Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Five: Luminescent

"Mmm," Brom said. "Dragon's used to have two kinds of saddles, one for comfort and one for agility and speed."

"Do you know what they look like?"

"Better, I can make one."

"Then, please do."

"Very well, pay attention." Brom proceeded to show Eragon how to make a basic saddle when Brom was done he put the saddle on Saphira and checked the straps.

"You did a good job," Eragon said inspecting the saddle.

"One tries his best, it should serve you well," Brom said, inclining his head before walking over to sit with me on the log I had found.

"So, tell me why you don't need a saddle," Brom said, lighting his pipe.

"I can ride bareback fine, and I like not having a saddle, they feel too confining," I responded.

"You can ride bareback without shredding your legs, impressive. You will need a saddle eventually though, so you aren't shaken off." We were silent for a few minutes until Eragon headed over to us. "Will we leave tomorrow?"

"There isn't any reason to stay," Eragon said with a shrug.

"We're going to need horses."

"Maybe you do, Mal and I have our dragons."

"There isn't a horse alive that can outrun a dragon and the dragons are too young to carry two people at once."

"But that will make it harder to catch the Ra'zac," Eragon argued.

"But your chances of success are higher with me. It's late, my bone's ache. We can say more tomorrow." Brom said before going to sleep.

Brom won the argument, and the next day Eragon was packing his things onto Saphira's back.

"Brom, I'm going to go flying on Alethea if you don't mind."

"Meet us on the other side of Therinsford and stay on the lookout for trouble," Brom called before I jumped on Alethea's back and launched into the air.

Alethea dove after Saphira, Brom and Eragon had left Therinsford and were now making camp. Alethea landed next to camp as delicately as possible, and I slid off her back before walking over to Eragon and Brom. A bay and a white horse had now joined our group.

I walked up to the white horse and set my palm on his nose. I patted his nose before running my fingers through his wild mane.

"Did you run into any trouble?" I looked at Brom and shook my head.

"I mostly stayed in the air," I replied, Eragon gave me a weird look. I guess he isn't fond of riding yet. "Are these horses going to be fast enough for you?"

"We'll see soon enough," Brom replied, sitting down on an old rock and pulling out his pipe. "I took the liberty of purchasing better-traveling clothes."

Eragon handed me a package wrapped in twine before handing over a pair of brown boots.

"Why did we buy a dress?" Eragon asked, shaking his head.

"A women in pants will draw more attention than a woman in a dress, and the pants under the dress make it easier to move and ride Alethea," I replied while heading toward Alethea. "Do you mind if I change underneath your wing?"

Alethea automatically opened her wing so I could walk under it and start changing. I pulled off my dirty and worn boots before taking my dress off and pulling the leather pants on. This felt so much better already. I pulled the white dress and pulled my black hair out from under the neckline. Almost done.

I grabbed the leather corset shirt and pulled it on before I latched all of the hooks. Brom was pretty good at picking out clothes. I had mobility and protection now.

"Mal! You done?" Eragon yelled.

"Almost let me finish, or I'll never get dressed," I yelled back, I heard Eragon start to grumble while Brom chuckled. I unwrapped the messy headdress from my head and threw it down to the rest of the clothes before I wrapped my hair up into a ponytail and secured it with a leather strap, I grabbed the new simple headdress Brom had gotten and pulled it over my ears, with this type of headdress I didn't need to wrap the cloth several times around my head.

I pulled on the new tall leather boots and grabbed my discarded clothes, I lightly tapped Alethea's side, and she opened her wing, I walked out and stopped in front of Brom.

"I'm not even going to ask how you knew my size."

Brom chuckled at me while he lit his pipe.

"I picked something else up for you as well. It's in the wrapped cloth by Snowfire." I tilted my head in confusion before I walked over to the white horse and knelt down in front of the wrapped object. I unwrapped the object and began to grin with glee. Pulling the sword sheath out of the wrapping, I inspected the stitching on the side. A forest was depicted in elegant embroidery. "How do you like it?"

"I love it." I pulled the sword out of its sheath and swung it around. "It is very well balanced, thank you."

"What the hell are you doing with a sword Mal?" Eragon said, coming back from talking to Saphira.

"What else, Eragon? Protection."

"Do you even know how to use it?" I gave Eragon a small smile.

"Would you like to find out?" Brom let out a small chuckle while Eragon started to look confused.

"I don't want to accidentally hurt you, Mal."

"Trust me on this Eragon, you won't," I said stalking towards him like he was my prey. "Shall we?"