Chapter 9

Thanks to Regal for spotting my mistakes

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inheritance Cycle or the original characters

My sleep that night was the best I've ever had. I had no idea where they got me this giant plush with a heating spell but it was nice of them. Unfortunately the laughing in my head from my mentor woke me and after a large teeth baring yawn, looked over the camp and locked eyes with a grinning Brom

"Good morning, slept well?"

I gave another yawn then nodded. "Aye, was the best sleep I ever had, Take it Saphira is out hunting?"

His grin grew wider and Fiori got louder with her laughter. I had no idea what got into the two until I saw Brom's eyes shift to the plushie they got me. I was about to thank him for it until my eyes saw what it was.

Ah.. AH! I halted all movement when I saw It was Saphira. I know I had gone to sleep away from everyone and I still was, which meant it was her that moved, but when?! I gave the old man a panicked look but he was no help. Too busy trying not to burst out laughing. Thankfully teach came through stating that she had sleep-walked over, I didn't know dragon's could do that, and was grumbling about the cold. She also was very happy to point out that as soon as the dragoness laid beside me, I reached out and wrapped my forelegs around her. Deciding to avoid a misunderstanding I tried to move away but it was too late. I looked on in horror as she lifted her head, gave a yawn similar to mine, and looked around the camp.

Once more I gave Brom a pleading look but instead ignored it to greet her.

"Morning Saphira! Ready to get on the way?"

She nodded and probably thought-spoke her reply to him because I didn't hear it then tried to get up and stretch. When she was stopped by my forelegs I had failed to remove I knew I was doomed. I watched as she looked down at them then her eyes followed the one over her side to my shoulder then up to my frozen face. The growl I could feel building within her got me to withdraw it and when she got up she stuck her nose up in the air with a huff of smoke. Her tail smacked me in the face pretty hard when she stalked herself out of camp and took to the air without a word to anyone. I grimaced both at the trouble I was in when it wasn't even my fault, but also because she made sure to stomp the paw that was under her with a hind paw. The traitor decided to join my teacher in laughing at my expense. Eragon waking up from the noise let me decide to follow her and abandon camp before the boy learned what happened. While I soared high above I had finally asked what the plan was and I was surprised Eragon still wanted to go after them, but at least he was as obsessed. I made a miscalculation though, By watching their progress below I had failed to see Saphira loop back to tackle me. I wasn't worried though, her attack didn't feel like anger, more like wrestling.. With claws and teeth. I had one advantage to her though and that was the bone-like crest plating the back of my neck keeping her from getting to my blind spot.

We spent hours fighting, breaking away to roll and twist around each other before clashing again with snaps of jaws and raking of talons. She certainly was hard to keep a hold of, always able to squirm from my grip. She kept managing to bite my tail or my horns and yanking them before disengaging for me to chase. Once she managed to get behind me and actually come to settle on my back, making me keep both of us in the air. It didn't bother me any thanks to the brutal workout Fiori put me through but still that weird look she kept giving me was making me feel uncomfortable. Then there was her using my head as a springboard to take off again sending me into a shallow dive, show off.

When we had landed at a river for a drink we switched to ground combat. Well she wanted to though she found out I was built like a brick house. Barely even moved when she slammed into me. Didn't stop her from instead leaping to my back again to bite at my wing joints and arms. I tried to knock her off by rolling but the slippery 'ness darted away then lept back onto belly. I think she was getting tired then because her bites no longer scuffed my scales when she went for my neck and she was more lying than standing. Even her growls and snarls were weaker and less aggressive. Deciding we had enough I had rolled, pinning her and huffed a small cloud of smoke into her face. Giving a chuckle at her surprised expression and how stiff she went when she breathed in the smoke.

"Ok, ok, I think we played around enough, let's go, they should be done by now."

I lingered long enough to boop her on her snout with a talon then rocketed in the sky. I circled a few times with concern when she remained on her back where I left her. But eventually she got up and zoomed off, no doubt zeroing in on her partner's mind. I followed after, what was curious though was I had the distinct impression of my teacher shaking her head with a paw on it.

When we caught up with our two wingless companions, they had chosen a way off the path in the break of the spines near the Anora River I think it was called. Above and to our right were the ruins of the famed Edoc'sil or Utgard. Oh how I wanted to visit it but it can wait for when Umaroth can join, for now I need to survive to the end of this madness. Saphira had already landed and was settled next to her rider while I was in thought so I took my place facing out to observe the plains.

"Nowhere to hide out there and Will take you half a day to simply descend. Could carry you two and the horses down, save time."

The old man shook his head. "We just got the animals and you want to give them heart attacks? No, it'd be slow, but it's best we lead them down."

The rest of the evening was routine for us. Dinner for the two-legged then a show for us dragons of them whacking each other with sticks followed with sleep.

We began the decline in the morning and by we I meant the humans and their horses while Saphira and I glided. Watching Eragon try to move was amusing but he'd get used to it soon.

Our adventure was truly beginning now.

Most of the day was filled with watching them struggle down the slope with copious amounts of swearing at the treacherous slope and reluctant animals. Their moods were irritable and tempers short when we stopped at the bottom for lunch. We began the first venture After they refilled their waterskins and the horses and us drank our fill. The wind had picked up and while it wasn't too troubling at the moment, it will be tomorrow. That evening our companions seemed to be the miserablest sort. The wind had constantly blown dirt into their eyes and it was making their attempts of a fire an abysmal affair. Brom asked if I'd start it then grumbled when I told him the wind would spread it back on them and the grass. I did offer my wing as a wind shield until they could get it lit though but Brom was successful. They kept their self punishment session short that night and after eating, used us as shelter to sleep. The second day was very much the same.

After standing watch on the third day and looking out to the distant storm clouds. I Broadcasted to all three and spoke when I had their attention.

"Change of plans, Saphira and I will remain grounded. There is a storm that will form and while I have the mass to withstand the high winds that'd form, Saphira does not."

Of course there were some objections. Said dragon gave me a glare and I could feel her indignation. Eragon stayed quiet, trying to see what I knew. Brom huffed and crossed his arms.

"That's absurd, the storm Is hardly a concern unless you're afraid to get wet and we cannot have you on the ground, you'll be seen."

I decided to give him a dragon answer in a very dragon-y way. By knocking him on his back and pinning him there with my snarling muzzle, the curvature of my tusks pressed against his chest to keep him there. All topped off with a deep rumbling growl that seemed to fill the air and make debris on the ground jump. I made sure the others could hear my response.

"You DARE?! You, A human believe you can read the air currents better than me, a dragon?! I will not allow you to risk HER safety for YOUR pride! You want us to fly? Then I can rip you apart when the wind shears that precede the coming storm renders her flightless for the remainder of her life!"

By now both rider and dragoness looked a few shade lighter and Brom was looking like death warmed over though whether from my words or the fact he had a very pissed off WILD dragon literally at his throat I couldn't tell. Sure the scene in the book wasn't that bad, but that was because Eragon moved fast enough to help get her wings folded. This was reality and he'd be slower from being saddle-worn and I wasn't going to take the chance. Not sure why I was this worried for her, it felt like something within seized when he challenged my suggestion. I waited until I felt Brom nod with my snout before I backed off to let him up then we broke camps without another word spoken. I took up the rear just behind Saphira and when we got close to the storm, I told her to tuck her wings in tight, duck her head down and dig into the ground with her claws. A moment later I saw the blast of wind blasting our way and Eragon's scared face turning to warn us.

When it hit, it actually managed to pick up the dragoness. Thankfully I was right behind her so when her back hit my chest and upper belly I hunched over to keep the wind from flipping over my head. Being so close to her I could feel her shivering and the terror radiating from her mind when she noticed that I caught her. "Wrathion! I-I couldn't do anything!"

I hum'd deep in my chest while I used my larger self to block the wind until it finally lessened. My eyes briefly met Brom's before he turned back to the way we were traveling. For rest of the trek Saph practically crawled while I moved with her, my longer, saberlike talons anchoring better than her smaller ones. Of course it got worse. No sooner did the air pressure pass did the sky try to drown us. Our vision was drastically reduced without the sun and the two humans had to constantly reign in their mounts with every clash of lightning and rumble of thunder. My problems consisted of a very clingy dragoness. It felt strange, In the book she always came across as the strongest being in the story. The incident with the wind only momentarily unnerved her in it yet here she was practically cramming herself underneath me, and letting out little squeaks of fright with each bolt of lightning. Even my mentor, a multi centuries old wild dragoness, had some fear of the storm though with awe as well. When I asked, her response made quite a bit of sense.

"Lightning had killed far more dragons than our war with the elves had fledgling. Even properly warded dragons were sometimes victims to nature's deadliest might. Every dragon has an instinct to stay grounded when the world is angry."

I told the others we should wait until the weather passes or at least lessened and they were surprisingly agreeable, both turning their horses and rejoining me and our immovable friend. I suppose Brom didn't want another confrontation with an already angry drake. I did fan out a wing to shelter them and the horses the storm raged on It seemed no one was going to get any sleep, least of all was Saphira. So thinking how I used to fall asleep when I was little, I came to a decision. Closing my eyes and clearing my throat out of habit, I didn't see the three curious glances my companions gave me. I broadened My mental voice before I started to hum a soft soothing tune then with my deep rich baritone started to sing.

Hush now, my storeen

Close your eyes and sleep

Waltzing the waves

Diving the deep

Stars are shining bright

Whispering words of long lost lullabies

I smiled inwardly as I felt their shock, it's like they've never heard of a singing dragon before!

Oh, won't you come with me?

Where the moon is made of gold

And in the morning sun

We'll be sailing

Oh, won't you come with me?

Where the ocean meets the sky

And as the clouds roll by

We'll sing the song of the sea

I tried not to notice something warm, wet, and barbed going across my neck but I did care that the trembles had eased.

I had a dream last night

And heard the sweetest sound

I saw a great white light and dancers in the round

Castles in the sand

Cradles in the trees

Don't cry, I'll see you by and by

I switched from lyrics to humming the tune when I noticed my audience had fallen into a deep sleep. Smiling at their peaceful faces, my fellow scaly had laid her head across my forepaws, I finished the lullaby and gazed out into the rain. My teacher gave a pleased sigh.

"That was beautiful fledgling, I had no idea you could sing like that."

I chuckled privately to her so as to not disturb those sleeping.

"Before becoming this I was so tone deaf, claws scraping on stone sounded better! I have sung some to myself during training. I do not know why but I seem to recall every song and ford I've heard, in both lives with crystal clarity… most of the time."

I glanced down at the slumbering dragoness and sighed. Fiori managed to catch the reason though. There's just no hiding things from her.

"What is wrong?"

"I better not get glares from her for this in the morning."

Her infectious laughter kept me company through the night.

AN: So I didn't do one of these for last and now I forgot what I was going to put THANK YOU RL!

Anyways.. Yes our dragon friend is oblivious of the effect he is having on our favorite dragoness. Remember, he was 17 when he got brought to this world then turned 18 here plus he lived on his own away from everyone a year before that with absolutely no interaction with girls or any thought of them.

As for the song, in case the embedded link doesn't work..

watch?v=wfT-XxKy0pw

Also "storeen" means "little treasure" in irish