Eragon sat an ancient oak stump that rested next to a small bubbling brook at the rear of the circle of mountains that now housed the new order of riders. Three centuries had passed after they had first landed and finished construction of the skeleton that was to be the new rider's home. Since then their numbers had steadily increased to over two hundred brave and noble riders and dragons. The majority were Elves and Humans but a handful of Dwarves and Urgals had had dragons hatch for them.
The stump groaned as he shifted his weight. Doing as he had done every day since they had arrived, Eragon relaxed, cleared his mind, and began thinking over the many ancient spells he had read over that morning in the grand library. Some were just simple incantations that enchanted weapons and armor and other simple items, others were grand pieces of magic that took enormous amounts of energy to cast and utilize properly. He sat there dissecting each word piece by piece as he attempted to fully understand what it did and how it worked.
So far during his meditations he had only figured out what two of the many spells he had read so far did. One was a spell of instant transportation that required so little energy that he could travel from Doru Araeba to Farthen Dûr and not feel tired and bypassed any and all wards, both physical and magical, and the other was a shielding spell that could block any kind of attack but required total concentration enormous amounts of energy to sustain even for a minute or two.
He knew not how long he sat there but he soon felt the presence of his first apprentice Cloyt and his Dragon Guliä as they sped his way. It took them only a couple of minutes to appear before them, but by that time Eragon was standing with the hawthorn staff he carried around waiting for them.
"Master Eragon, Master Eragon!" Cloyt said anxiously as he climbed down his snow-white colored dragon rushing over to him.
"Peace Cloyt, catch your breath and speak slowly." Eragon said, "Now tell me, what has you so riled up."
Taking deep breaths the elfin rider said, "Its Fera and Ilias Master. They're gone, Guliä and I were the last to see them because we were down by the ocean when these dancing multi-colored like lights just appeared out of nowhere. Fera wanted to touch them and I told her not to but she wouldn't listen. After… after that I don't know what happened, there was a bright flash and I remember waking up on the beach with blood dried in my ears and a ringing like nothing I've ever felt before in my head. That's when we flew straight here to you."
"Bright, multi-colored lights you say? Did they look like they were dancing in a way?" Eragon said, dread gnawing at his mind. If his suspicions were correct he feared more than ever for their newest rider and her dragon for Cloyt could not have been lieing to him in the Ancient Tongue they spoke in.
"Yes Master, they did dance in a kind of ethereal kind of way, how did…"
"Spirits." He muttered softly as he contacted Saphira telling her everything that had happened and asked her to meet her where they stayed at.
"Master, you know who or what did this?" Guliä asked
Eragon nodded and said, "You both will come with me and Saphira right now and show us exactly where you last say Fera and Ilias. After that you both will come back to Citadel and assume mine and Saphira's roles as teachers and receive help from Blӧdhgarm and the other eight masters that are with him. Tell them and only them of what happened and no one else do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Master." They said in unison as Saphira landed, shaking the ground they stood on with her immense size and weight. Eragon climbed into the saddle on Saphira as fast as he could as she followed after the other two to where they last saw the youngest and newest of their order.
Eragon had never become very religious but said a small prayer unto Gûntera, the King of the Dwarven gods, asking him to protect the Youngest Rider and her dragon from any and all harm.