Sja Fram [Inheritance Cycle | Eragon Fanfiction]

Chapter II: Horses (Unedited)

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.