Dragon Rider in the Modern World.

Training

Over the next week, I practiced aerial maneuvers with Isaldrí. From dive, to barrel rolls and loop-de-loops. Every time, she tried more complicated ones, but little by little, I had started to get used to it. Except when she pulled out of a very steep dive. That still bothered me a lot. I also trained my mental bond with Flicka. I did many exercises where I guided her only with my mind, and I was improving steadily with both of them, which made me very happy.

One day, I was flying with Isaldrí, and I decided to ask her the question that had been bothering me for quite a while.

"I've been re-reading the Eragon books, and I was wondering if you know anything about possible magi, since everything about this bond is so similar to the one of the Alagaësian Riders?"

"Well, from what you say, my breed could be cousin of the Alagaësian dragons, but they haven't been in contact for a long time. I wouldn't know if we could actually get there from here." 

"OK. Well, at least we don't have to worry about Galbatorix." I said laughing.

"Also, in some books I've read, there is a trick where the Rider jumps off a cliff or something else, and then, the dragon swoops under and catches them. It is possible that it might hurt to land, but it would be so cool to be able to do it?"

"Maybe, but, from where will you jump? I don't want you to get hurt."

"I remember that there was a small hill, with a not so steep cliff somewhere close."

"Yes, it could work."

"Ok, keep an eye out for it."

We got to the cliff. It wasn't really steep, just enough for me to jump, and Isdalrí to catch me, and if she wasn't able to catch me, I wouldn't hurt myself to much, because then I would roll, like I'd been trained to do if I fell off a horse, and there were lots of leaves there, making for a softer landing.
"You can do this" I said to myself.

"Ok Isaldrí. I'm ready. On the count of three. One. Two. Three."

I jumped, extending my arms, a few seconds later, Isaldrí positioned herself right under me, and I dropped onto the saddle.

"We did it!" I exclaimed.

"We did! Did you doubt me?"

"Of course not. It's just that I wasn't sure I would be able to pull it off."

"Don't ever say that to yourself. You are a super talented person, and I would have not chosen anyone else to be my partner."

"I love you too Isaldrí."

It was sad, because after that small heart to heart, it was already late, and I had to go back home.

It was the day of the big horseback riding competition. This was what I'd been training for with Flicka this whole time. I just wished that Isaldrí would be here to support me, but she obviously couldn't show herself.
I warmed up with Anne. She had already had her Dressage and Cross Country rounds yesterday and the day before. Now it was time for show jumping, and to prove that me and Flicka were ready for this.
They called me into the ring.

"Ready girl?" She answered with an affirmative feeling.

"Let's do this."

She bounded for the first jump.

"Three, two, one."

The second I said one, she went up into the air, clearing the jump.
We continued that way the rest of the course. The last jump was coming up. I could feel Flicka getting tense, it would not help at all if we wanted to make the jump off. The fence was a wide oxer. It was pink and green, with flowers underneath it. It had been kind of the boogey jump on the course. Many horses were scared of it, but after literally being around a dragon every day, Flicka was a pro. She didn't even bat an eye at it. We made it over. I was clear, and was in the jump off!
I immediately told Isaldrí. Thank goodness that the show was close enough for me to communicate with her. Anyways, she was pretty proud of me, and I wished that I would be able to show the world that she was just as amazing as Flicka was. Scratch that, even more. But that was because she was my partner of mind and soul.

The jump off had several people I knew. Obviously Anne was one, and I was right to be worried about her, but her score counted for Eventing, even if we were riding at the same time. The person I was most worried about... Well, that was my sister, Sarah. She was two years younger than me, but she was a pretty good rider, and we were always trying to beat each other in that respect, even if we did actually get along well. But things had changed since she got Firefly, her new gelding. My parents had figured that since she was going to start competing at my level too, she needed a horse of her own, rather than Ruby, the sweet mare from the stables she rode before. It annoyed me so much that she hadn't nearly worked as hard with Firefly as I had with Flicka. The horse was push button. But I had an advantage. My special bond with Flicka. We understood each other so much more now, and that was really good in the ring, since not many horses and riders had that kind of closeness in their partnership, and the horses had to trust their riders to help them get over the jump.

Back to the present. Sarah had gone before me, and was clean, but it hadn't been her best time either. I got called into the ring, ready for whatever happened...

Hi guys, sorry to leave you hanging, but it's actually kind of fun. I hope you've liked my story so far, and for those of you who aren't so into horseback riding, sorry for the big presence of that in the chapter. I promise that the next chapters will be more exciting, but filler chapters are needed, and I don't want everything to happen too fast.
Please remember to vote and comment if you think it deserves it, and to tell me what you think of this new version.
~Valerie.