Before The Fall {An Eragon Fanfiction}

Chapter 4- Ilirea

Having a dragon hanging around the camp was the weirdest thing I had ever experienced. Vascar followed me wherever I went and watched everything I did with wide curious eyes. He listened to me during our long rides. I told him about my family, my home, things I have gotten myself into, and I even told him about my father. My birth father. Soon he was able to communicate with me through images and feelings, but he couldn't use words.

I often found myself ranting to him about certain things, mostly my parents. Now that I was gone, I felt slightly bad about leaving without saying goodbye now. Who knows the next time I will be able to see them now? Perhaps when we arrive I should write a letter to them. Vascar understood how I was feeling, being connected to my mind as he was.

I had started to grow accustomed to having our mental link, it was comforting, though I still felt slightly exposed. Vascar was so different from me, so alien, yet I kind of liked it. His view on life was amazing compared to mine. He found joy in the simplest things. It made my day just to sit and watch him.

For most of the ride he rode on my shoulder, his claws digging into my shoulder slightly to keep himself balanced. For a time, he rode on Manco's head, most of his body on his neck and his head laying in between his ears. It was a sight like no other.

The other elves loved him as well. Everything he did caused one of them to exclaim, "isn't he wonderful!" Or laugh their tinkling laugh. Leilani seemed especially fond of Vascar, always scratching his head and laughing at the way he hummed. Though she wasn't transfixed like the others, just caring of him.

When we finally stopped to make camp for what Favnir said will probably be the last time, Vascar trailed behind me often making squeaks like he did inside the egg. I finally ended up giving in and picked him up, placing him on my shoulder. He seemed satisfied as he stared out at everything around him.

Once everything was in place, and I had laid down on the ground and covered up, preparing to fall asleep as soon as I can, I felt something wiggle its way under the covers and right up to my face. Vascar's head pops out of the covers and he lays down right up against me. Wrapping my arm around him I lay my head down again, content as his humming sends me into a deep sleep.

~*~

Excitement courses through my veins when I awake in the morning. Vascar has crawled out from under the covers and is laying right on top of me. I laugh sleepily as he jumps off and pushes his snout into my shoulder, telling me to get up.

Pushing myself up off the ground, I pick up Vascar and hold him in my arms, cradling him close to my chest. All the elves are sitting up already and I can't help but wonder again if they ever sleep.

"Good day young rider, this should be the last time we have to pack up camp, I expect we shall be arriving in Ilirea not long after the sun reaches its highest point", Draumrhjarta says, picking up the stuff around him.

I only nod as I go about packing all of my stuff, eager to depart and see the legendary home of the riders, besides Vroengarg, which I hope to see one day as well.

Vascar makes things difficult. After squealing and squirming to get out of my arms, he starts grabbing different things of mine and running around the camp, making a huge game of chase. After the fifth time of chasing after him and grabbing my leather leggings, I pick him up once more, place him on my shoulder, and place on image of "stay" through our mental link. He looks at me with those wide playful eyes, but otherwise doesn't move. It was fun chasing him around, but we can do that when we reach Ilirea.

After saddling Manco, I grab Vascar off my shoulder and place him in the front section of the saddle before swinging on myself. Instead of climbing back up onto my shoulder, he turns around and crawls into my lap, curling up in a ball and letting a puff of smoke roil out his nose. I smile and hold onto the reigns with one hand, keeping my other hand free to scratch Vascar's head.