stopped to examine something, he then thought about stuff. They continued on the trail which lead them along them Ninor. They suddenly changed direction. Rose followed him silently, thinking about ways she can communicate.
I wonder if he can read. She thought for a little bit more before she touched the conscious of her dragon. It was bored. Extremely bored. So bored that it could eat its own tail. She began to wonder what gender it is so she can pick a name for it.
Hello? She asked her dragon. She felt its curiosity. Are you male or female? A boy or a girl? Man or Maiden? She felt its amusement this time at her confusion of it's gender. Smug old bugger She huffed to herself. They reached a secluded clearing a few minutes later. It was very well hidden with brambles and large tree growth.
Rose's P.O.V.
A small smokeless fire was already burning when they went into the clearing. The old man was tending to his arm which was held at a funny angle. The boy's dragon was crouched near him, her body tense as it watched her.
"How are you?" The boy asked the man.
"I'm fine." He said, looking at me. "Who are you? Where did you find the egg? How did you survive?" he asked me. I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn't. I furrowed my brow. I tapped my head, the pointed at his. The man didn't look happy with her request. I mirrored his frown and got up. I walked around the clearing until I found a stick. I sat and began to write.
'I am know as Rose Ann. I found the egg in a hidden room under my house. I suppose my parents put me there when I was injured and that's how I survived.' I wrote.
"Hmn." The male said, thinking quietly for a bit. I'm Neil and the boy is Evan." he finally said, sounding like he had rehearsed it many times. I studied him for a bit.
'Liar. I was truthful to you.' I scratched into the dirt. He chuckled a bit.
"I'm Brom, this is Eragon. His dragon's name is Saphira." He said.
'Nice to meet you all.' I wrote.
My dragon jumped out of my hood and gave Saphira a curious sniff. She puffed smoke at it, it squeaked and scampered back to me and I picked it up and held it in my left arm. I went to look at Brom's arm. It had a large scratch on it. I ripped up extra cloth and started boiling them for bandages. I started cleaning up Brom's wound.
"Do you know what you're doing?" He questioned me. I nodded. When I was finished, I picked up my stick and scribbled into the ground.
'My mother was the town healer.'
"We must eat." Brom said suddenly. I declined a bowl of their meat soup.
'I don't eat meat.' I wrote. I'll be right back. I went off into the woods to find the herbs I'm looking for. I came back and chewed them into a poultice and applied it to Brom's wound and re-bandaged it. I ate an apple from my pack and feed my dragon its meat bits. With our bellies full, Brom and Eragon started talking. I went off to find more wood. I passed a bush of berries and stripped it of its fruit. I went looking in the area for other edible plants as I searched for food. I returned with my goods and shared the berries with everyone. When the berries were gone, we spread our blankets. My dragon came and snuggled with me.
The days pass by in a blur. My dragon has grown a lot and is half the size of Saphira. I found out that it was a girl and named her Tiamat, or Tia for short, naming her after a primeval sea dragon goddess of Babylonian mythology who was the embodiment of chaos and the mother of the first gods. I also learned how to manipulate a pebbled and many words in the ancient language, and just a day ago, Brom and Eragon finally trusted me enough to let me communicate with them telepahically.
As we approached Daret, I shifted my self in Eragon's embrace so I have a better hold on the saddle so I don't fall off encase we had to make a quick get away. We approached Daret with great caution. The village was small and wild looking, without any sign of inhabitants. Saphira and Tia hid close to the town, so if trouble arose, they would be at our side in moments. I stiffened as we entered the center of Daret and found it empty.
"Let's get out of here. I don't like the feel of this." Brom said, spurring Snowfire into a gallop. Eragon followed a few strides before wagons toppled out from behind the houses and blocked our way. A man hopped over the wagon and stood in front of us, a drawn bow in his hand. I jumped a bit in surprise and a bit of fright.
Are you alright, small one?! The childlike tone of my dragon asked. I felt her bunched up her muscles and got ready to launch into the air to come and help me.
I'm fine. We'll back with you two soon. Stay where you are. I told her.
"Halt. Put your weapons down. You're surrounded by sixty archers. They'll shoot if you move."
"What do you want?" Brom said calmly.
"Why have you come here?" the man demanded.
"To buy supplies and hear the news. Nothing more. We're on our way to my cousin's house in Dras-Leona. "
"Your armed pretty heavily."
"So are you" Brom said "These are dangerous times."
"True" the man looked at us carefully. "I don't think you mean us ill, but we have had to many encounters with urgals and bandits for me to trust you on your word."
"If it doesn't matter what we say, what happens now?" countered Brom.
"You say you only need supplies. Would agree to stay here while we bring what you need, then pay us and leave immediately? "
"Yes."
"All right" said the man, lowering his bow, though her kept it ready. He waved at one of the archers, who slid to the ground and ran over. "Tell him what you want."
Brom recited a short list and added, "Also if you have a couple of spare gloves for my nephew and niece, I'd like to buy those as well." The archer nodded and ran off. Brom chatted with the man for a while and found his name was Trevor. The archer hurried out of the house with a pile of goods in his arms. Eragon and I pulled on our gloves as the archer set the supplies next to the horses, and Brom paid him. Brom and Trevor exchanged a few words and we left. When we reached our dragons, Saphira surprised us by thrusting her head at us. Our horses back stepped nervously. I got off the horse and left Saphira speaking to Eragon. I went over to the supply bag and got out the leather. Eragon was swept off his feet the moment he got off the horse. Saphira appeared to be mad.
"Well?" Brom asked.
"She wants me to ride her tomorrow." Eragon replied.
I want to ride with you! I said excitedly. It would be the first time I ever rode Tia!
Brom considered it with a twinkle in his eye. "Well, we have the materials. Going by your body weight and the size of your dragon, Rose, I believe that Tiamat is just strong enough to carry you. I suppose that if the four of you stay out of sight, it won't be a problem."
"What if you were attacked or there was an accident? We won't be able to get there in time and –" Eragon began to say.
Saphira pressed harder on his chest. Exactly my point, little one. She projected her thought to all of us.
Brom hid a smile and came to help me make a saddle. "It's worth the risk. You two need to learn how to ride your dragons anyway. Think about it this way: with you two flying ahead and looking on the ground, you'll be able to spot and trap, ambushes, or other unwelcome surprises."
Woo! I said excitedly to Tia and bounced up and down excitedly. Through our mental bond, I could feel my dragon's excitement to take to the air with me for the first time.
Brom took measurements of Tia and cut our strips, bands, and outlined a bunch of shapes on the leather. Once the pieces have been sliced out, he cut the remainder of the into cords to tie everything together. Brom worked for a bit while I watch intensely, trying to memorize every detail on how to make the saddle. After a few hours, Brom put the finished saddle on Tia and checked it the straps fit. He made small adjustments every here and there, then took it off with a satisfied look on his face.
Whoa, you made it look so easy. I said to him, my eyebrows furrowing, trying hard to memorize everything I just saw. He chuckled. Can you believe it, Tia, we're going to be flying together soon!
Yes. I'm excited too. Tia's childish voice said.I carefully removed the saddle and placed it in my backpack. (A.N. What a large back pack o3o) It was nearly sundown and they made came. As usual, they spared before sundown. I lost again due to the lack of skill and went to nurse my bruises, then came back and watched Eragon and Brom spar. Eragon dealt a strong blow that snapped both his and Brom's stick in half. Brom then taught Eragon a new spell that dulls his blade. After they cast the spell, the sparred again. They both had large welts afterward, which I had to treated if they didn't want to feel them when they were riding the next day.
I woke up in the morning with a cramped shoulder. I glared grumpily at the ground as I stood up and rolled my shoulder. I got the saddle out of by backpack and put it on Tia after a few moments of struggling. I hung my bags on the side of the saddle. Brom did the same for Saphira while Eragon got up.
You ready? I said as I hoped up onto the saddle and strapped myself in. Not waiting for a reply from Eragon or Saphira, Tia launched into the air. She struggled for a bit as she tried to gain altitude, but the winds higher up helped her along. After a while, she evened out and began to flt effortlessly through the air. I thought since it was our first flight that it would be more strained. How are you flying so effortlessly on out first flight? I asked her.
I guess were just lucky. She said happily. She flew farther into the clouds. When they leveled off above the plains, the trees looked no more than specks. The wind was chilly and thin, and wonderfully clean. Tia flew faster and did flips and dives through the air every once in a while. I silently whooped in joy. She did a death spiral and pulled up at the last second, causing me to get squished into the saddle almost. After a while, there was a buzzing in my head. It felt familiar so I let it through.
Hello? I asked it.
Rose, land here. He sent a mental image to me. I projected the image of the area to Tia landed and met Eragon and Saphira there.
What's up? I greeted them.
"Ra'zac." Eragon told me in a bitter tone as he examined the ground. "This doesn't make any sense, but the only thing I can think of is that the Ra'zac flew off on dragons. Or else they got onto giant birds and disappeared into the heavens. Tell me you have a better explanation."
I think they have winged steeds that are neither bird nor dragon. I offered
Brom shrugged. "I've heard reports of the Ra'zac moving from place to place with incredible speed, but this is the first evidence I've had of it. It would be almost impossible to find them if they have flying steeds. They aren't dragons – I know that much. A dragon would never consent to bear a Ra'zac."
"What do we do? Our dragons can't track them through the sky. Even if they could, we would leave you far behind."
"There's no easy solution to this riddle," Said Brom. "Let's have lunch while we think on it. Perhaps inspiration will strike us while we eat." I sighed.
What do you think, Tia? I asked him as I ate my apple and handed her dried strips of duck, her favorite.
I agree with Brom. No dragon would agree to carry scum like the Ra'zac, beside, we are the last of the dragons. I doubt there are birds large enough to carry a Ra'zac. She said, nibbling on the food. I brushed through my peachy colored hair thoughtfully, exposing my pointed elf ears I inherited from my mother. I noticed Brom caught sight of them and his eyes widened slightly. I raised an eyebrow at him, questioning his next move, but he stayed quiet.
I have considered every trick I know, every word of power within my grasp, and all the skills I have, but I still can't see how we can find the Ra'zac. I sighed. One of the dragons can show themselves at some town. That would draw the Ra'zac like flies to honey. But it would be an extremely thing to attempt. The Ra'zac would bring soldiers with them, the king might be interested enough to come himself, which would spell certain death for us.
"So what now?" Eragon asked.
"That's up to you and Rose." Brom said. "You're the riders." Eragon ground his teeth and stalked away.
I…I would like reach the Varden as soon as possible. I said quietly. Tia grunted in agreement. That was very unladylike . I teased her. She just snorted again. It was quiet for a bit. Then a cloying smell filled the air. I turned to the direction of the scent.
Seithr …. Oil? I thought to myself. How weird it is to smell it here. Eragon jogged back into camp and showed a flask to Brom. Brom examined it for a bit, and then poured some out on its cap.
"Watch out, it'll burn –"Eragon started to warn Brom.
"My skin, I know," Said Brom. "And I suppose you went ahead a poured it all over your hand? " Eragon shook his head and showed his finger. "Your finger? Well, at least you had enough sense not to drink it."
Only a puddle of you would be left. I interrupted taking the flask from Brom and examined it.
"What is it?" Eragon asked.
Seithr oil., made from the petals of the seithr plant. I furrowed my brows, trying to remember what my mother told me about it. I used to make this with my mother. We had a small patch of it. We only made the natural version of it though, which is used to preserve pearls. But if specific words are spoken to it, along with a blood sacrifice, it gains the ability to eat away any flesh. There are also many acids in it, letting it dissolve sinew and bone, but leaves everything else untouched. It's used as a weapon of torture and assignation. Any injury made by it is slow to heal. It's hard to make, not many people make it, making it rare and expensive, especially in this form.
"I wonder why the Ra'zac left behind something so valuable." Eragon asked.
"It must have slipped off when they flew away"
"But why didn't they come back for it? I doubt the king would be pleased that they lost it."
"No, he won't." Brom started.
That is enough. This conversation bores me. Come Tia. I said childishly to Brom and Eragon and climbed onto Tia's saddle. Later. I said playfully, winking and sticking out my tongue as Tia launched into the air.