It got colder over the course of the day. It had already been freezing, but now it would be nearly unbearable if not for the fire.
Already, Rand had foraged all the loose twigs and dead shrubs he could to fuel the flame and keep it going through the night, and much of the day. The fire was hungry though, and soon he would need to go out and gather more. Maybe tear some weaker branches off the trees.
Eragon should have made it back by now, and tomorrow Brom should be here. I should have left with him, but…
His eyes drifted to his new companion. The young dragon was asleep near the fire, and had been sleeping since it ate his fill the night before.
It's already gotten bigger. I made the right choice.
He didn't want to risk trudging through the forest with a tiny dragon. It was one thing to put himself through the journey, but he wasn't confident a newborn dragon would hold up well. Nor did he have a method of keeping it hidden from the villagers once they did get there.
Meaning he would have had to hide out in the forest regardless and hope Eragon could work something out. Which would inevitably lead back to Brom, for he was the only man that Rand could trust not to act stupidly when confronted with magical creatures.
And if that's what it was going to come to, I might as well save what little energy I can. I would have been half dead if I had walked for another day.
Now, at least he'd have his wits about him when he met the Founder of the Varden. Which would be important.
Stifling a yawn, he glanced at the dragon one more time, before he set off in search of more firewood. Each step was torturous, for the bottom of his feet were raw. Rand had sacrificed the sleeves of his shirt to make some bandages, but they didn't hold up well.
Just another reason for Brom to hurry the fuck up.
Once his task was done, he curled up around the fire once again. Instinctively, his dragon shuffled into him. Its inner fire kept it warm, but it was young still.
Rand sighed.
"Just a few more hours, little buddy. A few more hours, and we can get out of this cursed forest once and for all. Our bellies will both be full, we'll have a nice roof over our heads, and warm socks on our feet." Rand whispered.
Closing his eyes, he warded off both sleep and hunger, and immersed himself in the bond between him and his dragon.
It was tenuous still, but rapidly growing stronger.
It felt… strange, sharing his mind in such a way, but not unnatural. Honestly, it felt, dare he say it, nice. It was nice to not be alone in his head. Comforting. It was a level of companionship that simply didn't exist on Earth, and even as fragile as the link was, it was intimate. More than any bond he could think of. Whether that be between a mother and a child, siblings, friends, lovers, nothing really came close to it.
No wonder Saphira didn't hatch for anyone over the past, what is it, 16 years that Arya was ferrying her around?
It was a big commitment. Bigger even than marriage, and truly till death do them part. There would be no divorce between them.
If the dragon is a boy, does that make me gay?
He eyed the majestic and angular form of his dragon, and shivered.
Nah, male or female, it's not like I'm ever gonna be fucking a dragon. Although, I wonder if that was a thing in the old order? I'll have to ask Brom when I get the chance, but for fuck's sake, I hope that answer is no.
Then again, the elves kinda had a hard on for Saphira when she went to Ellesmera and some of them literally became furries, soo…
The dragon twitched, and slapped Rand lightly with its tail, as if sensing his less than pure thoughts.
"Hah. You're in my head now little buddy, you're gonna have to get used to the fucked shit that goes on inside." Rand said mirthfully, before once again reaching for the bond.
He was trying to get used to his new ability to reach for minds. Dreams of dominating the free will of animals, and having them throw themselves into his fire ran rampant in his head.
It was of little use though, at least for now.
He had only succeeded in casting his thoughts out of his head once towards a bird, and it had flown away and out of his range the moment it sensed his ill intent.
Subsequent attempts had left his head aching, and for little to show for it. Even so, it was more proof that he was changed. Proof that he now had power. Real power. More than anyone from Earth had ever had before.
And while he was a long ways away from matching the might of the denizens of Agaleasia, it was a start.
It was with those thoughts, that sleep eventually found him.
_
When he woke up, he wasn't alone. A man, old with a white beard and white hair, sat hunched over a log, facing the fire. The flame was both warmer and brighter than Rand had left it/
In the man's hands, were strips of meat, that he was feeding one after another, to a cat sized dragon resting at his feet. Its stomach was so full that it was bloated.
A sense of contentment surged through their bond.
"You could have woken me up, you know?" Rand said. Immediately, noticing that he felt better. A lot better. His feet didn't ache from days of travel. His fingers and toes were warm, and for the first time in days, felt properly dextrous. The stinging numbness that had invaded them, gone like it had never even been there.
"Healing takes a toll, and I thought it better that you rest." Brom said, not turning away from the fire. "Even though you took to it better than most though, considering that you had plenty of fat to fuel it."
Rand's ears turned red.
This mother fucker, he's calling me fat! Sure, I had a few extra pounds, but…
"First off, thanks for healing me, I really appreciate it, and I feel great. Secondly, fuck you too, pal!" Rand said indignantly. "Not all of us live out in the middle of fucken nowhere, with two bones to suck on when our stomachs rumble."
"Mhm. Where do you come from, exactly?"
"Right down to business, huh. Well, long answer short, the god's have taken interest in this little corner of the world, and sent me here, along with my little friend. Actually, he might be from here. I'll have to ask him when he can talk– if he remembers. As for where I'm from… far away. Further than any dragon can fly, and any boat can sail. So far beyond the shores of this continent, that not even a rider like you would be able to fathom the distance. But, if it's a name you're looking for, it's a place called Toronto."
"Torano?" Brom parroted, testing the words.
"Mhm."
"Why would a… god… send you here?"
"Fuck if I know, man." Rand shrugged.
"And your knowledge? How did you know I was here? How did you know about Oromis?"
Rand scratched his stubble. "I guess you can call them Seers. One scried this land, and shared what was happening with the people. Made a lot of money off of selling the story too! I gotta say Brom, you really have that dog in you. Not only did you kill Morzan, but you cucked him too! Badass! The bastard totally deserved it!"
Brom looked like he was questioning his entire existence.
That's right, call me fat again motherfucker.
"What's your goal, now that you're here? What do the gods," his voice filled with doubt, "ask of you to do?"
"I dunno. I didn't get any instructions. So I'll just do what I want, I guess."
"... and what do you want to do?"
"You know, the usual. Learn how to swing a sword, learn some magic, get laid a bunch– preferably by some Elves although I wouldn't say no to the right Urgal… Urgaless? I don't know, standard shit."
"That's it?"
"Just about."
"You have no goals?"
"Too pedestrian for my taste. Besides, I can't make decisions like that by myself anymore, can I?" Rand said, nodding to to white dragon."
"Right." Brom said, looking even more lost than he had moments ago.
"Anyway, do you mind if I crash at your place for a few months? I was thinking I could pretend to be your nephew or something. Or your son… actually never mind. That's not really fair to Eragon, what with him being your real son and all that, hmm. I'll stick with nephew!"
"Uh–"