The Eggs in Ellesmera

[ylta]

Ylta ran out of her house, toward the center of the city. The eggs were coming! For the past few years, they had been circulating in Du Weldenvarden, but they hadn't come to Ellesmera in a while. Now, a messenger had just arrived to inform everyone of the news. Ylta had snuck out again, hoping to see the eggs. Her parents, of course, had refused to let her go when she asked them. Ylta bit her lip, wondering what her punishment would be this time. It would probably be worth it, though.

Suddenly, up ahead, Ylta saw the procession. She stopped and hid behind a cart. The eggs were being lifted out of a large basket and placed on a long table. Only three eggs! How would she get a chance to be a Dragon Rider?

[Trinn]

Carefully, Cherilyn placed one egg at a time onto the trestle table the elves had laid out. They had decorated the table with fall leaves and berries. The eggs were the final decoration, and the table looked quite beautiful. Cordelia crouched behind her, observing the formalities with gentle blue eyes. She and Cordelia had survived the war, and had decided to travel to Bromsland at the end. They trained further under Eragon and the ancients there for sixteen years. Now, they were nearly master dragon riders themselves, though Cherilyn thought she had a little ways to go still. She looked at the other rider who was with her and smiled. The egg carriers always traveled in pairs. It was safer that way, in case anyone should decide they wanted to steal an egg. One dragon rider was good, but two were great. The elves had aligned their young in an orderly fashion to proceed to touch the eggs. Cherilyn watched them all with a smile. She remembered when she had been lined up in a similar fashion, having gone to the capital of Surda to test an egg. And now Cordelia was her bond and beloved, besides, of course, her love Stefan.

Her eyes scanned the crowd and beyond, until she noticed another elf off at the edge of the gathering. She was a young elf, though age was hard to gauge in the race. Cherilyn believed that every young person, even old person, should have the chance to impress an egg. Raising her voice, Cherilyn pointed at the shy elf. "You, join the procession! There is no discrimination here! Everyone gets a chance!"

[ylta]

"Wait... m-me?" Ylta stammered. The Dragon Rider looked quite imposing, even though her voice was kind. Scared into joining the line of elves awaiting their chance, Ylta ran up to catch the end of it. The wait was rather short; those ahead of Ylta simply passed by the eggs and shook their heads, disappointed. Ylta cautiously approached the decorated table holding the eggs, transfixed by their beauty. One egg, the one on the left, seemed to draw her closer. It was a dull brown, but to Ylta seemed to hold subtle tints of red and gold. She reached toward it, wanting to caress its shiny surface, but realized that she probably shouldn't, and dropped her hand. Taking one last look at the egg, Ylta made to move on like the rest, feeling distraught with sadness.

[Trinn]

There seemed to be a connection between the elven maiden and the brown egg. The other Elfs had simply looked at the eggs and moved on, unaffected. But with the young elf girl, it had been different. Cherilyn looked at her partner and they shared a look of understanding. The procession was over now, so Cherilyn called for the elf to wait. "Hold a moment, please. Come back here and touch the egg. I want to see..." she gestured for the girl to come back to the egg.

[ylta]

Confused, Ylta turned around and slowly stepped over to the brown egg. Again, it seemed to call to her soul, but this time, she knew she could answer it. Ylta raised her hand and the tips of her fingers brushed the shell. Immediately, like a lightning strike, she felt something. She pressed her hand flat against the shell and warmth flooded through her fingers. Swiftly looking back at the Rider, Ylta allowed herself a rare smile, though still unsure whether she should speak.

[Trinn]

Cherilyn smiled, knowing full well now that the elf maiden and the egg shared a connection. "I do believe that you have a great opportunity here. The egg... It seems to me that it desires your presence. It is the wish of my partner and I that you take this egg home with you for the night." Cherilyn picked up the brown egg and proffered it to the elf. "Here, take it. I shall be here tomorrow morning, awaiting your return. And if I may ask, what is your name?"

[ylta]

Ylta could only stare at the beautiful egg. "Thank you," she whispered, then cleared her throat. "My name is Ylta." As she took the treasure from the Rider, her arms shook so much that she could barely hold it. It was also quite heavy.

Toting the egg away, Ylta marveled at its iridescent shine, its multicolored, swirling surface, and its perfect, rounded shape. She could almost see her parents' faces when they saw her with the precious egg. Then again, maybe she should hide it somewhere, and get back to the human Rider tomorrow.

When she reached her house, sung out of a stately old elm, Ylta quietly started up the stairs to her bedroom. Inside, she pursed her lips as she surveyed the room. There was hardly any space to hide the egg. Under the bed or in the closet would be too obvious, and it wouldn't fit beneath the pillow. It seemed that the only place would be outside, with her bow and quiver. Ylta looked once more at the egg and knew that she couldn't bear to part with it, so she set it down on the ground and decided to let it stay in plain sight.

[Trinn]

Yita. That was a pleasant name, Cherilyn thought. She watched he young elf maiden walk away with the egg, looking an nervous or excited. She hoped the girl could impress the egg. Her partner said something to her, and together they repacked the remaining two eggs. Feeling tired but not sleepy, Cherilyn wandered the elven town with Cordelia. Elven towns always had a way of making her feel peacful and edgy at the same time. It was an odd feeling to have, and one she couldn't explain away. Times were especially peaceful now during Arya's reign. And yet there was that edginess... Times were about to change again, she thought with a sudden feeling of dread. She and Cordelia continued their walk, unable to sleep hat night.

[ylta]

Waking with a jolt, Ylta looked out the window to see that it was still the dead of night. She glanced at the floor, where the egg lay... The egg! Where was it? Ylta frantically jumped out of bed, overturning her room. Finally looking under her bed, Ylta was relieved to see the egg's glimmer. But why was it there? It appeared to have rolled during the night to rest directly under her. Strange...

Ylta hopped back into bed, sleepless the rest of the night. When daylight's first gleam poured through the window, she retrieved the egg and snuck downstairs. Taking the back way out, Ylta picked up her bow and arrows, as if she was going to practice. She slung them over her shoulder and hefted the egg higher in her arms. The shell seemed to have grown softer. Yet another mystery. Once she reached the clearing, Ylta looked around for the Rider, but she hadn't arrived yet. Well, I'm early, Ylta thought and sat down to wait.

[Trinn]

Cherilyn and Cordelia had taken a long, leisurely walk though the elven town and further on, into the woods. They had looped about, letting the magic of the night engulf them. Du Weldenvarden always seemed more beautiful at night to her and Cordelia. The way the moonlight fell into the forest floor, making water like patterns. The sounds of crickets and ought birds. The forest almost felt more alive at night. They had finally turned out of the wild part of he woods an hour before dawn. By the time they had returned to town and to the meeting place, Yita was Already there. "Ah, good morning Yita! How are you and the egg doing?" she noticed that the egg had not hatched during the night as she hoped it might. But sometimes it took longer than a night for a hatchling to decide if the person it was with would be its bond. That had been the case with the Great Eragon. Saphira had taken almost a week to decide.

[ylta]

"Good morning!" Ylta called. She noticed that the Rider and her dragon looked rather disappointedly at the egg. Sighing, Ylta realized that she probably wasn't meant for the egg, and would have to give it up. She looked at it sadly one more time, then jumped. The egg was wobbling violently on the leafy ground. As she watched, a large crack appeared down the side, then another, until they surrounded a circular area, which popped off. More pieces of shell broke away, and soon they lay in shards on the ground around a glistening baby dragon. "Oh!" Ylta gasped, kneeling to pick up the delicate creature. It hummed, rubbing its tiny head against her hand, then looked into her eyes. Ylta felt herself melting in those chocolatey depths. "I shall call you Deloi," she said, "for on the earth you were born, and your scales match its color. Yet you will not stay there; your wings will carry you high into the clouds. And I will ride upon your back," she finished, letting the full joy of the situation surround her. I have a dragon!

[Trinn]

Cherilyn felt a thrill when the egg began to hatch. This trip had been a success after all! "Deloi... That is a fitting nam for the dragon". Cordelia could tell the hatchling was indeed a girl. Whether or not it would keep the name was another matter. The hatchling was too young yet to understand language or names. Right it new only that it had to feed. "Your hatchling is hungry, Yita. It needs meat..." she wondered how the elf would take that. Elves were notorious for their vegetarian lifestyle.

[ylta]

Ylta had almost forgotten Cherilyn was there. "Meat?" She frowned. "I don't know where to find any of that at home... and she's too little to find some herself in the forest." Pulling her bow and quiver off her shoulder, Ylta gently set Deloi down and said, "I guess it's good I brought this. I'll be back, little one," she told the hatchling fondly, then turned back to Cherilyn. "I have to go hunt for Deloi."

[Trinn]

"I will go with you." Cherilyn said. "Cordelia will watch over the hatchling". She stepped up to Yita's side and gestured for the girl to lead the way. Watching Yita hunt would be a good way to gauge her weapon skills, as well as her overall physical abilities. Cherilyn assumed Yita, like all elves, would be in top physical condition. She also wanted to go in case Yita has trouble making a kill. Some elves did hunt, but it was rare. In case Yita should falter, Cherilyn would be there to help.

[ylta]

Ylta smiled. "Thank you," she said. Walking briskly to the nearest gate out of the city, Ylta began to worry about Deloi. She was so little, what if something happened to her? But Cordelia was there. Deloi would be fine. When she reached the gate, Ylta checked to see if Cherilyn was still behind her. Ylta stepped into the vast, shadowy forest. Almost immediately, she sensed something nearby. A deer! Nocking an arrow, Ylta trained her eye on the spot where it would most likely appear. Its head poked through the underbrush, and Ylta prepared to let the arrow fly. Then she paused, quivering. Could she really do this? Kill an innocent creature?