This chapter is dedicated to belleyboo14, a non-silent reader. Thanks for all your lovely comments! :) The Search Arc - in which the five Riders look for the bondmates as kids - is coming to a close, but there's still the second half of the Reminiscence Arc to be read (i.e. the Trials Arc), so let's push on...

Chapter 6

The pegasi neighed loudly, threatened by the unexpected figure. Bramble, the closest to Niom, reared as he tried to escape the perceived threat. "Stop, guys, stop!" Niaomi shouted, running to her unicorn and grabbing his mane. Her father quickly launched himself out of the range of Bramble's golden hooves.

"Bramble, it's okay, he's okay," the girl said, soothing the trêuräz with calming strokes and reassuring words. Niom stood and brushed himself off, blinking in surprise at the sight of his tiny daughter taming a comparably large horned horse.

Recovering, his face returned to its previous dark scowl. He glared at the rest of the kids, who didn't meet his eyes as they patted their pegasi. Even Rumble was cowed at the anger the man radiated.

Finally, he faced his daughter. Nia stood up straight, her hair pulled back and her eyes cast downwards. Ion trembled on her right shoulder while Flair stared boldly from her left. Gedwëy sat still and small on her head, the fairy's own gaze trained on Jeshindû, who stood on his partner's shoulder.

"Niaomi Analísia Leafësdóttir," Niom said quietly, and she flinched at the use of her entire name. "What do you think you're doing? When I and your mother said you could spend the day in the forest, we meant the surrounding area. Instead, I find you gallivanting across the island without a care in the world!"

Her bottom lip started to tremble as her father's words hit home. "But Faði, we - "

"And then," Niom continued as if she hadn't spoken, "when I come searching for you all, you all run and hide from me!" This time everyone was included in his glare. "What reason did you all have, hmm? To not only disappear, but run?"

"But Far (A/N: "Dad" in the ancient language) - "

"I don't want to hear it, Nathaniel!" Eragon finally realized the extent of Niom's anger; the five had told him that Nate was called "Nathan" when in trouble, but had never mentioned the name "Nathaniel." It seemed to symbolize a whole new level of vexation.

"You children have disregarded my authority, and you have disobeyed the rules yet again. There will be no leniency this time." Staring hard at each one of his children and godchildren alike, Niom turned around briskly. "Come; we are finished here and leaving immediately."

Rosaminda, Renata, Nathan, and Nicholas all quietly started to lead their pegasi after their father. But they had only taken a few steps when Niaomi said aloud, "No."

Everyone froze as Niom turned to her, shocked. "What did you say?"

His daughter faced him squarely, meeting his gaze as she declared, "I can't go. I'm not finished here."

"Niaomi - " he began, but didn't get the chance to finish as she darted out of the clearing and through the trees. Cloud ruffled her wings in agitation as Niom cursed under his breath. Turning to the others, he commanded, "You stay here," before running off after the girl.

The mirror focused back on Nia, who was darting through the trees and back towards the river. Dew was running alongside her, and Gedwëy was glowing on her head. "Nia, what do you think you're doing?" the fairy asked as her bondmate stumbled to a stop in front of the river.

"I have to get the last one," Niaomi replied. Looking to the mistwolf, she asked, "Dew, can you do something to the water so I can walk on it?"

Sure, he answered. Closing his eyes, Dewdrop concentrated on the roaring river ahead of him. Carefully, he walked atop the surface and did not sink. Alright, follow me. His bondmate cautiously walked behind the mistwolf as they moved across the surface of the water. The current formed smooth patches wherever they placed their feet, and the two ventured farther from the shore.

They were about halfway across when Niom came into view. Eragon wondered what had held him back until he saw tears in his shirt whose pattern resembled a horse's - or unicorn's - teeth. "Niaomi, come back here this instant!" he yelled, his brown eyes bright with anger.

"No!" the girl shouted back defiantly, running the last few steps to the other side. "I have to find my bondmate!" Before her father could say anything else, she ran away into the trees.

Panting, Nia halted beside a tall pine, leaning against the rough bark. Dew plopped on to the ground beside her, exhausted from his usage of magic. Gedwëy was still alert, and so she was the first to hear the small sound.

"Did you hear that?" The girl and mistwolf tried to quiet their heavy breathing as they strained their ears to hear the noise that had caught the dragon fairy's attention. For a few seconds, they only heard the dim rush of the river and the chirping of birds. Flair cocked her head to the side.

I hear it...it sounds like a cat.

"A cat?" Niaomi's eyes lit up. "Where's it coming from?"

Gedwëy and Flair both turned their heads, ears straining to hear the quiet sound. Eragon listened as well, and thought he could make out a forlorn meow.

"To the right," the fairy stated, and the phoenix nodded her head in agreement. The girl quickly took off in that direction, searching the ground. The meowing was much more distinctive, and she finally pinpointed the source coming from a gap created by a tree's thick and plentiful roots.

Peering inside, Nia found a pair of pale blue eyes staring back. The creature meowed once again, wiggled the tufted ears that marked it as a werecat. It had shaggy bone-white fur that bristled slightly at the new intruder and was only a kitten, quite a bit smaller than Dewdrop but still brandishing its long nails as fiercely as a warrior.

"I'm a friend," Niaomi said reassuringly, holding her arms up in the universal sign of peace and good bearing. "I'm not here to hurt you." The kitten stopped hissing, sheathing its claws as the girl slowly reached down to stroke it. Purring, the werecat rubbed against her hand, and the Dragon's Kiss shined brightly, enveloping the girl and the kitten in a white glow.

The light flared even brighter, expanding to form a circle about five feet wide around Nia. Ten points sprang up around the rim, and Gedwëy automatically flew to the first. She seemed to be in a trance as she intoned, "An elöriyæ was the first."

Ruyi moved out of the bag and slithered to the spot opposite the fairy, reciting, A sundavrilnú's next on course.

Suddenly, Cloud and Bramble galloped into view. Their eyes seemed to glow as first the pegasus stopped beside Gedwëy, and then the unicorn opposite her.

The phloÿn will come flying on air, Cloud's voice rang out as she knelt.

A trêuräz the earth will bear, Bramble continued, also bowing to the ground with a scrap of fabric dangling from his mouth.

Ion flapped his wings, flying to the spot beside Gedwëy. In a surprisingly mature tone, the little thunderbird spoke for the first time. A kveykav-fethrblaka is lightning.

Dew ran to the point beside Ruyi. His eyes seemed to stare into the distance as he whispered, And a garm abr datia water shall bring.

Soundlessly, Sky coasted gently towards the other place beside the pholÿn. She landed and said, A stenörsvilaka will be a gem.

Rumble's wings swirled the air. Coming to a stop across the gem owl, his deep voice intoned, Then by stone comes a girœdiań.

At that moment, Niom stumbled into the scene. Shielding his eyes against the fierce glare, his jaw dropped at the sight of his daughter. The star mark on her brow was pouring forth the light, and it seemed to be sinking into her own being. Her dark skin was shining, her hair loose and turning gently in a breeze of its own creation just as Hekate's did. The amount of magic seemed almost palpable, and energy surged in the circle, keeping Niom at bay.

"Niaomi!" he shouted, fear making his voice crack and his tone harsher than before. "Niaomi, stop!"

No one acknowledged Niom's cries as Flair flew from her bondmate's shoulder. Landing in between Ion and Rumble, the phoenix screeched, A brisingr-fethrblaka is the birds last.

Slowly, the kitten padded away from Niaomi and to the last spot of the circle. When it stopped, the light seemed to stop shimmering. In a smooth and feminine voice, the werecat finished the prophecy with, And the finale of ice is a werecat.

The light started to recede back towards the girl, only leaving a thin trail connecting each creature to her. She raised her arms slowly, brown sleeves flapping as she called, "Now that the partners have been bound, my dragon's egg should be found!"

A white beam shot into the sky. The mirror zoomed out to show the twisting column pour into the sky, forming huge cumulous clouds that gathered together. They shifted into the features of a man of about middling age, with a huge beard and small, friendly eyes. His hair was wild and unrestrained as it floated down his skull.

"My child," he boomed; his voice was exactly the same as the one that had sounded in Queen Elodiâ's meadow. "I see Hekate's gift has led you to the path of the gods."

Nia knelt, her face tilted upwards to the sky. Her eyes were completely silver, and her voice sounded layered; it was her own, but another's as well - one who was wiser and deeper in pitch. "I have done as you wished, Lord Zeus, king of the gods and hurler of thunderbolts. Following Lady Hekate's path, I sought and found my bondmates, iet yawë fricaya. And now, I am ready for my dragon."