Every time one of his feet hit the ground as he walked his heartbeat seemed to increase in sound. Sweat was starting to form in his armpits. Each second increased Walker's nerves about how he would explain him becoming a Rider to his father and Abigail. He knew that their reactions would not be good. How in Alagaësia will I explain this? His tongue was devoid of words to speak to his father when they got to the blacksmith.

The fact that people were stopping in the middle of the street to stare at him and Ingothold didn't help one bit either. It was awkward having all those people openly stare at them. Neither Ingothold nor Rhylite seemed to mind though. Rhylite walked smoothly through the opening that the crowd of people made for them without a glance their way. This must happen to him so many times he must have gotten used to it. While Rhylite was apathetic toward the spectators, Ingothold stared at the people they walked by just as openly as they stared at them. Through their connection Walker sensed that the little dragon loved the attention. Walker hated it and he couldn't ever imagine loving it or not noticing it. To avoid looking back at the people, he concentrated on watching his feet.

His house and the blacksmith shop finally came into view. It was a small two-story wooden house that he had lived in all of his life. "The shop's around back." he told Rhylite. Rhylite nodded and headed around the house to the back with Walker following close behind. The shop was detached from the house and set a few yards back. The building was made completely of wood and it had only a few narrow windows near where the walls meet the ceiling. All of the windows had tight blinds pulled over them so it did matter whether they were there or not.

Without a hint of hesitation, Rhylite walked right up to the building and pushed the wooden door open with a slow creak. "It's me," Walker called into the shop.

"Wait a minute." Walker's father's voice called out from the dark depths of the shop. The only light was illuminated from the bed of coals and the iron hot metal that his father was carving into horseshoes.

Walker's knees started shaking again as he stepped over the threshold. And I'm suppose to be the new Rider? He wondered.

Walker put his hand over Ingothold's snout. Don't make a sound, he told him through their connection. He wanted to hold off one of the moments he had been dreading as long as it was possible. Ingothold lowered his head and snuggled closer to Walker's body.

It was five minutes before his father was finished molding the horseshoe even though it seemed like five hours to him in his nervous state. His father took off his gloves as he said, "It was about time you and Abigail returned. I've bet you've realized now, Abigail, were you finally belong." He turned around and lit one of the lamps hanging on the wall. "He–." his father stopped mid-word when he saw Ingothold curled around Walker's neck. "What?" Walker in all of his life had never seen his father so astonished. All color seemed to leave his face as he stared at them. Quickly his gaze switched to look at Rhylite and it practically shot daggers at him. "Who are you!"

Rhylite did not seem in the lease caught off guard. He remained just as he was a minute ago and replied calmly, "Rhylite. I am the head officer that oversees the safety of the dragon egg and its Rider once it hatches." They shook hands. "As you can see, your son has been chosen."

"I can see that." the reply came out through partly clenched teeth.

"You should be happy and proud for your son. It is not only a great honor just for your son but also for all of your family. I am aware that having your son as you say 'leave the nest' is not a very pleasant thought but he will be well protected and taken care of. You may think otherwise but you will still be able to communicate with your son after he is gone. We plan to escort them to the capital in a week's time and he may stay here for that week. Even though we would recommend that at least one of us stays here in case of an incident."

A week's time! Incident! Walker had had no idea that they would be leaving so soon. And an incident! There was a group of people who called themselves Domia abr kyn, which means "dominance of mankind," that protested the Riders and even made some attempts on the Riders' lives. They lived by the set of standards and ideals that the evil King Galbatorix had set up long ago. Walker had always been aware that they existed and of what they did but it never really got through to him until now, where it was his life on the line.

"Your men won't be needed," Walker's father answered sharply. "I think that I can protect my own son in my own house. Thank you for coming and informing me of this and you are free to go now." Walker could tell by reading context that his father was telling Rhylite to go rather than stating that he could.

"Very well." Rhylite bowed his head to Walker's father and then left leaving Walker to face his father's wrath alone. It would be even worse than before since the anger had had a chance to build up while his father was holding it somewhat down in front of Rhylite. Their anger habits were traits that his father and Abigail shared.

"Come with me! And bring that infernal thing with you!" As he walked past Walker he made a wild motion with his hand that startled Ingothold. It made the little dragon jump and lose his balance on Walker's shoulder and fall to the ground. He spread and flapped his black wings quickly to slow his fall and landed roughly on the floor but there could have been a worse landing. The motion of Ingothold's wings reminded Walker of a scared chicken as it tried to get away from whatever scared it. Walker bent down and cradled Ingothold in his arms and then followed his father who was headed to the house.

They entered in through the back door and walked through the kitchen to the dinning room. "Martha! Get down here!"

"Coming," Walker's mother called downstairs.

His father started viciously pacing back-and-forth under the threshold through the foyer and the dinning room. Walker's mother's footsteps sounded as she climbed down the stairs and into the dinning room. She immediately stopped when she saw the dragon hatchling laying in Walker's arms. "What in Alaga–."

"Our son has gone and become a Rider!" bellowed his father. "It was bad enough having Abigail rant on about her dream. I knew she would fail anyway. But to have him become a Rider!" He ran his fingers over his face and through his hair. "What were you even thinking?" he asked Walker but he did not wait for a reply. "I thought you had sense, Walker. But apparently not."

Walker had seen and heard his father talk like this to Abigail. He had never liked listening to it but he had also, now to his dismay, done nothing about it, except to comfort Abigail afterwards. The way Father talked to her bugged him in a way nothing else did but having been talked to that way was a whole different sensation. He felt obsolete and belittled. Underneath all of that was anger. It stirred up inside his chest and he could not suppress it completely. No. I can't get mad. Getting mad never helped Abigail at anything so it won't get me anywhere either. It was still very hard to keep his cool though. Oh, Abigail. If I had known it was this horrible I would have done something.

In his arms, Ingothold began to bare his teeth at his father. Walker rubbed the dragon's neck and got it to turn his head toward him. Walker shook his head and Ingothold understood and unbarred his teeth. "It's all right, Ingothold." He whispered.

His father heard. "It's all right?" His father stared at him and Ingothold with his dark menacing gray eyes. He shook his head and briefly glanced at Walker's mother who stood silently by the doorway, as she always did. According to what Walker's parents believed in, a woman's only goal was to be a good wife and a good wife would manage the house and stand silently by her husband, never disobeying or cutting in. "Did you hear him?" Father turned back to him. "Nothing is all right! Everything is a disaster! And now we have to fix it. We need to fix this whole thing. And we'll start with getting rid of that damn thing." He pointed a stubby ash-covered finger at Ingothold.

Once again, Ingothold barred his teeth at Father and this time he emitted a low threatening growl. All of the dragon's body tensed in Walker's arms as it got ready to pounce at a second's notice. Walker was more shocked than angry at his father's suggestion. Even though he had been connected with Ingothold for only a short time, the thought of parting from him was inconceivable.

"Get rid of . . . get rid of him! N. . . no. No!"

"No? No!" His father's face bubbled with fury about to be spilled. "How dare you say that to me! Your father! You're suppose to be the sensible one. And yet here you are! Acting just like your sister."

The front door opened. The sound seemed out of place with all of the yelling going on. There was a soft click as the door returned into its place once again. "Speaking of that shrew." said Walker's father.

It was Abigail. She walked right down the hallway bypassing the room they were in and headed up the stairs. Not so much as a blink. This surprised Walker. He had thought she would have come into the house, seen Walker and Ingothold, and explode in anger. She had not even glanced into the room as she walked past. She must have found out. So now she's ignoring me.

"That little–." Walker's father raced into the hall after her and stood at the bottom of the stairway. "You come down here! Right now!" The footsteps stopped and then slowly began again and this time they got closer.

Father walked back into the room with Abigail behind him who stopped right under the threshold. She held her head up high as she waited for Father to speak. Why is she acting this way? Normally she would not have come down but would yell down at Father. It was unusual to see her so. . . calm. Something else has changed in her too. Walker could not lay a finger on it. Abigail made the mistake of glancing around the room. When her eyes fell on Walker and Ingothold, she could not hide from him the break in her disregarding facade even if it was just for a second. Her expression had drawn back as if she had been struck across the face. Walker felt a sharp pain in his head that lasted as long as the break in her facade did. With a quick turn of her head she turned back to stare at her father with her inherited gray eyes.

"Where have you been!" Father asked.

"Outside." Her response was monotone and betrayed not even a tiny bit of emotion. I wonder how long she'll keep this up, Walker wondered.

"Well, anyway. Are you aware of what your brother has done?"

She shifted her stance. "Yes."

"You made him do this. Didn't you!" Father stepped right up toward her.

"No."

"Don't you dare lie to me! I know it was you who forced Walker to touch that cursed dragon egg. And now look!" He pointed back to Walker and Ingothold. "That thing hatched for him." Still, no emotion was betrayed on Abigail's face. "Since it didn't hatch for you, you thought it would hatch for Walker instead. And if it did you thought that he would take you with him when he would leave. You did. And don't even try to lie. It doesn't matter anyway. We're getting rid of the animal, for good, and no one is leaving this place. It's time you give up your dream. You are a woman and you will become what women are meant to be." Father bent even closer toward Abigail and whispered something else but it was too low for Walker to hear. Abigail whispered something back in return before she turned around and headed upstairs. This time Father did not stop her.

His father turned back to the rest of them. "I'm going back to work." He pointed at Ingothold. "We're getting rid of that thing. Tonight." Without another word he walked out of the house and back to the blacksmith and Walker's mother walked out of the room also.

Now that they were gone, his first thought was: Abigail. He helped Ingothold get settled onto his shoulder before he ran up the stairs to her room. Walker softly knocked twice on the closed door. "Abigail?" No response. "I need to talk with you." Still, no response. "Please, open up." He felt like saying 'I'm sorry' but he remembered what Vesta had said about how he had done nothing wrong and forced himself not too. It's not my fault. But it feels like it.

The doorknob turned and the door opened. Abigail still maintained her facade even when her eyes looked up into his. There was no trace of any feeling in those eyes and that face, but he knew her. This was unlike her but he knew she was still crushed on the inside no matter what her outside betrayed.

"Abigail. You have to understand. I never meant to hurt you. Never. I didn't mean for this to happen. It just . . . did. I know that it was your dream to become a Rider and I've always supported that. Never in a million years would I plan to drag you down. You have to believe me on that." His words seemed weak and they didn't do anything to get through to her. What am I suppose to say? Then he remembered what the dragon, Eridor, had said. "There's still hope though," he told her. " 'By Fate's unpredictable nature he still may give you what you so long for'."

Her gray eyes narrowed as she stared at him with a . . . a confused expression, it seemed. Maybe that's a good sign. She slammed the door in his face. At least she reacted.