To The Lands Beyond (An Eragon Fanfiction)

Precursor to Adventure

"Oh Fírnen, whatever shall I do with you?" Arya laughed softly. 

The sun has arisen and your eyelids have remained shut since you lay down to sleep last night, she reprimanded him lightly, sighing. 

This bed is much more suited for a dragon than your stone floor, he commented groggily. 

The coronation had passed but a few weeks ago and he had already grown far too large to sleep in Arya's room. They had been escorted to Vrael's house that Eragon and Saphira had previously been accommodated with, and Fírnen was enjoying it immensely. 

It had been rid of all remnants of Eragon and Saphira's presence in the time it had taken the army to return, and felt as if it was just sung yesterday to Arya. 

A dappled golden pattern lay across the wood planks that made the floor from where the sunlight was filtered through the leaves that made up the walls and ceiling, which attracted Arya's attention for the moment. 

A large yawn was heard from Fírnen, and a rustling was heard as he unfurled his wings. He stretched like a cat for a few minutes before bounding out of the roof that Arya had opened for him. 

She waited back in their house for a few moments getting ready for the day, but it didn't seem too long for her before she was sailing through the sky on a green comet's back, streaking past the heads of onlookers peering through their houses in the trees. 

The days between the coronation and the impending departure date had blended together quite rapidly as they reveled in Fírnen's newly found flight. All the best teachers the elves had to offer were at his disposal, and his learning was coming along nicely. 

Däralekk proved to be a gracious, insightful leader, and very knowledgeable in the teachings of elves. The elves fell in love with his quirks and took to him like flies to honey, seeing him as one of their own. 

When Fírnen had flown about as far as he felt was a comfortable range in a small circle around the center of the city, he turned back towards where he remembered the house was, intending to land right at their doorstep. 

His wings angled downwards and wind sailed over them with a dull roar. Arya's hair billowed behind her before she tucked it into the back of her hair, her thighs tightly gripping his sides as treetops flew past her field of view quick as a wink.

She ducked down so that her body was level with his back. Every cord and sinew in his back strained as he slowed their descent sharply. They glided down onto the ground and landed with a soft thump as Fírnen's claws dug into the dirt below them. 

Arya clambered off and pulled her hair out of her shirt neatly. She retreated to Tialdarí Hall while he went off to hunt something outside of Ellesméra, as it was not accepted to taint the forest's waters and land with the blood of animals. 

The only times one could find the two of them not walking side by side or soaring high above the forest were the three meals of the day. Fírnen returned with a kick in his stride after he had successfully caught and ate a deer, hiding the carcass well underneath an embankment next to a gushing river. 

Arya, he sent an image of Vanir striding towards the house from up above; it was clear that he had just flown above him. 

Vanir comes bearing a letter, for good or ill I do not know, he precautioned her, relaying to her the brief conversation he held with Vanir but a few moments ago. 

She flew down the winding staircase, taking each stair three at a time. Letters from the outside were the only kind sent by person, usually by an elf of the sender's choosing, and were very rare. 

What could it be?  She thought, bewildered. She thanked the young elf, who promptly turned back from whence he came, and strode over to Fírnen with the letter in tow and confusion marked on her face as to it's contents. 

He was just as intrigued by the letter as she, and insisted that he look through her eyes as she read it. He had hatched out of the egg knowing the letters of the alphabet, but he was much taller than her and knew she distinctly disliked reading with him hovering over her shoulder. 

Dear Arya, it read. 

I know we have not talked for some time, and I wish to inform you of Saphira and my actions. We have been kept busy breaking Galbatorix's servants minds, as well as the more dangerous spells he cast around the place, a very tedious task I can assure you. I wish you a safe return and look forwards to seeing you soon, and Saphira tells me she does as well, even as I write this. 

-Eragon and Saphira

As much as Arya wished to write back to him, she knew she couldn't, mainly for Fírnen's safety. If the letter was intercepted along the way and was passed into the wrong hands, he could not defend himself against an attack just yet; he had some time to grow yet. 

He agreed wholeheartedly with her plan, and that was that. 

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