A/N: Do I look like CP to you? Thorn and Murtagh belong to him, not me. However, Raven, Medea, Maelstrom, Storm and all of the other wolves belong to me. As does Shadefire...

Also, I would like to thank peachycupcake for pointing out that the thoughtlines between characters was not italicized. Many thanks to you!

Secrets of Life

Chapter Two

Journey

Murtagh leaned low over Thorn's spiked neck, enjoying the rush of fresh mountain air around him, and thought back to what had happened barely a year before.

After "King" Galbatorix had been killed, he and Thorn had gone north, where they would remain until they felt it was time to return. Before that, he and his half-brother, Eragon, and his blue dragon, Saphira, had been on opposing sides of the war. Not fun. He had tried to conceal his pain by being a pain, until he had been ordered to capture the leader of the Varden, Nasuada.

He still couldn't go a day without thinking about her.

It was annoying. And his red dragon was not helping. Like now, for instance.

Stop brooding. Speak of the devil. I heard that.

Sorry, Thorn. I really can't help it.

I know. Which is why we'll be landing soon. I can see a lake up ahead. Shall we stop there for tonight?

Good idea. The great red dragon did so, hind legs rippling, claws tearing the earth, while Murtagh dismounted and stretched, yawning as he did. Thorn chuckled knowingly, then set about clearing a sleeping space on the small beach. After this was done, he shook himself, stretched, then took off, saying as he did so, I'm going to hunt. Anything happens, call for me.

Will do, came the reply.

Murtagh had just settled underneath Thorn's left wing, getting ready for another night in uncharted wilderness, when a small noise on the other side of the clearing caught their attention. Thorn shifted and growled slightly, lifting his head high. A moment later, a shape slid soundlessly out of the thicket.

Long-legged and graceful, the wolf had a coat of thick, jet-black fur, the color of shadows, and stony gray eyes. Behind it, two more wolves moved up behind. One was like a storm cloud, proud and gray, with long legs and sharp gold eyes. The other was a deep reddish-brown, with a slightly stockier build, and powerful legs.

The black one, who was obviously an alpha, and Murtagh - who deemed that it was female - proceeded to enter a long staring contest, until she finally turned and growled softly to one of her compatriots, the red one. He nodded, and the leader turned back to him, and did something he never would have thought a wolf would ever do. She spoke to him.

Well met, Murtagh, son of Morzan.

She knew his name. An impossible occurrence, yet one that had somehow happened to him. Murtagh, warned Thorn. I know, I know, he replied, then projected his thoughts to the she-wolf.

How is it you know of my name, and my family?

She cocked her head, then, You told me yourself. Do you not recognize my companions?

Murtagh frowned, then realization struck him. The two wolves on either side of her... Maelstrom and Storm! But... How were they still alive? He asked the dark she-wolf this, and she got a look in her eye.

They are like me. Or rather, I am like them. Do you remember my name?

"...Raven," he breathed, trying to process this new little tidbit of information. The wolf nodded, then said Come, old friend, I have something I wish to show you. And someone I want you both to meet, directing this last part to Thorn. He blinked slowly, his eyelid clicking against bone, then nodded and stood up.

Raven nodded to the two wolves, who then raced off into the gathering darkness. You might want to ride your dragon for this journey, she advised, we wolves can move fast if need be. And off they went.

About a half-hour later, Murtagh heard music. It was light and lilting,made by what he guessed were fiddles. How there were fiddles all the way out here was a mystery, but as they got closer, he saw more wolves, and three or four humans on horseback. They all nodded to him, smiling, and nodded to Thorn as well, which surprised him. He wondered if there had been dragon riders here before. When he questioned Raven about this, she laughed and said only You shall see, before putting on another burst of speed.

Soon, the trees started to thin, and then they came upon the edge of a steep slope. What he saw below took his and Thorn's breath away.

Below them, there was a small crowd, less than one hundred humans, and an equal amount of wolves. There were maybe six musicians, three on the fiddle, one with pan pipes, and two others with drums. Brilliant golden lights - spirits - danced around, some in time with the music, others dancing independently. But even those were of small importance compared to the thing across the valley.
It was another dragon.

It's onyx-colored scales glinted in the light of the setting sun, huge wings spread out like shadowy curtains, a long neck and tail seemed to dance in the air as she moved and twisted, laughing children playing about her talons. Even from this distance, Murtagh could see that her eyes were an emerald green, and she would be about twice the size of Thorn, if they stood together.

But the most amazing thing, was the saddle. For it proved that there was another dragon rider here, another who knew the bond of a Shur'turgal.

He looked at Raven, but before he could ask the question, she simply said, Her name is Shadefire, and I am her Rider. Would you wish to meet her, Thorn?

Thorn nodded, his great red head catching the fading light, and started down the slope. Raven grinned and raced ahead, low to the ground, sprinting like only a wolf could.

Shadefire looked up then, and, folding her wings, leapt down the opposite slope herself, dodged around humans and wolves, and then slid smoothly to a stop. When Thorn and Murtagh reached them, Raven was in her human form, which was just as breath-taking as her onyx dragon.

Her face was a little more angled, her ears were slightly pointed, and she was just as tall as Murtagh himself. At either side she wore a curved sheath, both were jet-black, with silver hilts sticking out of them. She also had her two large, curved knives, a longbow and quiver were slung over one shoulder, and she still had her marble necklace and leather belt. Her clothes were tightly fitted and as black as her dragon, though on her arms she wore open-fingered gloves and leather straps down to her wrist. Her boots were of dark leather, with dull buckles, which matched the saddle her dragon wore. This saddle was of a design that was completely alien to Murtagh.

The straps around Shadefire's chest were wide, but without buckles or knots. The stirrups didn't look like normal stirrups, they seemed to be leather chaps turned around, except for the bottom, where, he assumed, feet would go. There was a shallow, foot-sized pocket on the bottom, and just above that was a small shelf, for want of a better word. Then, there was where he assumed Raven would sit, and this had to be the strangest scene yet. The flat, thick leather fitted over the dragon's shoulders, and there was what looked like a small, rounded rise where the dip in between her shoulder-blades would be, and set into the saddle's front were a dozen large onyxes. Bound in dull silver, they seemed to shine with an inner light, that completely rivaled the dark coloring of the gems.

When he had finished looking at the saddle, he turned to Raven and asked, "Are those gems there for a reason other than show?"

She grinned, then said, "Why, of course! They are all filled to the rim with energy. I could make Thorn a saddle like this, if you wanted me to. It would take a while, but I think I have a few rubies somewhere..."

Murtagh was surprised. "You would do that?"

She blinked. "Of course! You're our friends. Why wouldn't we?"

Murtagh looked around, then asked Raven, "Do you have a place where we could talk in private?"

All right, I'm sorry to end it here, but... I MUST! Like I said before, this story was really inspired by IndigoDragonRider, check them out! I don't have any idea how long this'll be, so... Stay tuned! Reviews appreciated, con-crit welcomed, and flames will go to Shadefire. Do you guys like that name? It's a name that I kind of have for my dragon, if I were a Rider. She is, of course, black. Like onyxes, nighttime, shadows, and *gack!* oil.

If you don't get why I chose the name Shadefire, listen closely, and I shall tell you. The 'Shade' bit is for shadow, because that's what she looks like... Shadow. The 'Fire' part is her fiery, warm personality. If you can't already tell, my favorite color is black. Hence Raven and her raven colors. Oh, and originally Raven's full name was Ravenna, but she shortened it to Raven.
Anyways, this was fun to write, hope you like it!

Many a thousand thank-yous to Restrained Freedom. Please, PLEASE, check that guy out if you haven't already. PLEASE.

Falcon