(A while later :)
Erik definitely looked tense and alert… and for good reasons.
Him, Brom and Eragon were all walking/riding through plains where there was nowhere to hide, in case Galbatorix's soldiers were out there. Saphira had been adamant in staying close to them, stating that, since there was nowhere to hide, she wouldn't bother trying to stay out of sight. In fact, she was flying above them.
As for Erik, he was on the same line as the Blue Dragon but he was also worried because they would all have more difficulty remaining discreet because of his white color: he would be visible from afar to any intruder.
Beside, the entire area unnerved him : he felt exposed and weak.
A feeling he hated !
Thankfully, Saphira reassured him that she would keep a close eye on their surrounding and warn them if there is any danger, to which Erik was partially grateful for.
Why partially ? Because a part of him was itching for a good fight.
Perhaps, it was the bear-side of him… or perhaps it was him being bored due to lack of actions.
Apart of this, luck seemed to not be on their side.
Why ?
Because in many places, the trail left by their preys had all but disappeared, forcing the group to find their own way down. At times, Brom and Eragon had no choices but to dismount their mounts before leading the horses on foot while holding on to trees to keep themselves from falling down the slope.
Erik had growled more than once to Cadoc and Snowfire to force them to move as the horses were easily scared. The Massive Bear, during this little trip, had grown to hate this part of the Valley. There was nothing 'alive' here : no grass, no plants… nothing.
In addition, the ground was covered with loose rocks, which made the
footing harder than usual. The whole thing left our friends irritable and quick to anger, which contrasted greatly with the cold air.
Thankfully, this nightmare stopped once they reached the bottom of Valley , and right on time at that. Brom, Eragon and Erik all stopped to rest and on their left, the Anora River could be seen flowing northward while a biting wind scoured the land, whipping them repeatedly.
Erik hummed the wind and after a moment of silence and thought, the massive White Bear understood what it meant : a storm was coming. He was about to tell his companions but couldn't thanks to Brom's voice
"It seems they've gone to Yazuac..."
The storyteller looked perplex and Erik's eyes narrowed as he looked at the trails left by the Dark Beasts : they were heading straight toward the grasslands.
"Where's that ?" Eragon asked him with curiosity clear in his tone.
"Due east and four days away, if all goes well. It's a small village situated by the Ninor River..." Brom answered before gesturing at the Anora adding
"Our only supply of water is here… We'll have to replenish our waterskins before attempting to cross the plains… There isn't another pool or stream between here and Yazuac !"
"I hope they are still there… I'm itching to get my claws on them..." Erik grumbled to his companions and Eragon nodded at him in agreement.
"You and me both, pal..."
Before leaving, they all prepared themselves for the trip : by filling the waterskins, watering the horses, and drinking as much as they could from the river. They were joined by Saphira who took several gulps of water. The air was tense and Erik decided that it might be a good idea to break it a bit… while eying a certain Dragoness with a smirk on his muzzle.
"Saphira ?" he called out to the only female of the group.
'Huh ?' she intelligently answered while glancing at him.
"There is something on your nose..."
Blinking, the Dragoness quickly looked at her reflection... only to cry out in surprise when she was pushed forward before falling face first into the water. Erik laughed with humor at his action and his two companions were equally amused : Brom couldn't retain himself from chuckling in amusement while Eragon was laughing heartedly.
It was the first time Erik had seen the two laughing.
Saphira, then, suddenly burst out of the water, glaring fiercely at everyone present even if her blue eyes were locked on a certain laughing Bear.
'Why did you do that ?!'
Yep, she was pissed alright.
"Because it is fun ! Beside, you should have seen your face !" Erik said before making a perfect imitation of Saphira's face before she fell into the river.
His actions caused Eragon to once again laugh loudly while Brom turned his head to hide his own amusement. Saphira, her, was not amused and glared angrily at Erik who smirked back at her toothily.
Sadly, like all good things, it had to stop…
"Alright children, that's enough !' Brom said in an amused tone despite his stern expression.
Erik and Saphira sharply turned their heads toward him while shouting at the same time
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING CHILDREN, OLD MAN ?!" /'WHO ARE YOU CALLING CHILDREN, OLD MAN ?!'
Eragon once again couldn't retain himself from laughing, commenting
"You sound like a married couple !"
At those words, the two creatures turned their heads to glare at him… which made him stop laughing pretty quickly. Soon enough, Brom, Eragon and Erik set out across the plains (again) while Saphira flew above them.
But some time later, they were forced to camp on the open… seeing that there was nothing to protect them from their God forsaken wind. Their mood was already thin but now, it was worse… all because they were having trouble making fire !
Where did they found the wood ?
It was all thanks to Eragon who had made a little pile before trying to light it. Sadly, the woody stems only smoked, giving off a pungent smell but not once manage to take fire. Erik was sitting near Saphira as it happen and was wondering if he should use his thunder or not to help.
After a moment of failure, Eragon had enough and frustratingly, he tossed the tinderbox to the storyteller near him, hissing in frustration.
"I can't make it burn, especially with this blasted wind. See if you can get it going : otherwise dinner will be cold !"
'I wish I can breath fire...' Saphira grumbled to Erik with annoyance.
'You will… one day...' Erik replied telepathically in a comforting manner to which the Dragoness seemed grateful.
But then, the Bear's left ear twitched when he heard Brom saying one word
"Brinsingr !"
Looking back at the two humans, Erik and Saphira blinked in surprise when they saw a fire burning the pile and glanced at Brom with amazement… well, more on the Dragoness' side than Erik's.
"There we go ! It must have been smoldering inside..." Brom looked pleased and smug when he said this while glancing at Eragon who lookd stunned beyond relief.
Erik could understand the young man's shock and he knew that it won't be the first time the young rider would be impressed by the storyteller. However, he then thought about Yazuac and what they were going to see… Erik couldn't help but shivering a bit. However, he quickly remembered that he was here now… Maybe things would be different ?
00/(Time Skip)/00
The next day, the weather was better than the previous day : the wind had died down greatly… but the cold air remained. Erik knew that this was just the calm before the storm because judging by the dark clouds ahead, the weather will not be so calm in the near future.
"Guys, I don't think it's a good idea to go out with this coming..." the Massive Bear remarked, looking at the dark clouds filled with thunder.
"You are correct, Valhir… Normally I wouldn't go into a storm like that, but we're in for a battering no matter what we do… so we might as well get some distance covered..." Brom answered with a nod toward the White Bear, acknowledging his words.
"You are right in that regard..." Erik reluctantly agreed with the storyteller before looking over at Eragon
"I think it would be better if Saphira get down there with us…"
The young Rider nodded in agreement and was about to call for the Dragoness… only to pause when he saw a giant ripple racing toward them !
"Valhir !" he cried out while pointing at it and the Massive Bear took a second to realize that this wave was nothing more but a HUGE blast of wind !
"SHIT !" Erik cried as he, Brom and Eragon hunched their shoulders, preparing for the coming storm.
"CALL SAPHIRA ! QUICKLY !" Erik roared at Eragon as the gale was almost upon them.
"SAPHIRA ! LAND !" Eragon cried out loudly a second later.
Our hero looked up and saw the familiar blueish form of the Dragoness diving toward the ground.
"No ! Don't go headfirst into the storm !" he internally shouted in panic before sighing in relief when he saw Saphira flying back to Utgard.
Eragon and Brom looked just as relieved as him but as the three watched her, the storm fell upon them.
Erik could hear Eragon gasping for breath but grunted as a frenzied howling filled his ears. The Massive Bear was protecting his eyes from the wind with his large clawed hands while the air darkened with large clouds of dust.
"We must get back !" Eric cried out to his companions.
"Indeed, it would be wiser !" Brom's voice echoed in the air, answering him.
"I can't find Saphira !" Eragon's panicked voice then reached our hero's ears.
Quickly but while still trying to protect his eyes from the storm, Erik went to search for their missing Dragoness.
"SAPHIRA !" he called out loudly
'I'M HERE !' he heard her voice in his head.
'Where ?' he asked her while looking around.
Hearing wing beats, the Massive Beast turned his head toward where the sound came from and was relieved to see her landing heavily on the ground a few feet away from him before crouching down, clenching the ground with her sharp talons.
Slowly, Erik tried to make his way toward her but then widened his eyes at what happen next : just as Saphira folded her wings, the wind reached her and with an angry yank, it unfurled them and dragged her into the air !
"NO !" Erik roared in panic as he lunges forward before grabbing her by the tail and pulling her towards him.
Saphira soon found herself pressed again the Massive Bear's thick white fur but was too shaken by the harsh wind to move. Erik, him, had moved his body so the wind wouldn't touch (at least not totally) the Dragoness in his arms.
"Is Saphira okay ?" Eragon asked him from behind.
"For now, yes !" Erik said back loudly to the young Rider before going deep in thought.
How long will it be before this storm stops ? Days ? Weeks ? Months ?
They couldn't afford to waste time...they couldn't let the Ra'zac get ahead.
But what can he do ?
As despair overtook him, a memory passed through his mind : it was of him facing the Old Man, God who was telling him about Volibear.
"Volibear or Valhir is the God of War and the physical manifestation of Storms and because of this, he is pretty powerful..."
"Is it possible that I can… control this storm ?" our hero thought to himself before a look of fierce determination appeared on his face.
"It is worth a try I suppose..."
"Everyone ! Come closer to me !" he called out to his companions.
"What ?" Eragon cried out in confusion while protecting himself from the wind.
Erik couldn't see Brom but he wouldn't be surprised if the storyteller was as confused as the young rider.
"Just trust me !" he retorted in a hurried tone.
'What do you plan to do ?' Saphira asked him in a shaken tone. Clearly, she was afraid of storms.
'You will see...' Erik answered her gently while looking at the sky.
A moment later, Brom and Eragon, along with their respective horses, Snowfire and Cadoc approached the massive form of Erik.
"What now Valhir ?" the storyteller asked him once he and Eragon were standing next to the Massive Bear. The rider was busy reassuring Saphira who welcomed it completely.
Erik didn't answer and instead, released his hold on Saphira who panicked a bit when she stopped feeling his arms around but they all watched with wide eyes as he raised one hand to the sky, his face scrunched in concentration.
For a moment, nothing happen but then, much to everyone's shock, the wind formed a dome around them, no longer touching them ! Otherwise, nothing else had changed : the sky was still dark and thunder was rumbling.
"By the gods..." Brom gasped in shock and amazement while Saphira and Eragon were in disbelief.
Hearing this voices, Erik opened his eyes before looking at them : their clothes were torn but otherwise, they seemed fine… albeit as shaken as Saphira was.
"Valhir ? W-What did you do ?" Eragon asked him, still shocked by what just occurred.
Erik opened his mouth to answer but Brom was quicker "He used Magic !"
"Elemental Magic, yes..." Erik retorted with a nod to the old man.
"So you can control this storm ?!" Eragon asked him with wide eyes of surprise.
"Yes… and I used my power to force an area above me to do as I will… All around us, the wind is still blowing…" was the Massive Bear's answer.
Saphira, Brom and Eragon were shocked by the answer and were silent, their eyes not leaving him.
"What else did you hide from us, Valhir ?" the storyteller asked him with suspicion.
"I can ask the same to you, Brom the Mysterious !" Erik snarled at the old man with barred teeth.
The storyteller looked angry but he knew that it was a legitimate answer. Instead, Brom just glared at him and Erik returned it without flinching.
"Valhir ? How long can you keep this storm off us ?" Eragon's voice broke the moment and the two turned their heads to look at the Dragon Rider.
"For as long as I want…" Erik answered to him while shooting a glare at Brom who returned it.
"Then, how about we resume our hunt ? We aren't going to stay here, right ?" Eragon asked the two in an attempt to change the topic… to which Valhir is grateful for.
"No, we are not…" Brom grumbled in agreement before walking toward his horse.
"Brom… I shall reveal my secrets when you reveal yours… Trust must come both ways and not just one..." Erik said calmly to the storyteller who paused in his walk to look at him.
"I suppose you are right… But can you at least tell us of this power of yours ?"
"Once we find a place to settle..." Erik said with a nod.
Nodding in acceptance to those words, Brom mounted his horse and Eragon did the same while Erik and Saphira walked behind them. As they walked, Saphira hadn't stopped glancing at the Massive Bear beside her, thinking. She was grateful for his help but she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't a tiny bit curious about him.
She was looking forward to know more of him. And thanks to the bond, Saphira knew that it was the same for her Rider.
'Just, who are you Valhir ?'
(To be continue…)