For the following days, things had been pretty uneventful for both Saphira and Erik.
Everyday looked the same : waking up in the morning, go hunting, taking a look around, training (even if Saphira secretly called their training session 'torture' session), then napping. After napping, they would go hunting again, then training then going to sleep… unless Eragon came to see them.
Speaking of Eragon, he had really busy days : Brom had decided to teach him how to read after it was discovered (even if Erik already knew about it) that the young rider was illiterate. Garrow thought that such a luxury was apparently unnecessary so he didn't taught his nephew how to read.
Each time he visited them, Eragon would either talk or complain about his lessons (even if the storyteller was now teaching him how to read, the two of them would also spar behind Jeod's house) with Brom.
Now, some days after their arrival here, Eragon's skills in reading were rudimentary, but he could now read entire pages without asking for help. Of course, he made sure to read slowly as he knew that, with time, he would be able to read faster.
Erik and Saphira were proud of him for that. Slowly but surely, Eragon was becoming more powerful, stronger and wiser. No more was he the naive and somewhat weak boy he was at the beginning of this journey.
Little by little, he was turning into a true Dragon Rider... and one who will ,one day, save all of Alagaësia from the tyranny of the King and restore the Order of Dragon Riders !
And Erik will make sure it will happen…
He will stay at Eragon's side until the King is put down for good !
Back to present, during his visits, Eragon would also talk about how grim things were for the villagers of Teirm : coming merchants were talking about horrific attacks along the coast and there were many reports of powerful people disappearing from their houses in the night… with their mangled corpses being discovered early in the morning.
Eragon confessed that he had often heard Brom and Jeod discussing the events, but each time he would come closer to hear better, they stopped ! It was frustrating him and Erik would be lying to himself if he said that he wouldn't feel the same if he was in Eragon's place.
Erik, Saphira and the young Rider were interested by what the storyteller what had in mind but knew that they couldn't force him to tell them… And as if a deity (other than Valhir) heard their wish, something happened.
"So we are leaving soon ?" Erik asked Saphira as the two of them laid together, side by side.
'Yes, from what Eragon said, Brom wants to leave as soon as possible… either tonight or tomorrow...' Saphira answered with relief in her tone.
"It's about time… If we stayed here another week, I would have gone crazy!" the Massive Bear replied with happiness and joy at the prospect of leaving.
'You are not the only one...' the Dragoness grumbled in agreement.
It was annoying to constantly staid hidden from sight but it was either that, or risking having the King's lapdogs or himself coming to look for them.
The next morning, Erik was the first one to wake up and, no wanting to wake up Saphira (who was sleeping peacefully), he decided to look at the sunset. He knew that soon Eragon, Brom and Jeod would be looking for some scrolls and that Solembum would warn the rider about guards coming to them.
A part of him wanted to rush in the city to attract the guard so his friends could escape safely but couldn't… at least not yet. The King and his lapdogs are unaware of him and he wanted it to stay that way… unless he had no choice but to reveal himself.
And internally, he felt like it will happen sooner…
The only question was : when will it happen ?
His thoughts were interrupted by a yawn coming from nearby and he turned his head to see Saphira waking up from her beauty sleep.
"Good morning, Saphy~" Erik couldn't help but tease her a bit.
Saphira shot him a little glare as she stretched her body like a cat would before straightening up.
'Good morning, Fluff-Ball~' she retorted in a teasing tone.
A groan escaped our hero's mouth as he shot an annoyed glare at an amused looking Dragoness
"Again with that nickname ?" he grumbled at her with narrowed eyes.
'Yes… I told you what would happen if you called me Saphy again…'
"Yes but in public ! And right now, there is only you and me !" Erik retorted with a huff while gesturing around with his left arm.
Saphira stared at him for a moment before sulking 'Point taken...'
A triumphant smirk appeared on Erik's face and she shot him a small glare in response but it did nothing to wipe the smirk out of his muzzle. But then she froze before turning her head toward the city and our hero knew what this mean.
"Is it Eragon ?" he asked her with understanding.
'Yes…' Saphira answered before going silent which caused Erik to patiently wait until the two of them were done.
After a moment, the Dragoness looked back at him before telling him about everything they found before telling them that tomorrow they'd be leaving.
The next destination ?
The city of Dras-Leona.
Why ? Because not too far from the city stood a jagged peak of bare rock prickling with spikes and columns. This place was called Helgrind and it was the secret lair of the Ra'zacs… and Lethrblakas.
Of course those wretched beasts would hide in their cursed mountain !
His blood boiled at the thought of facing the Ra'zacs, tearing them apart with his claws, putting an end to their loathsome lives !
He couldn't wait for it !
00/(Time Skip)/00
The next morning, Saphira and Erik quickly gathered up the saddle before helping his friend to put it on. After that, the Dragoness used her tail to wipe any trace of their existence… at least from the cliff. Once it was done, Saphira quickly leap into the air, spinning and rolling as she did so, before disappearing above the clouds.
Erik had rolled his eyes at her behavior but couldn't blame her for it : the two of them had been antsy for remaining in this damn place for so long… and now they were finally leaving ! With a roar of pleasure, the massive White Bear went on all far before running away from there.
Thanks to his sense of smell, he knew that Eragon and Brom had left the town a while ago and all he had to do now was following their scent. Of course, as he run, Erik made sure to glance up at the sky, keeping an eye on Saphira… and, once the two of them were far away from Teirm, he snorted in amusement when the Dragoness showed herself, diving toward him.
Thankfully, she stopped her descent a few feet away above him.
'Want to race, Valhir ?' she asked him playfully.
"Yep !" Erik retorted with a grin, which was returned by Saphira.
And race they did.
Saphira's wings were beating strongly and she was not more above him. However, Erik smirked with joy and pleasure as he started to run faster, while keeping an eye on the dragoness flying in the sky.
'I will get you Saphy !' Erik roared through their bond in a playful manner.
'In your dreams, Fluff-Ball !' Saphira retorted with a little roar and amusement clear in her tone.
The Massive White Bear snorted at these words and quickened his pace. Saphira's eyes widened in surprise when she saw him right under her, looking up at her with a smirk before rushing forward. He was no longer in her shadows and was in fact ahead of her !
With a smirk of pleasure, Saphira bated her wings and moved faster, determined to win this little race. Her pride demanded it !
Seeing this, Erik's smirk grew and ran faster than he ever did before turning his head toward what looked like a hill. It was it, it was the finish line… and he will be the one to reach it ! With a roar, the massive White Bear pushed his body forward just as Saphira's wings bated again.
After a moment, the two of them reached the hill… at the same time.
"That was fun !" Erik commented with a bright smile on his face.
His heart was pumping fast in his chest but he felt like he could keep doing this for a few more hours !
'It was ! But unfortunately for you, I won !' Saphira replied smugly as she landed beside him, looking like a peacock.
"Don't make me laugh ! I clearly won this race !" the White Bear retorted with indignation while narrowed his eyes at the dragoness.
'You didn't ! I did !'
"No, I did !'
'You didn't !'
"I did !"
'You didn't !'
"I did !"
'You didn't !'
"I didn't !"
'You did !'
"AH ! I KNEW IT ! I WON !" Erik replied triumphantly while looking at Saphira with smugness.
Saphira looked blank for a moment before groaning in annoyance, muttering under her breath
'I can't believe I fell for that...'
Erik was about to rub more salt into the wound when the sound of someone clearing its throat caught their attention, freezing them on the spot. Turning their heads, they found themselves facing an amused duo of humans named Brom and Eragon respectively.
"Are you two done ?" the storyteller asked them with a tiny smirk on his face.
"We are now~" Erik replied while shooting a grin toward the Dragoness… who shot him an annoyed glare in response.
Seeing how unhappy Saphira looked, Eragon climbed down Cadoc's back before handing the reins to Brom, saying "I'll join you for lunch..."
Brom nodded in acceptance "Have a good time…" he said to the younger man before looking at Saphira and Erik "It's good to see you again ! "
Saphira nodded her head, still looking grumpy while Erik also nodded at the old man, still smirking triumphantly.
Silently, Eragon hopped onto Saphira's back before holding on tightly as she suddenly jumped upward. Soon enough, the two of them were soaring in the sky and Erik's sharp ears could hear Eragon's excited scream, causing him to grin in amusement.
"And once again, they left us alone..." the Bear then said to the storyteller who looked away from their friends' tiny forms to look at him.
"Indeed, my furry friend… She sure looked eager to fly away..."
"Can't blame her for that : she had been restless the entire time we were preparing to leave… and after that little race of ours, I'm 100% sure she wants to sulk on her defeat !"Erik answered with a smirk at the last part and the two of them shared a good laugh before they started to walk/ride away.
During their little alone time, the two of them would enjoy the peaceful sound of nature… and Erik's would sometimes ear Saphira's joyful roars echoing in the air. She was clearly having a good time.
The two of them walked/rode side by side until noon where Brom and Eragonwanted to take a break for lunch. Saphira and Erikalso had something to eat on before the young Dragoness took off in the sky again… but this time without her rider.
The next time they stopped was to settle down for the coming night. Erik had his back pressed against a large tree, his left hand rubbing his belly with content. He had just devoured a large number of fish a little while ago and he was now completely full. Unlike his human companions, he didn't feel tired for this day's little walk.
Speaking of his companions… they were also busy.
The storyteller, who had been unpacking their belongings, wasnow preparing a fire to cook dinner. At the same time, Eragon walked away from the camp to find some water.
Saphira, her, was cleaning her forepaws. Everything looked peaceful… until the Dragoness suddenly turned her head toward where her Rider went with a look ofpanic on her face.
Seeing this, Erik became alarmed and asked with concern "What is it ?"
'Trouble…' she said simply before jumping into the forest, tearing the trees apart with a ferocity unseen to him before.
Erik and Brom looked at each other with stunned expressions on their faces… before going back on their feet with their weapon at the ready (sword for Brom and teeth and claws for Erik). However, much to their confusion, Saphira suddenly stopped her action as if listening to something… before rushing back to the camp… to cover Brom with her wings.
At first stunned by the actions, it took our hero to realize what was going on and silently cursed himself for forgetting that part of the book. Then, his ears twitched at the sound of footsteps and looked away to see Eragon approaching them… only to yelp in surprise as the young Rider had to duck his dragon's tail as it swung at him.
"Stop ! It's me !" Eragon cried out to Saphira who blinked for a moment before looking sheepish.
'Oops...'
"Oops ?! You almost took my head off !" Eragon hissed in disbelief and slight anger at Saphira before asking
"Where's Brom ?"
"He is not far, buddy..." Erik replied with a snort of amusement as his eyes twinkled with mischief.
"Huh ?" Eragon intelligently replied before pausing as he heard something from beneath Saphira's blue form.
The voice was 100% recognizable : Brom's. And judging by the muffled cursing and yells, he was far from happy !
"I'm right here ! Tell your infernal dragon to let me go! She won't listen to me !" the storyteller's voice managed to say a second later.
"Damn it, I thought that Saphy's weight would have flattened him already..." Erik muttered teasingly while faking to be disappointed.
Much to his joy, his comment earned him another set of curses from the storyteller and a slight chuckle from the young rider… and a harsh furious glare from a certain Dragoness.
'What is THAT suppose to mean ?!'
Yep, she was pissed alright.
Erik opened his mouth to answer but a certain young man was quicker.
"Let him go ! Didn't you tell him ?!" Eragon hissed to his Dragon who turned her head to look at him while withdrawing her wings, freeing the storyteller.
Brom stomped away from her, scowling and glared at Eragon AND Erik. The Massive Bear, however, merely smirked at the old man before looking back at the rider.
"What is it, Eragon ? What did you find ?" he asked the young man with seriousness.
"I found an Urgal footprint. and it's fresh !" Eragon answered and at those words, Brom's scowl deepened as he started to put out the fire and packing up camp.
"Saddle the horses ! We are leaving NOW !" Brom barked loudly in a stern tone before scowling again when he saw Eragon cradling his arm.
"What's wrong with your arm ?" he asked the young man who answered with gritted teeth.
"My wrist is broken..."
Brom released another set of curses as he went away to saddle Cadoc but did helped the young man to mount into the saddle before mounting his own horse, Snowfire.
"We'll put your wrist in a split later, try not to move it so much. Saphira, it's almost dark… you might as well fly right overhead… If the Urgals show up, they'll think twice about attacking with you nearby… Same for you Valhir, I want you to stay close to us !" The storyteller told his non-humans companions who nodded their heads with stern expression on their faces.
"Let them come ! I shall deal with them !" Erik growled with dark pleasure as he brandished his sharp claws.
"Maybe… But can you do two things at once ? Protecting your friends and fighting the enemies at the same time ?" Brom asked him with calm.
Erik growled but didn't answer as he knew the old man was right. Instead, he nodded his head at the storyteller before watching as Saphira took off into the sky. Once she disappeared, the humans and the Bear made their moves, wanting to put as much distance as possible between them and the Urgals.
Erik was at the back of the line, looking around for any sight of their enemies in case it was an ambush. However, that didn't stopped him from looking at his comrades and he could see that Eragon was in pain… but he couldn't do anything at the moment.
However, after a while, Brom suddenly stopped before whispering to his companions "Listen..."
Eragon went silent and just like the older man, he was listening silently but soon became pale. As for our hero, Erik's ears twitched when he heard it and a growl escaped his throat : a hunting horn was echoing in the air !
"They found our tracks !" the Bear growled at his companions as he glared toward where they came from.
"Indeed.. They will chase us now ! They will not stop the chase until they either captured or killed us ! We need to outrun them and quick !" Brom said in agreement and seriousness as he also looked at the direction they came from.
Suddenly, more horns echoed in the air… this time, closer.
'Saphira !' Erik called her out through the link.
'Valhir ?'
'Prepare to take Eragon and Brom with you...'
'What about you ?'
'…'
'You are not thinking about-'
'Yes !' Erik replied in a cold tone as a loud growl escaped his throat.
Saphira stayed silent for a moment until she spoke again with concern clear in her tone
'Be careful… brother...'
'Don't worry about me… Worry for the Urgals…' Erik replied with sadistic pleasure.
He could feel Saphira's amusement through the link. Breaking the connection, Erik then turned his large head to look at his human companions
"I called for Saphira... she'll take Eragon and you soon..."
Eragon looked ready to protest while Brom glared at him.
"While I appreciate that you want to keep us safe, I can't let you go face those Urgals ! We don't know how many they are but there will be more than in Yazuac !" the storyteller hissed at him in a stern tone.
Erik growled at him but it didn't deter then man who added firmly "Let's see if we can lose them first… if we can't, then we will have to fight !"
The Massive White Bear huffed in satisfaction, and ,while he knew it would be futile to try to escape, gave a nod of reluctant acceptance.
Soon, Saphira landed and Brom. They had a short talk before the rider turned his head to look at his mentor (and hidden father).
"What about you ?"
"I'll be fine ! Now go !" Brom hissed at the Rider
"Don't worry, buddy, I have his back ! Go and stay out of sight !" Erik said to the younger man with firmness.
Nodding at him, Eragon climbed onto Saphira while Brom rode away with Snowfire and Cadoc. The Dragoness shot one last look to our hero before flying away, flapping above the running horses. Erik snorted before going after them.
The chase started again but this time, the table turned…
They were no longer the hunters… but the preys !
(To be continue…)