The Guardian Dragon, Fireband

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inheritance cycle or anything to do with the main characters. Besides the alterations made.

Chapter 4

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Eragon established a sort of rhythm since he had to go see his dragon in the morning and evening at the least. He would run out in the morning when the animals had barely woke up and his uncle and cousin were still sleeping. He would bring food and items to try and build a shelter… having seen the size of Fireband though he was more interest in making a sort of house on the ground for her… using some trees to build the shelter lower on the ground. He did make sure to make a nest out of leathers and cloth higher up in the tree for now while she was small.

It was also around that time when Brom started contacting him in the morning to at least lecture him on things. First was mental defense as Brom wanted to have Eragon at least able to guard himself automatically throughout the day. Then the next part of the lecutres started going into how to care for dragons. From scale care, claw care to even digestive suggesting different herbs to give to his dragon should she get ill or need some help with her stomach…

And Eragon was thankful he had started the ground shelter as Eragon found her in the first week going form the size of a cat, to that of a dog, at least medium sized dog. He did make the ground shelter tall enough for a pony and long enough she could go in there for at least a bit longer than that… if she was lucky… But it had taken much time and effort such things he had to put forth at the farm as well… though was they were going into winter it was more rationing out the harvest for the animals to eat and themselves to eat as well.

Finally after the little dragoness was three weeks old; Eragon asked. 'What female names are there for dragons Brom?' Eragon asked, and it was cause well it was driving him crazy to call her dragon and he could often see her letting frustrated snorts out when he did so… Brom was a bit miphed but calmed down. Before going over lots of names. Eragon nodded to this… He was working with the cows… and it was to get the milk out of them before they burst in the evening… With this done… He had finished off his chores… Eragon would be heading out to see the dragoness.. and this time give her a name. Arriving in their clearing now more marked up with signs of dragon being there and more logs around the shelter that give it more size… but also helped hide it a bit more… He expected her to crawl out of the hut only to be surprised by a blue blur that hit him and tackled him to the ground as he came face to face with the dragoness growling at him and chittering probably teasing him that he would have died there.

"I know, Oof. You are heavy now." He said to her as she chittered more and purred. Before getting off.. Sitting up. "You are a trouble maker." He said to her and smiled scratching her neck. "I heard of some names… I don't think you want to be called what the other dragon is. I got a few names for you to agree to or not." He said smiling and cause it was all female draogns… It was good right…

Boy was he wrong. He toyed with Minerva for a bit but discarded the name… Ophilia and a few other names… Before remembering the last one.. "Ah… Saphira?" He asked her as she looked to him and blinked before nodding to this name and Eragon smiled. Saphira was purring already.

And it was more days after that, that Eragon and Brom started meating half way between Carvahall and the farm and it was there that Brom started seeing how Eragon was… Being a farmer. Eragon had some muscle tone… maybe not the best. But it was workable. They started having sparing matchs with sticks before moving onto Brom checking Eragon's education… well sad to say he was stunned that Garrow never taught him to read or much math… Well he did have math but not the amount expected. That said Brom Cursed himself for not taking a more vested interest in Eragon sooner…

This was life for the next month while Saphira grew… But then came the day that Eragon wanted to share the news… There were two dragons. Fireband the other dragon in the spine… He would come if he willed it through the stone he was given… or so the dragon declared. He did have the stone in hand.

He mulled over it since the drake seemed like this was something to use in an emergency… Not something to be abused over and over again. Looking closer at the magic eched stone. He would look and marvel over the stone a bit, wondering how dragon claws could grasp the stone much less put magic into it… could his dragon do the same?

While he mulled over it, "Found a nice rock to awe over?" Brom's voice would sound over his shoulder, this making Eragon jumble aroudn the stone. And inexplicably the stone started hovering up and Brom took a look at it… "Hmm. How did this get enchanted and I can't tell its purpose?" Brom asked before looking to Eragon scratching his head. Having to explain that there was… another dragon.

Brom's initial look was one of horror only to listen to the description of what happened. And flushed with horror again before composing himself. "Ok, okay, so you. Were hunting up in the spine only to be gored by a bear. You then passed out after seeing the bear preparing to end you. Then you blacked out. Awakening to a blue dragon. Not your dragon." And the blue dragon rubbing possessively against her rider.

Saphira listened and heard about the other dragon. She wondered. Also Brom was looking brimming with currious energy. "So you were debating wither to summon this dragon with the stone or not?" He asked "Well go on summon him." Brom wanted to see this blue dragon with gold mane. It was never seen in a dragon but in the past when the original Eragon was around the white and blue dragon of his. Any other dragon had the same color through and through.

Eragon sighed. "I… think he only meant for this to be used in emergencies. But I guess" He said grasping the stone a bit harder making it glow brighter

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Fireband was working on the cave… getting more sticks agaisnt the walls along with much grass fodder. Even though dragons didn't mind cold. Didn't meant they liked it. Often wanting warmer shelters. The male dragon trying to make something of insulation while keeping the fire pit in-case he got a new visit from the one human.

This was interupted with a headache that formed and he took a second to realize it was the stone. Was something up? Or did the boy want to talk? It had been a good month since they last seen one another. Boy was Fireband foolish as he didn't think of the distance between him and the boy.

Deciding that was the factor. He sighed and covered the eggs in fodder to try and hide them for the moment.

Taking wing and flying. It would take a while so hopefully the boy had sense to only grasp the stone enough to let him know to come… But not overly so to make the male dragon have a headache all the way there.

And to the dragon's relief it stopped a bit later.

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Eragon didn't think to hold it for long, only long enough to call Fireband. "I guess it will take a while for that dragon to get here. He is in the spine after all." Brom said taking a puff from his pipe and was thinking a bit wondering how this new dragon looked, well fed? Strong?

Eragon shrugged, the dragon seemed strong enough to kill a bear and save him so there was that. Brom did say that Saphira was likely getting nearly strong enough to kill a bear in probably another month. That said he didn't suggest they go fight them and Eragon could agree… bear was hard to cook for food. Better off going after deer.

In the time of their waiting Brom decided to go over sword play and a few scenarios more or less to get Eragon thinking. That is till the heavy thuds of wings could be heard, it was nearly 3 hours of waiting before the blue wings of the male dragon was heard and seen flying into the clearing landing… At least the Clearing could hold the drake as the dragon stood over them all and chuffed. 'So what has happened to call me? And I though you said I should be weary of other humans?' Eragon felt that was going to be asked as well as Brom was here and… that was just how it was.

A bit of adjusting Fireband could sit without sitting on someone and the four could look at one another. 'So this old two legs became your mentor? And he wanted to meet me cause you told him of me, if you were caught by another, would you have done the same?' Fireband was more or less questioning how Eragon decided if it was good or not.

Eragon shook his head. "I would have just said it as a rock I found in the spine. Though I am sure they might have squeezed on it anyways just to see if it had anything in it." Fireband sighed.

Brom stepped in. "I don't think the boy would have been messing with your summon stone if he were in someone else's precenses. He tried hiding it from me. So it is unlikely he would be in the same situtation. So you are Fireband? I am Brom. Are you a 6 month old dragon?" He asked.

Fireband looking at the old man and huffed. 'I am Seven months old.' He said, though that was cause of the false memories that he had. They were 7 months of survival. And did act as a cover for his mission. At least Eragon didn't share the eggs? The male was protective of them.

Eragon had not shared that part only that there was another dragon out of the fact he had the stone. Eragon just didn't know how much of it was to be shared.

"Hmm. Seems odd." Brom said looking over Fireband up and down the gold mane and the wings… A Seven month old dragon but still looked and was the same size of a six month old one. Fireband was looking at brom and mentally fighting him trying to gaze into the old man's memories and Brom had a twinge. 'You lizard you are not getting in my memories.' Brom Quipped at Fireband making the blue dragon snarl. 'How do you know what my size should be two legs?' Brom flinched at this and huffed. 'Dragons never stopped growing yet you are stunted at this size for the last month.' Brom said and Fireband blinked a bit and realized yes he hadn't grown any in the last month even with him eating a deer every few days. Which was aroudn the time he got hungry. So he was just keeping size?

Brom looking up and down Fireband again. 'Are you of the Guardian spell?' Brom asked, this was in the ancient language, and ontop of this he was trying to hide this from Eragon. Fireband's eyes widening. And sighed. 'Yes two legs.' As the name of the spell in those words struck a cord making Fireband look at Brom with deep distrust. But could only decide to let the two legs go with him. Though he felt that there was no reason for him to see the eggs.
'May I see the eggs? I promise no harm will come to them or you.' Brom continued in the ancient language.

Fireband heard the words and huffed. 'I hope that this doesn't lead to more two legs. Eragon said they were dangerous to approach.' He said and Brom nodded. "I can understand the frustration. But just this once." Fireband nodded. "Boy. Take care and bond with your dragon seems I will be gone for a day or two." Brom would bow. "How do you plan on us going?" Brom asked Fireband, and Fireband offered his paw to let Brom into so that he could carry the old man. 'Hold tight.' Fireband said taking Brom into the front paws and taking flight… the old man would have a long few hours.

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Rants, answers and other things.

Ugh, this is my fault. I got distracted and inspiration left me… Its not fully back yet. But I will try and get this out cause I need to try and at least do something. I feel bad that neither of my recent stories have been updated in a while. So I appolgize of that. But RL takes up time, and inspiration only comes in spurts… also It takes having to reread the main book to come up witht things… instead of other fanfics cause like a game of telephone the original works may be lost if it isn't used as a guide… Sure this story is much different with a guardian spell being the base line…

And yes Brom gets to learn about more of the eggs and sees them. But has to plan what to do. Yes we still have the Varden we still have the dwarves and the like. But without dragon eggs… we do not have an arya captured scenario. This is cause well how would they? Also there isn't as many flooding to the Varden with them a bit more hidden rather than emboldened cause there is a hope against Galbatorix. Yes there are still the twins. Remember the black hand exists and there would be a spy or two. And cause Brom went dark for the last decade there was no way to reach him while he looked after his son.

What about other characters? Perhaps more dragons? Well for now. I am debating wither Fireband will part with the eggs or not. If not then who would be willing to make a trip up the spine with the old coot? Probably no one. If the eggs can be brought down. Maybe someone will make the egg hatch for two of the cases. ...ere also with the amount of dragons and all. One grown dragon and 6 eggs… we have 7 dragons so who will have a mate? And if the females are outnumbered by 2, then yes we have an issues So please if you want to suggest things go ahead I will try and take them into consideration.