"I… see… you."
Eragon's eyes burned and Arya's arms jolted when their swords met with a teeth-jarring sound. His tactic had taken her completely off guard and for a moment was afraid at what he saw in her.
Her eyes flashed with something, and suddenly he had the upper hand. They switched places, offensive to defensive and vice versa. Her footing was eventually regained, but she never recovered from his comment.
Both covered in a sheen of sweat and panting, their swords met again and again until…
The blue sword went through her chest as does a hot knife through butter.
Arya jumped awake and sat directly upright, her breathing was frantic and shaky; her whole body felt clammy. Her left hand rested on her chest where the sword had entered and exited, feeling for a hole that wasn't there.
It took her a moment for her eyes to adjust to where she was, and she relaxed when she realized she was in her room. That was only a memory, twisted by a dream.
"It's okay…" she murmured to herself as her breathing calmed. Her hand had slid to her lower abdomen and she looked down, only to find that her Gedwëy Ignasia was glowing again.
She let herself fall back against her bed so she could stare at the ceiling and hope the shaking in her limbs would go away. Closing her eyes, she tried to go back to sleep, except Eragon's face haunted her from behind her eyelids, and she suddenly felt overwhelmingly nauseous.
Throwing the covers back, she half-lucidly ran into the bathroom where her body convulsed with vigor as she lost the rest of her supper from the evening before. Unfortunately, it was still dark outside, but at least she had a few hours until dawn. That is when they decided to leave yesterday.
In full, after she had received the letter from Nausada, she and Blagden had gone straight to Lord Däthedr's homestead to notify him about her modified course of action. It would be best to travel directly from Carvahall to Ilirea, which would take another two weeks. That extended her time away to eight weeks, meaning he would have to watch after Ellesméra for a longer period. Thankfully he didn't mind, and together, they notified the rest of her advisors and council members about the revised schedule. It was decided that he would resolve local issues and larger, more weighty decisions would need to await her return. She would scry him on a regular basis to check in and to resolve anything that needed her attention right away.
She took a moment to rest her head on the edge of the commode once she caught a break from the onslaught. Her breathing had calmed, and she already felt drained. Hopefully she would regain her energy if she could eat breakfast, but the idea was simply nauseating. At least she was able to finish packing and preparing the rest of the things she needed for their trip the night before.
She winced and released a soft breath, hoping it would control the waves of intestinal torment. Her eyes were already watery from the strain, and again, she was forced to empty her stomach, her entire being going rigid with tension.
At the end of the day yesterday, she spoke to Roran and Katrina last because they were the easiest to speak to and it was bound to be a quick conversation. The harness was presented to Katrina and Arya taught the young woman how to use it. She asked when they'd prefer to leave, which ended up being at dawn because Ismira was awake during the odd hours of the night and often slept through the morning. They were ready to go with the exception of immediate necessities, such as clothing, but that was easy enough to pack away when the time came.
Undertaking the monumental task of controlling her breathing, Arya let her left hand rest against her stomach again, only able to hope everything's okay for now and she's too disoriented to focus at all on her personal hesitations towards the matter. She let herself lean back against the opposite wall with her legs outstretched.
She closed her eyes, still trying to get over a dream that strangely sent enough fear through her to make her pause and think.
"Are you alright?" Fírnen asked, still sounding sleepy from just waking up.
"I'm fine. Go back to bed, you need to rest." She thought dismissively, connecting her mind to his.
"And so do you. Can I help?" He responded, slightly more awake.
"I know, and I don't think so, but thank you." She sighed heavily, but regretted it a few seconds later when she found herself leaning over the bowl once again. "I'm okay, I promise. It'll go away soon. There's only but so much food I have left to vomit, right?" She laughed humorlessly, then coughed when she found her throat was partially burned from stomach acid.
"I can get Rhunön."
"I said I'm okay, Firnen." She responded tersely.
"I'm only trying to help." He said, sounding a bit hurt.
Arya just took a deep breath and let it out slowly, knowing she was being harsh, but she's also not in the mood to be bothered. "I just want this to be over so I can sleep." She whispered to herself.
"I know, Firnen. I know." Her shoulders hit the back wall again and she stared up at the ceiling. "I'll be done in a little while." She winced again as her abdomen felt unusually sore. She supposes it's from being pulled tight for too long, so she let her fingers gently knead the troubled areas. She's never really had a history of vomiting before, and she's finding that the muscle group responsible for it has been terribly underused. It's why she feels so sore, she decided.
Ultimately coming to the conclusion that she wants to be finished, she picked herself up and carried herself back to bed where she curled up under the warm blankets. Her arms found her pillow and she hugged it close to her body as the churning returned. She decided to ignore it for now and make an attempt to go back to sleep.
She found no luck while she watched the sky go from pitch black to deep blue, signalling the time she needed to get moving. It had been a few hours and she had gotten not even a wink of sleep. She forced herself up and then to get dressed. Today, she would wear dark clothing: a black padded tunic and black canvas trousers with black boots. All articles of clothing will help keep her warm while in the air, but she brings a black cloak along with her, just to be sure. The seasons haven't completely changed yet and it's still chilly.
Once finished, she brushed her long black hair and pulled it back to keep it out of her way. She also donned her mother's amulet before heading into the tack room for Fírnen's new saddle.
The task was cumbersome as it broke down into four separate sections, otherwise it would be impossible to carry as one whole piece. Each seat is individual to the others and clipped together via a series of fasteners that lay flat against Fírnen's back. A large hardened leather plate is placed under his belly that spans the entirety of his underside. The thick straps of each saddle are fastened to this plate and cinched down to secure it in place. The whole contraption takes about an hour to put on with just one person.
Arya was relieved when the nausea faded slightly the more she moved around. She had gotten the leather plate under Fírnen and one of the saddles up on his back when there was a knock on the doorway leading to the Loft's interior. When she turned, she found Rhunön leaning casually up against the wooden surface with her arms crossed over her chest.
"I figured you could use some help with that, so I came over." She offered kindly. "And these are for you." She uncrossed her arms to reveal a canvas cloth bag that clinked when it moved.
Arya shot Fírnen a look before making her way down.
Rhunön handed the bag over to her despite her cautious expression. "They're herb mixtures that helped your mother when she was pregnant with you. Diffuse them into hot water to make tea. The majority of them have ginger as one of the ingredients, plus the ones I told you earlier. Islanzadí had an awfully hard time with the nausea and so did your maternal and paternal grandmothers. I thought it might be hereditary, so… here. It should last for your entire trip, plus a few weeks if you get held back." She offered a smile and Arya looked worried. Would it get worse?
"Thank you." She said shyly, gazing back up and feeling unsure of what else to say.
Rhunön smirked. "You've had a hard morning, haven't you?" Anyone could've seen the darkened circles under the younger Elf's eyes.
Arya swallowed and looked down guiltily. "It's not the best I've had."
"Which proves my point as to why I threw that together for you. It'll be difficult to travel while dealing with the rather pesky symptoms of pregnancy. Try to eat small meals throughout the day and having an empty stomach makes the nausea worse. Take it as easy as you can and listen to your body. Drink lots of fluids as well. That always is a good thing." Rhunön's warm smile and unexpected yet kind gesture as well as the more than helpful advice left Arya feeling more emotional than she thought.
Things are just difficult at the moment… that's all, she tried to tell herself.
"I… I'll do that, then." she knew she looked a little lost.
"Good. Oh, and here," the blacksmith pulled a long strap from her shoulder, and upon further inspection, Arya found it was a case that carried a single book. "Also for you. It's a book on pregnancy that I think you'll like. Your mother also made me promise to make you finish your lessons, and a thorough reproductive course happened to be one of them. I'm sure you've figured most of it out while in your travels, but it doesn't hurt to be, well, thorough." Her kind eyes remained upon Arya, observing her expressions and reactions.
The Green Rider hated that her eyes watered at the gesture. She was incredibly thankful for them, but enough to get emotional over? She didn't think so. When she looked back up, Rhunön's gaze softened. She arched an eyebrow, then gently removed the gifts from Arya's frozen fingers and set them on the ground beside the door before pulling her into a tight embrace.
For once, Arya didn't resist. Her arms cautiously wrapped around Rhunön's waist and held to her tightly, feeling as though she were a child seeking comfort from a parent. She and Rhunön were practically family anyways and it's been a difficult past few hours as well, she justified, when probably her changing hormones were to blame. She's seen enough irrational and illogical behavior come from those who are with child to know. That didn't mean she was okay with it though.
Rhunön pulled away and looked directly at her. "Arya, I know that you were avoiding this specific lesson for a reason, and if that reason is still valid, I want you to know that it'll be okay. It might not feel like it at the moment, but it will." She offered a smile and Arya nodded, then wiped her eyes.
"Sorry." She mumbled, despising that she's losing control over her own emotions.
"I understand." She chuckled. "Fírnen was my son, don't forget. I've been through what you're going through now. It's all normal, don't worry."
"It's still unpleasant." Arya said, attempting to laugh and found that she could.
"The majority of pregnancy is unpleasant, but it's worth it." Rhunön chuckled with warmth in her eyes then let go. "Now. I see you've got two parts of the saddle on. We need the other two. I'll get them and hand them up to you." The blacksmith said with finality and shot Arya a look when she opened her mouth to protest. She hoped she wasn't going to be treated as helpless the further along she gets.
"I can do things myself." She grumbled once she knew Rhunön was a safe distance away.
"She's just trying to help. I didn't send for her I hope you know that." Fírnen responded while Arya climbed up his side.
"I do now." She rolled her eyes, thoroughly upset with allowing herself to be so flaccid with her behaviors and emotions. Talk about being thoroughly embarrassed…
"Don't be so bitter. You made progress."
"Progress?" She hissed but was forced to back down from her anger when Rhunön came into view with the second saddle.
Reaching down, Arya grasped it firmly and together they positioned it and worked the clasps in silence. Rhunön disappeared again and Arya whipped right back around. "That do you mean, progress?"
"Allowing yourself to accept help when it's offered to you. It's not a display of weakness." He reasoned and blew a puff of smoke at her.
"When I let myself cry, it is weakness." She growled and felt him laugh, which only tweaked her anger.
"Be still, Fírnen, your saddle isn't all the way on yet." Rhunön reprimanded cheerily as she made her second appearance since leaving to grab the remaining seats. She's the only one aside from Arya who dared to say anything like that to him, but they are friends and he likes her.
He instantly settled and Rhunön lifted the last seat up to Arya, then helped her fasten the clips once again. Next came the girth straps which secured the seats to the leather underpanel. Working together, the two women were able to complete the process in a quarter of the time it would have taken Arya to do on her own.
"Thank you for your help… and for the gifts." Arya offered a smile and Rhunön touched her arm gently.
"It was nothing. I'm just looking out for you and I want you to be safe. It's good that you're wearing your pendant. It'll help keep this from the public eye, especially if you'll be seen in a court full of Humans. I have no issue with them, but it's undeniable that they're a sneaky lot."
"So are Elves." Arya shrugged. "And I'll wear it constantly. If Nasuada finds out, I suppose that's okay. She wouldn't say anything. I worry about others, however, so your point is unquestionably valid." Her mind flicked to Elva. The girl can see life, not just sense it. She worried if the pendant would work on the loose-lipped, magically enhanced three-year-old.
"Have you eaten yet?" Rhunön asked in a gentler tone.
"No." Arya sighed. "I, um, I don't really feel up to it, I appreciate it, though."
Rhunön chuckled. "If you weren't leaving for eight weeks I might let you off the hook, but you still need to eat. Come on."
"I agree. Go with her." Fírnen piped up, gazing directly at them lazily with one eye open and he could tell he was only getting on her nerves. He partly wanted to.
"Fine." Arya sighed and followed Rhunön down to the kitchen.
The walk was short and silent with Arya following Rhunön as she led them down the winding staircase. Once there, the older Elf immediately began going through the cabinets and pulling down an assortment of ingredients she would use to make something with.
"Sit. I'm making you food." The blacksmith commanded, but Arya remained leaning against the counter with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Let me help. You should eat something as well."
"You somehow got me to rework Támerlein for you. I'm using the favor you owe. Don't be difficult. Please take a seat." Rhunön said without looking over at the current Elven Queen.
Arya just frowned lightly, then did as she was told, at this point too exhausted to care. She sat and stared down at the table, suddenly interested in the faint scratch marks that littered the surface. They held a heavy history. Riders drank and made merry here. They lived their lives. Now it was just her and Fírnen in this massive home. Truth be told, she used to explore it as a girl, but some of those memories have faded and she hasn't been exploring since. This house holds many mysteries, but she refuses to touch the room Eragon stayed in.
"Rhunön?" She asked after a while of staring quietly at the wooden surface, her fingers tracing lightly over the marks.
"Hm?" She responded, concentrating on her work.
Arya hesitated. "I… I know the Name of Names. I could release you from the oath you took if you'd like. Hopefully the egg Vanir carries will hatch soon, and the new Rider will need a sword."
Rhunön's hands stilled over what she was working on for a moment before resuming. When no response came, Arya sighed softly to herself and continued gazing down at the table.
She jumped back when a plate holding a sandwich was placed under her face. She looked up and Rhunön's expression was grim and unreadable. She remained silent for a long time while Arya studied her with caution.
The older Elf finally sat down carefully and quietly, easing into her seat as if the entirety of her body suddenly hurt.
"Galbatorix eventually held Vrael's sword, Islingr, and before Vrael, it had been passed down from generation to generation, reaching all the way back to Eragon, the First Rider. That sword was the first I'd ever made for the Riders, and yet it caused their downfall. I understand that it is not the steel that is the enemy, it's the one who holds it, but I fear with that in mind, I may not be able to make another with my own hands, even if my oath was lifted." Rhunön said in a subdued tone that showed her grief over something so terrible.
"I understand." Arya said quietly. "Would you be willing to do what you did with Eragon, Saphira's Rider?" She questioned.
"That, I'll need to think about. We still have time, but when that time comes, there needs to be a reform in the way things are taught to prevent what happened with Galbatorix to happen again. Now eat. Roran and Katrina will be here soon." The blacksmith prompted, then tapped the table with her fingers. Fírnen must have relayed the new plan to her. It was either that or someone else had told her, but Arya knew Fírnen and was mostly confident in that assessment. He was her only source of leather, and they often worked together when he went hunting.
With that Arya picked up her sandwich and took a bite, paying close attention to her stomach's recent sensitivity. Finding she could eat without much discomfort; she became less cautious and relaxed.
"So," Rhunön began in a more positive tone. "May I ask what Nasuada wanted?"
Arya swallowed carefully to clear her mouth of food. "She sent a letter requesting our presence in court and that it was urgent. Nothing more. There wasn't a code or any oddities to the letter that may help me figure out what she means. Maybe she's just having an issue with her people, or perhaps she's found something Galbatorix has hidden. Then again, she said she was happy, so perhaps it's not something bad. I suppose we'll just have to see for ourselves."
Rhunön raised an eyebrow. "She didn't scry you, nor you her?"
"No. We determined that if one of us sends a letter, it is of utmost urgency. Anyone could overhear the conversation we have by means of scrying, and perhaps she doesn't trust her magicians. In fact, I know she doesn't trust them. Not yet, anyways. She's attempting to outlaw the use of magic in the Broddring Empire. I don't agree with that, especially when she intends to keep magicians around her as guides. Her people will see fault in that soon enough and desire to rebel. I've seen this sort of thing happen, but on a much smaller scale." She informed, then paused and took another bite of sandwich, watching the sun shine brightly against the wall. Roran and Katrina should be here soon.
"I see. Then I can only wish you the best of luck and to stay safe. Protect yourself, Arya. You're not only important to the Elven nation, but also to your dragon and the Rider cause. If that's not enough, you have a baby on the way." She laughed slightly. "I want you to finish that before you leave, as I must go. Take care." Rhunön smiled. "Oh, and don't forget to read your book." She pushed the chair out and stood, then rounded the table. She pressed her hand to Arya's cheek. "Don't worry." She smiled, then left.
Feeling confused, Arya watched her leave, then returned to finishing her food, thankful for the absence of nausea. She was almost finished anyways; it was only a halved sandwich. Smaller portions more frequently… right.
She found herself staring off into space. The oppressive weight of everything was starting to close in over her chest again and suddenly she was drowning. The world around her twisted dreadfully and she felt the cold steel of Brisingr's blade slowly and painfully slide through her chest. She reached up to her breast and gently touched the area, once again finding no hole.
A warm hand touched her shoulder and she leapt backwards, jumping much higher and going much further than what seemed natural. When she regained her sense of things, she immediately calmed her demeanor.
Before her stood the young Human family, each with a stunned and almost frightened expression plastered on their faces, except for Ismira, who slept soundly in Katrina's arms. They toted four bags; one on Katrina's back, and Roran carried the other three, which he had set on the floor. They all wore heavy travel cloaks of Elvish make.
"Sorry… I didn't mean to-" Roran began nervously and Arya just shook her head and cleared her throat. She straightened and composed herself to the best of her ability.
"It's not your fault. Please excuse me for one moment." She smiled politely and took her plate to the counter and washed it before drying it. She quickly set it back in the cabinet, then turned to them.
"Now that that's out of the way, I hope you slept well, we have a long day ahead of us. Come, I'm sure you're eager to get home. Here, I'll help you carry your things." She nodded as she straightened her shirt and took a deep breath. Roran nodded nervously and handed her one of the bags, which she found had some weight to it, but it wasn't bad at all.
She turned and led them up the stairs and into the tack room where she pulled a leather bag from a hook as well as her sword belt. She fastened the belt around her waist then pulled Támerlein from it's display hooks and sheathed it. She lifted the pack and slung it over her shoulders. "Roran, would you help me carry these out onto the porch? It's easier with two people. Grab as many as you can carry. Leave the packs here for now. We'll get them in a minute." She offered, gesturing to the bucket of clips that she had carried inside the night before. Fírnen was none too happy about that as the container is heavy and then expressed his concerns about her doing things of a similar nature now that she knows she's pregnant. Something about not straining herself. He ended up just getting glared at.
"Of course." He said quickly and nearly rushed over to help, dropping his load in the hall before entering the tack room. They both dug out an armful of the small devices, and Arya led the way once they were ready.
Katrina followed them out back and smiled happily at Fírnen who lifted his head for his Rider and guests. He shifted proudly when he noticed the young woman observing him with wonder in her eyes.
"Fírnen, you always seem to get more magnificent every time I see you." She smiled and walked over to him while Arya began giving Roran instructions on what to do.
"Many thanks, Katrina. How is your hatchling?" He spoke deeply into everyone's minds as his golden gaze shifted down to Ismira. The girl was already in her harness, sleeping soundly. He's happy it's comfortable for her.
"Asleep, thankfully, but well." She smiled brightly and Fírnen decided he would miss her smile. Elves smiled, yes, but he didn't think they smiled enough, not purely anyways. Even when Arya smiled, it was sometimes sad or riddled with the weight from her past. He will never forget the look of pure joy and awe on her face when he hatched for her. She nearly cried.
Meanwhile Arya had shrugged her own pack off by the doorway along with the gifts Rhunön had brought. She then helped Roran fasten the clips onto the large metal rings that lined the back and sides of the saddle. Luckily, since they traveled relatively lightly, the weight wouldn't be hard on Fírnen at all, and perhaps their trip would take less time because of that. It's been about two months since they last traveled like this. He's grown bigger and stronger, which they know usually means faster too.
From there, the two retrieved the rest of their belongings from the tack room and brought them outside. Together, they fastened each to the saddle using the clips they had already set up. All the while, Arya kept an eye on Fírnen who was happy to be fawned over like a king.
Once they had finished securing the existing luggage, Arya took the moment to place her book and herbs in her pack while Roran relieved Katrina of her own. He placed a kiss on her forehead, then took the bag and proceeded to fasten it to the saddle.
Arya closed her eyes for a moment and touched the pendant that lay on her chest, still feeling shaken up and a little jumpy. She stood and quickly fastened her bag to the front of the saddle where she would sit. It already contained her travel rations and a change of clothes; plus some coin should she need to buy anything.
The next thing to do was to check the saddle straps once again and help everyone get settled.
Katrina was the first to mount. She sat in the middle, which was determined to be the safest location. Both Arya and Roran helped fasten her legs into the stirrups. They clipped the long straps of Ismira's harness to the saddle and made sure she was secure and sitting comfortably in Katrina's lap before Arya helped Roran into the last seat. She secured his legs as well, then checked to make sure everyone was okay before leaping up into her usual spot: the front.
Once her own legs were buckled in, she gave a quiet signal for Fírnen to take flight, and just like that, they were off.
A/N: Hello once again! I know I said I had three more chapters written now three chapters ago, which meant this chapter would come sooner than it did. I decided to rewrite it completely, and I'm still not all the way pleased with it. It's certainly not my best work in the world, but that's what I get for literally plowing through writer's block like a bull in a China shop :) I was able to make amends to the absolute nonsense I had written and it shaped up okay, considering it's the longest chapter I've written so far. Anyways, I wish I could do more to thank everyone for reading this and sticking around with me, because I've never felt so much support in my life when it comes to my writing. So for now, I suppose I can just say 'thank you' once more and leave you with another chapter.
(I know this note is getting long) I have also changed my username quite a few times, but I found one I like, so that's going to stick around for a while. I do apologize for my indecision on that front, but I've also never posted any of my writing anywhere and I'm still figuring this thing out. I literally have thousands of pages in multiple google documents and I've finally decided to share something that's not total garbage. That being said, I have growing affections for this community full of real people! Thank you all once more, and I hope you are staying safe and healthy!
-Lady Arlo