The town of Talin crept closer and closer in the next few days, which was obvious by the amount of farms around it that were now abandoned. They were farther out from the town then normal, but still within one league of Talin.

By the end of the day, Eragon could see the town at the edge of the horizon. It lied on the edge of a bluff on the Jiet River, on one side the bluff, on the other absolutely nothing. The town had a wooden wall all the way around it and farms and other homes scattered around the wall, as if they were not good enough to be let in.

'I could take down that wall with one sneeze', Saphira scoffs next to Eragon.

'Especially since fire usually comes out with the sneeze', Eragon teases back.

She remains silent but turns one giant blue eye on him, filled with amusement, then says, 'don't make me roast you like a pig.'

He pats her snout, then says playfully with a smirk, 'yes Saphira.'

Eragon climbs up her back, and holds onto the spike in front of him as she pushes off the ground into the air. Saphira climbs higher and higher, so far above the camp that Eragon could not make out individual places, before pulling in her wings and going into a deep dive, then pulling back up again. Finally after Eragon is chilled to the bone, they glide gracefully back down to the Varden's camp, and land with a bone jarring *thud* outside of Eragon's tent.

Jumping down from her back, taking care not to get caught on any of her spikes, Eragon runs inside and immediately pulls the egg out of the saddle bag. Still the same.

'Saphira, I don't even have to explain anymore that I am worried about this egg', Eragon says with a sigh, sitting down on his bed still holding the egg.

'I know little one, but just be patient. You of all people should know that dragons rarely do what others want. We are stubborn, and so is this one not wanting to hatch when we'd like it to', Saphira says from outside the tent.

'I just can't!', he exclaims, 'this egg could change the outcome of the war and I can't help worrying about it! My mind is so confused and filled with what ifs....... I can't hardly think of anything else..... If someone would break into my mind they would see the egg clear as day.'

'Eragon, we never truly know what to do. We can guess but will never be sure.....', Saphira says with a sigh, then she continue, 'Eragon, you need to clear your mind, go for a walk, in the woods on the bluff. Take the egg with you. Keep your mind touching to mine, but stay at a distance. This is something you must undertake alone, though it kills me to be apart from you. Keep your mind barely connected to mine in case you get in trouble, which is probably likely. Other than that I will leave you to your thoughts. Now go! If anyone comes looking for you I will scare them away, but I do not know for how long so do not be gone for too long.'

And with that, she withdrew until their minds were just barely brushing. As always, Eragon got that empty feeling like he was missing a piece of himself. Shaking it off, because she was right in the matter that he did not have much time, Eragon places the egg into his back, throws it over his shoulders, then mutters, "Freytha."

Eragon never got over the feeling of knowing his body was there, but not being able to see it. He could only see the footprints left in the ground where his feet sat. Not taking time to marvel at what he would never get used to, Eragon slips out the tent flap, past Saphira, who opens when blue eye lazily as he passes, and towards the edge of the Varden nearest the forest.

He made it there fairly quickly because he met few people on his way there. If there would have been more people, Eragon would have had to move slowly so people did not notice his footprints and shadow.

Finally making it to the forest, Eragon could not help but feel a pang of homesickness. The trees reminded him of the same forest on the Spine by Carvahall. All the memories, following game, his first time shooting a buck, finding Saphira's egg, came flooding back to him. He pushed them out of his mind, though, for this was not a time for filling his mind, but instead emptying it.

Wandering through the woods he finally reached a spot to stop. The place reminded him of the spot he used to meditate when training. The old stump in front of him was smoothed by time. Sitting down on it, Eragon pulls out the egg and sets it on his lap, gazing at the royal purple egg. Such beauty, if only it would hatch. And why could only he feel its mind? So many questions, no answers.

Extending his mind towards the tiny dragon, as he so often did, he came into contact with the little conscience of the dragon. He had done it many times before, but every time the mind was dim, as if it was asleep, barely aware of anything around it, but now something was different. It seemed more active, as if it had come out of a deep sleep, now aware of everything going on around it.

Gasping and pulling away, Eragon stares at the egg in wonder. What could this mean? Would it maybe hatch now? Would others be able to sense it? Why was it different now?

As if in answer to his question, Eragon felt a tiny shake in his hands as he stares at the egg, lost for words. He should call to Saphira, but a part of him held back. It was happening now for a reason, and he just knew that he had to be here alone.

The egg began to wobble more as Eragon gently places it on the ground, smiling to himself as he remembers how Saphira's egg hatched. Then came the squeaks, exactly as Saphira's sounded, and soon there was a giant crack in the great purple egg.

Finally with a giant push, the little dragon popped out of the egg. It was beautiful was all Eragon could think as he gazed upon the magnificent creature, but it was different.

While most dragons were a solid color, this one had more than one. It was mostly purple, but just like its egg, had bright silver swirls running down its back. Its spikes were a darker grey, and its eyes and wings were the same brilliant color as its swirls.

Bending down close to it to get a better look catches the attention of the dragon. It snaps its tiny head to look straight at Eragon and he could see the major amounts of intelligence in them. Stretching his hand out tentatively to pat its head, the dragon sticks out its snout a touches it to the middle of his hand.

It was like the first time he received his Gedwëy ignasia, just ten times worse. Letting on a strangled scream of pain, he gripped his wrist and fell backwards onto the grass. In the back of his mind, he could feel Saphira's worry, but he quickly shielded the part of his mind involving the baby dragon and told her he was fine. She reluctantly withdrew.

Returning back to the forest, Eragon slowly sits up and stares at the dragon. Instead of sniffing around like he expected it was just staring at him. Just staring.

Very cautiously, Eragon extends his mind to its and almost jumps when he comes into contact with it, especially when it speaks.

'There is no need to do that', it says to him.

'You- you, you can speak?', Eragon sputters.

'Yes, obviously, aren't you a rider? You should know that by now', it says cockily.

'But you just hatched! Saphira couldn't-'

'Well, I'm not Saphira now am I?', she says back.

Eragon was shocked. Something was not right. He should call for Saphira....

'No you shouldn't. I only hatched when you were alone for a reason', it says to him, sensing his thoughts.

'Ok then, explain', Eragon says simply. He needed to know what was going on.

'Fine, let's start from your first question. Why can I already speak? Well, I am not a normal dragon. I am from an almost extinct type of dragon called the Guardians. My main focus is to protect my charges, which now is you', it starts, motioning towards his palm. Eragon looks down and gasps.

His Gedwëy ignasia was now swirling. Around and around constantly. Never stopping. He looks up back at the dragon to see it staring at him amused.

'I made you one of my three charges, though you are my main for you are my first. I am bound to you more than anyone else I choose. Now, to continue. Only you could sense my mind because that is how I wanted it. I did not want to be discovered by Galbatorix. My parents hid me for a reason.'

'You know of Galbatorix?', Eragon interrupts curiously.

'Obviously, now will you let me continue or we will never get anywhere. Now I am here to protect you. I must stay hidden from Galbatorix though, or he will try to capture me. One, because he knows of the guardians but has never had one. And also, because I am female.'

Eragon could only gape in wonder. It was amazing! Another female! Now the race may not die out! She chuckled at his wonder.

'Do you have a name?', he asks tentatively

'Yes', she says, 'I am Leora.'

'Well, Leora, can you tell me anything else? Like why did you wait so long to hatch? Why else are you so different from a normal dragon? Anything else?', Eragon asks, his curiosity peaking again.

She laughs again in her melodic voice, 'yes, there is more I can tell you. In answer to your first question, I wanted to hatch when you were alone. That's it. There really is no other reason. And I am different in many ways. I am stronger then most dragons, can catch glimpses into the future in order to protect my charge, and can break out of some spells in order to protect someone under my care.'

'Wow, no wonder Galbatorix would want to capture you', Eragon says quietly.

'Oh, and at this young age, in order to stay hidden, I can make myself slightly invisible. Kind of like the spell you used to get out here. Also, I will grow much faster than normal dragons in these times of danger. For I must protect you and I am not able to while I am this size', she says nonchalantly as if this were normal news one would hear everyday.

'Oh Leora! We must get back to the Varden! We have to let certain people know you've hatched! We are able to tell them right?', Eragon says excitedly.

'Yes, as long as they are trustworthy. Then we may go. But make sure you hide yourself, otherwise it may arouse unwanted questions. Other than that, let us be going!', she said with a leap into the air. Spreading her wings wide she flew up towards the tops of the trees. Eragon almost made the mistake of comparing her with Saphira again. The only thing he could truly connect was the brilliance of their scales. Both seemed to shine with their own in light brilliance.

Then within the wisp of a second, Leora was gone. Yet he could still sense her mind flying around him. With another murmur of "Freytha", Eragon and Leora headed back towards the Varden camp.

Getting back in is ten times harder then getting out. If it hadn't been for his elf-like abilities, Eragon fears he would have been stabbed by a spear sticking out of the ground. Finally after much jumping, running, huffing, and puffing, Eragon finally made it back into the Varden's camp. He could sense a lot of amusement radiating from Leora's mind.

'Oh shut it, you can fly', he mumbles to her, causing her to become even more amused.

After about ten minutes of walking, Eragon makes it back to the tent. He could sense a great amount of awe coming from Leora as she gazes upon a full grown dragon. Saphira opens one blue eye as she senses him next to her.

'Oh little one, did that solve anything?', Saphira asks sympathetically from where she still lays on the ground.

'Um yes, actually, it did solve a lot', Eragon says excitedly, and Saphira, sensing his excitement, stands up and stretches.

Eragon pushes into the tent, followed by Leora and soon after, Saphira's head. Eragon was bursting to tell her, it he only wanted to explain once. So after informing Arya, Roran, and Lady Nasuadato come to his tent as quickly as possible, he walks over to Saphira and places his head on her snout.

'Little one, what is going on?', Saphira asks worriedly.

'You will see, patience.'

She snorts and a flicker of flames come out, making Eragon jump back in surprise, before Saphira says, 'sorry, it's just I never thought I'd see the day when you would tell me to have patience. Oh and Nasuada, Arya, and Roran are approaching the tent rather quickly. I will be right back to let them in.'

And with that, she withdraws her head and a harassed looking Nasuada, Roran, and Arya push in the tent flap. Roran comes very close to bumping into the still hovering Leora, who is flapping around his head.

"Eragon! What is going on? Where have you been for the past two hours! I've sent messengers to the tent three times only to have them all come running back blabbering about how Saphira wouldn't let them past! What have you been up to!", Nasuada asks loudly.

Before answering, Eragon quickly mumbles the spells needed to not allow any easdropping, before turning to look at the three people and dragon in front of him.

"Well, let's skip all the chat. Everyone, this is Leora."

And with that Leora lands softly on the bed and reveals herself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

AN: HEY GUYS!!!!!! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOREVA TO WRITE THAT PART!!!! WHOOP WHOOP NOW WE ARE GETTING SOMEWHERE! SO THANKS FOR READING AND PRETTY PLEASE COMMENT!!!!!!!!! IT MAKES MY DAY WHEN YOU COMMENT :):):):):):):):):) PLEASE MAKE MY DAY :D SOOOOO IF YOU COULD PLEASE...........

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~Bert