Chapter II: Horses

|| Dream ||

Smoke filled the air, the grey gas causing my eyes to water and making me lost. I coughed into my hand, my coughing was getting worse. At the start, it had been something that I could deal with. Now it forced me to lean over and gag, hack, and cough as if I was forcing my lungs out.

I staggered off after my coughing fit ended. "Umaroth!" At the sound of my name, I whirled around not knowing where it came from. The heat was becoming more and more unbearable, soon I knew I would get lost in the flames and be burned and, more than likely, killed.

I waved a hand in front of my eyes in hope that it would stop them watering as well as getting rid of the smoke that caused me pain. I stumbled forward trying to run but not being able to see.

I took a deep breath and managed to force a cough down. I stumbled out of the house and collapsed onto the lawn. For a minute, I laid there, throat burning, eyes stinging, and sweating feverishly.

A neigh caused my head to jerk up, I knew that neigh as well as I knew my own name. I got up and once again started stumbling in a run. I ran the small distance to the barn that was close enough to the house to catch alight.

I shoved the barn door open and started untying the first horse I saw. Within a minute, five horses had ran out of the barn when I heard the loud sounds of groaning wood. I tried to untie the knot faster, the moment I untied it I sent the horse on its way. However, as the horse was cantering towards the entrance a loud crack echoed through the barn. Just as the horse reached the exit, a large beam fell on it, killing it instantly.

A pained neigh echoed, the roars of the fire growing louder. Panicking I turned to the last horse, who was little taller than a pony. The last horse who was in the barn was the one I had heard neigh, my own horse.

I ran over to him, he tossed his head as I untied him, but stood still. Holding the lead rope in my hand, I hugged his neck. "I don't want to die," I whispered into the horse's neck.

The horse, a brown stallion, was only three years old and, although, he was normally quite playful. At that moment in time, he was calm.

The stallion nickered to me and turned his neck so he could look at me. I gazed into the stallion's eyes, he breathed out slowly, and I nodded. I slung the lead rope over his neck and stepped back a few paces. I paused, and took a deep breath before exhaling and running at the horse who stayed still.

I managed to get myself onto the horse's back, I then pulled myself on properly using the mane. I grabbed the lead rope in one hand and nudged the stallion in the ribs. "C'mon boy!" I shouted as he tossed his head and neighed.

Gripping tightly with my legs as well as my hands, I urged the brown horse on. Cantering off, I managed to stay on, which was surprisingly hard. As the young horse approached the burning beam, he slowed down now seeming unsure. This time I didn't nudge the horse lightly but kicked him encouraging him to go faster.

The stallion underneath me sped off and took a flying leap, passing over the beam and the flickering flames. On the other side of the burning wood, the stallion continued cantering before slowing down as I slipped off and landed on the ground.

The horse bowed its head down to look at me from the grass. "Guess we owe each other a life debt now, eh Istal?"

***

The dream was different now, I noticed, as I scanned my surroundings. Somehow instead of living the past once more, I was... I can't explain it but it felt like I was seeing something I had seen, while at the same time, I was sure I hadn't seen it before.

As I watched, from a hiding spot in the branches of a tree, a dark purple dragon stepped out of the bushes towards the spring. The dragon was almost the same size as a tall horse. However, it seemed too young to be more than three years old.

The dragon paused and looked around, its eyes stopped when it looked at me. In those seconds that we made eye contact, I felt something form. The dragon was female, somehow I knew that. I also knew that it was nameless and it had no rider like the one I had heard in the stories.

Then it was gone, as if it had never been there in the first place. I blinked before I was pulled back into the embrace of sleep.

|| End Dream ||

I awoke, my eyes flickering over and checking my surroundings for possible dangers. It was something I had grown used to doing, in my time alone in the forest. With a sigh, I pushed the blanket off me and started rolling it up, I noticed that Brom was started to get ready.

"Got any food to share?" Brom grunted, I nodded and pulled out some bread.

"Not much but better than nothing," I said handing him a slice while eating my own.

A groan could be heard as Eragon got up from underneath Saphira's wing. I noticed bruises covering his arms. Did he get the bruises from when I saw him and Brom using the sticks yesterday or did I just not see them?

"How do you feel?" Brom asked Eragon with a grin, as I forked over the last part of the bread. Eragon grunted, and quickly finished his bread. I couldn't help but smile at the boy's obvious displeasure and pain. I was glad that it wasn't me in pain.

As we packed up the campsite, I spread the embers and ashes of the fire around and made sure there was no sign of what had transpired during the night. The only thing that showed that something had happened was the small droplets of blood from the bear that Saphira had eaten.

Once on the road, we travelled towards Therinsford. I led the way. However, I felt that it was mainly just to make sure I wouldn't run. After a league or so, the road widened and my eyes could make out smoke in the distance.

"You'd better tell Saphira to fly ahead and wait for us on the other side of Therinsford," Brom said. "She has to be careful here, otherwise people are bound to notice her."

"Why don't you tell her yourself?" Eragon challenged as he kicked a pebble out of his path.

"It's considered bad manners to interfere with another's dragon." I wondered what the story behind the pair was, however, with a shake of my head, I dismissed my curiosity. Why should I know someone's past when I had next to nothing to do with them?

"You didn't have a problem with it in Carvahall." Eragon said angrily, I pondered the name. It was a village I knew that. However, was it the hometown of both of those travelling with me, just one of them, or none at all?

"I did what I had to do," Brom said, his voice containing barely hidden amusement.

As we approached the village, the ruts in the road deepened and the number of footprints along the road increased. Farms started appearing more often and soon the village could easily be seen. From what I could see, the village looked like it had been constructed randomly. With the houses in no order, I wondered how everyone knew where they were going.

"What a mess," Eragon spoke.

"It isn't a nice sight, quite ugly if one thought about it," I said, contributing to the conversation.

"That it is," Brom agreed before we all fell silent once again.

A river flowed between the town and us. However, a wooden bridge had been constructed. As we approached a greasy man with messy black, hair stepped from behind a bush and into our way. 

"We're trying to cross, would you consider moving?" I asked, as the man crossed his arms and blocked our entrance onto the bridge.

I was sure my eyebrows wrinkled as I took in the man's ugly look. His shirt was too short and along with that, his dirty stomach spilt over a rope belt. "You c'n stop right there. This 'ere is my bridge. You gotta pay t' get over." The man said showing yellow, broken teeth that were hidden behind his cracked lips.

Brom sighed and pulled out a pouch. "How much?"

I rose an eyebrow in question, so far, Brom had seemed quite wise. Too wise to fall for such a cheap trick when, in fact, it was almost certain that the puny man didn't own the bridge.

"Five crowns," the bridge-keeper said with a broad smile.

Eragon was quick to start complaining. However, Brom looked at him, which stopped him before he had even finished his first complaint.

Without a word, the five coins were handed over and the man made a show of putting them into a sack hanging from his belt. The jingling sound made me wish to steal the money back from the stupid man, when I suddenly realised.

I half-turned and looked at Brom, suddenly understanding his reasoning for handing the coins over. "Thank'ee much!" The greasy man said in a mocking tone before moving out of the way.

I walked forward, shoving the man out of the way with a little more force than needed. Just because I thought Brom would manage to get the coins back, didn't mean I couldn't be a little mean.

"Watch y're step!" The loud shout came from behind me, I kept walking a smile curling onto my face.

"Sorry," Brom apologised easily catching up to me as I reached the middle of the bridge.

Once across the bridge, and more importantly out of earshot, Eragon started speaking. "Why the hell didn't you haggle?! He skinned you alive! He probably doesn't even own the bridge!"

"Probably," Brom said in a gruff tone.

"Then why bother giving him any money?!" Eragon exclaimed.

"There are a lot of fools in the world, you can't fight or argue with all of them," I said, hoping that I sounded somewhat wise.

"What?" Eragon questioned confused which I found funny, although I had almost confused myself by saying those words.

"Correct," Brom said, "It's easier to let them have their way. Then when they aren't prepared, you trick them," Brom opened his hand revealing a pile of coins.

"You cut his purse!" Eragon exclaimed, I sighed, Eragon was much too loud it seemed.

Brom looked at the pair of us and shoved the money in his pocket with a wink. "It held a lot more than I expected. He should know better to keep all these coins in one place."

A loud howl of anguish came from the other side of the river and I barked out a laugh. "I daresay our new friend has found out he lost something."

"Indeed, keep an eye out for watchmen if you see any, tell me." Brom said, "Now Umaroth, could you lead us to where we can buy some horses?"

I nodded, "Follow me, I know the best place to go!" I said with a grin as I led the way, my grin flickered as I thought of horse farms.

I led the pair over to a barn on the edge of Therinsford. As we walked through the barn's oaken double doors, I breathed in the familiar smell of horses and leather. The far wall was covered with tack including harnesses of many kinds, at the end of the two long rows of stables, a muscular man stood brushing a white stallion.

"Haberth you've customers!" I shouted, Haberth, the owner of the barn and someone I knew fairly well, looked up from his brushing of the white stallion

"Umaroth, my friend! It's good to see you again!" Haberth said with a laugh as he turned to face Brom, Eragon and me.

"Who're your friends?" Haberth questioned, I gave the older man a pointed look. "Sorry, sorry, I'm a bit nosy."

"That's a beautiful animal," Brom said shaking hands with Haberth.

"That he is, his name's Snowfire. And, as Umaroth said earlier, mine's Haberth. What can I do for you?"

"We need two horses and a full set of tack for both. The horses need to be fast and tough, we'll be doing a lot of travelling. Umaroth said he could get his own horse that would suit our purposes."

Haberth pondered for a moment, and I walked over to Snowfire. The stallion snorted into my hand and reared up slightly. Clicking my tongue, I pulled the horse down gently and stroked his neck.

"I don't have many animals like that." Haberth said finally, "And the ones I do aren't cheap." He said, absent mindfully stroking Snowfire's neck and calming him down.

"Price is no object; I'll take the best you have," Brom said in a strong voice. Haberth nodded and silently brought two horses out. I kept a hold on Snowfire's rope and untied him, the horse tossed his head and yawned.

I looked at the two horses that Haberth had brought out. One was a strawberry roan, while the other was a light bay. The bay pulled against his rope and tossed his head. I studied the bay stallion for a while. I could tell that the stallion would be able to be ridden long and hard for a while and that he would rather drop than stop.

The roan, on the other hand, although having a good chest and strong legs, it didn't look like it would be able to be ridden hard over rough land. "He's a little spirited but I'm sure you can handle him, Umaroth will easily be able to." Haberth said as he handed the bay's rope over to Brom.

Brom let the horse sniff his hand before rubbing its neck. "I'll take this one, however, I'm not too sure about the other one."

I nodded my head, "The bay will be fine, however, if you were to ride the roan over rough land he wouldn't be able to go that fast. Despite his speed, endurance, and stamina which I'm sure are good, he would be more likely to break a leg. He's built for speed on a flat surface, not for racing and jumping along the countryside," I said.

Haberth looked at me and nodded, "I forgot how much you could tell about a horse from looking at it."

"What will you take for Snowfire?" Brom asked as he gave the bay's rope to Eragon. The horse shied but after a few seconds, it seemed to calm down.

Haberth looked fondly at the stallion that was standing still next to me. "I'd rather not sell him. He's one of the finest I've ever bred, I was hoping to sire a whole line from him."

The stallion seemed to know people were talking about him. As he yanked against his rope, I gave a sharp tug back and rest a hand on the horse's neck. "He's not made to stay still and be locked up." I said, "He's made for adventure, it would be a crime to not let him see the world and show off your stud."

"Say if you were willing to part with him, what would the price of all this cost me?" Brom asked.

After a few minutes of Haberth figuring out the cost, he spoke with a smile. "Two hundred crowns and no less," he said, confident that no one would pay a price so high.

Brom was not made to be within people's expectations, though, and he silently pulled out the money and counted it. "Would this do?" He asked, with the correct amount of money sitting on his hand.

Haberth glanced between the horse and coins and sighed. "He is yours, although this goes against my heart."

"I will treat him as if he had been sired by Gildintor, the greatest steed of legend," Brom said.

"Your words gladden me," Haberth said as he got two piles of tack out and started saddling the horses.

I gave Snowfire's lead rope to Brom and spoke once more. "Haberth how's Istal? Where is he? Is he okay? How's his training going? Can I take him back or do I need to pay you?"

"Istal? That wild beast won't let anyone near him, let alone ride him. I normally leave him in the high pasture with the other young stallions. He fights as well you know, I've had to lock him away in a stall many times. He won't listen to anyone, he's in the last stall. Take him if you will good luck with the devil. He's the only horse I would be glad to see gone," Haberth said.

"He never was one to trust or listen to too many," I said as I opened the stall.

A loud, familiar neigh echoed and a brown stallion charged out. The stallion reared and kicked his front legs out towards me, before swinging around and charging at Snowfire and the bay, both of them started to try to move away.

I let out a sharp whistle and the brown stallion came to a halt and faced me. I walked over to the horse and gave him a light smack on the nose. The stallion reared but didn't kick, calming down, the stallion restlessly shuffled in place. "I'll gladly take him back," I said to Haberth without turning to face him.

I gently blew into Istal's nostrils, a greeting that horses did to show they trusted one another, and Istal blew back. I smiled and turned to face Brom, Eragon and Haberth. Haberth looked at me stunned. "Never seen him listen to anyone, you've both got a strong bond even after so many years of not seeing each other."

I nodded but didn't say anything, the stallion followed me as I pulled down some tack from where I had placed it many years ago. The stallion shook his head but stayed still as I saddled him, luckily everything still fit.

After bridling the horse I grabbed tied my bag onto the saddle along with some new bits that I had collected from the stable. Istal neighed and tried to take off, obviously excited. I pulled back on the reins and used the buckled end to slap the stallion on the chest with.

Brom in the picture