It was a dark and stormy night, as they would say.

People rushed about, trying to get out of the massive downpour. A horse whinnied then bucked, knocking over a stand and the unfortunate merchant inside.

A shouting match ensued.

Lore leaned against a corner of a cobblestone building. His jacket had worked for awhile, but with the lack of a hood, all of him was drenched save his arms. He made no motion to wipe away the water streaming down his face. Then, as if finally noticing the rain, he shook his head and used his sleeve to wipe away a particular buildup of water around his mouth. No need to look conspicuous.

Well, more conspicuous than he already did.

While normally people would have ignored the young man, the rain caused more concerned glances than he would've liked. Mostly because concern then turns into suspicion, then suspicion into city-wide manhunt for him. Then again, none of his ventures turned out that way, but you can't be too careful. But he was told to wait here, and here he would stand. Not that he was to be told around, but he trusted this associate too much to not to. He wasn't the type of man that joked around, especially with "precious cargo".

A man turned a corner and started heading toward where Lore was situated. As he neared, Lore bent down, as if he dropped something. The man impacted Lore and stumbled. Lore quickly caught and steadied the man. They stared at each other for a second, then broke contact. The man continued his way. Lore knelt, miniature droplets hitting him as the rain splashed against the stone. He reached for his satchel at his feet.

He paused.

The man probably had no idea what just transferred to Lore. Just another courier.

He retracted his hand. Still kneeling, he took a uncharacteristic deep breath.

He grabbed the satchel and stood up. That action alone probably killed any chance of turning back.

After all, Lore was in now in possession of a Dragon Egg.

So'Lina paced back and forth in her tent. She was told that she was going to be meeting and training with another rider. She wondered who it could be. Calm yourself Lina Mal told her in his regular husky voice. She looked at him and frowned.
"Mal... do you know who I'll be training with?" She asked him curiously, Mal usually knew something about these situations.
Peeking his head out of the tent, he looked around. You know that new kid... the one with the pale blonde hair? His dragons red...yeah him. Mal didn't seem to happy about it. She laughed and started cleaning her sword, it was as black as Mal's scales, it had been a gift from her elven friends. Mal stuck his head back in as he looked at her carefully, his purple eye trained on her and the sword. "Mal... are you jealous?" She asked teasing him.
He made a sound that could have been interpreted as a snort. She chuckled and looked at the sword. This pointy thing will never best my scales...and that two legged better watch himself around you... your likely to cut a finger off him. She chuckled hitting his scales playfully. "You know better than that... I'm skilled with a blade." He gave a wink and sat in wait for the other dragon and rider.
Wonder why you two were paired up by Eragon and Saphira? He said to her. She shrugged and put her sword back in its sheathe. "I guess we will see." She replied with a soft smile.

Blue. All around them, beautiful blue sky. The rush of wind whipping through her silver hair, throwing her braid back out behind her to float along as if held up by some invisible string. How could she ever have considered not taking her chances at becoming a dragon rider? It was the most glorious feeling in life.

Most glorious? Mm, yes. I agree. And I am happy that you did not turn the chance down. I had been waiting oh so long for you, Gael.

Gaelwen smiled. That connection was like nothing she had ever known before and likely never would. To have a simple thought, shared as easily as if it had been spoken aloud. She leaned low over Firroth's back and lovingly stroked the rough green scales. I know, dunei. If I had known you were waiting for me, I'd have come sooner.

A feeling of utter contentment was emanating from the dragon and she let out a rumbling laugh deep in her throat. Yes. Now, let us not get so serious whilst we enjoy our flight, hm? Time for some fun.

Gael bit her lip. Fun? Suddenly the dragon was twisting around, changing direction unexpectedly, and she began hurtling toward the earth at frightening speeds. The elf woman clutched at her saddle with both hands, her knees tightening around the dragon's back to keep her properly seated. "Skulblaka ven," she whispered, and suddenly her vision joined with that of her beloved dragon. She felt a thrill as she watched the land rushing up to meet them.

Then she realized what Firroth was doing. She had spotted the black dragon Mal'irahc and was taunting him, headed straight toward the poor creature. "Firroth!" she shouted, her voice swallowed by the wind that whipped past their bodies. "If he bites you, I will not feel sorry in the slightest!"

He wouldn't dare, that mirthful voice rang out through her mind.

Gaelwen let out a grumble and shook her head. You will get us into trouble with Eragon, you obnoxious beast. One of these days he is going to see you being bothersome and he will send Saphira after us.

Oh! Do you think so? That would be such fun!

Mal grew larger and larger in the draconic vision, and Gael found herself leaning up slightly, as if she could pull the dragon out of its descent with a hand on the saddle. Then suddenly, the green dragon let out a challenging bugle before she flung her wings out and righted her flight, her green scales nearly brushing the top of tent that Mal's rider stood inside. As it was, the thick canvas was assaulted with a heavy wind and Gael twisted around to watch as the sides of the tent fluttered wildly as the pair made their way back toward the sky.

You are bloody impossible, dragon, Gael thought sullenly.

I love you too, Gaelwen, came the laughing voice once more.

Mal snorted and gave a playful roar. Upon hearing his roar So'Lina jumped. "What is your malfunction Mal?" She said turning to him. His purple eye laid upon her. Seems I have a challenge...come... I will not let some female best me! He said rearing out of the tent. So'Lina sighed and walked out watching the green dragon fly away, its Rider upon the back.
Fine... but don't get us in trouble... we're still waiting for our training partner. She said through their bond, as she gracefully hopped upon his back, narrowly avoiding a spike. He chuckled and took off. Catching up to the mighty dragon and its elven rider. She gave a friendly wave to the woman and spoke in the Ancient Language.
"Atra esterní ono thelduin. Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr. Un du evarínya ono varda." She said loud enough for the woman to hear her.
You are such a show off. Mal's voice echoed inside of her head, slight humor behind his words. Looking down at him she shared a similar thought.
I'm not the one who is trying to best a female dragon. He laughed as they continued their flight with her, Mal slightly ahead by now.
Ya know... If I happen to see Saphira and Eragon.... I'm blaming you....we're supposed to be traning... well waiting on our trainer. She continued her thought.
He brushed it off by saying. We are traning... practicing flight patterns. He said seriously. she gave a sigh and held onto one of his spikes to keep her balance, part of her wishing she had her bow and arrows.

"Please, sir? Money for a poor, starving widow?" begged a raggedy woman from an alleyway. The noble she'd queried turned to her incredulously, as if he couldn't believe such scum existed, much less had the audacity to speak to him. He felt soiled by her presence, and wasn't afraid to show it. Inhaling deeply, the man spat into her bowl, covering some of the money given to her with a blob of phlegm.

"Thank you, sir..." mumbled the beggar. Nose turned upward, the noble marched on, no doubt to conduct some important dealing or another. He didn't even think twice about the woman he just scorned. That was his second to last mistake. As soon as he was out of sight range, Shade Marakos unfolded herself from under her filthy rags and retreated deeper into the alley. She shed her disguise, quickly cleaning herself with magic and changing into a more fine regalia, something suited to a lesser noble. Focusing, she felt the resonance of the marker she'd bound to the noble's leg as he passed her and began to track him.

Gallant Masters entered his uncles estate, frowning heavily and lost in thought. This morning he'd received a letter stating that his uncle had fallen ill, which worried him. Gallant needed his uncle to stay healthy, as he had no other means of income and wasn't keen on losing his posh lifestyle. He was greeted by a servant and led to a side parlor where he was instructed to wait while his uncle was fetched.

"Must be serious if Uncle is making me wait. I hope the old fool didn't catch fever again," whined Gallant. A half hour passed before the same servant entered the room, handing him a paper and quill.

"Another love letter? Uncle needs to stop trying to arrange a marriage for me," he muttered. Scribbling on it quickly, Gallant didn't even read the document. His last mistake.

"You really should have considered being a kinder man. You've many enemies far wealthier than your precious uncle." Before the confused young man could speak, a fist collided with his face so hard that it tore his head off at the neck. Shade Marakos rolled up the deed to his family's property, along with the one his uncle had signed before he, too, was murdered, and put them in her coat. No longer needing the disguise, she removed her wig and lenses, stowed them in a case, and glided out the front door.

Those that recognized her, turned away, and those that didn't followed the trend. No one wanted to attract the attention of someone that exuded as much danger as this woman. Kelai met with one of her contacts at a local inn, trading the man the two deeds for a bag of gold and sending him on his way. She ordered a drink from the bartender with a smile, baring her fangs and laughing at his fear. She thoroughly enjoyed causing discomfort to others.

It felt nice to ride again. Aela had not been able to with all the traders traveling this time of year. Even with the storm a few nights ago the traders had not left the path through her forest alone. She hated when people came through her forest they would litter and destroy the foliage and over hunt almost everything. Aerion shifted to the right, jolting her out of the unpleasant memories of poachers. "Thanks Aerion..." she muttered
"Why can't you just forgive those men for what they did?" she heard him whisper in the back of her mind.
"Because they tried to KILL us!" she said sternly. At this Aerion was quiet. She knew he was trying to relax and stretch his wings.

After a half hour more of high speed flying she let herself relax. After all, it was a beautiful moonlit night with just enough cloud cover that the rider could be disguised. Aela normally never relaxed while in the saddle. She could only relax in the forest,by a fire reading about the dragon riders of old and how they were supposedly killed off. But those tales of epic battles of the sky were old and did not take place in her lifetime. After all even if they would of she wouldn't be allowed to fight because she was not an official dragon rider. No one knew about Aerion and no one knew about the bond they had...

Snow drifted peacefully in the frigid Northern Reaches of the Spine, the towering pine trees appeared frosted over. Herds of deer wandered about, nibbling on the frozen tall grass, not noticing that one of their number would be leaving them forever. A heavy flap of wings alerted the large buck to his presence, yet by the time he could actually react; it was too late. The large blood red dragon swooped down, and with his mighty jaws snapped the neck of the thirteen point buck. Sylorus simply took the beast into his terrifyingly large maw and chewed him. Bones splintering under the sword-like teeth, blood dropping from between them.

Mmmm... He noised, licking his chops as he swallowed the remains of the buck. Feeling his stomach somewhat bulge from his big meal. You should try this, little one.

I think not. Arias laughed as he moved into the small clearing, wearing a simple black traveling cloak and black trousers. They were on their way to study with the Dwarves all the way in Farthen Dur. I prefer my meat cooked, and not as... bony. He chuckled, moving over to mat his large dragon right on the snout.

Sylorus snorted, but nuzzled his hand appreciatively. I like this clearing. It should work well for a nest for the night, don't you think? He asked, digging his large talons into the ground, back arching up and opened his jaws to release a loud yawn. Blinking sleepily at his very amused rider.

"I suppose." He muttered under his breath. "But what about firewood? I don't feel like chopping an entire tree down."

Leave that to me! He roared, flapping his wings as he charged at one of the massive pines. Ramming his head into the center of the tree, and with a mighty crack it split right in two. Sylorus reached out with jaws, gripping the base of the tree and ripped it right from the ground- roots and all. With a casual toss of his head, the half-tree landed in the very center of the clearing. Moving over to the upper portion of the tree, he slammed his talons down into different portions. Creating moderately sized logs that would be very easy to burn. Snorting in pride of his work, he flapped his powerful wings and rolled the segments over to the pile. Now comes the fun part. He added, amusement clear in his deep voice. He inhaled, power welling up in his throat before he released a thick stream of red fire. The heat was intense as it coated the pitiful bark of the pine, setting it ablaze in seconds. He closed his maw and wandered back over to his Rider, laying on his belly next to him. Not even a mighty tree can stand up to a dragon!

Arias stared at him for a few second before breaking out into a hysterical laughter. He plopped down next to him and leaned against him, feeling the muscly wing wrap around him. Coating him in warmth and providing him with the same sense of security. As they sat there watching the flames, they began to share thoughts. Talking about whatever was on their mind. Showing their affection for one another and being genuinely happy. For now.

All Aela had really seen was a flicker of red across the horizon towards the Northern mountains which she had just figured to be a fire. But Aerion seemed drawn to it and without a warning shot towards the north.
"Aerion!" she yelled as the sharp high pitched whistles of the wind shot through her ears. "AERION!" she roared.

But still no response from him, he was in a trance almost. Then she remembered something she had read in a book a while back on dragons, behavior and characteristics and so on. What was the passage? Something about dragons and nature and something or another. Then it came to her.

"They were connected to the land in strange ways, that sometimes even they could not control"

So him flying towards this fire was connected to nature somehow? Maybe.

They came closer and closer. Aela kept trying to snap Aerion out of this trance like focus. But to no avail, he would not stop,would not listen. So eventually she gave up and just let Aerion take the lead.
Eventually they were there...
Aerion had unwillingly lead them to a dragon rider..

Rolling seas, stormy waters. Three ships dipped and rose in the waves. The going was nothing but difficult. But they had been waiting for this. A few storms and the uneasy seasickness would not deter them. The Gray Folk had always meant to return to Alagaesia. They had been gone far too long.

Felix wondered what they would find there. Would it be much the same as it had been when his ancestors had lived there? When they had come together to bind magic to the ancient language? He remembered stories of strange short men who lived in the mountains, and of dragons. It was the latter in which he was most interested. Have the dragons taken over the land? Would the have to battle the ancient creatures? How would their magic compare to that of the Gray Folk?

Felix heard a soft sound behind him as he stood at the rail, then he felt something run into the back of his leg. He looked down with a broad smile at one of his youngest daughters. "What are you doing, child?" he asked, scooping her up into his arms.

"I play, papa!" the child answered, giggling as her father tickled her.

"Oh, do you? And running into papa's legs? I might need to toss you overboard for that…" He grabbed the girl's ankle and held her, dangling upside-down, over the edge of the ship. "What do you think? Shall I let you go?"

"No, papa!" she squealed, giggling all the more.

"No? Are you sure?" Felix loosened his giant hand around the tiny ankle ever so slightly and the child let out a piercing scream. The man chuckled and pulled her back to his chest, hugging her close. "I would never."

The child kissed him on the cheek then squirmed out of his arms, dropping back down to the deck, and taking off once more. He watched her go, then turned his gaze ahead to watch as the morning fog parted ahead of them. And then he saw it, in the distance. The dark shadow of the mountain range he would soon learn was now called The Spine.

The Gray Folk were back.

Gael grinned a little at the ancient language that was called out to her. It was kind of the girl to speak to the elf in her own language.

She's just showing off, Firroth said, an amused tone in her voice.

And so are you. Children, Gael teased her four year old dragon.

Firroth let out an annoyed roar and loosed a puff of fire, which forced the elf to press herself tight against the dragon's back in order to avoid having her hair burned off as they flew through it. I am no child, little elf! the dragon huffed.

Well, in any case, you are losing your little challenge, my love. Gaelwen watched the younger, larger male dragon as he pressed forward with strong wingstrokes.

I wasn't even trying, Firroth told her. The green dragon turned amber eyes and a toothy grin on the black one. Her wings drifted up slowly then came back down in a powerful stroke and she shot ahead of him, then suddenly started plummeting toward the earth once again.

Gael groaned. "Not again, Firroth! You're going to make me sick, you rotten creature!"

Let us see who pulls away first, Firroth said, a deep hum sounding in her throat that could only be draconic laughter.

So help me, if you fly straight into the ground, I won't even miss you.

That hurts me, Gaelwen.

It does not. But you are being completely ridiculous. Do not get yourself or the young ones injured.

Firroth continued her flight for a few more seconds, then finally she let out another bugle and pulled up, straightening out her flight to fly low above the treetops. Elves are no fun, the green dragon pouted.

Sol watched the Rider curiously, a smile formed upon her face as she saw the woman duck from the dragons fire. Mal snorted and spoke to her on their private link.
Might want to duck Sol... I'm going to best him! The dragon warned, before releasing a jet of purple flames.
Sol only had a few moments to duck before the fire flew past her long auburn hair. She could smell some of it burning. She nudged Mal, You singed my hair you know. She heard him chuckle as he started to dive, Can't help you have long hair.
Sol's heart jumped as they started to plummet to the ground, she was feeling a bit uneasy about this. At the last second, Mal pulled up, the blades of grass bending at the wind his wide ebony wings produced.
Someone likes living their life on the edge.
She said in an amused tone, as he reached the other dragons altitude. He snorted, and continued flying with them. Her eyes turned backwords as she looked at her tent, curious as to if their other trainer had arrived or not. Stop being so.... practical. Have fun... Mal lectured, she could tell he enjoyed stretching his wings, and flying.
She did enjoy the breeze in her face, and the fun he was having. Turning her head back she watched him dodge a large pine tree.




((Sol'Lina is an elf... wasn't sure if you knew or not...))

An island. A fishing community

Not the place you would expect you'd find a potential Dragon Rider, but then again, Saphira hatched for Eragon, and he was in Carvahall. Lore stood a distance from where the elf ambassador, Vanir, was having a multitude of children touch the egg. He had the once-lost egg transferred into the elves' hands. Not that the Coalition thought they couldn't find an appropriate Rider themselves, but the Riders would be suspicious of a random egg popping up. Like in the case of... Aila? Aela? He couldn't quite recall the name. But the Riders didn't know about that particular one, so no harm. He turned his thoughts to more pressing issues.

Many children had touched the egg with no success. A good portion of them was still to try, so there was still a chance. He walked to another position pretending to observe some of the fish they had. Unsurprisingly, they were white-finned. Somebody brushed the against his mind. He recognized the person. He opened his mind slightly. Words reverberated in his head.

Only about 20 children left. I do not want to look like a pessimist, but this may not be a successful venture. Get ready to move on.

And with about twelve left, this seemed to be the case. Lore felt the connection sever, and he straightened his jacket, preparing to leave.

The egg hatched. He wasn't surprised as he thought he'd be, but he turned his head just as fast as everyone else to fit in. He did not join in the collective gasp, though.

He saw the elf kneel down toward the child, probably to ask his name. He felt the mind brush against his again.

Oh, wow... It worked... Alright... Let's see... The child's name is Arias. Arias Taroson. The voice laughed in his head. You did it. Everything is in place.

Even Lore allowed himself a small smile, then made motions to leave. The voice echoed his thoughts.

You had better leave. The dragon might recognize you. I know the chances are slim, but you were the only one around it for a period of time, so it's still a possibility.

As he walked away, he truly wished Arias and his dragon well.

And hoped the young dragon would not recognize him, save they meet again.

It was for the best.

((Sorry I didn't specify the first time, this and the post before is 2-3 years before now.))

Her master had impeccable timing. Kelai had been in that dinky town for far too long, and was starting to get the killing urge when one of his messengers showed up with a summons. Snatching it from his hand greedily, Kelai's expression changed from excitement to disbelief extremely quickly.

"The Spine? What's so important at the Spine?!" exclaimed the incredulous Shade. Still, her master didn't give her busy work, so it must be important. Without complaining further, she retrieved her belongings and mounted her horse, making for the estate where she lived. Her master had impeccable taste, and his home reflected it. Beautiful gardens, fancy house, and bright open scenery not only communicated his wealth, but also his intelligence. While some of his business ventures were "below the table", her master was mostly legal, which helped to allay most suspicions people could have of him.

After a grueling three day journey, Shade Marakos couldn't have been happier to return home. She was greeted at the door by a servant, who took her belongings to her room while she went to visit her master. Not one for formalities, Kelai simply pushed the door to his study open and entered. Her master didn't seem surprised or annoyed, but waited until he'd finished reading some legal document before addressing his servant.

"Your task went well, I see. The properties will be re-purposed shortly, and as always you'll get a say in how it's done." He paused a second to glance back at the paper before removing his spectacles and looking the Shade in the eyes. "You're no doubt curious about my missive. I've had agents come to me with information that a dragon has been spotted in the Spine." Marakos' eyes lit up on that note. "Of course, you know I can't trust anyone but you, so I'm sending you to investigate. Now, listen close. I know you enjoy a challenge, but you are not to engage this supposed dragon unless your life is threatened. I want to learn about it...maybe see if it can be bent to my...our will. So, for my sake and yours, play nice. That's all. You have one day to recuperate and then I expect you to be off. Grima will get you any supplies you might need." Her master turned back to his papers, indicating that he was through with her.

'A dragon! Ooohh a real challenge! I'd love to see its eyes fade as I choke the life...' The last part of her instructions replayed in her head. No fighting. It was almost enough to cause a Shade to grind her teeth, but once again, her master had a reason for all this. A dragon serving them would be an incredible boon, true, but being forbidden to kill it almost hurt her physically. Then again, magic wasn't really fighting, was it? She'd have to see if there was a way to get around her orders this time. After all, how often do Shades and Dragons clash? Three times in known history? Marakos grinned at the thought. She'd gladly risk death if it meant the chance to murder one of the strongest magically inclined creatures on the planet.

The following day saw Kelai lounging about the mansion and tormenting the servants, having a bit of fun before being off on business. The morning of her departure, her masters other most trusted servant, Grima, handed her the map of the region, as well as the last known location of the dragon. She took the map and turned to leave, but suddenly whipped about and hissed at him, causing the dour servant to jump backwards in fright. Kelai cackled aloud, then turned and left, leaving Grima in a sourer mood then before, if that was even possible. She decided it would be more expedient if she traveled on foot this time, as her armor would allow her to scale the mountains with ease.

Taking off at a dead sprint, Kelai blazed through the rocky countryside, entering the Spine within the second day. She had to stop briefly to refil her reserves of stamina, using one of the forbidden techniques with which she was familiar to siphon life energy from the local flora and fauna. Around midday on the fourth day of her travel, Kelai began to see markers from her map, so she slowed to a jog to better scan her surroundings. Kelai altered the color of her armor with magic, turning it snow white and slightly reflective, to better help her blend in. Luckily she'd left her weapons at home, so she didn't have to worry about that.

After hours of searching, Shade Marakos almost let her frustration cause her to become reckless, but she felt a brush of a vast mind in the distance. From the stories she'd heard, there was no doubt it was a dragon. Zeroing in on where she'd felt the touch, Kelai erected a mirror wall around her mind, effectively camouflaging her mind from prying eyes. Hopefully the dragon didn't notice her presence in that brief touch, or if it did, it wasn't enough to spook it.

Gaelwen watched the younger pair as they flew next to her and Firroth. They flew well together. Mal'irahc was just as much a showoff as Firroth, but he was strong and sure of himself.

He is sure of himself, to think he can best me! Firroth's voice singsonged within Gael's mind.

The elf let out a soft sigh. Life is not always about racing, Firroth.

Yes it is. A race against death! We shall win that one, too.

Do not get cocky, now. The dragon let out a soft snort, but Gael continued. We should let them get back to their training. Come, let us gather food for dinner.

Shall I catch a stag for you riders? Firroth asked in an amused voice. She knew that few of them would eat any kind of meat, her own rider in particular, and she thought that it was completely ridiculous. She would always take advantage of a moment where she could tease Gael about the matter.

No, my love. But do get yourself one. I will gather what I can. Let Mal know that we are leaving. Gaelwen watched the other rider for a moment, waiting for the message to be passed, then she gave a wave before Firroth broke off in search of a herd she could hunt and a place to drop her rider off.

The dragon found a decent enough clearing and flew low, dipping one wing toward the ground. With a brilliant smile, Gaelwen stood atop her saddle, balancing for a moment, then she leapt gracefully and landed with a roll before popping up on the ground and watching as the green beast flew off once again.

Don't eat too much, you great oaf, she teased fondly. Then, she took off running through the trees in search of some fresh greens and berries for dinner.

They sat together as the night dwindled on, watching the flickering flames with a look of utmost content across Arias' face. Sylorus constantly let out a snort of a laugh before commenting on a horrible pun his Rider had just made. The world around them didn't matter anymore, all that did matter was that they grew ever closer. As they sat and talked, Sylorus suddenly froze, his scaly lips pulling back over his teeth whilst his throat rumbled in a complete snarl.

"Sylorus?" He asked, looking thoroughly startled by the sudden snarl from his parter.

Dragon! He hissed, feeling rage that was starting to burn within his belly. Not of home, either. Unknown. Threat. DANGEROUS. Sylorus let out a loud, earth rattling roar. After Arias had hastily slid into the saddle, Sylorus's wings began ripping at the air around them; forcing them to rise at a rapid pace.

Becareful! Arias warned, gripping the leather straps so tightly he felt them bite into the flesh of his palms. We don't know what we're facing, just try to remain calm!

Sylorus roared again, his anger clouding his minds metal defenses. Not even feeling the supposed brush from the nearby shade, they were too busy rushing straight for the oncoming dragon who appeared to be a few hundred yards from them now. As they neared, he lowered himself closer his dragons back as the frigid wind whipped around them, feeling the unrelenting bite of the cold nip at his face. it wasn't fun, feeling the anger of his dragon intensify as they neared the odd-colored opposing dragon.

Finally, after what felt a few hours but was really minutes, they were within earshot of the unidentified dragon...

"Halt!" Arias' magically magnified boomed as Sylorus came to a stop. Beating his wings to keep them hovered. He snarled towards the new dragon, anger clear in his blood red eyes. "Who are you and this dragon? You are not one of the Order of the Riders. Explain yourself or I shall have to capture you and take you to Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Brightscales!" His voiced boomed, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Feeling a rumble of agreement from his dragon, feeling very tense and slightly angry. He did not want to have to fight this new person, but if he must, he shall. Without mercy.

Hearing the way this man's voice move around the sky was unpleasant to Alea. It was bad enough that her and Aerion had been seen by a rider and now the rider was becoming hostile it seemed. Same with his dragon. They had no chance of flying off, this was a trained rider. And his flying skills were most likely magnificent compared to hers. For a moment Aerion finally snapped out of his trace. And upon seeing the other dragon, roared.

Aela yelled,feeling somewhat impowered and reassured by Aerion's roar, "My is Aela N'Kana and I am a rider. I'm just not of your order." she stoked Aerion's grey scales that seemed silver in the moonlight. " I am nineteen years of age, I found the egg that hatched my dragon four years ago." she spoke calmly but direct. "I make my home in the forest and mountains of the Spine. Any other questions?" she smirked

The moment they had hit land, Felix led his people from their ships. They were curious, every one of them, but he ordered his people to stay put and make camp just off the beach, within the cover of the trees. Scouting parties were sent out immediately, the Chief among them. He could feel magic in the land such as the Gray Folk had not felt in some time, in the exile where they had lived for so long.

Felix slipped through the brush that covered the forest floor, moving swiftly as he grazed his fingers across the tree trunks, looking around, observing. This land was beautiful- so far. How could they ever have left it? He knelt, scooping up the leaves and dirt, letting the dirt sift through his fingers. This land was fertile. It would do them well to settle here. They would have to find a clearing where they could settle.

And once settling had begun, they would have to venture on through the mountains and the forest, to see how the rest of the land had fared in the time that the Gray Folk had been gone. Brushing his hands off on his pants, Felix straightened and continued on. Their scouting expedition was far from over.