To Find a Rider

4 - The White Out

The morning was slightly chilly with the sun only giving them slight heat, not enough to warm everybody up. The dragons were still sleeping as were the riders and their companions. Shruikan was sleeping as well, protecting the younglings under his wings from the harsh cold and the dizzying flurries. Saphira suddenly felt a chill, and slowly, she opened an eye. She blinked a couple of times to clear the drowsiness out of her eye. She picked her neck up while still under Thorn’s wing and still protecting her rider beneath her own wing, she scanned her surroundings with wide and wondrous eyes that sparkled with amazement.

The lake and the sandy shores are all covered in snow, just enough to cover the ground slightly but not too much. The lake iced over from the cold night, letting the sun sparkle its brilliance upon the frozen, crystal clear waters of the lake. She looked up into the cloudy sky and noticed more snowflakes falling out of the sky. She kept her eyes locked on one flake and she followed it as it twirled and danced in the sky as it was carried by the wind to the cold, awaiting earth below. It eventually settled on the tip of her noise, melting once it made contact with the naturally hot draconic scales.

Eragon, she called out to the sleeping rider under her warm wing. She craned her magnificent long neck down under her wing and nudged the sleeping man. Eragon, wake up.

The blue rider stirred slightly, but remained asleep under his companion’s warm wing, digging himself closer to her body to stay warm in the cold morning. Saphira reeled her head back and snorted, sending a puff of smoke into the air, melting some snowflakes. Then she smirked as she began forming an idea. Carefully, she stood up onto her feet and slid out from under Thorn’s wing, holding one wing over her still sleeping rider. During the night, snow piled up on top of her wing and she had to be careful not to let any fall…yet. Once she was in position, she angled her wing down towards her rider, letting the bleached substance slide down on top of her rider, encasing him in a snowy cocoon. The result was instantaneous, he awoke.

“Saphira?!” Eragon shouted. “What in the…”

Said dragoness placed the tip of his tail on her mouth to prevent him from waking the others. She then pointed a claw to her head indicating to Eragon to open his mind and let her in. He did.

What is it? He asked more calmly as he stood out of the pile of snow, brushing the loose flakes off of him.

Take a look for yourself, little one, she said with a calm smile as she proceeded to shake herself of snowflakes that partially covered her throughout the night.

He did and was astounded by the way the snow covered everything and made it all look at peace with one another. The frozen lake still looked crystal clear. The pine trees that surrounded them were also covered in snow yet they looked more grand. Deer could be seen skipping in the woods through the snow as well, making them look at home. I should really make a fairth of this later, he thought. He turned back to Saphira, This reminds me of the winters back in Carvahall, he said.

The sapphire blue dragoness stared back at her rider and cocked her head to the side, You have seen this beauty before? She asked.

Eragon nodded.

I have never seen this at all, this would be the first time that I have seen this…this…

Snow, Eragon finished for her, it’s called snow, basically it’s just frozen flakes of water that piles on top of one another. Perhaps you haven’t seen snow because you were born in the Spring time and we traveled towards the South where it is much warmer so we never so snow down there at all. Honestly this is the first time I have seen snow for two years.

Saphira stared at the snowy landscape again with wide, sparkling sapphire eyes, It is amazing… she whispered in his mind.

Right, well then, shall we wake everybody up? I believe that we should leave and begin flying once again, the blue rider asked.

Perhaps, but I would like to see more of this snow, Saphira said as she stood up and walked towards the frozen lake, Just call me when you are all ready.

Of course, Eragon agreed. He began walking towards Murtagh and Thron when he remembered what he and Roran used to do when they were younger when it snowed at their farm in Carvahall. He changed his path towards Roran instead and picked up some snow in his bare hand which left him shivering from the icy coldness of the white substance. He packed it into a ball, spotted Roran sleeping in a bedroll under a tree, took aim…and fired.

Instead of dreaming of his wife and child, Roran soon found himself awaken by a snowball aimed at his face. He stood up and grabbed his hammer that he put under his pillow and listened for….laughing? He noticed his cousin on the ground laughing his head off when he whispered something under his breath, “Immature ass.” He then began packing up his bedroll.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When Angela awoke and left Shruikan to gather water in the waterskins, Saphira padded towards the large distraught dragon and lied down on her belly in front of him while Shruikan picked up his head from its resting position on the ground. The young dragon hatchling was walking on the frozen lake, slipping frequently while the older one watched on from the shore, making sure that no harm came to his younger brother.

So, do you mind telling me how the two nest-mates can talk out-loud? Saphira asked when she turned back to face him after watching the two brothers.

Yes, I can, Shruikan answered as he looked to the two brothers. You see, the reason as to why they can talk out loud is because they are wild dragons.

Wild dragons? Saphira asked as she too looked back to the two younglings. I figured that they were wild but how can that allow them to talk rather than think out loud.

Shruikan sighed. Back in the war between the elves and the dragons, before the rider pact was made, all dragons could talk. However, when the pact between rider and dragon was made the ability to talk was taken away, allowing the only form of speech that a dragon or dragoness to possess to be by thought. This is so that should both rider and dragon have to fight an enemy, they can both plot out how to take the enemy down without the enemy overhearing their discussion. However, wild dragons on the other hand, er…claw, do not need to talk within their mind, after all, why should they? They do not have a rider to mentally converse with, and if a war is raging on they would ignore it and not fight, until the war with the elves.

The blue dragoness was shocked to hear all of this. Amazing, she whispered.

Saphira and Shruikan then heard large padded footsteps approaching them. They turned their heads to the side and noticed that Thorn was walking towards them. However, the red dragon was not watching where he stepped and unknowingly placed a foot on a patch of ice and slipped. Unfortunately, Murtagh was right under the large red dragon when he began to fall, he did not even see it coming until he found himself face down in the cold snow with his own dragon holding him there.

Saphira watched the whole thing and all she could do was laugh at the whole situation which came out as a grumbling sound mixed in with low-pitched growls while Angela started yelling at the large, clumsy dragon that he almost crushed the materials which would have left them without food. Apparently she found this to be a much more pressing matter than a crushed Murtagh.

Thorn eventually was able to get up back onto his feet as well as Murtagh who was now cursing out loud at his dragon while Thorn did not look amused at being embarrassed by his fall and now insulted by his own rider. He brought his own head down to stare at his rider in the eye and blew smoke into his face which he knew that Murtagh hated. The red rider stumbled and fell onto the frozen lake. Thorn turned around to walk over to Shruikan and Saphira again but not without using his tail as a bat which made the rider slide far out onto the ice by Ehecatl who did not watch where he was sliding and tripped over Murtagh. Eragon began carefully walking onto the ice to help his brother. Thorn did not even look back as he sat by the sapphire blue dragoness and the large black dragon.

Are you going to help your rider? Saphira smirked at Murtagh’s predicament.

What rider? Thorn answered making Saphira laugh even more.

Shruikan frowned, Now Thorn, haven’t I always told you to care for your rider as if he was your hatchling?

You have also taught Murtagh to always be respectful towards me, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon, now do I? Thorn asked as he began licking the paw that he slipped on.

Shruikan blew smoke in annoyance of Thorn’s ever-changing personality around his rider but Thorn ignored this.

So, what were you talking about, Saphira? The red dragon asked his friend.

Oh nothing, just about Ehecatl and Astarot, she answered as she looked lovingly into the red dragon’s fierce, blazing red eyes. Shruikan rolled his eyes at the couple and he tried to ignore their signs of affection.

Who? Thorn questioned.

The blue dragoness pointed with an ivory claw to the two young dragon hatchlings that were now together on the shores of the lake talking to each other.

Ahh, I see, Thorn said. What about them?

Saphira shook her head after she gazed into Thorn’s eyes and looked at the two brothers. They were playing a game of Hide-and-seek. The young dragon was looking everywhere for the older one not even bothering to look into the air above him. Astarot was hovering above the confused dragon and was quietly laughing to himself at the confused dragon below him.

Well, remember from last night when we found them and were shocked at how the little ones can talk? Saphira questioned. Well, Shruikan was just telling me the reason as to why they have the ability to talk.

Oh really? Thorn asked. He was really interested in this topic since he found it odd that they can out loud and not within their minds. So, how can they talk?

It is because they are wild dragons, the large black dragon answered and proceeded to tell Thorn the same exact thing that he told the sapphire blue dragoness. Thorn gave Shruikan his full attention when he was talking to him, almost as if he was a teacher giving a lesson to his student. Saphira wondered if Shruikan was actually Thorn’s teacher when they used to live at the castle under Galbatorix’s command.

It would make sense, Saphira thought to herself. She looked back out onto the frozen lake and sighed when she noticed Eragon and Murtagh were far out on the ice slipping every which way trying to get back but ultimately having no such luck. When Shruikan finished explaining to Thorn as to why the dragons could talk outloud, the large black dragon also looked out onto the lake and sighed.

It looks as though both of your riders need help, the large dragon said as he looked out onto the lake. Thorn looked in the direction that Shruikan was looking in and sighed as well.

I’ll get them, he said as he got up and began walking towards the ice.

I will go with you, Saphira announced. But try not to slip on the ice again and crush your rider. She smirked.

Oh, shut up, Thorn ordered.

As the two dragons-in-love walked together out onto the icy surface of the lake, Shruikan shook his head. Love birds, he thought. Perhaps, soon I can get a chance at love as well since my old master deprived me of having a mate. He then looked towards the two hatchlings once again. If those two came from Frostloral, then perhaps there are more dragonesses there as well, perhaps I will find one that will see me for who I am and not for what I was forced to do, if only… The great dragon stood up and began walking towards Angela and Roran who were working on preparing the group for the long flight. He smiled when the two hatchlings walked with him, one on either side of his massive body. He began talking to them. So, are you ready to go back to your home in the north? He asked.

Astarot’s brilliant blue eyes looked solemn for a while. “I’m…not sure, I don’t feel ready yet to go back home. Whatever we find there, I know that I am not gonna like it.”

There are many things in this world that we will not like, the great dragon preached. However, we are going to have to eventually face our fears head on and fix what is wrong, lest it shall get much worst.

Astarot nodded in understanding. “I am sorry that I called you a puppet dragon, Mr…”

Shruikan, the dragon finished for him. He smiled at the two young hatchlings, Just Shruikan will do, no need for unnessesary formal titles and such. He shook his massive body. It makes me feel old. And it is quite alright but please see to it that it does not happen again, I…I just do not like being reminded of my past; it is something that I am not proud of. Shruikan hung his head in shame.

“Oh, I’m sorry Shruikan, it will never happen again,” Astarot apologized as he too dropped his head in shame for his earlier actions.

Shruikan saw this and smiled, he placed a wing over him to comfort him. Now, now, it is nothing to be shameful about right now. What’s done is done; the past will remain where it belongs in the past. All we have to look forward to now is the future.

Astarot looked towards him and smiled. As Shruikan looked at him, he noticed that this is a truly distraught and upset dragonet, one that had to grow up too quickly and was robbed of his childhood. His heart went out to the little blue-eyed one. In a way, he reminded him of Thorn’s rider as well as Thorn himself.

“So, what happened in your past,” Ehecatl asked. Astarot sent his little brother a death glare. He reached out a leg from under Shruikan and kicked his brother. Ehecatl looked back and stuck his tongue out at his older brother.

Now, little ones, no need to fight, it was just an honest question, Shruikan chastised. However, I apologize Ehecatl, but I do not think this is an appropriate time for this question, I…do not feel ready to reveal my past just yet.

“Sorry, Shruikan,” Ehecatl apologized. He, too hung his head low in shame.

It’s okay, Ehecatl, in time, when I feel strong enough I will eventually answer your question, but now is not the time. He placed his other wing over him as well.

They continued walking on in silence towards Angela and Roran but they were still a long distance away from them. The snow crunched beneath their feet as the flurries continued falling in random patterns from the cloudy skies above.

It is going to be a long flight today, Shruikan noted as he recalled Angela’s pre-flight instructions from the previous night. We will take-off shortly and we will fly until the sun turns red and is half way down on the western horizon. That will give us enough time to hunt, cook the meals for our human companions, set up camp and make other necessary preparations when we arrive at Condor’s valley.

Astarot suddenly stopped short with wide eyes as well as Ehecatl. Shruikan, confused, turned around to see what was the matter.

“Condor’s valley?” He asked. “We’re flying all the way to Condor’s valley?”

Shruikan nodded.

“That is extremely far away, how are we going to cover that full distance in one day?” he asked, incredulously.

Shruikan lifted his wings to answer his question. We fly.

“But I cannot fly that fast or for that length of time, and Ehecatl cannot even fly, period! There’s no possible way that we can do this!”

Shruikan chuckled as he set his wings down and shook himself to rid himself of the snowflakes that settled on his back. You can do anything if you set your mind to it, all you need is a little persuasion and motivation, as for Ehecatl, I have no problem holding him on my back but you may have to hold a companion and perhaps even some provisions as well but I do not think that it should be a problem for you at all, after all, you appear to be a dragon built for strength judging by your wide body and numerous muscles surrounding you. If anything I can lend you some of my strength.

They began walking once again. “Carry a…a human?” Astarot asked. “But what if one of them tries to hurt me or tries to hurt my brother. I’m already bothered that we have to be around them but now travel with them? Carry them? We’re dragons, not horses, we should just let them fend for themselves and…” he was interrupted by Shruikan’s roar to which everybody in the camp responded by looking at him.

I am sorry for scaring you little one but I will not tolerate you talking about my friends in such a manner. They are not weak like you are suggesting, they are our friends. We all stay together to help each other and protect each other, we will be together until the sands of time have ended and we will never leave one behind. I apologize but you are going to have to learn how to trust others, I understand that your father was not a very good fatherly figure but you are going to have to trust all of us, we will protect you and we will help you and your country to the best of our ability, Shruikan stated only to Astarot and not to Ehecatl. How can anyone trust you…if you do not trust anyone?

Astarot crouched down trying to escape Shruikan’s tall gaze, he hung his head in shame once again. “I’m sorry…Shruikan, I didn’t know that you…were so close to these…humans.”

The great dark colored dragon continued staring at him intently, Perhaps you should understand the concept of dragon riders and learn of the responsibilities of each dragon and rider before you make your judgment. He softened his gaze on the young dragonet. Maybe it would be a good thing if you talked with one of them, maybe Murtagh seeing how you too both seem very alike in a multitude of ways. He didn’t trust many either.

The young dragon boldly stared back up into the large dragon’s eyes. “Yes Shruikan, sorry.”

The great dragon nodded again and continued walking; letting the snow cool him off before he spoke anymore, the dragonets followed behind him. Aristot ran up to his side and began talking again.

“So,” he began. “Who are they?”

Who are who? Shruikan responds as he tries to deal with the headache that he now has.

“The riders. Who are they? What are their names? Are they nice?” Astarot asked.

Shruikan stopped, cocked his head to his side and looked down at the two hatchlings as they walked in front of him. Perhaps introductions are in order. He began walking towards everybody that is now at the campsite. He stopped by Eragon who was currently putting the packs together and lugging them over to Saphira where he and Roran latched them onto her saddle. This is Eragon and this is Roran, Shruikan introduced while pointing a claw to the respected ones. Eragon, Roran? This is Astarot and the one over there trying to cross his wings behind his back is Ehecatl.

“Good morning, how do you do?” Eragon greeted.

“Hello, enjoying yourself?” Roran asked.

“Yes, hello, we are doing just fine,” Astarot answered.

“Good morning to you too, sirs,” Ehecatl greeted when he was done fiddling with his wings behind his back.

Eragon here is the blue rider, his dragon companion is Saphira, the sapphire blue dragoness that you two were talking to last night, Shruikan stated. And Roran is Eragon’s cousin, they have been together for many years.

“Yes, and I am the more mature one out of both of us,” Roran interjected. “Seeing as how I do not throw snowballs at my cousin like a young child does.”

Eragon turned around, “You’re not mature, we used to throw snowballs back and forth on each other every time it snowed back at Carvahall. Besides, you snore like a warthog with its mouth open.”

“So?”

“So, that’s not mature!” Eragon answered.

They continued to bicker until Saphira came over and slammed her tail between the two of them before the fight became physical. She sighed as she noticed them trying to climb over her tail trying to get at each other. Fortunately, none of them are the more mature ones. That’s what I am here for, to stop these two from getting up at each other’s throats which makes me the more mature one. She sighed again when the two cousins jumped over her tail. She turned around and placed a paw on top of each one of them to hold them still as she disciplines them.

The two dragonets laughed as Shruikan walked the two young dragons over to Murtagh and Thorn who were just lounging in the sun. Murtagh was propped up against Thorn’s side as Thorn was staring off into the lake. They both noticed Shruikan’s arrival but they did not move from their original positions. These two are also rider and dragon, meet Murtagh and Thorn, again pointing a claw to the respected rider and dragon. These two are the lazier ones in the group but they can also be hard workers when properly motivated.

“Good morning,” Murtagh greeted as Thorn dipped his head in a formal manner as a greeting.

“Hello,” Astarot answered.

Ehecatl went to stand in front of Shruikan and looked at the pair on the ground. Then he asked Shruikan, “What do you mean when they are ‘properly motivated’?”

Well, for example, they will fight when they are about to get killed, work when food is involved, or work when I do this. He glared angrily at the dragon and rider that were lying down and addressed them while putting his large head in their face and blowing smoke in annoyance. Now get back to work or there will be hell to pay! he shouted angrily at the two who immediately stood right up and began packing while Murtagh’s legs were shaking and Thorn refused to look up at Shruikan’s angry expression. These two are also real mysteries, I’ll tell you about their past once I tell you about mine. Then he led them to Arya and Angela who were gathering provisions together as well. Ahh, here are some normal people, well…semi-normal, he said once he looked at Angela. Meet Angela and Arya.

The two quickly said their hellos before going right back to work. Angela, however turned right back around when she noticed the two dragonets.

“Ahh, the newcomers!” she exclaimed. “Oh we simply must talk again soon and I simply must give you a check-up just like I did to Shruikan, which reminds me, have you been taking more baths like I told you, Shruikan?”

Er, we should go right now, the great dragon said as he began to back up. The hatchlings looked at him with a confused face. Come, let’s go.

“Don’t make me bathe you myself Shruikan! I will do this if I have to, I’m not afraid of you!” Angela called back as the three dragons rushed to go help the others.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Meanwhile, in the small town of Crystila in the country known as Frostloral, there was a little wooden house where a mother lived with her eighteen year old daughter and six month old son. The daughter just came in through the door and she locked it up tight as the mother gave her a confused look as she rocked her baby boy to sleep in front of the fireplace.

“The King’s Secret Police is here and they are taking away the political prisoners!” the daughter shouted.

The mother’s eyes went wide as she immediately stood up and ushered the young adult into a back room. Once they were there, the mother immediately locked the door and closed the curtains in the windows and turned off all of the candle lights. She quietly rocked the baby to sleep as the small family began hearing screams from outside of the house as everybody ran every which way. The mother and her two children sat in a closed closet as they waited for the danger to pass away. The young teenager began silently crying to herself. The mother noticed this and softly placed her child down on some clothing that was on the closet floor. She went to console her daughter.

“Shh, it’s going to be okay Amelia, everything is going to be okay,” the mother quietly said as she hugged her daughter.

“No! It’s not, it will never be okay, the damn police are going to come every single day and take away more innocent people! They are never going to stop and they always force us into hiding in our own home! What is wrong with this country? What is wrong with everything?” The daughter cried in her mother’s arms as she continued to hold her.

“Shh, don’t worry, soon everything will change,” the mother said.

The daughter ripped out of her mother’s arms. “No! No, it will never be the same; this is going to happen every single day! They took away our father and only God knows what happened to him but I don’t want to know. How long? How long are they going to do this? The king just does whatever he damn pleases and nobody has the guts to go and confront him. When the hell will everything go back to normal? I never saw true peace!”

The mother looked downfallen upon her daughter. “I am sorry that you had to be born in such a terrible time, but I am sure that something is going to change,” she said as she held her heart. “I have a feeling that help is on its way.”

The daughter cleared her eyes and quietly walked to the curtains and carefully, slightly opened one to look at what has transpired outside. She gasped. There was blood everywhere, in the streets, on houses, everywhere! There were also mangled bodies every which way. She saw a person crawl in front of the window but suddenly, a large, silver, scaly body landed in front of the person and smirked. The daughter looked into the dragon’s vermillion eyes and only saw cruelness and malice intentions. The next scene made her sick to her stomach as the dragon smirked at the human before him, he bent his head down and bit the man’s head off and swallowed it, and then he did away with the rest of the body, not even caring about the family that will now miss the man. Blood was all over the dragon’s claws and mouth. He chuckled evilly and took off into the sky easily. The daughter threw up on the floor and the mother rushed with the baby in her arms to help her and hold her in her arms. The mother quickly checked outside of the window and made sure that the bedroom door was locked. Then, she helped her daughter into her bed while setting the baby on the other bed in the room. The mother placed some clothing on the hard floor and tried to sleep through the evil times that she was in. When she did sleep, she dreamt of good, kind dragons and, unbeknownst to her, her past life. Yes, this person was Akarli…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The three dragons and their human and elvin companions are several thousand feet in the air now, flying towards their destination of Frostloral. Eragon and Roran were on Saphira, Murtagh and Arya were flying on Thorn, Ehecatl was on Shruikan since he was too young to fly, and Angela was flying on Astarot which did not suit him at all since she is constantly asking him questions and poking him with strange instruments.

So, Shruikan, Saphira called. How old are the younglings?

Shruikan stared at her as he flapped his wings and soared above the clouds. I believe Astarot said that he is currently in his fourteenth year and Ehecatl is but only eight years old.

Saphira was shocked upon hearing this. Fourteen and eight years old? How can that be? I am but only two years old but look at how large I am, look at how large Thorn is.

Thorn nodded in agreement as he too joined in the conversation. Yes, how can that be? He asked.

Well, Shruikan commenced. Wild dragons age much slower than us rider dragons. After the pact, the rider dragons had to grow more quickly so we can be stronger and bigger faster in case we have to battle an enemy quickly. It makes sense if you think about it. A rider and dragon could make some pretty powerful enemies rather quickly so it is beneficial to both their health if the dragon was grown up and already big and strong.

Saphira ran this over in her mind. Makes sense, so if I was a wild dragon I would be approximately half the size of Ehecatl, correct?

Shruikan answered her, yes, that should be about it, a bit smaller than a horse.

Then it is a good thing that we’re rider dragons, right Saphira? Thorn asked.

Most definitely, I wouldn’t bear the thought of me being a small being. I love being big, it just gives you, well…

A feeling of importance? Thorn asked, I agree.

Yes, I, she stopped. Shruikan and Thorn looked at her and found her struggling to gain lift to stay into the air.

Saphira? Thorn asked worriedly, are you okay, do you need help.

She didn’t talk for a while as she kept flapping her wings trying to stay in the air, something was indeed wrong. No, ow, my wings…it’s my wings, something is wrong with them…

Eragon heard this and he as well as Roran looked at her wings and were shocked at what they saw. Ice was forming on her wings and every time she flapped her wings, the ice would break but stay stuck to her wings and cut into then. Eragon was horrified when he saw this. He continually shouted “Weíse Heill!” but once her wings were mended, they would just get cut once again as ice continued to form around her wings. Eragon was getting so impatient with the ice that he tried his next idea without thinking it through. He shouted “Brisingr!” and instantly Saphira’s wings caught fire. This terrified the dragoness and she began bucking and twisting trying to put out the fire which eventually worked, then she glared at Eragon.

Are you trying to kill me? Saphira shouted. Fine, then I shall do the same to you! She then proceeded to do loops and flips, trying to traumatize Eragon.

“Easy, I’m here too Saphira! I didn’t do anything!” Roran shouted while Eragon held on for dear life.

Eventually Saphira did stop but only because her wings were hurting her again as the ice formed once again on her wings. That was when Shruikan noticed that they were inside of a cloud layer and that snow began slamming into everybody. Unknowingly, the dragons flew straight into a winter storm and were now being pummeled by the harsh winds and the heavy snows! They could not look forward whatsoever. Shruilkan knew that they could not fly above the clouds since there would not be enough oxygen up there. The only thing that he knew that they had to do was land. Everybody, land right now! he shouted into everybody’s minds. They complied. However that is when a new problem arose.

Shruikan! Saphira shouted, I can’t see the ground, how high up are we? She sounded very nervous as she flew through the storm.

By now, ice was forming on all of the dragon’s wings. He stared down at the ground only to have his view obstructed by clouds that went all the way to the ground. I don’t know, I can’t tell, we could be extremely high up or right above the tree line for all I know! Shruikan shouted. Astarot! Get on top of me right now!

“But what of Angela?” Astarot shouted. Somehow, Angela did not notice the storm and fell asleep on the young dragon’s back.

Just get on, I’ll hold you both! Shruikan shouted. Astarot did as he was told and flew on top of Shruikan, then he slowly descended onto the dragon’s back. Now everybody, descend very slowly in case there are trees beneath us.

All of the dragons did, but suddenly the wind picked up and a strong downdraft formed pushing the dragons down causing everybody to lose control as their wings were fully covered in ice. The riders and young dragons held on for dear life as the dragons were slammed into the ground by the strong downdraft. They slammed into the trees, splintering them all which knocked the dragons unconscious, then, by the force of gravity, the dragons were sent rolling down the hill on which they landed on bumping into more trees and rocks, bruising everybody greatly. Then, eventually, the ground leveled out and the dragons were then sent out onto a frozen lake slamming into it and causing cracks to form, this put everybody unconscious. Eventually, the dragons came to a stop in the middle of a large lake with cracks forming in the ice around them as the snow continuously slammed into the ground and the wind ceased to stop causing a complete white out.