Unpleasant news.

[thefirsteragon]

"Very well then." He glanced at her body, trying to sense any movement from her at all. He found none. "Let us clash blade, to blade." His mind raced suddenly as she struck out at his thigh. He brought Du'turr down, but with his most of his strength and energy gone, he was barely able to parry it. He was not able to save his thigh from a small cut, not deep, but it still was a bother. 'Góùréd, she's fast. I'll have to watch out.' He then severed the connection, so she couldn't get into his mind to immobilize him. His blade clanged against hers as he stopped the blow to his thigh, and he thrust it back at her, putting a couple feet of distance between the two of them.

His mind now alert to the tiniest detail of her, he took a quick step foward and spun Du'turr through the air, a cut aiming for her left hip.

[Trinn]

Vana smirked, satisfied when her blade met with Equinox's skin. He pushed her back bodily, and she stumbled slightly in the dense sand. The dunes provided very poor footing. Tense, she watched closley what the other rider's next move would be. She saw him coming, and was able to twirl away to the right, avoiding his attack. His sword whistled past her hip, not even an inch away. Don't get too comfortable, Vana warned herself. That was too close. If I had been any slower, and he in his prime, I would have been gouged for sure. These thoughts flew through her mind in the blink of an eye. At the end of her twirl, she brought Andlat down, slashing at his shoulder.

As the blood bloomed from Equinox's small cut, Viel released a small, draconic snicker. Nice. However, her laughter was cut short as the elf retaliated with a quick jab at Vana's hip. Viel tensed, her talons digging into the hot sand. She was bound to do nothing until Vana was clearly losing. Still, if Equinox did draw blood from Vana, it would be hard to not tear him apart. Viel's talons unclenched when Vana evaded the attack. Nice forms, Viel thought, proud of her rider.

[thefirsteragon]

His face darknened at the missed blow, as he realized that his energy was spent more than he had thought. As soon as his momentum was stopped he twisted around bringing his sword up to meet Vana'as in a shower of sparks. 'Góùréd! I don't know if- His mental connection was cut off as he charged at her again, feinting to the left, then spinning to right so that he was behind her. He then thrust his sword a second time, aiming for a non-fatal wound at her left quadricep. He swung his blade as hard as he could, a devastiating blow if it connected, even with his fading energy.

Góùréd watched the whole ordeal letting loose a low growl as he saw Equinox's blood hit the hot sand. He then watched Viel's body as to see if she were to do anything. He reached out with his mind softly, not trying to break her barriers, but just asking a question, 'Who taught you Rider swordplay? She is as skilled as an elf, and quite a formidable enemy. The dragon stared hard at the other one his golden eyes locked onto her garnett eyes.

[Trinn]

Viel lifted a lip in a snarl. My rider was taught by Galbatorix's best swordsman. A few tricks were passed down by the mighty king himself. Your rider should be more careful! After these words were said, Veil slammed up more mental barriers with a growl. With a talon, she flicked sand at the gold dragon.

Vana's muscles screamed in pain as her sword connected with Equinox's. Physically matched with him, she would lose for sure. Fortunately, he broke away from her, only to come at her once again. She went to block the attack she thought was going to come from the left, however, the elf was only feinting, and her poor decision now had him at her back. Her eyes widened as she realised the peril she was now in. She could not take the time to turn around now, as there was no time. Her only choice was to dive down and hopefully avoid whatever blow was coming. Tensing her leg muscles, she flung herself out and downward, away from the elf. However, a terrible pain erupted in the back of her arm, causing her to fall ungracefully. Gritting her teeth as her arm throbbed and ached. No time to be a wimp! Rushing back to her feet, she started to heft her sword. However, the pain at her arm raged when she moved it. "Ah!" she yelled accidentally. Unable to control her facial features, she stared at the elf with a terrible scowl. Let him thing I can no longer fight. With a sudden scream of rage, Vana rushed forwards, acted as if to hit the elf in his left shoulder, then quickly switched sword hands so that she was now wielding the weapon in her left. Her blow was suddenly headed towards his right shoulder.

Viel felt the pain of Vana's wound through their mental bond. As the wound throbbed annoyingly, Viel released a chilling roar. Her tail lashed back and forth, spraying up sand. Her ebony talons were sunk deep into the dune, and face was contorted into a terrifying snarl.

[thefirsteragon]

Góùréd jumped to attention, the minute Viel let her anger show. He snarled, his lips pulled back in fury, the hint of fire playing around in his mouth. He stood his ground, unfurling his wings despite the pain it must have caused him to do so.

Equinox's eyes widened as he saw his blow strike her arm. 'I didn't mean for that. No such time for talking like this, I have a battle. The elf went to block his left, but then his mind screamed as he figured it was a trap, and tried to shift his weight to the other side. He swung his sword up and tried to sidestep it, but it was too late as Vana's strike pierced his shoulder, severing muscle, and crumbling bone. He let loose a cry and his sword fell from his hand, followed shortly by droplets of blood. "Thrysta vindr!" He screamed more than said as the air compressed between him and the female Rider. He was blasted back twenty feet, but was saddened deeply to see that it had no effect on the other Rider. 'Góùréd! I can't fight as well with my left. The fight is as surely over. But I will never surrender! Even if it costs me my life, I will not give in! Are you with me sharer of my soul? The golden dragon roared, great puffs of smoke shooting from between his giant maw. If we die, I just want to tell you that you've been the best dragon a person could have. I love you old friend.'

'And I you O Rider! Are we one?' "We are one!" Equinox screamed as he took his stance next to Góùréd. The Rider glanced at him briefly then spat a gobule of blood from his mouth. The Rider turned again, his eyes on his sword as he prepared to die beside then one he loved.

[Trinn]

As Vana's sword sank into Equinox's arm, she released a scream of triumph. Ripping the sword out, she held behind her, above her head. Her leg muscles tensed as the elf spoke magic. However, he was the one to face the full effect of the spell. Vana merely stumbled backswards a few steps. She did not pursue the rider as he moved to his dragon. Viel was standing now, her eyes slightly distant. Probably filled with some sort of blood rage, Vana figured. That happened to some dragons. Focusing once more on Equinox, she watched him speak to his dragon. They were having what seemed to be a deep exchange of words, and Vana's eyebrows rose in alarm when he shouted out, "We are one!". What does that fool plan on doing!? She watched as his eyes traveld to his sword.

Rushing up the side of the dune, Vana screamed, "No!" She stopped a few paces back from the golden dragon. "Do not do anything dramatic. You have clearly lost, but you may still live." Although it was hard for Vana to do, she dropped her sword onto the dune. "It is clear to me now that you will never come with me to the empire. And there is no way for me to take you there by myself." She fell silent, her jaw clenching in anger. Why couldn't the elf just cooperate! "As such, I can either kill you, or let you go." She glanced down at Andlat in the sand. Viel released a roar as she realized what her rider was doing. "Silence Viel! It would be a waste to let them die!" Viel grumbled, but fell silent.

Running her hand through her hair, Vana continued. "As such, I shall let you go. To kill you would be such a waste. So it is with much distaste that I take my leave." She thought for a moment, "unless of course you will cooperate and come with me to the empire." She new the statement was useless. A moment before it seemed the elf was ready to take his own life. Still, she had to try one more time.

[thefirsteragon]

Equinox gave a start when she came closer, but he relaxed as she talked. He watched her, wincing slightly as his shoulder wound bled on, staining the sand with crimson water. He looked down from the pain, until he could regain himself and look up. "You are true of heart, and of mind." He slipped off the top of his tunic to examine his wound better, and found it was not as serious as he had thought. That's not to say that it didn't hurt him, but he wouldn't waste as much energy healing it. Góùréd watched the two Riders converse, then he strode up to Viel, doing his best to ignore the other dragon's rage toward him and his Rider. He stopped a few feet from her and sniffed the air curiously. He tried to reach out to her mind but he was stopped, because of the many barriers.

Equinox took in a look of the female Rider up close, for really the first time. His eyes lingered on her arm, and he took a small step foward cautiously. "Your arm, I did not mean that fellow Rider. Let me heal that for you." He glanced at her eyes before stretching out his silvery gedwey ignasia to her wound, his other reaching out to steady her arm.

[Trinn]

Vana's instincts made her quickly withdraw her arm. However, she could not resist for long. After all, the wound was painful. But he was already still weak. Vana quickly pulled her arm out of his grasp. "No, do not waste your energy on me." She felt the wound with her fingers. It was a thick slice, but the blood was already congealing. Sighing, Vana stared back at the rider, then took in the damage she had done. His thigh wound wasn't too bad. Merely a prick. But the shoulder... No! Do not feel saddned for your enemies wounds! It is a weakness that cannot be afforded. Still, he seemed the honest type. "I'm sorry about your shoulder." She muttered. "You do not have the energy to heal it, and I don't think your dragon will be able to." All Vana had to do was reach out and she could heal the wound. Her mind quareled with itself. To heal the enemy, was it right? Well, he would never surrender, and if he didn't he would die. And Vana was averse to that situation. She was going to leave him here anyways, so he might as well be healthy. Sighing, Vana reached out quickly, merely thought the words Waise Hiel, and red light flowed over his wound. She mended the bone and sinew quickly, feeling her energy fade slowly. "There you go," she said, letting her hand fall back to her side.

Viel shook her head, trying to clear her senses. Her mind was filled with thoughts of fighting. For a moment, all she wanted was to tear and rip with teeth and talon. Yet the calmness of the situation took effect, and Viel was able to calm herself and think reasonable thoughts. She hesitantly put down the barriers placed in her mind. She became aware of Góùréd before her. Snorting out a blast of hot air, she thought angrily, What do you want?!

[thefirsteragon]

"Than you. Now atleast let me heal your own wound. I have enough energy for that." He was confused to be talking to her so calmly, like equals, when just mere moments ago they both battled against each other. This time he did not wait for a reply as he gripped her arm softly with his left, and raised his right hand, the one with his gedwey ignasia, to her wound and muttered, "Waise heill." His palm flared silver, as the spell rewound her flesh back together, not even leaving a scar where the wound once was. His lips changed into a small smile as he tried to hide his exhaustion from her. "Tell me about yourself Rider. I would be interested in knowing how you came to get one of Galbatorix's treasured dragon eggs." He continued to stand, not knowingly still holding her arm in his left hand.

Góùréd stared down at Viel, noticing her dark look. 'I just want to talk. I've never talked to a fellow dragon, so you are my first.' He puffed another jet of smoke from his nostrils, the smoke floating up through the air.

[Trinn]

Before she could object, her arm was in Equinox's hands. Vana watched him work the magic, oddly concerned that it would be too much for him to handle. However, he got through it well. She assumed he held onto her arm to keep steady. "Thanks," Vana told him sincerely, incling her head in respect. How strange, she thought, that the enemy is healing the enemy. Her eyes travleled to Viel. The dragon was not taking it so well. Come on Viel, we may as well enjoy this truce while it lasts. The dragon snorted.

Is there ever really a truce between enemies? Look, he seeks to learn more about you. But for what purpose? Tell him what you wish, but know that he may use it against you in the future. Viel returned her gaze to Góùréd. Resigned to wait for her rider to finish speaking with the elf, Viel lowered her large head onto the sand in boredom. Allright, She told Góùréd, talk. Secretly, Viel was eager to speak to another dragon as well. Shruikan never spoke, merely stared oddly into space. And Thorn was just vicious. She never even tried to broach a topic with him. But this golden dragon was untainted with twisting magic. He controled his own thoughts. But he is the enemy, Viel thought with a touch of melancholy.

Vana flexed her arm, testing the healed wound. There was no pain, and from the feel of it, no scar. The elf was great at healing. Vana glanced back at his own wound. A small red line was left of it. Well, healing wasn't one of the major subjects the teachers taught in Uru'baen. As she considered Equinox's question, she bent down and retrieved her sword from the sand. It was still covered in the elf riders blood. Vana frowned at the dirtied blade. I'll deal with it later, she thought as she slid the sword back into its sheath. "Viel's egg hatched for me when I was cleaning the room Galbatorix keeps the eggs. I was a servant before that, you see. But a trustworthy one, trustworthy enough to go inside that room." Vana shrugged. "Being loyal pays off." Falling silent, she glanced at Góùréd. The dragon seemed to be making an effort to speak to Viel. Good luck, Vana thought wryly. "What about you? Whats your story?" She looked at his sword. "And where did you get a riders sword!?" As far as she knew, the only one that existed was Zar'roc.

[thefirsteragon]

He bent down and retrieved his own sword, holding it gently in his hands. "I found it. I found it where I found Góùréd's egg. Fate works in a strange way." He too then slid his sword into its own wire wrapped hilt and looked over to where the two dragons were. "I was meditating one day, when a strange voice called out to me. I started to follow it, and in my rush I tripped over his egg. It then occured to me that the voice was from that egg, and Góùréd hatched for me. Du'turr was also besides him, and when I grasped it, everything felt right in the world." 'What are you up to Góùréd?' His silver eyes peered into Vana's own, and he gave a slight smile. "That's how I ended up with this overgrown smoke-shooting reptile." He smiled gently, a small laugh escaping from his lips.

Góùréd kneaded the sands between his claws as he slowly found the words he wanted to use. 'How old are you? I myself, is only a couple months over a year. You can't be much younger, for you are my size. He glanced at the dragoness with a single eye, as he shot a puff of smoke from his nose, to tickle the scales on he face and cheeks. He flicked some sand at her with one huge talon. 'That was from before.'

[Trinn]

Viel shook her head, clearing away the tendrils of smoke. The sand hit her between the eyes. Viel released a low snarl. Whatever. She turned her head away. After a moment she looked at him again. A few words wouldn't hurt. I'm a year and three months. Feeling smug, Viel arched her neck and raised her wings a bit. She glanced at the limp golden wings of Góùréd. So, how are your wings doing? she asked, slightly abashed.

Thats lucky. Vana thought. It wasn't every day that someone found a riders egg, and even rarer to find it along with a dragon egg! Vana gazed at Equinox in a new light. "Thats quite impressive. You must be lucky to have found them both." Yes, and to have gotten out of this situation alive, not captured. The thought brought on a moment of foreboding. If Galbatorix found out she let him live... well, he wouldn't find out. It would be one secret she would have to keep, for her own good. Returning back to the moment at hand, Vana glanced at the sky. The sun was just beginning to set, casting an orange light across the dunes. "You know, if we weren't enemies, I think we might be friends." Vana allowed a small smile to spread across her lips.

[thefirsteragon]

He glanced up at her fully smiling now. "Yes, you are right, lucky I am. Especially to end up with one like Góùréd. As for friends, you are right on that subject as well." His eyes flickered between her face, and something in the distance. He then spoke softly, his words barely audible in the Ancient Language, "I would very much like that. Who's to say we can't still be?" He grasped her left hand carefully with his right, looking into her eyes deeply with his own. 'Equinox, what are you doing?' Góùréd asked calmly as he heard the whole conversation through his mental link.

'They are sufficient. I will not be able to fly for atleast a day, so Equinox and I will have to camp out here.' He gave a low growl, that could be taken for dragon laughter as Viel raised her own wings. 'I can see that modesty is your best quality, Viel.' He turned his head to look over where the two Riders were, and snorted. 'I'll never understand two footer's completely.'

[Trinn]

Viel lowered her wings quickly, ducking her head. She hadn't meant to brag, but the deed was done. I, too, am sometimes baffled by humans, and elves too. However, in a way, they are quite easy to read. Viels large body suddenly cast a shadow. The sun was sinking ever lower. Veil glanced at Vana with one eye. Vana, what of the dragon slayers? Don't they make frequent rounds of the haddarac? These two are going to camp out here.

Vana was unused to such human contact, or elven for that matter. Yet she found something hypnotizing in Equinox's eyes, and she knew what it was. He was sincere, an emotion that was very sparse within Galbatorix's castle. Confusion bubbled within her mind. How could the varden be the bad ones, when they were more honest then anyone in Uru'baen? How could they truly want to destroy Alagaesia when they were honorable? Vana glanced down at their joined hands, then pulled hers free. "I'm sorry. This is an odd situation. You're varden, and I'm of the empire." She felt a hotness in her eyes, and she realized angrily that tears were budding forth. Hardening her face, she turned her back to Equinox and strode over to viel. The dragon watched her closely. Time to go Viel. Jumping into the saddle, Vana grabbed a neck spike and glanced down at Equinox. "I must leave. The next time we meet it will be as enemie, however much I wish it weren't. Maybe this war can end peacfully, but I doubt it. You varden are too headstrong." She glanced into the east. The dunes seemed quiet enough. Still, she would warn them. "Although I am not supposed to give this information out, I would not feel right leaving without telling you. The king has trained a special group of men, called dragon slayers. It sounds exactly like it is. They know how to take them down." She pointed to Viel and Góùréd. "So if I were you, I would try walking back to Surda. I beleive you're close to the border anyhow." Vana then strapped herself into the saddle. She glanced once more at Equinox. "Farewell, then. May the next time we meet be on peaceful terms." Allright Viel, lets get out of here.

Raising her wings to their full height, Viel crouched and then launched herself into the sky. Each downward pump of the wings brought them ever higher. Viel circled once above Góùréd and Equinox, gave one loud roar of good bye, and flew away towards Uru'baen. Above in the sky, where no one could see, Vana allowed the tears to come.

[thefirsteragon]

Góùréd shuffled his wings around and watched Viel carefully. There are times, when I think I barely know my Rider. You are correct, they are also as easy to read as a book. Open to world they let their emotions show.' He lay down then putting his muzzle in the hot sand. Góùréd loved the desert, the heat, the sand, everything about it.

Equinox's face fell as she seperated their joined hands. He looked away for a second, trying to conceal the disappointment on his face, and also the embarrasment. "Yes, I know we support two different sides, but-" His next sentence was cut off as she walked away from him, and strode to her dragon. "You speak the truth. I will try to avoid all confrontation as enemies with you, because I..I." He seemed at a loss for words as he couldn't explain himself properly. His face then grew grave, as she explained about the dragon slayers. 'Góùréd, did you hear that? We'll have to watch out tonight for anything suspicious.' The young elf nodded, as he gathered the information she spoke of.

"I hope we do meet on peaceful terms. Here wait! Before you leave, have this." He reached into Góùréd's saddlebag, and took out a small necklace, adorned with a polished forest green gem. "I made it myself, but here you take it. Wiol ono." Before she took off he placed it around her slender neck, then backed away as she and her dragon took to the skies. He continued to watch them leave, his face a blank mask, but his mind bubbling with emotions. He opened his link fully to Góùréd so he could share the feelings with him. He stroked Góùréd's neck thankfully as the golden dragon nuzzled his face with his muzzle. Then the dragon spoke three words, that seemed to give Equinox strength as he leaned upon his dragon.

'Equinox.. I understand.'