A/N: This is the "prologue" for my new story (which sort of is a continuation of Legacy.) The story will be called Birthright and will be the story of Eragon and Arya's daughter. So look for it in the archive and add it to your alert list because I will not be posting any more chapters here.

Also - I can't contain my excitement any longer! I made it to the third round of Amazon Break Through Novel Award. Now I am one of 250 people left (originally there were 5000.) I know; super exciting! If you want to check out the story I'm competing with, you can find the first chapter on Amazon. Just search for Running with Wolves + ABNA then it's simple (and absolutely free) to download it to kindle! Don't forget to review it!

Birthright

Prologue

"This shouldn't be happening," Blödhgarm, the wolf elf, said. His voice was so loudly Rora thought even a human would have been able to overhear him.

"But it is clearly happening," Rora heard her father growl. "I have to do something."

"We will, but first we must see if this is not a misunderstanding. I am not sure the people can handle another war so soon," a soft female voice interrupted the two men. Her mother was in there too, so today's meeting must be important. Rora leaned forward on the branch above the tree house she was perched on but it bowed slightly forcing her to lean back again.

"It's been almost 20 years Arya, it might be soon for us, but many of them have forgotten the war. " Rora heard a chair pull out and papers being shuffled.

"So what? Do you suggest we start a war to make them remember?" her mother's angry tone made Rora flinch and almost lose her balance again.

"I would never suggest we do such a thing, I was merely pointing out that you do not know what is in the heart and minds of humans," her father argued. Rora imagined he was pulling his eyebrows together the way he did when he caught Rora doing something she wasn't supposed to. Like trying to feed the wild dragons or flying on Saphira on her own.

"And you do, Great King Slayer? "Her mother's voice was even sharper now. Rora didn't like to hear her parents fight. Rora knew they loved each other very much. Her father often told her stories of just how much. Of how they had nearly died in battle together many times and how their love had grown even across the great sea. Her mother then smiled her special smile and her parents would spend the night away from the tree house. Vilmera had told her a little of what grownups did when they were alone. Rora thought it sounded quite frightening despite the other girl's assurance it wasn't.

There were suddenly a swooping sound from the air and Rora looked up to see Saphira diving towards her. The suddenness of it made Rora fling herself away, into the air. In a panic she tried to remember the words that would slow her fall, make the air catch her, but she couldn't. She closed her eyes because she didn't want to see the world flow by so very fast. She braced herself for the impact. It never came.

Slowly she opened her eyes, she was a few feet from the ground, floating in the air. She tensed; had she managed to do magic without the ancient language? That was not supposed to be possible, was it? She heard upset voices from above and suddenly felt herself float upwards. Only when she reached the window where her father and mother stood did she understand she hadn't done magic. Her father had.

"Aurora, what were you doing up there?" he asked her as the magic slowly set her down just inside the window. Her mother looked pale and Rora suspected she wanted to hug Rora. She was glad her mother stayed back. She wasn't a toddler anymore and she was fine. She didn't need a hug.

"I was eavesdropping," she told him honestly while looking up at him. She had her mother's eyes and she knew he couldn't resist neither her own or her mother's eyes. Especially if she managed to force a tear or two.

"Just like I thought," he touched her nose with his finger. "Next time, do it better or not at all!"

"Yes father," she said suppressing a smile. Her mother looked bothered, her eye brows going up.

"That child needs some discipline," her father muttered as he sat down and smiled. He liked to say that but never ever actually did anything other than say it. Mother usually would just shake her head and pat Rora's cheek. Today however the words made her mother's eyes flash.

"She is not an ordinary human child for you to put over your knee," she said in a too high voice.

"Don't make this about her-" he said and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"She's an elf-" her mother cried.

Rora wanted to tell them she was still there and didn't like being talked about like she wasn't there or couldn't understand them. But she stayed silent, watching them argue while what felt like a cold ball started to grow in her stomach.

"No she is not. You have said so yourself – she's not an elf, she's a child of two riders. She's not frail like an elf child and she will not break as easily. So you do not need to cajole her like she is a tot," her father stood up tall pushing the chair back. Rora thought there seemed something more to him than just what was actually there. Like there was a big thing inside him that was just hiding inside his body. Maybe it was the magic.

"You are scaring the youngster," Blödhgarm said in a low whisper but neither one of her parents seemed to notice.

"She's not even fourteen-"

"Yet she's already nearly as tall as Kiline." Kiline was an elf rider, more than twice Rora's age. Kiline had just hit - what Rora and Vilmera had decided to name - elf puberty. It wasn't like human puberty where you got breasts and bled but instead it was a big emotional and intellectual shift. Kiline had gone from childish and playful to wise and graceful in little more than a week. But she was not even five feet tall, so being as tall as Kiline wasn't really a good judge of how mature Rora was.

"Stop yelling," she cried and ran to hide behind her mother's leg. She was still small enough to do that; if she curled into herself a little. They were all quite after that and both Blödhgarm and her father left. Her mother sat down on the floor, looking very improper for someone who had been queen of all the elves. Rora decided she really wanted to hug her mother, even if it made her seem like a baby.

"We were not arguing about you," her mother whispered as she pulled Rora into her lap and stroked her hair.

"Yes you were," Rora had heard them. They had definitely been arguing about her.

"In a sense we were, iet ilian," my happiness. "But there is much happening that I neither can nor wish to tell you about…" Rora opened her mouth to argue but then changed her mind and closed it to let her mother continue. "There is however something I wish to tell you," her mother whispered in her ear.

"What is it?" she turned, excited. Her mother's voice had that hushed tone she used when she told Rora a secret. Secrets were one of Rora's favorite things.

"You know how father tells you stories of great love," Rora nodded. Her mother continued. "How such great love sometimes gives you gifts, gifts like you?"

"Yes," Rora frowned. Her mother was quiet for a while and Rora frowned. "I don't understand. What does that mean?"

"It means you will have a sibling soon." Rora's eyes opened wide. She knew about siblings and babies. Babies were small and made out of love, everyone told her so. Even Vilmera and she never lied to her to protect her like her mother and father sometime did. "Would you like that? A little brother or sister?"

"Yes," Rora grinned.

"Good," her mother patted her cheek."Now go, for the day is still young."

"Atra du evarínya ono varda," may the stars watch over you. She said respectfully.

"And you," her mother whispered in return as Rora got up and headed for the door.

She had barely gotten out of sight from the tree house when someone stepped out behind her and put their hands over her eyes. "Guess who?" a familiar voice asked.

"Kiline?"

"No," the cheerful voice said.

"Ringa?" that was a stupid guess because Ringa was a dragon and couldn't play the game but still Rora knew she had to guess a few times before saying the right name.

"Nope."

"Vilmera?" the hands left her face and Rora turned to smile at the girl. Vilmera was almost as tall as her mother but with darker skin and blonde hair. Rora didn't think the blonde hair was very pretty. She liked her own dark waves and was glad for it. Still Vilmera was very pretty, Rora knew this because all the boys, human and elf, wanted to read her poetry and bring her flowers they had sung for her.

"Want to know a secret?" Vilmera asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," Rora said following the older girl, almost having to run to keep up with her. Vilmera always had the best secrets.

The other girl turned around and walked backwards as she spoke, "I know where there is a dragon egg for you!"

Thanks for reading and reviewing!

That was the prologue for you! I probably won't be posting the first chapter for a few weeks, since I'm very busy with school and stuff. But I've been thinking about this story for a long time now and wanted to give you something.