Chapter 12- I Take an Unexpected Bath

"Saphira? We're going now," I called in a fervent attempt to attract her attention though I knew it was hopeless. When a dragon is hunting you don't disturb them. As she swooped down on her kill I remembered how only a few days ago I was going to school like a normal kid and not being flown to magical countries with supposedly mythical creatures.

When at last Her Majesty the Last Female Dragon had finished her royal feast we finally went on for Ellesmera. I could feel the tension between the people in front and behind me and it made me on edge. If we started fighting among ourselves then the whole rebellion would fall apart. I tried out a joke to ease the so obvious anger between them. "Hey guys, what d'you call a crazy dude who owns a hat shop called Wonderland? Huh? A Mad Hatter!" No one laughed. Saphira gave a nervous chuckle though it sounded like a lion roaring. Then I realised they didn't know the story of Alice in Wonderland. I felt a bit stupid.

Then, thankfully, the tips of Tialdari Hall came into view and Arya shifted to get a better look. "Saphira, land," she said.

"Not even a please," grumbled Saphira in my mind. "Just a command. I shall overlook it because she is excited." We both glanced at Arya's still sullen face. "Well, kinda," she admitted.

I laughed and Arya and Eragon looked at me quizzically. "Yes of course, O Mighty Dragon," I said aloud blocking another giggle. "You do that."

When we eventually landed Eragon started to say something to Arya in a hurried tone but she cut him off abruptly by saying, "I'm going to get wood. I will be back soon," and then running off into the trees. Eragon stared after her crestfallen. I walked over to him and asked, although I already knew, why Arya was acting like she hated him.

"To be honest, I don't know," and he walked off in the opposite direction to her mumbling, "Trying to do her a favour; gotta see her later…"

I looked over to Saphira; "It's just you and me again."

She snorted. "I'm really getting sick of them."

"It's this war," I sighed. "It has everyone on edge, but when it's over things will go back to normal."

"And what exactly is normal, what's the deceitful definition of the word that everyone wants to be but doesn't know they already have?" she laughed without humour. "All my life, however short it has been, I've been running, hiding, fighting. I don't know what normal is…" When she said this I remembered she wasn't even a year old and I felt bad. I walked over to give her a hug because she looked like as near a dragon could get to crying and I didn't want that. I might drown! Then she looked up. "Can we do something?" she asked.

"Sure, what do you want to do?"

"Can we go for a bath in the lagoon?" And without waiting for an answer she scooped me up in her claws and flew low, right through the trees, towards the vast blue expanse of shimmering water. Then she dived.

WOW! Everything was so beautiful underwater. Brightly coloured schools of fish swam past; their scaled sides gleaming like freshly shone jewels. The seaweed floated upward longing to be united with the land, even the bubbles looked magical. I grinned at Saphira and she attempted to grin back. It was rather frightening. I pushed myself off her paw and glided towards the bottom where I skimmed my stomach across it. This was so much better than a swimming pool! I laughed and watched fascinated as the bubbles from my breath vibrated with the water. It was only then did I realise that my lungs were bursting for air. In three strong, swift kicks I burst out of the now golden water and pulled myself onto the almost flat bank.

Saphira lay down next to me and I leaned against her warm fire-lit belly while we watched the sun set over the evening clouds…