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Conversation between Eragon and Saphira: Bold Regular

Conversation between Florina and Kuldra: Bold italic

Enjoy!

She spun quickly and caught Eragon's blow with her wooden sword. Brom had made her one after Yazuac. She and Brom had decided that Eragon should learn to fight against multiple opponents. Not every time he fought would it be a one-on-one. But that did not mean that she and Brom had teamed up against him. It was a free for all and she had decided to start with Brom. After attacking him for about five minutes, she turned on Eragon who was unable to protect himself from the both of them. She heard Saphira and Kuldra make a coughing growl that she recognized as laughing. She was sure that it was at Eragon's expense. After all, she had parried every blow the two of them had thrown at her.

They both swung at her. She dropped her wooden sword, dropped to the ground landing on her hands, and swept her legs under both of them. They both fell flat on their backs, their weapons flying from their hands. She grabbed hers and grabbed Brom's and was up before they could catch their breathes. All three of them were breathing heavily. Brom sat up and looked for his weapon. Eragon did the same. Florina smiled and gestured for them both to stand. She had all three of the swords. Eragon jumped at her. She aimed the sword at his throat. It didn't stop him. She waited and then stepped back. Eragon landed on his face on the ground. She placed a foot on the middle of his back.

"Be lucky we are on the same side." She said and then looked up at Brom. He nodded and she got off Eragon and handed the swords to Brom.

"That was well done, Florina."

"What's so funny, Saphira?"

"You were bested by someone you believed weaker than you…...again." Eragon flushed and sulked next to the fire.

"You'll get to that point, Eragon." Florina said kindly. He looked at her as she leaned against Kuldra's leg.

"How did you know to do that?"

"I had a great teacher. And he always let me improvise, encouraged it actually. I know very little official forms."

Florina kept her mind linked fully with Kuldra as the gold dragon soared high above the town of Daret. Saphira was hiding on the ground near the town. Florina kept a ready hand on her blade. Brom gripped his sword and Eragon kept his bow partially drawn. She noticed the fresh footprints of children. She was taken by surprise as Brom wheeled Snowfire around and spurred him into a gallop. Eragon was not far behind. She kept herself from slamming her face into Brom's back as Snowfire slid to a stop. She peeked around the old man and saw a swarthy man standing in front of a wagon that blocked their way. She sent out her consciousness towards him and had to keep herself from showing surprise. He was familiar.

"Halt! Put your weapons down. You're surrounded by sixty archers. They'll shoot if you move." Florina kept from looking at the roof tops and told Kuldra to stay in the sky. She pulled her hand from her sword.

"What do you want?" Brom asked, calm.

"Why have you come here?" The man demanded.

"To buy supplies and hear the news. We're on our way to my cousin's house in Dras-Leona."

"You're pretty heavily armed."

"These are dangerous times."

"True." The man said. "I don't think you mean us ill, but we've had too many encounters with Urgals and bandits for me to trust you only on your word."

"If it doesn't matter what we say, what happens now?" Florina watched them for a few tense moments.

"You say you only want supplies. Would you agree to stay here while we bring you what you need, then pay us, and leave immediately?"

"Yes." Florina breathed a sigh of relief.

"Tell him what you want."

Brom recited the list they had agreed on. "Also, if you could bring a pair of gloves that would fit my nephew and a horse our companion." The archer nodded and ran off. She didn't pay attention to the talk between the two of the men. When the supplies were brought, she and Brom dismounted and a horse was brought to her. Brom handed Eragon the gloves and Florina turned to the horse, a black stallion.

"Florina?" She turned sharply, her hand going to her sword.

"Uncle Trevor?" She whispered, finally recognizing him. "I didn't know you had moved this far north."

"What are you doing this far north?" He growled loud enough for only her to know.

"Father sent me for help." She gestured to Brom with her eyes. "Mama was taken by the king's spell casters."

"You say that as if she was taken against her will."

"The forge was destroyed when I got back from Dras-Leona." She let the sentence hang in the air between them. He nodded and she mounted the black stallion.

"Take the horse as a gift." He whispered before turning back to Brom. "When you enter Dras-Leona, would you do us this favor? Alert the Empire to our plight and that of the other towns. If word of this hasn't reached the king by now, it's cause for worry. And if it has, but he has chosen to do nothing, that too is cause for worry."

"We will carry your message. May your swords stay sharp." Brom said.

"And yours." Trevor gave Florina's leg a light squeeze and the three of them rode out of the town.

Florina sat in the saddle as Brom tied Eragon's horse to his saddle. She knew that Kuldra would love to test Saphira's flying ability. But the way that Eragon looked before she took off, they had decided against it. Besides, Brom wanted to talk to her without Eragon around. Finally, Brom mounted Snowfire and they started off at a trot. "So what do you want to talk about that you refused to let me ride my own dragon?"

"When I asked you about the Varden, you kept your explanation brief. Was that all of it?"

"It wasn't enough for you it seems. As far as I know, a few months after I was born, my father was approached by a member of the Varden, though we did not know it at the time. In exchange for his services, the Varden would give us shelter should we ever need it. I wasn't lying when I said that he taught me his trade. The first time I went to Dras-Leona on my own is the first time we were paid. The Empire had caught onto my father and so it was no longer safe for him to go. But they were one step ahead of us. The next time I went to the city, one of the Empire's spies tried to get the information out of me. He made the mistake of asking in the middle of Market with a soldier right behind him. That was the trip I came home and found my father unconscious in the forge. My mother was gone."

"Why did you come to me?"

"I wanted to go after them and maybe catch them before they reached Urû'bean. But Papa said I needed Dragon Rider training."

"What I am teaching you and Eragon is not enough to be able to fight him. It would be foolish to try."

"I am not leaving her to his mercy!"

"Look, if I could, I would gladly take you to the elves, but I promised Eragon to help him find the Ra'zac. You'll have to go to the Varden and find the egg courier. Perhaps she can take you. Which reminds me, only one egg was stolen from the king, Saphira's, where did Kuldra's come from?"

"Papa found her egg in the cove he was teaching me to swim in when I was five. But she didn't hatch until I was eighteen." Florina maneuvered the stallion, which she had yet to name, around gashes in the path. "We don't know where she came from. Brom, you mentioned the egg courier. She was carrying Saphira's egg between the Varden and the elves. How did it appear to Eragon?"

"I don't like what you are implying."

"It's the only explanation."

"And Caleb could have stolen Kuldra from wherever she was." Florina's drew her sword quickly and held it to Brom's throat. They stopped.

"Never," she growled, "disrespect my father in that manner again. He is a good man. Kuldra was found in the cove. If you do not believe me, ask her yourself." She removed her sword and sheathed it and looked at the ground. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Don't be. I was seeing how far I could push you, to see if your emotions would ever get the best of you." He massaged his throat. "I'm just glad that you have a good handle on your emotions." Florina just grunted and looked at the ground, a puzzled look on her face. "What is it?"

"There's something missing from the ground."

"Damn! Come on." They back tracked until reached the gashes. They both examined the ground before Florina jumped onto Kuldra while Brom tried to reach Eragon. Kuldra took off, well away from the gashes, and they went looking for the boy.

"Eragon!" She called, extending her consciousness. "Eragon!" She found it and found Saphira's scales surrounding it. She pushed against it, looking for weaknesses.

"There they are." Kuldra suddenly said. Before Florina could say anything, Kuldra shot upward, sending a gust that rocked Saphira. Florina broke through.

"Quit fighting me, Eragon. Brom found something."

"Florina?"

"Who else would be on a golden dragon?" Kuldra soared next to Saphira. "Follow us." Kuldra banked back towards the river. They found Brom where he had been left, a scowl on his face as he looked at Eragon.

"Don't ever block us out like that again. It's hard enough for me to reach you without having to fight to make myself heard." Eragon mumbled an apology while Florina took a drink from her water-skin.

"We were farther down the river when we noticed that the tracks had stopped. We backtracked until we found these. What do they look like to you?" She said.

"Did you and the Old One argue while you were alone?"

"No. He decided to push the control I had over my emotions. Almost ended with him dead and us having to flee from Saphira and Eragon." Florina shrugged and accepted the food from Eragon. "His fault."

"We'll get her back, Little One. You just have to be strong. Remember what you told the Old One when this journey began."

"I know. I just worry is all."

"Saphira and Kuldra could show themselves at some town. That would attract the Ra'zac like flies to honey. But it's risky. The Ra'zac would bring soldiers with them."

"Not to mention the king might come himself." Florina threw in. "In which case we are all dead. If you want to go that course, this is where we will part."

"It will get you closer to your mother if you go with him willingly." Brom told her silently.

"Do you want me to kill you?" She threatened.

"So what now?" Eragon asked in despair. Florina didn't answer and watched as he stalked away into the trees.

"Where are you from, Florina?"

"A small city along the coast."

"How did you know I was a Rider?"

"In no other place is a boy named Brom." She said. He looked at her sharply. His name was unusual to most of Alagaësia, except for one very isolated place. "It's been a hundred years, but it seems fate favors those from there." Brom huffed and watched her. He could tell that her parents were not from Kuasta that he could remember. Then there were her eyes, so dark that they resembled the king's. He shook his head.

"There is no way she is his daughter." He said to himself. They both looked up as Eragon came jogging out of the forest. He had a flask in his hand. She recognized the cloying smell. Seithr oil, the dangerous kind. She had only read about it, but she knew enough to avoid it. She rested against Kuldra's leg.

"What do you plan to do once you have helped them with this?" Kuldra asked.

"Probably go to the Varden if they don't want me around anymore. Papa may be there. But before that, we'll go back to the woods around Kuasta. Maybe he left me a clue as to where he went."

"Have you ever thought of just going anyway? What they are doing is dangerous. We could leave in the night and they would never be the wiser to our destination."

"The thought did cross my mind this morning. But I can't. Eragon needs help still."

"Why don't you just tell them where their quarry resides?"

"Because, Eragon needs to find them himself. If I were to tell him, he would want to rush headlong across the continent and into danger. He must do this on his own."

"And what about your quarry?"

"Brom is right. I cannot go after her with the strength the both of us have now." Florina mounted her horse. "I will have to go to the elves and train with them and pray to whatever gods exist that she can resist him until I can get to her."

"Don't worry Brave One. She will." Florina smiled at the new name and paid attention to her lessons with Brom. He had decided to give her instructions she would have only received had Kuldra hatched when the Riders were still at the height of their power.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I will not be updating next week (Thanksgiving Week) as I need to concentrate on studying for finals and such. Thanks for reading and please review.