Alys froze, her face stiffening. "Y-you're..." She drew in a breath and gathered herself. "You're the Shruikan?"

The giant eye blinked and a slow Yes croaked in her mind.

Alys looked around, trying to see how big he was. She'd heard from Eragon how huge he was and could kind of envision it when she saw the remnants of the old throne room of her cousin's castle.

She looked back at the blinded eye. "Are you... Comfortable?" She realized how dumb it sounded as soon as she said it.

He hesitated, eye glancing downward. No. But when have I ever been?

Alys felt the soreness of his body creep into hers again. She sat down, figuring it'd help somehow.

She looked at his cheek, how each scale looked brittle, much like the ones she'd touched earlier. She'd never seen a dragon is such poor condition. Especially with how Ugauc took care of himself—

Alys forced that thought away and drew in a soft breath. "How long have you been like this?"

Shruikan sighed, continuing to share his discomfort with her. A while. Since I was stabbed.

Alys nodded slowly, trying to block out the fear and pain. "How did you survive?"

He bared his teeth a little. I don't know. Maybe he did something. He growled, making the stone encompassing them tremble.

Alys felt her bones tremble deep within her. "He?" She questioned, trying not to lose her focus and her mental walls shuttered out his discomfort while allowing them to talk.

Shruikan sighed again. My--... The former king.

She crooned. "I see." She thought of what to say. "My name is Alys. I want to help you. I believe that everyone deserves a good life. Especially someone like you, Shruikan, who never had the option."

Ha! The cave shook as he laughed. You are persistent. It's annoying. He growled again.

Alys tried not to be too wounded. "You don't have to come with me or do anything other than accept my help."

Shruikan rolled his eyes. And how would you do that?

Alys stood up. "Reverse some of your growth and help heal you. At least... Physically. I can't emotionally heal you all that well if you won't accept things."

She saw his eye widen a little in somewhat delight as she felt a trickle of joy in his words. You can make me smaller? So, I can leave here when I please?

Alys nodded slowly. "I think so... Yes. I'll find a way to reverse some of your growth, enough to get out of here without being too disorienting. You must be pressed up against the cave right now?"

Shruikan hummed. A soft, warm quiver rippled through her body. Yes.

Alys nodded slowly and switched to the Ancient language, adding weight to her words. "I promise to do all I can to help you. Just give me a few days to figure out—"

You mean to tell me you DON'T KNOW HOW TO HELP?!

The entire cave shook, and Alys lost her footing, yelping. She stumbled to her feet and dodged any crumbling bits of stalactites. She swore, bolting backwards. The shaking, nor Shruikan's rage, seemed willing to die down. In her fear, Alys sprinted out of the cave and gasped for breath when the evening sun hit her face.

She crouched down by the edge, wiping the sweat from her brow. Alys drew in a long breath, no longer feeling the stone tremble beneath her. She wondered how she got here, so desperate and scared and alone. And then she remembered how it all started.

*~*~*~*

The ride from Surda had taken its toll. A long, tiring toll. For both the riders and their mounts.

Alys glanced down at her icy fingers, the frosty air biting at her sepia digits. She rubbed her hands together, as her chestnut, skewbald, Galineers cob continued to move her hooves in a crunching rhythm.

The frost had come in early, about three weeks early, according to her mother, Emma. Alys looked to her, seated high on her shire horse, as if she were the one who had been called to the Academy. The visible, frosty breath coming from her horse wasn't helping Alys' doubts.

She looked away, focusing on Patch's braided white-and-red mane. Alys cupped her hands around her mouth and blew into them, trying to warm them even just a little.

"You know," Emma started, sparing her sixteen-year-old daughter a glance, "your father and I are so proud of you, even if a dragon doesn't choose you."

Alys looked at the bare trees that lined their crisp, frosty path. She knew that her mother's words wouldn't help her now.

"Even being considered by the Dragon Rider, to be tested, is great honour, and one that will do our family proud," she said, holding her head high and looking ahead at the glistening white path ahead. She looked completely unfazed by the cold, though her pale cheeks and the tip of her nose were a pale shade of red.

Alys felt her heart grow heavy. Not again with this. Being the Queen of Alagaësia's first cousin was enough pressure for her. And, of course, that added extra weight to the letter Eragon had sent to her—or his secretary, as Emma had presumed. The idea of having to hold up the family name because her cousin sat on a throne wasn't the greatest of feelings, especially when Alys had been close friends with Nasuada.

Alys shook her head. She couldn't let this bother her, not now. She focused her gaze on what was far ahead of them. The looming lone Mount Arngor, home to the Dragon Rider academy east of the enormous Beor Mountains. A strange sense of excitement bubbled in Alys' stomach as Patch stepped ever closer, one hoof at a time. She sighed and looked back at the crunch path ahead as her mother droned on about the pride Alys was bringing to the family—or rather her parents—or so she presumed, she wasn't listening. The idea of being close to a dragon egg so very soon brought such warmth to her chest. The image of seeing a baby dragon distracted her from her mother's words of "comfort".

The rest of the journey was a bit warmer as the sun slowly grappled higher in the sky. They reached the base of Mount Arngor late in the evening, when the sky was a mess of oranges and pale blues. Alys slid off Patch's saddle, shaking out her stiff legs. Her mother graciously slid off her dapple bay mount, her coat and skirts barely even tossed by her fall.

Alys looked at Patch, stroking the chestnut patch of her neck and leading her forward. She brushed off her leggings and long coat, ensuring she looked presentable for any onlookers high above them in the low-lying clouds gathered half-way up the mountain.

"Such a magnificent view," Emma breathed, stepping closer to the rocky face. She stared up at the mountain.

Alys looked to her, unsure what exactly was so "magnificent" about the mountain. And before she could figure it out, a roar and heavy wingbeats came from the heavens.

The horses whinnied in fear and tossed their heads. Alys snatched Patch's reins and her mother took her mount's, keeping them steady as the wings came closer. No sooner had they got control of their horses, a mighty blue dragon popped out of the cloud and swooped to a stop at the base of the mountain. A cloud of frost and dust surrounded the mighty beast. They furled their wings, looking over Alys and her mother as the cloud faded away.

Alys squinted at the dragon as the cloud fell around them. Perched between their shimmering blue wings was an elf with curly brown locks and human-like features.

"Good evening, Shur'tugal, Bjartskular," Alys greeted, inclining her head. She'd been practicing her greeting since she got the letter, per her mother's insistence. If her guess was correct, standing in front of her were Eragon Kingkiller and Saphira Brightscales.

Saphira inclined her head in what Alys presumed was an impressed acknowledgement, and Alys' heart fluttered a little.

Eragon's lips curled into a smile. "Welcome, Alys. We'll bring you and your mother to our guest's accommodation."

***

Something about this hunter-green egg was strange.

It didn't look strange. It looked rather beautiful, actually. A smooth, shining, foot-long, emerald rock with the most gorgeous shamrock and forest green whorls dancing around on the shell. It looked like it had been mined and polished by the finest of dwarven gemcutters. It just felt weird.

Alys had been staring at it for the past hour, seated on a plush cushion. According to Eragon, or rather the Eldunarya, this egg was the reason she was here. That this egg held her dragon. A dragon that would only hatch for her.

Alys thought it was ridiculous that this was what she was here for. She had expected some big, important, strenuous test. Instead, she was sitting cross-legged in the noon sun while looking at a giant emerald.

She leaned forward, taking up the egg from its beige pillow and placed it in her lap. She stroked its smooth shell, her fingertip skimming the egg. Its shell was smoother than anything she had ever felt before. The most sanded down wood could not compare to the satisfying texture of this dragon egg.

Alys tapped the shell, drumming eight fingers to create a pure, hollow sound. She sat like that for a while, wondering if it was irritating the hatchling inside, or whether they found it soothing.

Then a vibration came from between her legs.

Her eyes darted to look at the green egg sat in the hollow of her crossed legs. She took her hands off the hard shell, waiting to see if the vibration would come again. The egg trembled between her legs, sheltered in the strange makeshift nest of Alys' legs and cushion. It stilled a moment later, glistening in the sun as it always had.

She observed it for a few moments. Should she call someone? Was something wrong with it? Was the dragonling cold?

Before she could call out for help, it trembled a third time, for longer than before, convulsing. White cracks crawled over the shimmering green canvas, branching out until cracks joined cracks and some fragments dropped off.

Alys shifted to her knees and shuffled back. The egg ceased trembling for a few moments before spraying her in a shower of sharp, green egg fragments. She yelped, shielding her face with her hand.

A strange murmur came from the pillow, and Alys lowered her hand. Sprawled out on the cushion was an emerald-green dragonling, glistening with a thin layer of slime covering their scales. Draped over its wings was the white egg membrane, clinging to its slimy wings.

Alys wasn't sure whether to be disgusted or enthralled with the hatchling. Most of their body was emerald green in colour, with shamrock-green belly plates and forest-green wings. Bone-white nubs protruded from their upper skull, lower jaw and along their neck down to the tip of their tail. They blinked at her with shining topaz eyes and sat up, shaking themself of slime. The white membrane continued to cling to their wings, and they swung their head back to glare at its stubbornness. A small growl left their lips and looked back at her dignified; head high, wings proud, shining yellow eyes staring at her expectantly.

Alys gingerly reached forward, pinching the white membrane, and peeling it off the dragonling. She grimaced and placed it with some of the smaller shards of eggshell. The hatching twitched their wings to be rid of any last amount of slime that might have still clung to their scales. They looked back up at her and tilted their head, staring at her in a way that made her nervous.

She nervously reached for one of her braids, twirling one of the silver beads in her hair. She noticed the dragonling was watching where her fingers moved to; they weren't staring at her, but the shiny object in her hair. Alys frowned, unsure whether to be relieved or offended by their obsession.

Alys scooped up the dragon. They yowled in protest, slashing their tiny, curled claws in the air at her as she held them on their back to look at their underbelly. She frowned; she couldn't find any indication of their sex.

Then her wrist glowed, skin meeting scales. She hissed as the Gedwëy insignia burned onto her wrist. She dropped the dragonling in her shock and shook her hand. "Well, great," she grumbled. Shed hoped for the ideal "shining palm" to be on her palm.

The dragonling hissed at her, wings flared and tail lashing.

Alys drew in a breath to calm herself and crouched down. "It's alright... I'm sorry for dropping you. I should've paid more attention." She held out her hands in peace.

They blinked at her, almost looking impressed that she would have the nerve to apologize, and rubbed their face against her hand.

She smiled and chuffed in impress. "Let's get you some food."

*~*~*~*

Alys sniffed softly and looked out at the forest in the dying light. "Oh Ugauc..." she whined softly. "Please be okay."

A hum entered her mind, deep and powerful. She looked back at the cave, wondering if he had seen that. She stood up and wiped her face. Before she could investigate again, she heard wingbeats, and a wine-red dragon appeared beside her.

"Good evening, Alys!" called a voice from his back.

"Hey, Murtagh," she sighed.

Murtagh grinned, and Thorn landed on the ledge beside her. "Find what you were looking for?"

Alys hesitated. "Kind of?" She spotted Thorn staring down the tunnel. She was worried they'd interfere with her plan. "Can I have a lift?" she blurted.

Murtagh reached down. "Hop on."