Ramirlblaka
Winter was quickly approaching, the temperatures were dropping and the riders were preparing. Food supplies were kept near the Grand Hall and wood was cut for fires although with all the dragons around, this was not always necessary. The fact that they got warm water from the hot springs under the volcano also helped with the morning chills.
Kayla had her head under the water and her cheeks were flaming but she enjoyed it. Maybe it was a repercussion from all her energy usage during the Shade's attack but she needed the almost boiling water to bathe every single day. It also helped her muscles relax and it was nice to be alone with her thoughts. Even for a little while.
Her daily schedule had not changed much during the last month compared to the rest of the riders. During most afternoons they practiced flying while she did history, sparring and ancient language lessons. History and Ancient Language lessons were a mere repeat of what she had done with the previous riders and she was certain it was an indirect punishment from Eragon for her denial to ride Aiedail.
Tristan had tried talking to her, saying how much she would enjoy flying and she had listened to him but had still said no. Laer had also tried talking to her and even though he had a way of making her see things from his perspective, she had still said no. She still remembered the conversation they had had though. The one about getting only one shot at life.
Indeed, she had started enjoying sparring, history, Rimgar, Ancient Language lessons and the most recent lessons on saddle making but that didn't mean she was going to ride Aiedail anytime soon. She understood everyone's feelings and opinions, she understood Aiedail's distaste and anger but she could simply not bring herself to doing this. Too many dark memories sparked whenever she opened herself to the dragon.
The thing she enjoyed most of all, however, was magic. Even though they had yet to have any lessons on the topic she practiced by herself every evening after the end of her additional trainings, while the riders were flying. She was becoming quite good at controlling the energy flow. At the moment she was trying very hard to reduce the energy usage as much as possible so that only one small rock rose and only for a few centimetres. She had tried using magic in other ways as well and the fact that she was slowly becoming fluent in the Ancient Language was helping a lot. Her favourite spell was to have grass and flowers grow. Even though winter was imminent, she could still make summer flowers bloom.
Her need for air made her rise to the water's surface, where steam rose. She touched her cheeks which were aflame and decided it was time to exit the bath tub. Somewhere at the back of her mind she felt Aiedail stirring.
Kayla put on her usual training kit, leather pants and a linen shirt but also added a vest on top to protect her from the cold.
She rushed to the storage room to find Tristan and Laer already there.
"…and then Vertigo dived to the side! Did you see Adrian's expression? I am sure he must have hated that!" Tristan said to Laer, sounding pleased with himself as he dove into a bag of apples.
"Good morning, Kayla" Laer said, noticing her presence and she nodded to him and her brother in acknowledgement.
"Today we are offering porridge, honey and fruits" Tristan said pointing at the food.
"Porridge and honey" she replied and went to serve herself while Gwen and Gas walked into the room.
"May I offer you a bowl of delicious porridge and hand-kneaded bread with jam, honey or fruits, my lady?" Tristan said to Gwen, smiling widely at her. The human rider smiled and said something in return while Kayla rose her eyebrows.
"My lady?" she whispered to Laer who was closer to her.
The rider shook his head and smiled.
"Long story. It started a few weeks ago during our flying lessons" he said.
"Oh" Kayla replied and she looked at her brother and Gwen, slightly perplexed.
After breaking their fast they headed to their usual spot near the volcano to train. Today it was cold, rainy and windy. Whatever heat she had acquired from her steaming hot bath, was slowly abandoning her.
When they finished their run she felt a lot warmer and Octavian continued with his sparring lessons. For the time being, Octavian enjoyed putting them in different groups every day, but she always lost in the sparring matches. In the beginning she hadn't cared much, but now it had started bothering her that everyone was better than her.
Today she was put to spar against her brother. He smiled at her.
"Ready, little sister?" he asked and she rose an eyebrow. A few months ago she would have laughed if someone told her that she and her brother would be dragon riders and spar for real rather than play fight.
Now, she did not think of it as a joke.
"Let's do this!" she said and they started landing blows on each other. She was following Octavian's advice and moves, but still, she lost in the end. It hadn't even been a close match.
When they continued with archery lessons, she realised that her aim was improving, but it was nowhere near as good as Tristan's. By the end of the lesson the weather had changed and the clouds had all but disappeared, so the riders were sent off for flying lessons. Every rider was excited today, because they would visit Ramirblaka, the island of the wild dragons. Kayla was simply excited to practise magic.
She gave a quick glance at the riders and Aiedail's piercing glare and then headed to the library in Glieonard to meet Mirin.
…
Eragon had been promising them for weeks now that they would visit Ramirblaka. Today was supposed to be the day but when Tristan had seen the weather he knew the plan would be cancelled again. When the skies had cleared up, however, he run to the hill with the rest of the riders, excitement coursing through his veins. He put the saddle on Vertigo and pulled the straps tightly. An elf, named Bloghgarm, had shown him how to make and put a saddle on a dragon, only a few weeks ago and he always tried to be careful when tightening the straps. Rikon had almost slipped from Fiord's back the previous week because he hadn't pulled the straps tightly enough.
"Forty six seconds!" he shouted when he was done.
"Forty six? You are slow. I did it in forty" Rikon replied from his right hand side.
"We saw how that ended for you last week though" Tristan said and rose an eyebrow.
"It's hard for someone of my size to do this properly" the dwarf replied annoyed.
"So… How tall are you again? If you were standing next to turtle would the turtle be taller than you?" Tristan asked him.
Rikon shot him an irritated expression and Tristan smiled.
"That depends on the turtle. And I have told you before I am actually quite tall for a dwarf!"
"Sure… And I am Eragon Shadeslayer!" Tristan shouted, smiling widely.
Someone tapped his shoulder and he turned around to see Eragon. The rider did not smile and Tristan swallowed.
"Actually, I am Eragon. Now, ride your dragons if you want to get to Ramirblaka today. Don't forget it's quite a long way away…" he said.
"I did it in thirty eight seconds" Gwen whispered from behind them as she rode her bronze coloured dragon.
"Thirty five" Laer replied.
"I am impressed, young rider" she said and smiled to Laer. Tristan felt his heart twist a little bit. He went to say something but Vertigo took off before he was able to.
Come on, I want to see the wild dragons for myself! Either say something to the human female or let her be. Your thoughts and fantasies are so mingled together that they bother and excite me at the same time, his dragon said and made a steep turn.
Tristan held on tightly as Vertigo followed Saphira's lead. Clear skies extended ahead of them.
I can't help it, he replied and the dragon groaned.
Just do what dragons do. If you want to mate with her, approach her. If she says yes then all is good if she says no find another female.
Humans and dragons behave quite differently, Tristan replied, smiling.
Yes, you make everything so much more complicated than it needs to be!, he said just as he passed Adrian and his dragon with a smug expression.
The dragon and the elf tried to catch up with them but Vertigo was going too fast.
Keep your strength, dragons. You will need it for your return, Eragon advised and Vertigo slowed down until he was near Saturn and Onyx.
Laer and Gwen were talking amongst themselves while Adrian was riding near them. He glanced once at Tristan's direction and then quickly looked away while his dragon let out a small puff of smoke.
Annoying elf, he thought and Vertigo agreed.
They were soon able to see the outlines of mountains and hear the growls of dragons.
"We are close!" Rikon shouted excited.
As soon as he said that, dragons appeared in the distance. Their colours had the colours of the rainbows but their scales were dirty, almost un-kept and their appearance had a rough edge.
Eka fricai un Shur'tugalar!, Eragon said in everybody's minds. We are riders and friends.
The wild dragons approached them and at that moment they looked just that. Wild.
Tristan could start to understand why the people in Alagaesia had been terrified of dragons for this long. He even understood why the elves had fought against them. They were large, deadly, terrifying creatures.
The biggest dragon of the group, a brass coloured male approached them.
Eragon. We did not expect you, a voice sounded but it did not come from the male in front of them. It felt as if more than one consciousness was talking to them and Tristan realised that it was the Eldunari.
Did Umaroth not tell you?, Eragon inclined.
The brass coloured male flapped his wings and started circling them. Saphira was slightly smaller than him and regarded him with an air of caution. The rest of the dragons and riders stood behind her.
We have not had contact with the Eldunari on Dis Atilan, the voice replied and some dragons started circling them. There were more wild dragons than riders, or so it appeared, and the ages and sizes of them ranged.
Your flight must have been long, young dragons. You can rest on land, the same voice added.
Tristan looked at Eragon then at Rikon and Laer. Rikon raised his hands in the air in bewilderment.
Land, young riders and dragons. I have some business to attend to, Eragon said and Tristan saw the sapphire dragon moving quickly towards the island, Ramirblanka.
Gas was the first to fly to the island, earning the glances of both the wild and tame dragons. His dragon was a female and she landed near a lake where she gulped big mouthfuls of water.
Shall we join him?, Tristan asked when Vertigo didn't follow the human's lead.
I have flown to Ramirblanka, the wild dragon island, just to rest? I don't think so… I intend to explore!, Vertigo said, excited and flew straight towards the mountains.
Fiord followed them while Onyx and Saturn landed near the lake.
Are you sure it's a good idea?, Tristan asked, making one more try but his dragon would not change his mind so easily.
Aiedail was flying somewhere above them as well and Tristan could hear the whoosh of air from all the wings flapping.
Some wild dragons came extremely close to him while he and Vertigo explored the area but Vertigo seemed unaffected. Sometimes he would sniff the air, interested and change his course.
There are not many females here, Vertigo said, puzzled.
Should there have been more?, Tristan asked just as his dragon did an intricate turn and missed a dark brown dragon by a few inches. The creature let out a loud growl and Vertigo quickly flew back. Somewhere near them, Tristan could see Adrian and his dragon flying.
Don't go too close to them. They seem more agitated than usual, the elf warned in his mind and shot him a concerned expression.
Do you think you can fly fast enough to lose Adrian?, Tristan asked Vertigo, annoyed to be followed around by the elf.
His dragon hmphed.
Of course!
Indeed, they flew fast towards some caves in the mountains, where Tristan noticed more dragons. The creatures started growling loudly when they saw them approaching and Tristan had to squint his eyes to see what they were guarding.
Eggs!
Another growl sounded, one which was a lot closer than the female dragons guarding their eggs, and Tristan looked up to see the jaws of a copper dragon.
Its talons scratched Vertigo's scales and his dragon let out a moan and started flying faster.
Are you okay?, Tristan asked, startled by the attack, and looked behind him to see the bronze creature trying to bite Vertigo's tail. He held tightly on Vertigo's thorns and cursed his luck for not bringing any weapons with him.
His dragon was flapping his wings fast, appearing alarmed. A mahogany dragon appeared from their right hand side and with its talons grabbed part of the other dragon's tail. The creature stopped chasing them and Tristan saw Adrian.
Run, you stupid human!, the elf said as he tried to push the other dragon back.
Vertigo?, Tristan asked again and his dragon landed next to the lake where Saturn and Onyx where. Tristan slid from his dragon's back and went to check the wounds.
It doesn't hurt much, the dragon said just as Tristan noticed blood gushing from a spot beneath his left wing.
"What happened?" Gwen asked and run to them. Laer was next to her and touched Onyx's scales, looking at the sky concerned.
"A dragon attacked us. I am not sure why. We were close to the eggs so I th-"Tristan was saying but a loud snarl cut him mid-sentence.
The riders looked up and saw Aiedail trying to fight off the large brass coloured male they had noticed before. Her talons were slicing his thighs but he appeared unaffected by this. His jaws were trying to close around her neck and she kept on trying to push him back.
Onyx and Vertigo almost simultaneously let out loud roars and Saturn flapped his wings impatiently.
Get back on. We need to go to her!, Vertigo shouted and his tail twitched from side to side, irritably.
Tristan did as his dragon commanded.
You are injured though, do you think it's the best….
It's only a scratch!, the dragon roared and flew quickly to where Aiedail was as soon as Tristan climbed on his back. At the moment she was cornered by the large male, who had his wings around her and she had both a panicked and a deadly expression on her face.
Saturn and Onyx started growling at the male while Vertigo flew fast around him, causing gusts of wind to burst and disturb the brass male's balance. Aiedail moved from her corner and attacked the male from above with full force, tearing a big piece of flesh in the process.
The brass male let out a loud roar and stared at them with hate and malice. Suddenly from the corners of the island, many wild dragons appeared and started circling them.
Keep formation, riders, Gwen whispered into their minds but her voice almost quivered at the end.
Adrian and Gas appeared from below them and quickly flew to their direction. The two-headed dragon with May and Maya on, came from a hill nearby, but he was still too close to some of the wild males.
Try to avoid attacking. Don't make a move unle-, Adrian said in their minds but the white two headed dragon attacked the two dragons closest to him and simultaneous roars erupted.
The wild dragons flew to them fast from all directions and jets of flames were now a common commotion. Vertigo and Aiedail moved their wings quickly and kept stealing glances around them.
Suddenly a sapphire blur came out of nowhere and let out such a lour growl that the wild dragons moved back.
ENOUGH!, Eragon and Saphira shouted in unison and for a few moments the wild dragons paused their attack. Riders, come. We need to leave. Now.
Adrian started heading back and the rest of the younger riders followed closely behind.
Where is Rikon?, Laer asked at that moment and suddenly Tristan and Gwen realised that they had not seen the dwarven rider since the time they had arrived. Both the riders and dragons quickly scanned the island until Gwen spotted Rikon and told him to join them.
Rikon and Fiord flew ahead with confused expressions on their faces and Saturn, Vertigo and Onyx joined them. Saphira and Eragon were in the middle of the group, stealing cautious glances behind them.
Suddenly the brass coloured male flew fast to their direction as he spotted Aiedail near Vertigo. The purple dragon let out an irritated growl and snapped her jaws at the male. Saturn tried to intimidate the male, pausing for a bit and growling but the other dragon wasn't frightened and swung his tail forcefully to Gwen's direction.
Tristan let out a loud scream while Vertigo tried to fly to the back of the group where the fight was taking place, but he was not fast enough and the tail of the brass male hit Gwen. She slipped from her saddle and Tristan saw her body falling in mid-air. Saturn tried to reach her, but the brass male had his talons inside the other dragon's wings.
A desperate growl escaped both from Saturn's and Tristan's lips as they helplessly watched Gwen's body falling to its death.
A/N: Don't forget to leave reviews, follow/fav :)!