Ever since the war ended, the gates to Ilirea were left open. The people relaxed and no longer carried weapons around with them. It's nearing a year since the war ended, and Arya is glad to see their world is returning to peace.
Fírnen landed softly on the ground before the gates and Arya unbuckled her legs from the straps on the saddle. He lowered himself and she leapt off, landing nimbly on the ground. The grass has grown back well, she realized.
She wore her black canvas trousers and padded tunic of the same color with a cloak the shade of pine needles pulled over her shoulders. She walked stiffly with apprehension as worry tore at her insides.
"Relax, Arya." Fírnen said calmly. "You're wearing your pendant and you really aren't showing as much as you think you are. You'll be fine."
She took a deep breath and continued walking. "I think it's cruel that you wouldn't help me with bending the light so I look like I usually do."
"There's no reason to take a risk on endangering your hatchling." He said. That had been his final argument. They fought over it for a long time the night before and once Fírnen realized he was the one who would help her cast the spell, he refused. Her own magical abilities are weakened, and her overall energy is on the lower side now because she's growing a whole person within her body. To put it lightly, she's exhausted.
She fixed her posture as they grew nearer to the gate, and soon found that Nasuada along with a few guards stood in precise formation across the entrance. There was a curious crowd who stood a long distance away as they were unused to the commotion. They all knew who Arya was from the war, and especially so now that she's both a Queen and bonded with a dragon.
Fírnen seemed to puff himself up more than just a little bit at the attention and Arya couldn't help rolling her eyes in annoyance as he strutted happily beside her. It's best to just let him bask in the attention. She could see Nasuada's smile from where she stood, and with long strides, she reached the Human Queen.
"Queen Arya, Fírnen, welcome back." Nasuada said happily as she moved forward to greet her old friend.
"Queen Nasuada, it is good to see you." Arya said happily and the two women grasped each other's forearms in greeting. Fírnen remained upright and proud. The only queen he would bow to is his own Rider unless the circumstances required it as a necessity. "I am happy to be back. Thank you for having us."
"Ah, no, thank you for coming on such short notice. There is much to talk about. This way, please. Fírnen, if you wish, you may stay with us or rest in the Rider's Loft. We are headed that way as well, though I'd perhaps like to speak with Arya about the goings on here as well as those going on in Ellesméra while we walk, unless, of course she wishes to ride with you and I'll meet you both?" She turned to look at the Elf who stood impassively while she thought.
"I'll walk with you, Nasuada." Arya responded. "Though on my end, there isn't much to talk about. A city that's existed for centuries doesn't change much."
"Then I will meet you both and let you catch up." Fírnen responded before leaning over to gently touch Arya with his snout, mainly to reassure her that she would be fine. She turned to him and instead brought his head down so she could kiss his forehead. "See you in a little while." She said with the hint of a smile.
"Have fun." He nodded and pulled away. He then suddenly leapt into the air and with two wing beats, he was airborne.
Arya held her layers of clothing in place while the wind rushed down on them. According to her and not to Fírnen, she felt being ten weeks pregnant is pretty unforgiving. He called it over exaggerating, and she called it truthful insecurity.
"He's very sweet to you." Nasuada observed as they both watched the midday sun glint off of his scales.
"He's my best friend." Arya smiled, a true and happy smile, something the Human Queen had not once witnessed.
"What's it like, your bond?" Nasuada asked, then gestured for them to begin walking towards the castle.
Arya followed but remained thoughtfully quiet for a moment to contemplate her answer. "His relationship with me is hard to describe, though if I had to, I would say we are closer than siblings ever would be. The love we share is similar to that of a parent to their child, except both of us are the parent and both of us are the child as well. Our bond doesn't feel familial though. We are more like an extension of each other. For example, through Fírnen I know Vanir is in the loft, helping him out of his saddle. He likes the way the smooth stone feels under his feet." Arya grinned down at the ground, now feeling his joy over being able to see his reflection in the polished floor.
"Interesting. Do the feelings you share pertain only to emotion, or can you feel each other's physical experiences as well, such as pain or pleasure?"
Arya almost flinched. The question came a little too close to the reason she's pregnant. "Yes, we share emotions very often and in more ways than what is easy to imagine. Occasionally, if the circumstances permit, we can feel what the other is physically feeling. Usually not, though. Why do you ask?"
Nasuada shrugged. "I'm just curious, that's all."
The Elf looked over at the other Queen. "You can ask as many questions as you'd like. I may not answer all of them, but I'll hear them." In truth, it showed that Arya was beyond passionate about being a Rider.
It was good to see how happy the Elven leader had become, Nasuada decided. She never used to seem this emotionally free.
"I do have more questions, but for now I'd like to catch you up on what you've come here for. Perhaps we will talk later over tea? Say, at dusk?"
"That sounds wonderful." Arya agreed.
"Fantastic. I'm looking forward to it." Nasuada nodded as she led them up towards the castle, growing closer and closer until they made it through the massive wooden doors.
The young leader sighed softly to herself. "Now, I've worked to keep this situation as quiet as possible, just for their safety. The letter you received was sent about a little less than a month after Eragon left. Before that, however, we've been doing continual safety sweeps throughout this castle because it used to be controlled by Galbatorix. We've found everything from residual wards to live traps and horrific torture devices of a magical nature." She paused to gather her words for a moment. "But… we brought Elva along with us, and she found a girl living in hidden tunnels that have been crafted into this castle. As it turns out, she was stealing food from the kitchens in the middle of the night and the staff was noticing that things were going missing, but they hadn't reported it. Elva found her but didn't pursue her. Instead she told both me and Angela, and we waited under wards that prevented her from being able to sense us. It didn't take her long to show up."
Arya frowned at her words. "Who is she, do you know?" As they spoke, they began walking up several flights of stairs.
The younger Queen shook her head. "She won't speak to us, but we do know that her name is Eila. We can guess she's about sixteen or seventeen years old and Vanir confirmed she is half-Human, half-Elf. From the very limited conversations we've had with her, she's very intelligent and possibly has had a formal education, but she refuses to say much. The mystery surrounding her may not go over well publicly and I don't think she would do well in that kind of spotlight either. She's incredibly shy. We've come to the conclusion that she has an abusive past, though we are doing our best not to assume."
"Huh…" Arya said in suppressed surprise. "I wonder which parent was the contributor to her Elvish inheritance. I can do some searching in our own archives in Ellesméra."
Nasuada smiled. "That would be fantastic. If you can get her to talk to you… I'm sure she knows something pertaining to her heritage. What matters the most now is that…" she paused and looked around, up the stairwell, and below it. "The egg Vanir carries hatched for her."
Arya stopped mid-step. "Why didn't you scry me?" Her tone was not unkind, but her eyes darkened.
"I don't think it's safe here yet." Nasuada said pointedly. "Galbatorix was here for a long time and I had to keep a constant eye on Eila because she's tried to run several times. Under the circumstances, a letter was the safest bet."
Arya sighed. "How long has it been since he or she hatched?
"Two months, about. She hatched and the first thing I did was send you that letter."
"She? The hatchling is female?" Arya smiled brightly again. After Fírnen and Thorn had come into the world, she hoped the next dragon to hatch would be female.
"Yes, and her name is Eylörís." Nasuada smiled happily, then led them out onto the Rider's Loft that overlooked the city, facing the west. To their left were the rooms in which the Riders stayed. To the right, a massive platform jutted out over the city with a small, three-foot wall that made the edge less dangerous. This one was simpler than the one she had in Ellesméra, though because both were created by Elves, the craftsmanship and the functionally were equally superb.
At the end of the open platform, Vanir was struggling with Fírnen's saddle and Arya sighed. "It really isn't that hard; I've been doing it by myself for the past month and Fírnen hates it because I'm-" She saw Vanir try to go about unfastening the saddle the wrong way and frowned. He was smarter than that and she just had to stop and watch him for a second. After a moment, she just smiled and laughed a little bit. "I'm not fast enough. It's a cumbersome saddle to hook him to and it takes time to make sure everything is where it needs to be so it's safe." Fírnen tended to get impatient rather quickly, and when he did, he had the urge to wiggle around "Luckily, it's not that heavy."
Nasuada huffed a laugh. "Oh… yes, he does seem like he can be a ball of energy." She agreed with a smile as they grew nearer.
As Arya approached Fírnen, the great dragon looked over at her and she petted his forehead.
"Get him away from me." He said to her and only her.
"What is he doing?" Arya asked him.
"He seems clueless and I believe he's doing it wrong."
"Vanir." She called rather abrasively, and the Elf seemed so deeply involved in his task that he hadn't initially noticed her. He leapt back and landed gracefully on the ground, though any Elf would know he actually stumbled.
"Atra esterní ono thelduin, pömnuria Dröttning." Vanir said nervously and bowed in the traditional Elvish greeting.
"Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr." Arya responded, twisting her right hand over her breastbone and bowing as well. Her tone was highly unamused though.
"Un du evarínya ono varda." He finished the greeting and stood.
Arya straightened. "Let me see what you've got so far." She almost sighed as she walked over to the side he's been working on.
Vanir moved aside and Fírnen automatically offered his back foot for his Rider to use. She stepped up and carefully clambered onto his back, being mindful of the way her form had changed.
"Vanir, for future reference, you'll need to undo the tires first." She pointed to the buckles that are tucked beneath the protective flaps that lay over the clips to protect them and the passenger riders. She pushed the flaps out of the way and worked the buckles. While the saddle did have many moving parts, there are some that can be left on for the next use.
For the next few minutes, she was busy showing Vanir how to take apart Fírnen's saddle and unloading her few belongings. He helped her take down the three top sections and then the large bottom one. Thankfully there was a track room that had been restored after such disuse to keep the saddle in for the time being.
Once everything was removed, Fírnen stretched so dramatically, his tail began to tremble and shake from the effort.
"Thank you, Vanir for helping me with that. By myself, it takes close to three quarters of an hour." That time is much faster now that she's been doing it on repeat every morning for the last two weeks.
"Why do you have a saddle for three people?" Nasuada asked curiously.
"I was to bring Roran, Katrina, and Ismira back to Palancar Valley. They rode with me and Fírnen for the first two weeks. I dropped them off and came straight here. Your letter came the day before we left."
"Speaking of travel, I have a proposition I'd like to ask about. Just like before, it's not urgent, but it is for another time."
"Of course. Over tea?" Arya offered and Nasuada smiled with a nod. "Over tea." She confirmed, then turned to the Elven Ambassador.
"Vanir, I'd like to introduce Eila and Eylörís to Arya and Fírnen. If you wouldn't mind retrieving them, it would be a great help." Nasuada smiled pleasantly and the Elf just nodded with obvious annoyance and left. It was clear he didn't like being ordered around.
"Is he giving you a hard time?" Arya asked once he was out of earshot.
"He can be a little difficult and he does reductively assume things of me and my advisors. I've dealt with worse scenarios, though." Nasuada smiled.
"He'll learn that his attitude won't take him very far. There was once a time when I was like that. Maybe not as bad as he is, but even still, I had the same mindset." Arya said kindly in return. "Perhaps I'll talk with him about it."
The two women watched Vanir knock on one of the doors leading into the guest quarters. He called to announce himself and after a moment the door opened. He smiled, then said something and made a gesture towards Arya and Fírnen. He stood aside and a girl with long black hair and bright blue eyes shyly exited the room. She wore dark grey trousers and a fitted thick white shirt that held an iridescent quality to it. She was followed by Eylörís, her dragon, who was of the same color as her tunic, except her underside was an icy blue along with the pads of her feet. The spikes that lined her back were white, though they also faded into a light blue at the bases.
The two walked close together and it was obvious Eila was nervous. Like Nasuada had guessed earlier, she looked to be about sixteen or seventeen. She kept her eyes down but couldn't help but gaze up at Fírnen with widened eyes when they drew near. He was huge compared to Eylörís.
Eylörís straightened when they walked into the vicinity of their new teachers and so did Eila. Arya offered a smile and held out her right hand for Eila to shake. She wonders if Vanir had taught her Elvish greetings. She chose a simple handshake because she knows there's a good chance Eila has seen a handshake before and knows what it means, considering she used to live in the castle walls. "My name is Arya, and this is Fírnen." She left her title out as well, knowing it can be intimidating.
Eila cautiously stepped forward and carefully wrapped her right hand around Arya's and gripped it firmly. "M-my name is Eila, and this is Eylörís. It's good to meet you both." She responded quietly.
"The pleasure is ours. I'm glad that there is the emergence of a new Rider pair so soon. Fírnen is not even a year old yet. He's getting close, though." She looked up and grinned fondly at him.
When they each let go, Arya presented her left hand to display the silvery oval that marked her as a Rider. In turn, Eila reached out and very carefully touched the mark with her left index finger. She then turned her left hand over to present the Gedwëy Ignasia that was also located in the center of her palm. She looked up hopefully and Arya's smile faded into a look of content.
Eila didn't smile, however, and nervously looked back down at Arya's hand. "Y-your mark is glowing. You're using magic?"
Arya sighed internally. Could she not get away from her pregnancy for at least an hour? Apparently, things are proving that no, she could not. She forced herself to smile anyways and hoped it was believable. "In a way. Perhaps I'll explain it later. For now I'd like to ask how you both are doing today." she responded. She hadn't realized her own Gedwëy Ignasia is starting to show activation all the time now. It used to just be when her hand neared the child.
Vanir's brow creased and she felt his mind brush up against her own. When he found he was being blocked by the pendant she wore, he pulled away.
Arya kept her eyes on Eila, but she knew he was suspicious of her.
"I'm… I'm okay. How are you?" The young woman responded, cautiously looking up at Arya, who was taller by a little less than a foot.
"Better now that I am no longer in anticipation for our introduction. Eylörís, how are you?" She looked over to the white and blue dragon with a kind gaze.
"I am well, now that I know we are not alone." Eylörís said. Her voice was lighter than Saphira's, Arya noticed.
"I'm glad." She smiled, then looked back to Eila who was still messing with her fingers.
Arya looked quizzically at her and she instantly let go of her new teacher's hand and took a shy step back. "Sorry."
"You didn't do anything wrong, why are you apologizing?"
"Y-you didn't give me permission to touch your hand and yet I-I just… I'm sorry."
Arya frowned when Eila bowed her head. Her body bent slightly as if expecting to be beaten. In response, Eylörís positioned herself in a discreetly protective manner so in case something were to happen, her Rider would be as safe as she could make it for her.
"I won't hurt you." Arya said gently with a slightly worried expression.
Eila slowly looked back up, then straightened. She nodded with a guilty look.
Arya looked over at Nasuada. "May I have a few minutes with my new students?" She couldn't help her smile this time. She has students!
"Of course. I'll be in my quarters if you need anything. Please, stay in whichever room you wish. The keys are located in the tack room and Eila has the key to it." Nasuada answered.
"Thank you." Arya said warmly.
"My Queen, I will also be taking my leave, though I would like to meet with you later." Vanir responded pointedly.
"Of course. I'll let you know when I am free." Arya responded in kind.
"Very well, take care." He said and together, he and Nasuada turned and left.
Only two Riders and two dragons remained standing under the stone canopy of the Ilirean Riders' Loft.
"Here, I-I'll show you where the keys are." Eila spoke up and walked quickly over to the tack room that existed at the closer end of the loft.
Arya nodded and followed, leaving their dragons to sniff and greet each other.
They headed into the large room where their supplies were kept. It was already unlocked from when they disassembled Fírnen's saddle.
As they entered, Arya took the time to look around. Everything from leather care to supplies hooks were located in different areas of the room. A smaller saddle had been created and was sitting next to Fírnen's. It must be for Eylörís.
"Here…" Eila pointed to multiple hooks that had been mounted into the wall. On each resided a loop of leather that held a single key. The fourth key from the right was missing, which is closer to the tack room than the castle entrance. "I-I chose this one." She pointed to the empty spot.
"Why that one specifically?" Arya offered a smile and looked over to Eila, who frowned in contemplative thought, considering if she should give the real reason or a short answer. She looked up at Arya and decided the truth would be best.
"It's almost equidistant from the tack room to the castle. I don't like odd numbers and there are eleven rooms, which makes it the first even number beyond the irrelevant even-numbered center, which is room six, and there are five rooms on each side of that one. The fourth room is the first even number to occur that isn't the sixth room." She looked down at her hands and fiddled with the keys in her hands. The single loop of leather held both her room key and the tack room key.
Surprised, Arya straightened slightly, then thought about Eila's answer. "Why is room six irrelevant?"
In response, Eila looked up with wide eyes as if Arya had been the first to not question her method and call it strange, but rather asked about the method itself. "The sixth room is an even number, but it also means there are six rooms on one side and five on the other, assuming you're not going to cut a room in half. If you remove the sixth room and call it irrelevant, you have five rooms on each side, which makes ten rooms, an even number. Divided in half, you're left with five, which is odd, so I chose the fourth room on the right. The right side is second to the left, as you read left-to-right, and the number two is even." Her cheeks reddened. "I'm reading it this way, facing east, because the night comes after day, the second rotation in the cycle. Eylörís also enjoys the sun on her back, and the sun falls in the west when the moon begins to rise in the east, and that marks the second half of the daytime cycle."
Arya didn't exactly know what to say after that. Instead, she focused on her task of choosing a room. "A solid choice." She looked down at the blue-eyed young woman. "I think I'll choose the second room to the right of your room, because it is even between your room and the tack room. The fourth room on the other side is far away from where you're staying, and I think I'd like to be closer in case you need anything. What say you?" Arya felt good when she saw Eila relax and smile a little bit as well. Her smile was more open and honest than the ones she's forced herself to give before when in the company of Nasuada and Vanir.
"A solid choice." She echoed quietly and Arya pulled the second key from the right off of its hook with her right hand, because the right is the second side, and two is even. She wonders if her new student thinks in numbers all the time, or even if it is an obsessive compulsion or just a simple brain teaser.
"Here, you should go get settled in, don't let me keep you. You must be busy and also tired from travel." Eila gestured nervously to the outside where Fírnen and Eylörís were playfully nipping at each other's tails.
"I was sent for by Nasuada because you're here. Nothing more that I could tell by her letter. You are not a burden to anyone, at least not to me or Fírnen." Arya said as gently as she could because she could see some of her younger self in this young woman. "But that is also a sound suggestion. I've been traveling for a month and I do desire some rest. Allow me two hours and I'll come get you and you can show me around if you'd like." Arya said with the hint of a smile.
Eila nodded. "That sounds good." She said shyly and turned, gesturing for her new teacher to follow.
Once back outside Arya smiled at Fírnen and grabbed her bag of personal belongings. "You two have fun. I'm going to go get clean." she said to both dragons.
"Go get your bath and relax, Bjartr Stjarna. You should think about scrying Eragon soon, we do have the emergence of a new dragon and Rider." he said happily as he leaped playfully away from Eylörís when she nipped at him.
Arya could only nod. She's not sure how well she would do at that task, given she's carrying his child. She's not ready to tell him either.
"Eila, I would encourage you to get acquainted with Fírnen as both he and I will be your instructors. Don't worry, he's friendly." She said in a friendly tone.
"I'll be sure to." Eila responded a little nervously.
"Very good. I'll see you in a little while." Arya said, then headed off into the direction of her new room.
A/N: Hello friends! Check this out, followed by my shortest chapter, comes one of my longest chapters! How neat!
As always, thank you for sticking around as long as eleven chapters (dang!) and I hope you stick around for many more! Thank you to those who have reviewed and to those who are silently enjoying the story. I do hope you like my new characters. I know they're just getting introduced and we don't have much insight on what their personalities are exactly, but they will develop!
Many thanks, much love, and stay safe, happy, and healthy!
-Lady Arlo