The first hint of their coming comes as a bronze dragon flying overhead. The elves all cheer as a procession breaks through the trees. A lanky, sky blue dragon heads the procession, followed by an elf, a dwarf, and an urgal, each carrying a jewel encrusted wooden box. Due to Lillea's status she is afforded an excellent view as they march through the city to the High House. All the elves follow in a procession.
A large feast follows with much drinking and laughter. Numerous savory dishes are set out: meat and fish, vegetables and fruit, grains and vegetables, wine and mead. In addition, three large boars and two barrels of mead are provided for the dragons.
Once everyone has had their fill and the sun has set, Arya stands up and walks to the front. Lillea smiles, for this part is her favorite, and has been since she was a girl. She loves this tale her mother is about to tell, for it is full of adventure, friendship, and romance. And her mother tells it just right.
"There once was a farm boy named Eragon…"
Lillea's eyes fly open. The eggs! It is not yet light, so Lillea stays in her bed and thinks about last night:
Once Arya finishes her story, there is much applause. Yet here is the part that everyone has been waiting for. One by one the elf, the dwarf, and the urgal stand and make their way to the front where the jeweled boxes sit on stands. Lillea strains her neck in anticipation, attempting for subtlety. Finally, the elf opens the lid and removes the precious egg. He lifts it high for all to see. The egg is tan, like the hot sands of the Hadarac Desert, and speckled like a bird's egg.
The dwarf lifts his next as the elf returns the tan egg to its case. The dwarf's egg is the sea colored one from last time, shimmering and roiling like heat in the air. Or perhaps it is only her imagination and the wine. The baby in that egg must be a finicky one.
The last one that is brought out makes Lillea cover her mouth with her hand to stifle her sharp intake of breath. The large hand of the urgal supports a shiny silver egg. It is subtly beautiful, and seems to glow and change shape in the flickering light from the candles, spilling and molding, quicksilver. Lillea feels a pull on her heart, a warm pulse that draws her toward it. However, as the elven princess, she stays firmly in her seat and contents herself with only gazing upon its beauty. Yet it, as all the others, is put away, and, after some final words, everyone retires to bed.
It is barely even dawn yet, but Lillea climbs out of bed. Shivering in the morning air, she dons a light, green spring dress. Unable to help herself, she creeps towards the treasury in the High House where she knows the eggs are being kept.
The first door to the treasury has a spell on it to keep any of non royal blood from entering, and the second blocks any with ill intent. Lillea crosses the threshold with some trepidation. Did she hold ill intent? She does not even know what she is entering for, only that she must see them again. More specifically, the silver one. She mustn't have any evil in her heart, for she passes easily into the room. Right away, her eyes alight upon the flawless silver oval, and she goes moves soundlessly over to it, drawn to it as a magnet is drawn to metal, just as inexplicable as it irresistible. Holding in a breath, she reaches out to brush her fingertips across the living jewel.
