Eragon:

A tendril of thought came towards him from the dragon. His mind felt exposed and unprotected for the first time in his life. But the dragons touch was comforting, like velvet against his mind. Soothing him with a soft touch. A knot formed in his throat and he blinked away tears. The dragon had asked him a question. It wanted to know why he'd run away.

He sent back a reply, the feeling he'd felt when he'd first touched it.

If a dragon could flinch, then he believed he'd just witnessed it. The dragon sent back an apology.

Eragon asked a question of his own, he expressed his astonishment at how the dragon had ended up here.

He got back many images. First, the dragon showed him that it ate some of the doe eragon had shot when he was spasming on the forest floor, although it had felt like hours then, in real time only 15 minutes had passed. The dragon then proceeded to show him pictures of it flying from one branch to another, above him, as he ran away from it. The dragon was amused it hadn't been spotted.

Eragon shifted his attention from the dragon to the front door, it was ajar. Scared lest Brom come out suddenly and see his dragon, he reached forward as if to pick it up.

"...just don't hatch for anyone. Dragons are smart. Don't worry about the dragon in the forest, it followed him back to the house, I sensed a child's mind nearby. I thought maybe it was you it hatched for."

The voice belonged to Brom and eragon froze. Why had Garrow told Brom about his dragon. Brom could sense the dragon like he could? With his mind, eragon told the dragon to hide in the branches of the elm tree, the dragon complied and he moved closer to the door.

"Shh he's almost at the door." Broms voice again.

Eragon was standing 15 feet away from the door and the walls of the house shielded him completely from anyone's sight inside. How had Brom known he was there? Nevertheless, he entered knowing he would not be able to eavesdrop anymore.

"I couldn't find your horse Brom."

Brom looked at him with a troubled expression on his face.

"Lad... Ill be straight with you, there's no need to hide what you and I both already know. Call your dragon inside. I do not wish for her to be seen by a weary passerby. We must keep your... Situation as secret as possible."

Shoulders slumping resignedly, he called it with his mind, hoping it would be able to hear him. He wanted to get this days strangeness over with.

It came, flapping its large wings and settled onto the kitchen table regally puffing smoke out of its nostrils.

Broms eye grew wide at the sight and Eragon watched as his fingers trembled a little. With a strangled choke he reached forward as if to touch it with his hand but his long sleeve caught on the side of the table and rode up all the way to his arm. This did not bother eragon in the slightest, but the mark of the riders shimmering on Broms now exposed palm did.

"You're a rider."

It was a statement, not a question. Brom noticing him staring shrugged.

"Aye, yes lad I am, or rather, was. My dragon is dead now, can't be much of a rider without a dragon."

Eragons mind was reeling. Brom was a Dragon rider! A part of the elite group of individuals that had been responsible for keeping peace throughout Algaeasia! A sudden realisation hit him.

"You're not really 60 like you tell people, are you?"

"Catch on pretty quick don't you." Brom smiled giving him a once over "You'll do lad."

Brom turned to Garrow, "We leave tomorrow morning. Time is of essence. Arya is strong, but even she might break under a shade. The sooner we leave, the lesser chance we have of being found out."

Garrow nodded and went inside the house as if to pack up.

"Wait! What's happening? Where are we going and why?"

"Lad, sit down. I'm going to teach you a little about our history."

And then Brom took out his pipe, lit it and began puffing while he told him about the arrival of the elves, the war between the dragons and elves and the beginning of the dragon riders. He told him about the peace they brought and their valour and training. He told him about the magical city of vroenguard that was now destroyed and he told him about galbatorix, the youth who had become a dragon rider and lost his own dragon. How he corrupted the other dragon riders and how he'd banded together with a few other riders and started an extermination of their kind. How he'd killed many riders before he was finally defeated by Vrael the leader of the riders of that time. Vrael had however hesitated with the killing blow and galbatorix in return struck him in the fork between his legs and then cut off Vraels head with his own sword. He'd then educated eragon about the dragon hunts and how galbatorix had hunted down every single dragon who wasn't willing to join him and killed it. Finally, he was left with eight faithful riders at his command and a couple of male dragons who later became insane under his experiments. He wanted to change their gender as he didn't possess female dragons but he wanted to rebuild the riders. Then he told him about a group of people called the varden who were the rebels against the oppressive king and wanted to overthrow him. He told him how the varden and the elves had managed to kill 7 of the forsworn. He told eragon about the 7 dragon eggs that were in galbatorix's possession and how the varden had managed to steal 3 of them, unable to get the other 4 because they were not in Uruba'een at the time. Galbatorix had 4 shades under his command and each of them took an egg to find a possible rider for their egg. Rumours were flying around that 3 of the eggs had hatched but none of the vardens spies had been able to confirm them. A few had tried but they'd vanished, which gave credit to the rumours. People with sensitive information were killed all the time. Brom then told him how the varden was amassing an army and intended to fight against the king but they didn't possess even one dragon rider while the king commanded three maybe four riders and was a rider himself. Then Brom told him that Eragons dragon was a female and explained to him how they would be trained, like every other rider and dragon, to fight, how the responsibility of the world now lay on their shoulders and eragon freaked out. Realising that, Brom began telling eragon about his dragon and how a member of the forsworn named Morzan had killed her in front of him on galbatorix's orders and how Morzan and his accomplices had made him watch as they pierced her wings with stakes that were then magicked into the ground to hold her down, how they'd used their magic to keep her still and then cut her throat and drained her blood like she was a common farm animal. He'd then asked if this was what he wanted for his dragon . A few tears slid past his eyes and into his beard, he took the pipe out of his mouth and set it onto the table. History lesson was over.

Eragon stared at Brom for a second, determination burning in his eyes. He knew he was not a fighter. He was barely of age but if there was one thing Garrow had taught him, it was the sense of right and wrong. Galbatorix was wrong, killing and maiming creatures for no reason was wrong. He was a man who had claimed the throne by killing the king before him in cold blood and taken his crown from the man's dead body. Unbeknownst to him, his emotions were being fueled by a very agitated and furious dragon who, although too young to speak with her mind, was sentient enough to get the gist of what was being said.

In a quietly determined voice, he said, "Would you train me Brom. I would not lose my dragon, not if I could help it, it is irrational but I fear I'd rather die than let it come to harm."

The dragon sent a loving caress towards his mind and puffed out smoke from her nostrils.

Brom smiled.

"This one is a drama queen and yes I would be honoured to do that."