Chapter 14

Everyone woke the next morning feeling well rested, save for myself for I didn't sleep, and were eager to get back on the road. After breakfast for our human companions, the camp was broken down in short order and horses were mounted. Only thing that changed however was when I handed my back over to Brom and leapt Skyward followed shortly by Saphira who took position on my right and for a good while, we enjoyed the clear warm skies and lazily weaved our flight path with the other's. We made sure to keep in contact with our ground bound companions just in case trouble came about. I'd be a fool to expect things to happen exactly like the book, the bombshell brom dropped about his partner's true fate for example and my own meddling had shown that nothing is set in stone. We were listening in on yet another magic lesson when Saphira started asking questions that were on her mind.

"What happened last night with Brom and you? When we moved on from the end of the Ra'zac's tracks he was his usual strict self but when we made camp, It was as if he was a boy again."

I chuckled and, angling my right wing, I rolled over her until I was on her right this time.

"We talked a lot about his past… and someone who had helped me out when I came here was someone from his old life. I told him all that she had done for me and I guess up until he never felt truly trusting of me. I managed to get him to talk of the good moments and his mood simply eased."

I heard her hum at that and veered into my path, forcing me to dive under her but not before feeling her paws push my head down to boost her climb higher to perform a series of lazy loops. I just snorted at her antics after stabilizing myself. After her fourth, She retook her position as my right again and asked another question.

"Did you have any interest in anyone before getting brought here?" I gleaned at her. Her curiosity was easy to feel and I mentally shrugged.

"No, first I was too young, then I was too busy tending to my mother… afterwards, my seclusion made it hard to get close to anyone else. Heck I wouldn't even know how to talk to a girl. And besides this world is so different from mine, the rules could be completely different. Sure I'm a dragon now and that's a whole new set of rules but my mind and feelings are still that of my human self. Why the curiosity?"

She shook her head and simply said. "Just wanted to know more about you."

We lapsed into silence when Eragon asked Brom what the sea was like which led to Brom's brief attempt to sing an Elven sonnet. Halfway through it I felt a sudden weight settle upon my back and when I looked back I saw that Saphira had alighted on my back. I sent a confused query her way, She hadn't done that since our first play fight. However unlike then, she was settling herself into a comfortable position instead of using me as a launch platform again.

"What? I just felt like resting my wings and enjoy the sun's warmth without having to land below and fall behind.

And besides, your scales feel warm against my belly. You do not seem to be bothered or do you think I weigh too much?"

I just huffed and went back to paying attention. I was not going to fall for that trap. Even I knew not to comment on a female's weight. A while after brom had finished the song and chiming in on my opinion of the ocean, I received another question from the lounging dragoness.

"Could you sing another song Wrathion? The one you sang during that terrible night was soothing."

And upon agreeing, I gave a hum as I mulled over ones I knew by heart. Perhaps a relaxed, short one will do? That narrowed it down. A gentle smile crossed my muzzle as a specific one passed through my mind and It fit what we were doing. So broadening my mind, I asked our friends on the ground if they'd want to hear a short song. With their enthusiastic agreements, I settled my mind and began to sing.

~The sun is fast falling beneath trees of stone~

~The light in the tower no longer my home~

~Past eyes of pale fire, black sand for my bed~

~I trade all I've known for the unknown ahead~

I smiled as everyone started to hum with the tune I've set.

~Call to me, call to me lands far away~

~For I must now wander this wandering day~

~Away I must wander this wandering day~

I suddenly became aware of something rubbing up and down my neck and did all I could to keep myself from jolting out of my flight.

~Of drink I have little and food I have less~

~My strength tells me no, but the path demands yes~

~My legs are so short and the way is so long~

~I've no rest nor comfort, no comfort but song~

Man the sun just got hotter all of a sudden was my thought when my body shuddered after feeling something wet and warm in the area between my neck and my front left leg's shoulder.

~Sing to me, sing to me lands far away~

~Oh rise up and guide me this wandering day~

~Please promise to find me this wandering day~

By now, movement on my back had ceased and by the steady breathing I felt against my neck and through my body, I knew she had fallen asleep, but since I was almost done anyway, I finished the song.

~At last comes their answer, through cold and through frost~

~That not all who wonder or wander are lost~

~No matter the sorrow, no matter the cost~

~That not all who wonder or wander are lost~

I dragged out the last word with my brassy baritone-like voice to give the ending a slight flourish and was pleased it was well received though they were curious as to why Saphira had fallen silent and so I sent them the mental image of her fast asleep upon my back. I immediately regretted it though, for all three started to tease me for it and I threatened to lick them. They wisely shut up though my teacher kept badgering me.

"You see fledgling, she likes you, and I know you like her too."

I suppressed a snort so I didn't wake my passenger but I still glanced back to check she was undisturbed.

"I do like her as a friend, but she only sees me as a friend who is a male. And I told you before, It couldn't work anyways. You dragons do not mate for life but humans do and even though I have a dragon body I'm still human deep inside."

She growled in my mind and I got an image of a red dragoness stomping off in frustration.

"Fine! I'll drop it all together, but you'll see!" I grumbled, sensing her complaining "younglings these days…" to Brom.

I had locked my wings to glide and it seemed to work because Saphira didn't stir until after I landed at our chosen campsite. I'm positive she'd be a perfect copy of my teacher if she could blush after seeing the smirks from our human companions and the grin from me.

"Sleep well princess?"

The growl, and tail smack to the face I got for that comment was worth it.

It took us two days to get to the foothills of the spine, and another three for our human compatriots to reach the main road of the Empire. The days following the road had Saphira and I once more hiding during the day then playing catch up at night. Being this close to civilization saw the bag hiding my teacher returning to me and I never realized how much it soothed my nerves. Maybe because I've been carrying it for over a year already or having her physical presence so close to me. Eragon's training ramped up, from learning more of the elven language, to how to properly care for Saphira. He also learned the trick of hunting game with a pebble and surprisingly it was almost like a primitive precursor to a gun.

His body wasn't even spared, the strenuous work rid his body of the excess fat, arms became corded, skin became tanned from constant exposure to the sun and rippled with muscle. After a week, we came to a rock ledge with a view out of the mountains in which Eragon despaired at even more flat ground. Being someone who also spent his entire life in the shadow of mountains, I could relate.

It took til noon the next day to leave the spine for the more level forested ground. Saphira had to fly low on the ground, using every hollow and dip of the land to conceal her while I followed her on the ground once more as my shrrg glamour. To say my legs hurt after each run would be an understatement.

My struggles became two-fold beyond the forest. The land was covered and soft turf and heather that, while the humans merely sank, I became bogged down. Often I had to wade or give short, flying hops. It was moments like this that made me curse my larger form. I was just far easier to be spotted than the smaller, more agile dragoness. By the time we found the driest spot, I had mud from my shoulders down and my mood was short. Not caring what they thought, I bathed my flame over my body then shook the flashed baked dirt from me and pelting them, to their dismay.

"Enough of this, from now on, I will stay here and catch up, It cannot be too far away now. Two days at least."

Eragon and Brom laughed at my troubles while my fellow dragons sent their sympathetic feelings to me.

It wasn't until after I growled my offer to cleanse them the same way did they quit and went ahead to discuss their plan and cover story. After asking Saphira to stay on guard, I leapt into the dark sky and winged my way deeper into the forest. It felt like it took me half an hour but tonight it seemed my hunger was greater than usual as I managed to devour two deers and then vented my frustrations for this land by savagely digging a warren of rabbits out of the den they cowered in. After finishing six of the ten and killing the last two using my mind trick for the humans to have. I also hunted another deer down for my fellow dragon at my mentor's suggestion. Now with my rabbits in my front claws and my deer in my jaws, I returned to the others. I 'accidently' dropped the rodents on the two-leggers as I flew overhead to land before Saphira.

"Here, eat. I know you wouldn't have had time to hunt if I hadn't."

She looked between me and the carcass before extending her neck. I thought she was going to grab the deer with her own jaws but instead she brushed her own muzzle against mine before grabbing it from me. The contact made me freeze again and suddenly the air grew hot to me. The crunch of bones snapped me out of it and ignoring the snickering of my audience, I made my way to the edge of the camp facing the road. I tuned out everyone else.

The next two days, I remained behind then flew just above the treeline to meet back up, managing to see the city before those below could on the dawn of the third day. Teirm looked like nothing short of a rampaging Shruikan could bring her down. What laid on the shore gave me my first view of what was a true city in this world and I was impressed.

Saphira

Depressed, dejected, and ashamed, Her rider and her began to walk away from the remains of what was their home. She felt the utter defeat and sense of loss that bled over the link and it confounded her own guilt.

I should have stayed like Eragon wanted. I could have grabbed his uncle and fled with them both but instead I acted like I only just hatched! And where did those memories come from? I never saw those strangers with my own eyes and yet I did and in places I do not know. Argh! It's all so confusing!

The sound of something heavy hitting the ground next to her, drew her out of her thoughts to look next to her. Upon seeing her rider laying on the ground and feeling nothing from his end made her panic. Looking around she spotted an old man with white hair and a beard clutching a staff and dried blood on his head. She knew who this person was but he might be the reason for her rider's current state. So curling her lips and baring her teeth, she moved to stand over her partner in a fighting crouch.

"Don't you dare approach old one or I'll rend you to pieces!"

"Peace young dragoness, I am here to lend aid. A good thing too, your rider seems to be unconscious and looks to have the beginnings of a fever. He needs a healer. Would you let me take him?"

She really didn't trust this man, she knew he wasn't what he seemed but she really had no choice, she couldn't take him to town herself, they'd attack her out of fear. She growled but backed off, watching as the old men picked him up. She watched them return to the village, her worries giving way once more to anger.

That wolf! Has it been watching and waiting to pick them off one at a time? She remembered her rider saying that wolves never attacked a group of humans since more people meant more risks to themselves. She became aware of eyes upon her and whirling around to face the cliff she'd seen the wolves the most at and sure enough, there it was.

YOU! You will PAY!

With a growl, she launched herself in it's direction. She no longer cared that it was twice her size, she wanted its body mauled like her rider's guardian was. She noticed it turn and grab something before darting into the forest.

A cub? No matter, the parent will still perish!

She reached the tree line just as the tail of the wolf passed within but she wouldn't be deterred. A roar ripped from her maw just as she smashed and ripped trees out of her path, Her rage giving her the strength to keep the wolf in sight. She saw her chance to strike when the wolf lost it's footing and went into a roll. She vaguely noticed whatever it was carrying land in a bush but at this moment she only wanted the wolf struggling to get back up. She relished seeing the look of acceptance in its strangely hypnotic eyes, that is until a human leapt between her and the wolf and threw his arms out as if to block her. Even through her rage, she'd seen this man enough to recognize him and with an intense strain on every muscle, arched back in a tight flip then shot in the air to slow herself. Once she felt she slowed enough, she came back down, only disturbing the dirt with her landing. The wolf was still here, sitting on its haunches and proving she wasn't imagining things, there was the recently deceased uncle of Eragon. Her head kept snapping from the human, back at the distant smoke from the farm, to the wolf then back to the man. It was too much for her. From the strange source of fear and rage, to her partner-of-her-heart-and-mind being angry at her, to the loss of his uncle, who she felt attached to through him, to her rider's condition then the appearance of that very uncle unharmed and very much alive. Her body gave up from all the stress of the last two days and she blacked out, falling to the ground. The last thing she remembered was hearing a faint feminine laugh.

AN: Well sorry if the main story was a bit short. I had a clear idea how I wanted to go with this and halfway through it my brain decided to spazz. So lets see, The song was "This Wandering Day" from the TV series "The Rings of Power '' but similar to the version sung by Gustavo Steiner. Our friend came across the song on youtube before he got sucked into this world.

Our drake is still clueless about how Saphira actually feels, and of his own feelings.

In the books, when the Ra'zac came, Saphira acted like she knew them or atleast what they meant to her. Eragon and none of the villagers knew, SO! I used it as so: Fiori was constantly keeping a mental tabs on our dragoness, to be aware if she ever came across danger and our drake had to step in. Therefore, when Fiori Noticed the demons there, in the valley, the shock and fear (learning of the ancient menaces from older wild dragons) she lost brief control of her connection and her fear and rage along with memories passed to her from other dragons bled into Saphira. The confusion and intense foreign emotions made her mind go into lockdown mode like an instinctive form of defense.

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COMMENTS

Walkmanapprenticewordsmith: Yup, I gained the idea from the Inheriwiki. It is stated: "After he slew Morzan he took his sword, Zar'roc, likely because his sword, Undbitr, was lost when Saphira died. It is highly possible that Galbatorix extracted her Eldunarí before destroying her body."

So I took the theory and ran with it like the Forsworn were after me XD

ArchAngel319: I'm touched you like it so much and like I mentioned to Walk, It wasn't really my idea, just a theory I used. I'm glad you liked it though, I have a few more thoughts and scenes to sprinkle into it so that small bit of fluff isn't all. Another is even coming up soon.

TOGDESTROYER: Very ambitious, especially for my first ever written work. But you know that classic saying "Go big or go home." hahaha