Early Summer 6,219 A.S.
Hi, my name is Raegel, son of Baobab and Viserra, and this my recollection of The Great Return to come and my life in Alagaesia beginning with my drop off at the Pyrrhian and Pantalan Dragon Rider base.
Two years after I bonded with Oak my parents dropped me off at the temporary base of my father's order in Du Weldenvarden.
The base was still being established even after nineteen years of being in Alagaesia. But it was almost done.
   "Have fun and behave yourself." My father told me, giving me a hug before he went back over to Marula, who was saying goodbye to her son.
   "Don't pull something like your father did years ago and run away from your teacher. Okay?" My mother told me.
   I nodded.
   "Good. I love you, Raegel, with all my heart." She told me, giving me a bone crushing hug.
   I saw tears on the corner of her eyes as she climbed onto Marula and she and my father left me.
   "Come on, let's go." Oak said to me, nudging me in the direction of the Great Hall made out of trees.
   I could see five more young Riders—all were human—standing outside the hall as if waiting for someone.
I didn't want to go over to them due to the sour expressions on the black haired girl next to the haughty looking IceWing and the fire-red head boy with the annoyed looking SkyWing. They made me want to run home and stay there.
"You can do this." Oak told me. "Hey, those two look nice." Oak said, looking at the dirty blonde hair boy with the RainWing and the platinum blonde girl bonded with her DriftWing.
"Maybe, but—Hey! Where are you going?" I asked as Oak started over to the group of five kids and dragons.
Leaving me with no other choice, I followed after Oak, who was conversing with the DriftWing.
   "Hi." The platinum blonde haired girl said, her eyes shining like turquoise.
   "Hello." I muttered, not wanting to be associated with some of these other kids.
   "Jacquelyn."
   "W-what?" I asked. Was she calling me Jacquelyn?
   She laughed. It sounded like the clear melodic laughter of the elf children. "No, I'm Jacquelyn, but I go by Jack." She told me. 
   "Jack?" The girl with the IceWing asked. "What kind of girl goes by a boy name?"
   "Ones that aren't girly girls like you." Jacquelyn—Jack replied.
The girl with the IceWing didn't say anything. She seemed to be fuming in silent.
I had a feeling that this girl didn't like anyone here and thought she was better than all of us. I decided then and there to stay clear of this girl and her dragon.
   The twelve of us stood there waiting for whatever the others before Oak and I were waiting for.
   After awhile the doors opened and a man and dragon walked out.
   The man had shoulder length hair up in a ponytail and carried a sword at his side. His dragon was black with grey wings and under scales with reddish-brown eyes and a white skull mask on its face. The dragon creeped me out so much with its skull face that I considered once again running away to get away from this place.
   "We are Galahad and Bright Eclipse, and we will be taking you to your teachers." The elder Rider said to us. "Come." He said and started off into the huge tree-hall with his massive dragon by his side.
   The black haired boy with the TempestWing was the first to follow the man with the black and grey dragon.
   The other kids soon followed with me and Oak bringing up the rear.
They soon came to an intersection where two other Riders and dragons stood waiting.
"Welcome to Sílthrim." The man next to the woman said.
"Today you six will be paired up and assigned a teacher." The woman said. "Sarai, Skua, Jacquelyn, and Fiercedawn will be with me. Erik, Stormfinder, Markus, and Parakeet will be with Henrik. Quinn, Pyrrha, Raegel, and Oak will be with Galahad."
"Now that you all have been paired up, you'll be shown you accommodations." The Rider named Henrik said.
"Come." Galahad said to Quinn and me.
I didn't like how Quinn and Pyrrha both scowled like they thought being stuck with Oak and me was the worst fate in the whole world.
   Galahad and Henrik led us boys down one corridor and the female Rider led Sarai and Jack down another one.
   They came to a line of rooms on either side of the corridor.
   Galahad and Henrik showed them their rooms and then left them to settle in.
   I didn't know what to think of the room provided for Oak and I. It was marvelous and was made to house dragons several times larger than Oak.
   "Nice." Oak said, the plants moving slightly with his movements. "Reminds me of home."
   "Glad you like it." I said glumly. I still missed my family's home in Ellesméra, especially my parents.
   I collapsed on the bed, feeling empty and lonely, like I was unwanted.
   Oak nuzzled by face with his snout.
   "It will be okay. It will get better. I promise." Oak told me. It was something that kept me going through these lonely years. It was something that I would never forget even when I was at my lowest in life.

A month later 6,219 A.S.
We were finally starting training today. However, I wasn't as thrilled as Oak. For one: I was stuck with grouchy Quinn and Pyrrha. For another: I couldn't stop thinking about my parents and whether they missed me or not.
"Get up!" Oak cried, shoving me with his snout. "Stop hiding under the blankets like a turtle in its shell. Get your butt up and get ready." Oak said, shoving me off the bed this time.
I sat up in the tangle of blankets, trying to get out of their grasp.
Oak laughed.
"Not funny." I told him, finally getting free from the blankets, and went to get ready.
When I was ready to go, Oak and I went to the intersection of the four corridors where we were told to meet our teachers the day before.
   Quinn and Pyrrha still looked miserable and annoyed.
   Erik and Markus looked in better spirits.
   Galahad, Henrik, the female Rider named Eva were waiting there for us along with Sarai and Jack.
   "You all sleep in late?" Jack asked us, a smile on her face.
   "You look like you just rolled out of bed." Erik noted.
   I saw that he was right by the way Jack's platinum blonde hair was just thrown up in a messy ponytail.
"Now that you all are here, lets begin with today's lessons." Henrik said, motioning to his two pupils and led them away from the others.
   Eva led the girls away as well.
   "Why don't we see how well you two are with swords." Galahad said, leading them outside into a clearing where the morning sun shone down on them.
   Galahad picked up two swords and handed them to Quinn and I.
   "They're blunt." Quinn said, fingering the edge.
   "Of course they are." Galahad said. "I really don't want you two chopping each other into pieces on the first day of training. Now, pay close attention as I teach you some moves that might save your lives in the future." Galahad told us, and began showing us how to parry, stab, slash, and feint. Quinn looked excessively annoyed the whole time.
   "Now, let's see if you learned anything. Begin." Galahad said, and stepped back to allow us to fight.
   Quinn pinned me with his bright amber eyes and approached with decisive steps, his sword in a defensive position.
   I was never the best sword fighter and I was surely going to fail against Quinn. But there was nothing I could do but try my best.
   When Quinn swung his sword, I blocked it only to be jarred by the impact.
   Quinn swung again, the blunt sword smacked me in the side, bruising me.
   I tried to fight back only to have Quinn disarm me in five seconds before slamming the hilt of his sword in my chest, knocking me to the ground as I grasped for the breath knocked out of my lungs.
   I heard Oak growl and Galahad telling Oak to back off.
   "Are you okay?" Galahad asked me, grabbing my arm and helping me up.
   I nodded, my chest hurting too much to respond. I could only take in small amounts of air in order to keep my chest from flaring in pain.
   "Brat." Oak snarled, glaring at Quinn.
   Quinn acted like he didn't notice anything.
   "Let's try again, but this time Raegel try to see what Quinn is going to do next." Galahad told me.
   Quinn and I took up our positions again and waited til Galahad gave us permission to fight.
   "Begin."
   Quinn approached once again with decisive steps.
   I did what Galahad told me and tried to anticipate Quinn's next move. Quinn looked like he was about to slash as me. So I prepared myself to duck or dodge the blunt blade.
   Just as I thought, Quinn slashed at me. I ducked and rolled away before Quinn could stab at me.
   I slashed at Quinn's legs and hit Quinn on the calf with my sword.
   Quinn just looked down at where I hit him and then up at me with an unreadable expression on his face.
   Then without warning, Quinn smacked my hand holding the sword with his and I dropped it. A cool blade touched my neck and I looked at Quinn's masked expression.
   "We have a lot of work on." I heard Galahad muttered to himself.
   And for the rest of the day that was what we worked on.

Late Winter 6,221 A.S.
I had just got done with Battle Training and I was battered and bruised from Quinn.
   For two years I had been training under my father's order of Riders in the ways of magic, potions, and fighting. I had gotten better at sword fighting but I was still not good enough to best Quinn. In fact, Quinn was twice as good as me at sword fighting. He clearly had lessons before he ever became a Rider.
   "I find these battles unfair. Quinn wouldn't stand a chance against me." Oak growled from his bed on the ground.
   "Just calm down." I told him, easing my shirt off. I was pretty sure I had a broken rib or two.
   "Preposterous. Dragons have bones as hard as diamonds and you do too through our bond." Oak told me.
   When I saw the huge, ugly bruise on my side where Quinn had thwacked me as hard as he could I grimaced. I placed my hand on my side and muttered a healing spell. The pain eased and my bruise disappeared.
   I slipped my shirt on just as someone knocked on my door.
   "Raegel, can I talked to you?" Galahad asked from the other side of the door.
   "Yes," I responded. "Come in."
   Galahad opened the door and walked in with a somber expression on his face.
   A pit formed in my stomach as I saw Galahad's expression.
   "Raegel, I'm so sorry."
   "No...," I whispered, holding me head in my hands. "They can't be gone. They can't be." I said to myself as if it would become true.
   The bed creaked as Galahad sat down next to me.
   "If there's anything I can do just tell me." Galahad said, placing a hand across my back.
   "H-how did they die?" I asked. I wanted to know how they died. I had to know in order to live with myself instead of wondering how they died.
   "Are you sure?"
   "Yes. I need to know."
   "Your parents...they died trying to stop a skirmish between the IceWings and wild Alagaesia dragons. They got caught in the crossfire and died. I'm so so sorry."
   "Is Marula—mother...," Oak's voice cracked with despair like he already knew the answer but just needed the confirmation.
   "Yes, Oak. You have my condolences."
   I didn't know if I could continue on now knowing that my parents were gone.
   Hot tears fell from my eyes and onto the wooden floor.
   "If you need anything just ask." Galahad said, getting up from the bed. "You can have a week off if you like. A funeral will be held for them in a few days, just so you know." Galahad told me and left me in my misery.
   Oak got up and walked over to me and laid a wing over my back.
   "I'm sorry about your parents." Oak told me.
   I hugged Oak's neck and buried my face in his warm scales.
   "I'm sorry about your mother too." I told him, and cried myself to sleep.

A Few Days Later 6,221 A.S.
Oak and I stood in front of three empty caskets that were meant to symbolize my parents and Marula.
   Tears continued to drip down my face as I couldn't help but think about my parents and all the good times we had together.
   "Tonight, we are here to pay our respects to Baobab of Pantala, Viserra of the elves, and Marula of the LeafWings and remember that they died trying to bring peace to our temporary home, Alagaesia." The leader of the Pyrrhian and Pantalan Riders said. "They shall forever live in our hearts and memories. May we meet again."
   "May we meet again." I and all the other assembled Riders and the few elves murmured.
   "Sorry about your parents." Jack told me.
   "Thanks," I said to her, and went back to my mourning.
   "May we meet again, mother and father when I join you in the stars." I said looking up at the bright stars overhead, knowing that my parents were up there watching over me and would continue to do so til the day I died.

P.S. Sílthrim is a city in Du Weldenvarden that was originally founded by the Pyrrhian and Pantalan Dragon Riders and later became the second largest city in Du Weldenvarden.
   In the books Sílthrim is just an elf city. If you read the books then you know what I'm talking about.
   Sílthrim does not belong to me. Sílthrim and Du Weldenvarden belong to the author of the Inheritance Cycle, Christopher Paolini.
   Hope you all are enjoying so far.