couldnt really think of a title for this one, but oh well

claimer:I own everything that isn't in Eragon or Eldest:D

22.-Silhouette

The hot desert sand scorched the soles of my boots as I stood on the barren wasteland. No trees occupied the seemingly endless dirt therefore no shelter from the sweltering sun above was available, leaving us to fry under the harsh rays.

My head spun from the exhilarating freefall I had just experienced, my vision blurred although I did not know if it was the flight, or the heat that was making me dizzy. I stumbled a few steps in the golden sand, then collapsed, the tiny grains scraping at my skin. But I was too tired to care and as soon as my head hit the ground my mind swam.

Visions swarmed my brain, jumbled and incomprehensible. I felt thuds shake the ground and I opened my eyes to slits, the angry sun glaring down at me, burning my eyes. But then everything went black and the air turned cooler.

I sat up slowly and recognized the dark cover over me. I sighed in relief as the heat died down and I settled in the sand, relaxing slightly, but staying on guard at the same time.

Are you content? Dorrans voice echoed in my mind pleasantly, his voice slightly muffled for some reason, but it kept me in my peaceful state and I sighed happily.

The giant onyx dragons belly hummed, making the air around me buzz slightly. Then a voice resounded around my mind, jolting me out of my sluggish thoughts and causing me to sit up abruptly.

May I come in? I sighed as I recognized Eragons voice as lay back down, my eyes closing again.

If you wish, I replied and hissed slightly as the ruthless sunlight blared into my makeshift cave.

Eragons silhouette was all I could see against the bright background. But then he stepped under the huge wing and the sunlight instantly vanished, replaced by the sweet darkness once again. I could see the strange rider clearly with my enhanced vision, but I was sure that he could not see a thing.

But then I noticed his hand glowing faintly, the unnatural blue light glancing off of every one of Dorrans sleek stomach scales. I sat up and turned to face him, his dark eyes glinting brightly in the dim light.

"Did you come in here merely to escape the sun, or to talk?" I asked him, wondering what he would want to talk about. He sighed and glanced deep into my eyes, a puzzled expression flitting across his handsome features.

"I have only just noticed, but why are your eyes that silver color?" I had been afraid he would ask something like that that I could not tell him without giving us away.

So I thought of the best explanation I could, and replied, "I have always had them." He nodded, obviously disappointed with the answer, but not willing to ask on the topic further.

I sighed and closed my eyes, preparing myself for additional questioning; sleep clouding my brain and rendering me unable to think straight.

Eragon apparently noticed the sudden droop to my eyelids and smiled slightly.

"Go to sleep Casiphia, it is obvious that you will not be able to stay conscious for much longer."

I smiled lightly, and closed my eyes, turning to rest my head on Dorrans warm belly, his gentle humming lulling me to sleep by the second.

I heard scraping in the sand behind me and then there was a sudden flash of sunlight as Eragon left to return to Saphira who, in no doubt, had been listening in to the small conversation through her riders mind.

I am glad that talk was only one question long, I thought to my 'dragon' smiling.

Dorran pocked his head under his wing and rested his large reptilian skull in the sand in front of mine, his expression amused and tired at the same time. I flashed a smile at him and then closed my eyes and let sleep overtake me.


"Casiphia, wake up, we need to get going before the sun rises." Eragons deep voice drifted to my ears seemingly out of the mist. I was still half asleep and it took me a while to focus properly, but before I had a chance to slowly drift back to full consciousness I felt my whole body leave the sharp grains of sand that I had been lying on and rise in the air.

My eyes shot open and I let out a screech of terror and annoyance while waving my arms around, franticly trying to ascend back to earth.

I heard deep throaty laughing around me and I looked down and growled with what I saw. Below was Eragon, his right palm directed upwards and aimed towards me, his hand glowing the mystifying sapphire color that it had been last night.

Over to the side were Dorran and Saphira rolling on the ground, bellies in the air, and the source of the chocking, strangling sounds.

"LET ME DOWN THIS SECOND!!" I screamed at Eragon, beyond annoyed at his childish behavior.

The grin vanished from the riders face as he caught the expression on my features.

You better let her down right now before she kills you! Dorran laughed into our minds, but from the look on Eragons face it looked like he believed that I would.

He lowered me gently to the sand, his hand moving down as he did so, as if his palm were guiding my descent.

When my feet were firmly on the ground I let out a ferocious roar and pounced on him, clinging to his back and causing him to topple over from my weight.

We wrestled in the sand, punching and kicking at each other and shouting the occasional curse as we each in turn got hurt. We were not actually injuring each other though; the maximum damage was probably just a couple of bruises and scrapes.

After a couple of minutes we both lay panting on our backs, already tired before the day had even begun.

"That will teach you…to wake…me up…like that…again." I panted, grinning as I did so.

I saw him grinning evilly out of the corner of my eye and immediately rolled onto my stomach and then into an upright position. I glanced around and noticed that the small camp that Eragon had made had been packed up and Saphira was now saddled, ready to begin the day.

"Eragon, how did you lift me into the air like that?" I asked him, remembering the reason why I had fought him.

He looked at me strangely, as if he were talking to someone mentally unstable, which I probably was at this moment anyway, with the whole life changing and other body transformations and everything.

"Do you not know the ways of magic?" he asked me.

Magic! That was only supposed to exist in the fairy tale world, not the real one!

But then again, if people were able to change forms, why should they not be able to do other-worldly things as well?

"No, I do not, perhaps you could teach me as we travel? After all, it would be amazing to have the ability to levitate a person at will, and do so much more without even having to lift a finger."

He considered it for a moment, and then nodded.

"I will, but first we will have to stop off at the nearest town to make you a saddle, it wouldn't be very pretty to see you splat on the ground." He grinned at the last sentence and I only growled at him, annoyed.

But I didn't have to say anything because before a single word could escape my mouth Dorrans growling voice rumbled into our minds.

And I imagine you wouldn't exactly be beautiful without a head either, he grinned savagely and I laughed as Eragons face visibly paled.

I continued to laugh as I mounted Dorran and we leapt into the increasingly bright sky and flew, watching the sunrise as the sand below seemed to catch fire and the dark silhouette of the Beor Mountains grew gradually larger with each sweep the glimmering dragons' wings took.

oooh what a pretty last picture..

hope u liked it!!

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-Firesilk:D