Okay, next chapter's here! I've tried to make it less filler-y like it originally was going to be. I've started the ball rolling!

"Stenr reisa," Veyna growled. The pebble remained inanimate and motionless atop the table.

"Stenr reisa," Veyna said again, frustrated. She could feel Kyra's mind bolstering her own, but it still eluded her. She got so close, but the magic slipped through her fingers every time, hiding itself somewhere new in her mind.

"Stenr reisa," she called, as if beckoning an elven pony. "Stenr reisa," she cooed at the stone. "Stenr…reisa…" she said in a deadly voice, "Stone, if you don't move, I'm going to have Istalri grind you under her talons and crush you into dirt…Stenr, rïsa!"

In the back of her mind, she could feel Istalri returning with Mort from their training session. She had been at this all day, with her mentor Taeri watching her struggle and fail. And she was sick of it. She was tired of failing. It's what she'd been doing her entire life!

Istalri landed and looked at her sadly. She laid her head on the ground to watch Veyna, cat-like eyes alert. Veyna turned back to the pebble. She took a moment to gather her thoughts.

"Stenr reisa," Veyna commanded. It was as if she had just been granted access to the deepest part of her mind. Something clicked, and energy flooded her mind. Her energy. She could sense it now. Compared to Istalri's, it was a pittling amount, but no matter. That would soon change.

All of a sudden, the pebble shot up into the air, hung there a moment, then changed direction and headed straight for Istalri's heart. A surge of energy flooded her body, but Veyna frantically cut off the spell. The pebble didn't stop, however, only wavered and speared Istalri's foreleg. The first drop of dragon blood seared her palm.

Istalri! she gasped. Her dragon flapped her wings as she balked and backed away from Veyna who was standing there in shock. Istalri!

Why? Her dragon snarled.

I didn't mean to, Istalri, I'm sorry! Veyna wailed, I just lost control or something. I don't understand it!

I believe you, Istalri said after a moment, beginning to lick the wound. But how did you lose control?

I don't know. I cut off the spell before it hit you, it shouldn't have kept going. I didn't direct it toward you at all!

We should talk to Taeri and Mort. They're just staring at us, you know.

Oh. Right. Veyna blinked and laid her hand on Istalri's foreleg, examining the wound. "The pebble…it's still in there. Can you help?" she asked Taeri.

"I've never seen anyone lose control of that simple spell before," Taeri said, clearly still in shock. "But we better not use it to get it out of her. Stenr, eitha." The stone moved slowly out of the wound and Istalri whimpered. "Jierda," Taeri told it, "Waíse deloi." The stone exploded into dirt and fell to the ground. She walked up to Istalri, who had resumed licking her wound.

"May I?" she asked politely. Istalri lifted her head and thrust out her foreleg, watching Taeri like a cornered fox. "The pebble cut straight through the muscle and was only stopped by the bone," Taeri told Veyna, "We need to round up as many Riders for the healing as possible. No time to get Eragon; he left on a hunting expedition with Saphira to one of the other islands hours ago." Mort immediately took off to the rooms nearby while Veyna contacted Kyra.

Help, Istalri's hurt!

What? How? Kyra questioned.

No time, just please hurry! By the time Veyna cut off the connection, several more Riders had arrived: three elves, a couple dwarves, and a hulking Urgal. Another dwarf ran up on his short legs and Kyra came up behind Veyna, another elf on her heels.

"Join your minds with mine," Taeri ordered, and no one questioned her, even though at least one of them looked older than she was. At once she began to sing in the ancient language, of growing and mending. The song was as complex as Istalri's body, and took many minutes to complete. Finally, it was over, and Istalri's leg was sound and whole once again. Most of the Riders drifted away, but a few remained behind: the older elven Rider, an elf girl, Kyra, and her friend. Taeri opened her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"What happened?" the male Rider asked Taeri.

"I don't know. The spell just seemed to berserk," she answered. He turned to Veyna, orange eyes searching.

"I cut off the spell as soon as I realized the pebble wasn't going the right way. I don't know why it kept going," Veyna told him.

He nodded and spoke to the girl. "Stay here," he ordered, "Sinta and I have to find Eragon. He must be informed of this right away."

"Ebrithil." She nodded respectfully. He leapt away, springing lithely onto the pink dragon who was almost as large as Fírnen.

"Hi. I'm Staria. It's nice to meet you," she touched two fingers to her lips.

Veyna repeated the action, saying, "It's nice to meet you too. Was that your mentor?"

"Yes, Shaiku's been my mentor for almost two years now."

"I'm Kyra, Veyna's twin sister," Kyra introduced herself, "and this is Soetrí, my sparring partner. Soetrí greeted them all with a cordial smile.

"Oh yes, I know Soetrí," Staria sighed. She looked up at the sun. "It's almost supper. Want to join me, Veyna, Kyra?" she asked.

"Sure," Veyna replied.

"Sorry, but no thanks," Kyra declined politely, "Soetrí promised to show me something really special tonight, on one of the other islands." She smiled at him.

"Aren't the other islands off limits?" Staria asked, looking at Soetrí with a warning glance.

"Ah, come on, Staria!" he scoffed, "We're not doing any harm, going to see the glow stone." With that, he led Kyra away, hand on her arm.

"How do you know Soetrí?" Veyna asked, watching them go, puzzled.

"Oh. Him. He was my sparring partner in Ellesméra," she said distastefully. "Before he became a Rider, I mean. Frankly, I don't know why Chinr chose him."

"You're from Ellesméra?"

"Yes. No. It's complicated," Staria said as they sat down at an empty table with their food, Istalri listening behind them. "I was raised by Arya in Ellesméra."

"Arya? Really?" Veyna asked, surprised.

"Do you remember learning about Eragon searching for a place to build the Riders' sanctuary?" Staria asked.

"Sure," Veyna replied, still confused.

"The part where Arya joined him for about a year, leaving Lord Dathëdr in charge? She told me that they found me, all alone on an abandoned island. No sign of my parents. So she took me back to Ellesméra and raised me in her spare time, which wasn't a lot. But that was fine with me. I mean, it was an honor and all, but I didn't really want the attention… I don't remember seeing you in Ellesméra, which city are you and your sister from?"

"Taíthos," Veyna replied. "It's about a league away." The conversation paused for a minute. "Where's your dragon?" she asked.

"Oh, she was out hunting. Adura should be back any second now," Staria broke a piece off her bread.

"Adura?" Staria asked, all her senses on full alert, "Adura…Saphira and Fírnen's daughter, Adura?"

"Well, when you put it like that…" Staria smiled. "Yes. The same."

"That's so cool!" Veyna exclaimed. "I've always wondered, does Saphira show favoritism towards her because she's her mother?"

Staria laughed. "As if. If anything, she tells Sinta to work her even harder!"

Veyna grinned. "Yes, that sounds like Saphira. What about Fírnen? Does she see him much?"

"Not really. Just when she hatched. But tell me about you and Istalri!" Staria prompted.

"Well, it just…happened. You know how it is," Veyna answered, smiling. "One minute, it's a green egg, the next it's a beautiful dragon that I'm naming Istalri. It goes by so fast, doesn't it?"

"Indeed it does. And Adura returns!" Staria looked up to see her sapphire dragon coming toward her, talons clicking on the stone floor.

"Did you have a nice hunt?" Staria asked, patting Adura on the nose. A silent exchange passed between them and Adura turned to Veyna, surveying her and Istalri carefully.

Greetings, Staria's-friends, Adura said.

Greetings, Adura, Istalri replied. Could you excuse us? Istalri spoke to Veyna privately.

"If you don't mind my asking, what happened back there, to Istalri?"

"Oh, that," Veyna looked distinctly uncomfortable. "It's kind of embarrassing, but I've never been able to use magic before."

Staria nodded, as if to say, "Go on."

"So Taeri was teaching me with the pebble, and I finally managed to lift it. But then I felt this huge surge of energy, and it didn't feel like my own. The pebble headed straight for Istalri's heart, but when I cut off the spell it missed and speared her foreleg instead."

Staria looked thoughtful. "That wasn't your fault," she told Veyna. "I've been researching magic a lot recently, and that can't just happen. Were you particularly sore at Istalri before you cast the spell?"

"No, not really. I mean, I was frustrated a bit, that, like, she could do all the dragon-y things but I couldn't manage what I'm supposed to as an elf or a Rider…but I wasn't wishing her harm, I swear I wasn't!"

"I believe you. And that means that it wasn't you, Veyna."

"What do you mean?"

"You lifted the pebble into the air. But someone else took control and directed it. Someone who wanted to hurt Istalri. Badly."

Don don donnnn! Who wants to kill Istalri? What is so important to Soetrí that he'll break the rules and take Kyra off the island to see?

I realize I've been dropping a lot (okay, a ton) of names, but I promise no more people! You've met everybody for Part1/Book1!

So, if you want a review:

Eragon

Saphira

Arya

Fírnen

Nasuada

Orik

Nar Garzhvog

Blödgarm

Kyra – Elf, Rider who is Veyna's twin, 14 yrs old

Nuaen – Kyra's pink dragon

Veyna – Elf, Rider who is Kyra's twin, 14 yrs old

Istalri – Veyna's green dragon

Curf – Dwarf, Rider in charge of Vroengard

Thyst – Curf's purple rider, the color of amethyst

Tamos – Elf, Rider who brought the eggs, escorted them to Gedwëy Evarínya, and trained Kyra

Shiün – Tamos's orange dragon who is also Shruikan's son

Taeri – Elf, Rider who mentors Veyna

Mort – Taeri's maple-brown dragon

Staria – Elf, Rider who is Veyna's friend, 16 yrs old

Adura – Staria's blue dragon, also Saphira and Fírnen's daughter

Shaiku – Staria's mentor

Sinta – Shaiku's pink dragon

Soetrí – Kyra's friend and Staria's enemy

Chinr – Soetrí's dragon

Preview: