Prompt: After successfully completeing your training in Ellesmera, you have been told that you and your dragon are ready to begin your training with Eragon in the new lands. You reach these new lands with no problems, but of course nothing can be that simple. One night, Saphira is in a furious rage; Eragon has been forcibly taken. Eventually, in the dead of night, you and your dragon manage to get away and the search for your instructor begins. Basically, you have to describe the new lands, tell by whom, why and how Eragon was taken and how you rescue him. You can take others with you, or go solo.

Rating: N/A

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It wasn’t long after our latest escapade with the dragon eggs, that Arya Drottning and Firnen came to the conclusion that Laefel and I were ready to move onto the next step in our training; joining Ebrithil Eragon in the new lands.

I had heard much about them, and studied the geography as much as I could. Only a few maps of the new land had been sent back to Du Weldenvarden, but I poured over them nevertheless. To the east, past the Beors and the edge of the forest, there lies an immense lake, Bregalad. Along the northern shore sits the husk of a large volcanic island. This island, Indlvarn, was where Saphira and Eragon had settled after leaving Alagaesia.

The volcano Eldrvarya, now simply a hollowed out mountain, contains the Eldunarí and unhatched eggs. They are kept safe in a cavern similar to that on Doru Areaba, where the proximity to an underground magma flow gives them the heat and light needed to keep their energy levels high. Eldrvarya also contains the library, large enough to rival those in Farthen Dur and Ellesmera.

A ring of smaller bluffs and spires surround the mountain, encircling it like a fortress. They are almost impossible to penetrate, creating a safety barrier around Eldrvarya. The two closest mountains are used as part of the training center. The larger of the two houses the dragons; natural caverns in the rock were expanded to create a stable of sorts. The smaller of the two houses everyone else, as well as the classrooms, arena and main hall.

The remaining topography is covered in grassy plains and splotches of deciduous forests here and there. These trees have not been touched ever been touched by any race, allowing them to grow into behemoths that dwarf the trees of Du Weldenvarden. Along the west edge of the island, hills roll in contrast to the flat plains. Smaller ponds and lakes are also present, as well as a marsh to the south.

After a few days of packing and making sure we were altogether ready, we were joined by Eragon and Saphira. Saphira seemed ever-so-slightly exhausted from the foray from Eldrvarya, but hid it well, as she strode over towards where the other dragons were gathered, greeting them all. To see her next to Laefel and the others was quite the sight; she dwarfed them all with her tremendous size.

Eragon however, looked refreshed and exhilarated as he talked enthusiastically with Arya about the upcoming trip and continuation of our training. He was quite animated as he spoke to her, motioning wildly with his hands as he conversed, all the while keeping his voice low and inaudible.

Looking around the grove we were gathered in, I noted how few of us were left. Dark-haired Etherelda and I were the only elves here; the rest were staying behind to continue training with Arya and Firnen. Logan too was joining us on our venture into the east, accompanied by four of his fellow humans: Bryn, Trixie, Josh and Aurora. In all, we numbered seven of the original sixteen, the other nine were to stay behind and hopefully join us at a later date.

Eventually, Arya Drottning called us over towards where she and Eragon stood. Her delicate golden circlet significant of her rank glistened in the dappled sunlight that hit the forest floor. Her eyes too sparkled, their green coloring matching that of Firnen’s scales.

“I must congratulate the seven of you; you are the second group of young Riders I have had the honor to train. You all have come so very far from where you were. I now recognise that you have reached a point in your training where I must pass you from mine own hands into those of Eragon Shadeslayer.”

She gazed at the group of us, approval glowing in her eyes. A delicate smile graced her angular features as she surveyed us. Slowly, she lifted her hands over her head, palms facing the dew covered ground. “I give you all my blessing and hope that your training goes as smoothly with Eragon as it did here with me. Atra esterní ono thelduin.”

A ripple moved through us as we nodded and replied in kind, honored that the queen would speak first. We turned towards where the dragons had congregated around Saphira and moved to join them. I’d not yet taken an entire step in their direction before a deep hum sounded from behind us. Abashed, we turned back to face the great green dragon.

Firnen’s eyes were filled with pride as his voice encompassed our minds. ‘I, too, praise you on your advancements. You shall be in good company with Shadeslayer and Saphira Brightscales. If you work hard, you may come back as fully fledged Riders sooner than you may anticipate.’

A low growl sounded from deep in his throat as he bent his head forward towards us. Slowly, he padded over and placed his forest green snout on the forehead of each of us in turn, before backing up to his place by Arya. ‘Train hard and fly swift, hatchlings.’

From where he had stood observing the proceedings, Eragon moved forward gracefully into the light for the first time. His pale skin seemed to shimmer in the half light. His face looked as regal as any elf’s, angular and sharp, with slanted, deep brown eyes. His expression was calm and collected, a mask that covered any emotions he may have had.

“I truly do hope that you will enjoy this next phase in your training. You will be the the second class of new Riders I have had the fortune to teach; you may see some of the others when we reach Eldrvarya. They are an advanced group and will most likely not have any classes with you, but you will have plenty of opportunities to train and interact with them.”

His mask of calm shattered as a genuine smile crossed his face. “I know that some of you may be anxious, others excited, but don’t worry, I think you will all come to love it there.”

Eragon glanced at Arya, who in turn cleared her throat to speak again. “You shall leave tomorrow at noon. Make sure that you have everything that you need, as you will not be returning for quite some time. Pack provisions as well, for the flight takes some time and there will be no horse available to cart them behind.

“You are dismissed now, to gather your things and say your goodbyes.” With a final parting smile, she swept off towards the direction of her own chambers, arm in arm with Eragon Shadeslayer.

*****

Night came and went, and morning broke on my last day in Alagaesia. The sun was barely peeking up over the treetops as I stepped from the bed. ‘Morning sleepy-head.’

Laefel grunted in response from where she lay on her bed in the floor. Her eyelids twitched but didn’t open, and soft snores began to emanate from her again. ‘Get up you great, green lump.’

Once again, I received little response; this time consisting of tucking her head under her wing as if she was attempting to block out my voice. Needless to say, it didn’t work. ‘Come on you lazy reptile. You need to get up and go eat before we leave.’

It took a moment, but eventually a weak, ‘Why?’ came across our link. I smirked in her direction, no matter her inability to see it.

“Because I don’t want to hear you complaining about how empty your belly is when we’re flying over the middle of nowhere.” I replied matter-of-factly, this time aloud. To this, she pulled her head out from under her wing and opened one eye to look at me.

‘And when, small one, have I ever done something to make you think that would happen?’

I laughed dryly at that, thinking of the last few flights we’ve had over the course of the past week. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe everytime we go out.”

‘Hmph.’ With that, she stood and shook herself, knocking a few books off of the table next to her as she did so. She padded over to the open ledge on the side of the room and took flight, unfurling her wings to catch a meandering updraft. ‘I’ll be back.’

‘I love you Laefel.’

‘Right.’

*****

It didn’t take long to pack everything up, placing it all back in the bag I had originally brought it in. A few books and maps I placed into the saddlebags, as well as some food and filled water skins. Morillinde, I slung onto my hip; my dagger was strapped to the outside of my thigh. All of my worldly possessions were packed and stacked by the door, leaving the room looking stark and lonely.

With a loud thwump, Laefel returned from her flight, smelling of burnt meat and blood. With a final look around the room, I shouldered my pack and hoisted the saddle out the door. At the sight of the leather seat, Laefel let out a low growl. ‘You know how much I hate that thing. Can’t I just hold everything in my claws?’

I shot her an irritated look. ‘And have my legs cut into ribbons by those scales of yours? I think not.’ I set my pack down and lifted the bulky saddle. ‘Just let me put it on you.’

Laefel shifted, turning herself to look me in the eyes. ‘How long will I need to wear it?’

My brow furrowed at the question. [‘Why? So you can count down the minutes until you can take it off?’]

‘How long?’

I paused a moment. 'I don’t - Just get over here.’

She snorted, ribbons of smoke rolling from her nostrils. ‘Fine.’

‘Finally, you speak some sense.’ I sighed, trudging over and tossing the saddle across her back.

‘Doesn’t mean I like it any more.’

‘Never said you did.’ I replied cooly, tightening the straps around her chest and stomach. I stepped back to review my handiwork. From the corner of my eye, I could see the glare coming from her large golden eyes. I smirked a bit at her annoyance, before scrambling onto her back and into the blasted saddle.

*****

It only took a few minutes to reach the grove we were to gather in. A few others were already there, but I was glad to see that we weren’t last. Over to one side, Arya and Eragon stood, talking, while the rest milled around the clearing.

I slid off of Laefel’s back and dug around in the saddlebag for a moment, searching for the thick parchment envelope I had placed there the night before. Eventually I found it, buried under some fruit and a loaf of bread. The green wax seal, stamped with the same dragon symbol that was on my dagger, remained unbroken. The name on the front of the envelope remained unsmudged, ‘Lindor’ still legible. I grasped it tightly within my hand and began to walk towards Ebrithil Arya.

‘Small one what are you doing?’ In the back of my mind, I could feel Laefel’s confusion at my actions, something I had decided not to inform her of. ‘Small one are you listening to me?’

‘Yes, yes,’ I replied dismissively. ‘Don’t worry, I-...this is something I need to do before we leave.’

Laefel hummed a bit in irritation at being kept in the dark, but made no further comment, content to sit and watch what was to unfold.

At my words, Arya and Eragon paused their conversation and looked over, catching sight of me as I continued to walk towards them, battered envelope in hand.

Ebrithil Arya greeted me with a tired smile. “Yes Earawen? What is it?”

I nodded a silent greeting towards Eragon, before launching into an explanation, something I had been practicing for quite some time.

“Well, Ebrithil, as I am sure you know, my father is being...cared for...by some elves back home in Osilon. Before I left home to come here, I visited him and promised I would write when I could.” I sucked in a deep breath of cool air before continuing. “I have written him a few times, but since I am to be going away for a long time, I wrote one more letter; the last until I come back.”

I felt my nose and eyes begin to prickle, a sign that tears were not too far away. Quickly, I plunged back into my explanation. “It explains where I’m going, and why I won’t be able to write him. If you could, would you see that it gets to him? Please?”

Arya’s face and demeanor had sobered a bit as she listened to me speaking. When I finished, she nodded, reaching out for the letter. “Of course. I shall make sure this reaches him safely.”

At her words, a smile lit up my face. “You have my thanks, Ebrithil.” I passed the thick envelope to her and bowed swiftly to the two of them. Slowly, I turned away from them and inhaled deeply, letting it out as I walked back towards Laefel.

‘Little one.’ She murmured, her voice full of melancholy and tenderness. She lowered her snout and placed it on my shoulder, while unfurling her wings and wrapping them around me; it was the closest thing to a hug she could manage.

‘Thanks.’ I replied, sighing as she closed her wings. ‘It’s going to be hard. I just got back to having him in my life, and now I have to leave. Again.’

Laefel gave me a toothy smile. ‘But we won’t be gone forever. We’ll come back eventually, and when we do, you can write him all you like!’

I gave her a small smile in return. ‘I guess.’

Before she could reply, however, Eragon spoke up, his voice thundering across the clearing. “It is finally time to leave. We will need to travel far before the sun sets; let us go.”

*****

It took a handful of days to traverse the entire eastern side of Du Weldenvarden and the upper part of Lake Bregalad. Upon reaching the island, we were introduced to the elves who originally came with Eragon, as well as the other Riders who would be training with us.

Not long after the introductions, we were given a light meal and shown our rooms, which were carved out of the innards of the mountain. By then, we had been turned over to the other Riders to finish the tour. Not surprisingly, Laefel went straight to the only other green dragon there.

Awkwardly, I followed behind as Laefel bounded across the room towards the dragon and his Rider. The girl seemed deep in conversation with another Rider, but as Laefel skidded to a stop in front of them, the two looked up and smiled.

I strode over towards them, nervously addressing them with the traditional elvish greeting; two fingers to the lips. “Atra esterní ono thelduin.”

The two of them replied in kind, “Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr.” With a smile, the tawny-haired Rider of the green dragon introduced herself. “My name is Roslyn and this...” she motioned behind her at the massive green dragon that loomed over us all. “Is Gereth.”

I smiled hesitantly, slightly intimidated by Gereth. “I - I’m Earawen. And she’s Laefel.” At the mention of her name, Laefel puffed up her chest slightly, sneaking a glance at the larger dragon.

The blonde-haired elf laughed suddenly, surprising me. “Looks like Gereth has a fan there.” From behind her, the immense green dragon snorted loudly, plumes of smoke rolling from the tip of his snout.

“By the way, I’m Lothiriel; but everyone calls me Thiri.” She swiveled around, searching for something in the shadows at the edge of the cave with her brows furrowed. “I would introduce Dae, but she seems to be missing at the moment.” She leaned in towards me, face graced with a wan smile, as if to share a secret. “You really can’t miss her. She’s big, purple and full of sass.”

She chuckled again and straightened up, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “I should probably go and look for her. Not that she wouldn’t show up eventually, but you never know.” Thiri nodded towards Laefel and I, a twinkle of amusement in her eye. “I’ll see you around; I believe your room is opposite mine.” With that, she walked off, looking around for her dragon.

Beside me, the corner of Roslyn’s mouth twitched upward. “Quite the character isn’t she.”

“Seems so.” I replied, watching her walk away.

Roslyn scaled one of Gereth’s tree-trunk legs and perched herself onto a spot on his back. She motioned towards the connecting hallway. “Let’s go. I’ll show you the rest of this place.”

*****

Within no time, we had settled into a daily routine of rotating classes, meals and training sessions. Classes varied from day to day, and for much of the day, Laefel and I were separated; I would sit in a classroom, listening to histories or practicing magic, while she flew with Saphira, learning complex aerial maneuvers and fighting strategies.

One constant however was the ceaseless babbling about Gereth, something I soon learned to block out. Everyday, Laefel would find a new feature to obsess over. First it was his size, then his eyes, then his flight techniques. The stream of information never ended and was becoming increasingly exasperating as it continued with no sign of slowing down.

Talking to her about it, or anything else for that matter, was no use; the one time I attempted to break through, I gave up after ten minutes of failed conversation and repeated interruptions.

Lothiriel and Roslyn found this all very amusing. Gereth was completely oblivious to Laefel’s obsessive fawning over him, but Thiri’s dragon Dae was not. The purple-scaled dragon was actually quite amused by it as well, but made no move to inform Gereth. Instead of telling him, she decided to play match-maker and moved to help Laefel gain more time with the male dragon, encouraging her and attempting to drop hints to Gereth about how wonderful Laefel actually was.

But this mummer’s farce of a romance was cut short one morning, when a keening wail sliced through the cool morning air.

It echoed through the mountain, waking all who were still asleep. Dazed, we wandered into the hallways, were the deafening scream still hung in the stagnant air. From the end of the hall came the screech of breaking wood and the sound of cloth being ripped to shreds. This was followed by a series of low growls and moans.

The sound of feet running down the length of the hallway followed, coming from the same direction as the howls had. A bedraggled elf stepped into the view of those assembled, a look of panic plastered on his face. From behind him, came an eerie blue glow; the color of dragon flame.

The elf flinched as the cobalt radiance flooded the cavern, washing over the faces of the gathered. “Please, no one panic. I must inform you that Eragon Shadeslayer has been taken.”

At his words, sobs began to reverberate around the room. “Please...please, I repeat, do not panic-” His words were punctuated by an ear-splitting roar that bellowed from the direction of Eragon’s chambers.

“As of now, the mountain is being placed under lockdown; none may go out, nor come in. All entrances are under guard, to prohibit any from attempting to venture out.” He grimaced for a moment, placing a hand to his temple, before returning his attention back to us. “I am being summoned. Please return to your rooms. Food will be brought up shortly.” The elf turned on his heel and fled back the way he came, turning down a side corridor and out of sight.

Unnerved, I too proceeded to turn around so as to return to my room as the elf had commanded. My hands clenched into fists, and began to shake. I was paying no attention to anything else, and jumped when I felt a hand rest on my shoulder.

I pivoted around quickly, fist swinging up towards the face of my would be assailant, but was caught in mid-air before I could land my blow. Surprised, I saw Thiri’s eyes staring back at mine. A small smirk flashed across her face at my shock. She looked nervously left and right, seeing no one left in the hallway. With a quiet grunt, she grabbed my arm roughly and pulled me into her room, slamming the door shut behind herself.

“What was that for?” I demanded, staring at her with an expectant look on my face.

She grinned slightly before sobering up. “First off, don’t ever presume to punch me again, accidently or purposely.”

I nodded sheepishly as she went on. “Second, Roslyn and I had an idea and figured you might want in.” She glanced over at Roslyn, who sat a bed that was pressed up against the wall, stacks of books surrounding her on each side.

Relaxing slightly, I shot them a quizzical look. “What are you planning?”

Roslyn sighed from her spot on the bed, rubbing the gauntlets that graced her forearms. “We were thinking that we could go and look for Ebrithil Eragon.” She paused for a moment, a look of disbelief dancing across her face. “Why did I even say yes to this? Saying it aloud makes it seem even crazier.”

Lothiriel snorted at that last comment, before turning back to look at me. “So? You want to come or not?”

I thought a moment, weighing my options. Either have the possibility of saving one of the greatest people of our age, or sitting back and watching what happens. Save, or watch?

“Why not?”

*****

We waited in Lothiriel’s room for night to fall, scheming and planning out how we were to get out. In theory, it was quite simple; cast a spell that would render us invisible and, if caught, wipe the memories of any guard that would sense us. Seeing as our dragons had been in the the other mountain at the time of Saphira’s discovery, we would have to sneak them out somehow.

The first part of the plan went fairly well. We were almost out, when Thiri tripped. Luckily she caught herself before she made too much of a scene, but the two guards looked around uneasily at the faint scuffling her shoes made.

Not until we were out of sight of the mountain, did we release the magic, which rendered us visible once again. We padded down the trail that led towards where Laefel and the rest were being kept, hopping from one clump of grass to the next in an attempt to leave no footprints.

Eventually, we reached the entrance, replacing the spell and stealing past the guards with ease. We crept up the stairs that led to the sleeping quarters, glancing into each room that we passed, looking for saddles.

The dragons slept quietly, with only a snore here and there breaking the silence. We spread out and searched around the room, looking for our dragons, taking care to watch for tails and paws so as not to trod on them accidentally. To the left, I heard Roslyn whisper, “Here! They’re over here.”

By the time we had reached them, Gereth was already awake, shaking sleep from himself and waking Dae and Laefel from their own slumber in the process.

‘I just managed to fall asleep little one, what do you want now?’ Her voice was slow from sleep, her actions even slower.

‘We’re going to search for Ebrithil Eragon. Now if you would, tell me where the saddles are.’

In her half asleep state, she nodded towards a carved door across the cavern, not realizing what she had done until I was halfway across the room. ‘No! Stop! They just took it off of me; I don’t want it back!’

‘Too late! You already told me where it is.’ I grinned as I reached the infamous room and spied Laefel’s saddle, the bane of her existence. I hoisted it onto my shoulder and strode back out, following the same path I had taken over.

I tossed it onto her back and pointed the room out to Lothiriel and Roslyn as I continued to buckle the seat onto a squirming dragon. ‘You may as well just give up; I’m going to get this on you one way or another.’ A wicked grin crept onto my face. ‘And just think of how you look to Gereth right now, fighting with me because you don’t want to wear a saddle.’

As soon as I said that, she stiffened up, not moving a muscle, nor saying a word to me. I managed to get the saddle on correctly without hurting her or getting hurt myself, although I knew I’d hit a nerve with her.

Soon enough, Daenyris and Gereth too were saddled and the three of us were seated on their backs. Laefel padded over towards an opening in the wall, large enough to hold four dragons shoulder to shoulder. She crouched down and expanded her wings to catch the cool night breeze. ‘Ready?’ Laefel asked stiffly.

I sighed, looking out at the dark, night sky. ‘As I’ll ever be.’

At those words, she pushed herself off of the edge of the cliff, flapping her wings and gaining altitude. From behind us, I heard the cracking of stone as Dae and Gereth joined us in the sky. Laefel winged around to get a view of the other two dragons.

Over the whistle of the wind, I heard Roslyn shout, “Go down! We’ll check the ground for a scent!”

Immediately, Laefel angled her wings downward, folding them into her sides and plunging towards the ground at breakneck speed. Merely yards above the rocky ground, did she extend them again and managed to land gracefully on the side of the mountain.

As soon as she landed, she shoved her snout to the ground and began to sniff around, searching for any sort of clue that could lead us in the right direction.

'It reeks of rotten meat...and sulfur?' She jerked her head back, confused. 'Dae, come here and smell this. It's odd.' She flicked her tail in acute annoyance, motioning the slender, purple dragon over towards us.

Daenyris padded over to where we sat, sniffing the air as she came. Her light, musical voice reverberated in my mind,‘Eragon was definitely here; I can smell his scent. It’s faint, but it’s here.’ She moved her snout closer to the ground, snuffling around in the dust. ‘Sulfur, you’re right. Overtones of rotting flesh and...some sort of oil.’

Her nose wrinkled slightly and she snorted a few times, sending sparks flying. ‘It itches...the more you sniff at it, the more it itches.’ Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the spot on the ground. ‘I don’t like it, not one bit.’

Roslyn unbuckled herself from Gereth’s back and slid down his foreleg, walking over to where Dae stood. She stooped and looked at the ground, placing her hand down on the ground next to a deep rut. “Who ever it was, is pretty big, judging by the footprint they left.” She stood and rotated around, looking for more prints; there were none to be found.

She looked up at Dae in confusion. “Do you know which way they went?”

The purple dragon snaked her head along the ground, sniffing around, once again. She hummed for a moment, looking towards the edge of the lake that sat ten miles or so away. ‘That way.’

Roslyn nodded and leapt back onto Gereth’s back. “Let’s go.”

*****

We soon found ourselves flying over the choppy waters of Bregalad, aimed south, towards the mainland. By now, the moon had reached its peak in the sky and started its descent. Only half the night remained, and we had yet to find Ebrithil Eragon.

Minutes passed in absolute silence, the only noise being the occasional flap of wings as the three dragons coasted on the currents above the lake. Soon, the edge of the mainland came into view and with it, the steady descent from our place in the night sky.

When we touched onto the sandy shore, Roslyn noticed first the gouges that had dug themselves into the hard-packed sand. Gereth landed next to the prints in the sand and began to follow the path they created. ‘The path leads this way,’ he stated, his deep voice being heard for the first time.

I quickly unstrapped my legs from the saddle and slid down Laefel’s leg, patting it before I walked over towards the footprints. On the back of my neck, I could feel her hot breath as she rested her head on my shoulder. ‘I’m sorry, little one.’

I smiled at her and hugged her snout. ‘It’s fine. He could be worse.’

At that, she snorted, ‘I’d like to think I’m better at picking out males than that.’

‘Just keep dreaming.’ I teased, prodding her snout gently.

But before she could respond, I heard Roslyn’s voice ring out across the shore. “Earawen, Thiri! I think I found something!” Lothiriel too had dismounted and the two of us took off racing across the sands towards where Roslyn stood, now holding her sword in her hand. She was staring at the ground, at a black splotch that stained the sand and the surrounding grass.

Thiri, who had grabbed a stiff, elm bow from Dae’s saddle before dismounting, now set her bow to the side, and bent down to investigate the stain closer. As the moonlight shone on it, she realized it was not black, but red. It was blood.

At the realization of what it was, she stood and backpedaled away from it. “Dae!” She cried, her voice shrill and on the verge of breaking. “Dae! Get over here!”

The violet dragon bounded fluidly across the sand from where she had been milling around with Laefel, who was not too far behind. Dae swiftly slid up behind her Rider, who began to cling to Daenyris's scaly leg. Her chest was heaving as she breathed heavily. “What if he’s dead? What if he’s dead? He can’t be dead. He can’t.”

“Well he’s not. He can’t be; Eragon is one of the most powerful people of this age. And Saphira has definitely not gone off the deep end, which means he isn’t dead.” Roslyn replied, in an attempt to mollify Thiri. “He is not dead.”

“No...no of course...of course, you’re right...you’re always right.” Lothiriel breathed, calming down. “He’s not dead. You’re right.”

We waited there a few minutes more, giving Thiri time to relax and recover. But we had to keep moving, so we continued on, traveling through grasses which, at times, reached shoulder height. The scent trail that we followed meandered around, first going one way, then the other, zigzagging its way inland.

Soon enough, the grass forest melted into a true forest filled with all sorts of trees, all of which reached immeasurable heights. The dusty soil gave no indication of footprints, so we were forced to continue based on scent.

After close to an hour of searching, we came upon a massive clearing, a meadow of sorts, hidden under a thick canopy, miles above the ground. Little moonlight filtered through the dense layer of branches and leaves.

With what little light that seeped through to the forest floor, we could make out the outlines of small huts, built of cobbles and mud, with thatched roofs. As our eyes adjusted to the low light, we could begin to make out the shapes of bodies moving around and hear faint clicking and chirping noises, reminiscent of a flock birds.

The six of us stuck to the shadows, observing the small community in silence, noting things such as the overpowering scent of decaying flesh, the chirrups and squawks that came from  the seemingly humped figures that slid through the village.

“What are they?” I whispered to Thiri who crouched beside me, her hands steepled in front of her face.

“I’m not sure. I’ve only ever come across one group indigenous people in the year I’ve been here, and they are nothing like this.” She frowned and folded her hands. “They seem familiar though, as if I’ve seen them in another life.” She turned her head to look over at Roslyn who squatted on the other side of me. “You ever seen these Roslyn?”

The grey-eyed girl shook her head. “Never. Not like this at least. But you’re right,” she shook her head again as if in disbelief. “It feels like I have seen them before.”

We waited there for a little while longer, watching, waiting and developing yet another plan. This time, it consisted of Gereth attacking the south end of the village, the section we were certain Eragon was not in. As the villagers’ focus would be on the south of the town, Laefel, Dae, Thiri, Roslyn and I would steal into the town, locate Eragon and get him out. Gereth would then meet us by the shore and we would return to the island.

Within moments, Gereth was on his way to the south end of the clearing while the rest of us armed and cast wards around ourselves, waiting for his assault on the village to begin. Not that we had to wait too long; seconds after the last ward had been placed, four houses went up in flames, an eerie green-gold fire licking at their foundations.

The screeches and squawks grew louder as the townspeople rushed to snuff out the fire, to no avail. Swift as a deer, the five of us rushed towards the empty side of the village, sending out mental probes to search any and all houses for any sign of Ebrithil Eragon.

A joyous, “I’ve found him!’’ rang out from Lothiriel as she sprinted towards an empty looking hut towards the eastern edge of the town. However, what she didn’t sense was an archer positioned on the top of one of the other huts.

Time seemed to slow as the arrow was loosed, spiraling through the smoke filled air towards the lone blonde haired elf. It should have simply deflected off of her wards, but it continued straight on, hitting its mark with a sickening thwump.

With a blood-curdling scream, she went down, arrow sticking out of her shoulder, crimson blood streaming from the wound. The archer on the top of the building nocked another arrow, letting it fly only moments before being ripped to the ground by an infuriated Daenyris. This second arrow hit her prone body as well, ripping through her wards, lodging itself between her two bottom ribs and piercing the top of her liver.

As we approached her body, Roslyn’s face, like mine, was streaked with tears, but between sobs she managed to order me to stay with Lothiriel, while she got Eragon out of the building. I knelt down beside her, tears streaming from my eyes only to fall onto her face. Her breaths were shallow and ragged, her tunic was stained crimson and stuck to her skin.

I pulled her head into my lap and brushed the hair away from her face, realizing that to attempt to heal her would be far more dangerous than to leave the arrows the way they were. I sat there with her as more buildings began to catch fire around us, the howls of the dying overlapping the roars of the three dragons.

“Come on Thiri,” I whispered, silently pleading for Roslyn to return quickly with Eragon, who was possibly the only one who could save her now. “Just focus on my voice, that’s all you gotta do. Roslyn will kill me if you die now, and I’m sure you don’t necessarily want to do that either.”

A ghost of a smile flitted over her face as my words registered. “She would,” Thiri whispered quietly.

The two of us sat there, I talking to Thiri, trying to keep her with us for as long as I could, all the while praying that Roslyn would be back with Eragon. Seconds passed, but felt like hours, until Eragon stooped down next to where I sat, Lothiriel’s head cradled in my lap.

Under his breath, he began to murmur some sort of spell, passing his hands over the two wounds, until Thiri’s breathing began to even out, and her eyes began to close.

“She is no longer in any danger of dying right now, but I can do no more until we are out of danger.” Eragon ran a hand through his messy brown hair, worry clouding his gaze.

He evidently managed to get through to Daenyris, as moments later, we were strapping Thiri’s body onto her stomach, tying it down in an attempt to keep it as stable as possible. Eragon rode in the saddle to keep an eye on the both of them. Roslyn and I clambered onto Laefel’s back and the two dragons took off into the night sky, winging their way towards the beach.

Behind us, Gereth let loose a final blast of dragonfire on the town, this time encompassing the entire town. As the screams faded away, I began to relax, breathing a sigh of relief that the worst was over.

Soon enough, Gereth had joined us in the air and we flew past the shore, heading straight to Eldrvarya. While we flew, Ebrithil informed us on how they had managed to capture him. “Saphira had gone out to hunt before dawn broke, which was when they came in the room. While I slept, they placed a cloth over my mouth and nose. It had been dipped in some sort of liquid that, when I woke to find them in my room, it sent me straight into unconsciousness.

“When I woke, I was strapped into a chair which sat across from one of my captors; a Ra’zac. One of the last remaining as I soon found out. It spoke enough of our language to explain that they were descendants of the original Lethrblaka who traveled across the sea to follow the humans. The village there was the original colony they had set up; if you were to go another league south, you would find the edge of the sea.

“Over time, they had sent Lethrblaka to Alagaesia to colonize, which explained how they had gotten there in the first place. Eventually, Galbatorix rose to power and seated the Ra’zac in Helgrind.

“When Saphira, Roran and I attacked Helgrind, we abolished all but one Ra’zac which had had the fortune to be on a mission for the Mad King himself. There were eggs, toorue, but we did not know that at the time.

“Eventually, the lone remaining Ra’zac found out the fate the rest of his race had suffered, and made it his mission to return to the original colony and inform them of the atrocities we had performed.” At this, he smiled in disbelief, before launching back into his story.

“He managed to make it back, although it took him nigh on ten years to do so. When he did get back, he explained to the rest what had befallen them in Alagaesia, including the names of the three assailants who wiped out so much of their kind. Ever since, they have been looking for the three of us, so as to ‘punish us for our crimes.’”

Ebrithil Eragon sighed, and motioned to the six of us. “After what you six did, I doubt they’ll ever be a true threat again. A pity that all had to die; rather I’d have liked to try and ?treat with them.” He paused, thinking back on the camp. “I saw no human bones, carcasses or meat. Instead, they had been reduced to eat animals they caught in the forest. They seemed to have lost the appetite for human flesh.”

He fell silent then, and said nothing else for the entire flight. When we landed, Lothiriel was taken straight to the medics, who found the arrow tips had been poisoned. The wounds had been even more serious than we had thought, and her muscles had been deteriorated to the point where it would be a miracle if she ever drew a bow with her left hand again.

Of course, in response to this she decide to prove them all wrong, by working with Eragon everyday to rehabilitate her entire left side.

Not another word was heard of the Ra’zac again, proving that they finally had been completely vanquished.

*Note: Yes, I know the ending sucks and is super abrupt...sorry...