"This one's grey." Eila's eyes widened as she held the seventh egg in her hands. She smiled brightly at the small egg, it was about half of the size of the rest, which were all about a foot or a little less than a foot in length. The majority of the eggs were about the same size as the first violet egg that was pulled a few days beforehand. She wondered about this one.

She handed it up to Arya, who felt its weight in her hands. "It seems too small to be a dragon egg." She observed, then turned to Fírnen, who bent to sniff at it.

"And yet it is." He confirmed.

"How unusual." Arya smiled fondly as she carried the egg over to Eylörís. She opened the saddlebag and gazed in at the three eggs already uncovered. Orange, yellow and turquoise. The other bag contained three eggs as well, so the weight on Eylörís' back was evenly distributed. One happened to be a soft pink color, like that of mountain roses; it was nearly white. A black one and a green one that was several shades lighter than Fírnen resided next to the pink one. Both sets of eggs were cushioned with blankets and capes from guard uniforms that had been donated to the cause.

Arya placed the small egg in the saddlebag, making sure it was safe before returning to her position of watching over the operations beside Nasuada, whose gaze was fixed intensely on the crane which continued lowering chests safely to the ground. She would look at the eggs later, the safety of her men was of utmost importance to her. She trusted Arya to focus on the Egg aspect of the operation.

It had taken roughly three hours of hard labor to remove half of the chests that resided on the shelves within the hidden room beneath the castle's common interior; the dungeons. Several large crucibles were brought down by Nasuada's men to hold the Seithr-ridden gold that resided within each chest, which would then be melted down and poured into usable septims. The hooks used to remove the chests the first time were applied to opening the lids once Elva unlocked them, and shovels were used to carefully extract the gold, which was then placed in the crucibles. Should there be a casket for an egg, the casket would be removed with a hook and set down carefully away from the gold. Arya and Eila were the ones to handle the eggs after that.

"Another one!" One of the men cheered when he extracted another casket for an egg. He brought it over with an excited grin and set it down carefully in front of Eila. "What color is it?" He said, his grey eyes alight with curiosity as he knelt across from Eila, his passion for dragons was beginning to get in the way of his status. Eila didn't mind and Arya just watched the two interact with curiosity.

"Dark red, like… like wine." Eila smiled as she pulled out the largest egg they've retrieved thus far. She handed it to him, and he looked down at it with a boyish wonder that reminded Arya of Eragon.

He cradled the egg in his arms as carefully as he would a newborn baby. "I'm so glad we're able to remove these… who knows how long they've been locked away…" he said tenderly, an affectionate smile on his lips. "I should get back so I'm there if they uncover more. This is turning into a long process, but I welcome it." His smile became kind when he looked back up. "I'll be back when we find another." He handed the egg over to Eila, who took it carefully. She watched him run his hand through his shaggy light blonde hair to push it out of his eyes before he stood. He gave her another kind smile when he noticed her looking at him before leaving and she glanced down at the egg to hide the blush that ran to her cheeks.

Arya walked up behind her to take the egg, but a knowing smirk lit her features. "You fancy him." She said quietly.

"No I don't." She mumbled and handed the egg to the Elf, knowing her new teacher could see right through her insistence.

"Mhm." Arya hummed sarcastically as she carefully grasped the stone-like object. "Anyway, I feel like I need to take a walk, I've been standing still for too long. Are you and Eylörís okay by yourself for a little while? Fírnen is going to remain here as well." She asked. Eila looked over with a frown and very gently did Arya feel the young woman brush against her mind for mental communication. Arya gladly granted permission and a suddenly worried expression caught Eila's features.

"You're okay?"

Arya nodded. "Yes, but I do think it's the baby. Before he was with me, standing for long periods wasn't much of an issue. I'm finding that, unfortunately, isn't the case anymore." She offered a smile to help Eila relax and not worry so much.

"You're sure you're okay?" Eila asked anyway.

"I promise. I'm just a little achy. Are you okay here by yourself?" Arya asked again.

Eila nodded. "Yes, I think so." She spoke.

"Good. I'll be back in a little bit." She smiled and carried the egg over to the saddle. She stowed it with the rest, then made her way to Nasuada, who stood by two guards.

"I'm going to go take a walk. I'm entrusting Eila to take care of our task." Arya informed.

"Is everything alright?" Nasuada frowned, but Arya just smiled.

"Yes, a walk is all I'll need. I'll be back soon." She said reassuringly.

"Go ahead, I'm not going to stop you." Nasuada smiled with a beyond friendly quality. "Thank you for letting me know, though."

Arya just smiled with a nod, then quickly strode down the hall will regal poise.

Unbeknownst to her, Angela watched her leave and sent a questioning look to Nasuada, who gave a slight shrug. "Elva, I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" the Witch Child asked with a frown.

"To talk to Arya." she answered, and Elva nodded and returned to her task of unlocking the chests for the rest of the handling process. It was easier than taking the time to pick the locks.

"Even though I appear as a child, I am not a child." Elva said with a certain level of venom in her voice. She was grumpy today, and the best thing anyone could do when Elva was in a mood, is let it roll off their shoulders.

"I wasn't implying that. I was just asking if you were comfortable enough being left here on your own to help." Angela corrected.

"Then yes, I'm comfortable staying here." Elva responded darkly and groaned with utmost annoyance when Angela leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"Good, behave yourself." the Herbalist said sternly. "Okay?"

"Fine." Elva rolled her eyes and continued unlocking chests even as Angela stood and strode away. She gave a telling look to Nasuada, who simply nodded in encouragement, equally as curious about the Elven Queen.

Arya ended up being already quite a ways down the long corridor, so much so that Angela had to almost sprint to catch up. When she did, she was met by a silent look of curious and almost judgmental observation, which she returned in the exact same quality before opening the bag at her hip and fishing out two elongated ovoid stones, both of green jade. She handed one to Arya, who took it cautiously with a suspicious glint in her eyes when she realized they possessed a magical quality.

"Now nobody will be able to hear our conversation. They won't be able to see us either. It's a simple matter of bending the light, though I'm sure you know about that." Angela stated casually and Arya's shoulders seemed to droop slightly before she regained composure.

"I'm not quite in the mood to talk, though I appreciate it." the Elf responded and tried to hand the stone back. Angela just pursed her lips, pressing them into a fine line of slight frustration before she sighed. She didn't take the stone, but rather gently touched Arya's hand and guided it back to her side. She carefully noted that the Elf's free hand was trembling slightly by her side. Something isn't right, she decided.

"Arya, listen. Though I am most curious about how you're faring through the beginning stages of motherhood, I'm actually here to speak about traveling back to Ellesméra with you. Things like travel routes, stopping points, and what to do about rations. I know you aren't used to traveling with a large group of people, let alone a new Rider, but I urge you to consider my suggestions. There will simply be a lot of people to herd back to your home, which is why I'm asking about your opinion on if Elva, Solembum and myself should meet you and Eila at an inn somewhere. I'm not finished trying to convince Nasuada that it's not a good idea to outlaw and ban the use of magic entirely. I personally think it's a recipe for disaster. That's why we are to be delayed." Angela said simply.

"Fair enough." Arya agreed and gestured for Angela to follow her as they walked. "Is there anything I can help with when it comes to attempting to change her mind?"

The Herbalist nodded. "I think the best you or I could do is offer our opinions on the matter and then suggest scenarios that would seem more like a compromise. For example, I would propose that she begin a school to teach magic safely and that only trained magicians are allowed to use magic publicly. They'd need certification. The exception would be Elves." Angela smiled up at Arya, who was at least six inches taller.

"I agree with that. Before I received the letter of invitation that brought me here, that was one of the topics I wished to urge her to listen to. She gives the impression that she is paranoid about magic to begin with and that is a weak point for a ruler. You're right, it puts a target on her back for any other empire who wishes to try to overtake Ilirea." Arya sighed quietly, seeming suddenly weary and slightly concerned. "You wanted to talk about where to meet once you were finished with the items that would delay you?" She didn't sound impatient or at all irked by Angela's presence, but it was clear she felt… off.

Angela nodded, picking up on Arya's body language. She wondered if the Elf knew she was projecting. "Yes, I would propose that we meet you halfway. Say, Marna, a short way east of Gil'ead?" Arya frowned at something and concern struck Angela in the chest. She stopped and grabbed the Elf's arm. "Something's going on with you and you're not saying anything about it. If it has anything to do with your baby, now isn't the time to be the stoic, silent person we all know you to be."

Arya's impassive look cracked slightly, and Angela could see the anxiety that she has spent years practicing on how to cover up. "Arya. Nobody will hear, our conversation is private, says the stone in your hand and my in my own." The usually positive, bubbly tone Angela came with by default grew dark when she watched Arya's throat bob with unspoken words and hesitation.

"Pain… in my lower abdomen. My lower back, too." the Elf's words came weakly, without an ounce of confidence as worry seemed to rupture every thought.

"Are you bleeding?" Angela asked quickly.

"I don't think so." Arya responded as her eyes flicked between both of Angela's, trying to glean some sort of answer.

"That's good, but we're going back to your room. On a scale from one to ten, how much pain are you in?" Angela asked without an ounce of jest in her voice.

"It's not that bad… probably a… four or five?" Arya guessed, not used to questions like this as she began overthinking what each number would feel like using her past experiences to go by, and she has a lot of those.

"Can you walk with ease?" Angela quizzed and Arya nodded. "Yes."

"Good. I believe haste would be favorable if you can manage." The Herbalist remained positive and once Arya nodded, together they began walking at a relatively fast pace.

"Is my Rider okay?" Fírnen asked, his mind rather forcefully entering Angela's, though not roughly or painfully. He was worried in a way Angela had never felt from a dragon before.

"At this point, I'm sorry to say that I don't know. I would advise you to continue overseeing the operation with Eila and Eylörís, for Arya's privacy and safety. I know how hard that is, but if anything adverse happens I will tell you. You have my undying word." Angela said as she gently reached over to hold Arya's hand, and was then entirely surprised by the fact that the Elf only flinched at the contact. She didn't pull away, though the Herbalist was aware that Arya couldn't shake the negative thoughts surrounding such uncertainty.

"Thank you." He responded with as much anxiety as his Rider.

"You're welcome. Would you let Nasuada and only Nasuada know about this in explanation for our absence? Elva needs to stay where she is. I will contact her if she is needed, though I would prefer to keep her away in case of the worst, which I am almost sure won't happen. I don't want her to experience something like that just yet in her life." She said calmly as she watched Arya's features rather closely to assess her mood and how to handle the next few steps.

"Right away. I'll let Eila know when you say it's okay. She is sensitive to things like this, though her knowledge is quite extensive from what I've witnessed." Fírnen offered.

"I will call for her audience if or when it is needed." Angela said rather shortly when they neared the Rider's Loft.

"Very well. Take care of my Rider." Fírnen said soberly and pulled away.

Angela's attention instantly returned to the Elf next to her, who took careful steps, but also looked like each one pained her. "How are you doing? Is it any worse?" The Herbalist asked gently, rubbing her thumb across the back of Arya's hand.

"The same I think." She replied quietly, nervously, gently brushing her other thumb over her belly, too anxious to reach into brief meditation to feel if her baby was okay. She needed to calm down significantly before she could even consider it, which made her beyond angry with herself, thus fueling her extreme sense of uncalm.

"That's good, and your back?"

"The… same." Arya replied with a shaky tone as they approached her room. Angela squeezed her hand before letting go to open the door. Once they both were inside and the entrance was shut, the Herbalist turned around to find Arya's bright green eyes full of tears caused by worry. She's never seen that before. She's not sure anyone aside from perhaps Fírnen has either.

"It'll be alright. Sit on your bed, close your eyes, and describe the room to me." Angela asked and Arya frowned slightly but did as she was told as she carefully eased herself into a sitting position on the very edge of the mattress. She splayed her free hand out over her belly and closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself to calm down. "The room… it's made of stone." she began. "From where I sit, the washroom is to my right and a desk sits in the far-left corner, beside the door, which is in the center of the outward wall."

"Good." Angela encouraged as she removed the shawl that covered her shoulders along with the small bag she pulled the stones out of. She set them on top of the dresser that sat across from the bed. "Keep going, but I want you to lay flat on your back now."

Arya took a deep breath and opened her eyes to remove her shoes, then laid back carefully, pulling her legs up onto the soft surface. She ended up lying diagonally across the bed due to her height, which Angela thought was humorous.

The Herbalist concentrated on her task, connecting her mind to the child while Arya was focused on the room around her. She could only catch brief glimpses of the child, but couldn't see much more than that and frowned heavily, so she approached the bed and gently laid a hand on Arya's arm, hoping the contact would help. When it didn't, she looked to the necklace the Elf wore, which was the only piece of jewelry she wore. "Is your necklace enchanted?" She asked.

"Yes. It shields the child from magicians or from anything else." Arya answered, opening her eyes to look up.

"That's okay don't take it off. I have my ways around that. Take a deep breath and relax yourself. Are you still in pain?"

"Yes…" Arya said just before closing her eyes again. She followed Angela's directions and took a deep breath.

"Alright, keep your eyes closed. I'm going to lift your shirt, that's all." Angela said gently and Arya nodded. "Okay." she said, obviously feeling self-conscious about it.

The Herbalist took the hem and brought it up so it revealed the entirety of Arya's abdomen, leaving it just below her breasts. She then placed her fingertips against the Elf's belly. "Moi du ília eka huildr pömnuria lam." change the place I hold my hand, Angela whispered and sent her power into Arya's flesh, causing it to simply take on another form without changing the material itself. Under the location of where her hand resided, a section of skin became completely clear, revealing Arya's internal organs without the flesh being legitimately exposed. Most importantly, she was able to see the baby, exactly the way he was, suspended in the fluid that surrounded him. His toes still moved, and Angela breathed a sigh of relief, though it was revealed that Arya had bled, though it was rather minimal and still within her body. She's thankful Arya hadn't noticed that yet, otherwise… it would have been bad because she most likely would have panicked, which, in turn, would reveal her situation to a whole room full of guards.

"Do you feel okay still?" Angela asked. "Is the pain still there? It looks like your uterus is just a little bit irritated, that's all."

Arya's eyes snapped open. "The baby's okay?" Her eyes frantically scanned the other woman's.

"Yes, he looks fine. If you want, you can see him too." Angela smiled and simply pointed. Arya sat up with a frown, but that frown quickly turned to horror. "What did you do?!" she shouted and squirmed away, but Angela was there to stop her with a strong hand on both of her shoulders. "Nothing that would harm either of you. Just relax, you're fine and your insides are not open either. It's the same concept that the Elves used to make those stone windows behind you when they built this place. I know because I was there, but that's beside the point. Just breathe and relax yourself before you actually do hurt yourself from panic." Angela let go of Arya's shoulders and straightened, watching the Elf gain the courage to look down at the single space of clear flesh that inhabited her entire pelvic region. The window stopped around the joint of her legs and just under her navel. It didn't wrap all the way around to her back either, simply stopping halfway around her sides.

Arya sat up and looked down at herself, her eyes widening when she saw her baby. "T-that's him… he's…" a gentle frown haunted her features. "He's there." she carefully touched the area directly over where he could be seen, curled up. She could see his hands and feet, his body, and his face…

"His ears are pointed…" She whispered as a gentle smile spread across her features and Angela watched the tender moment between a mother-to-be and her baby.

"Aren't all Elf ears pointed?" Angela asked with a curious frown.

"Yes, but his father is Eragon and Eragon is Human." Arya said without much thought. She paused and cautiously looked up at Angela who had a massive smile on her face.

"I had a feeling." She chuckled softly and sat on the edge of the bed, facing Arya, whose gaze had already returned to her baby, doing all she could to commit the image to memory. "Have you told him?" The Herbalist asked.

"Yes. I bit part of my tongue off in the process." Arya chuckled, but never looked up, too engrossed in her task to do so. She seemed… young… to Angela in that moment.

"You did?"

"Mhm." the Elf confirmed. "Is there a way I can do this? I know it's magic and my own abilities are starting to… fade as the baby grows. The book I have with me says that's normal."

Angela's eyebrows raised. "Oh… technically, yes, though it takes a massive amount of skill to change your skin's appearance as the spell is meant for stone. I hesitate on letting you do it because it is difficult, and I know you wouldn't want harm to befall your little one. I can change it back now, or if you want to watch him grow throughout the rest of your duration, I can leave it. In that case, I can change it back for you after he's born." She smiled kindly and observed the Elf while she contemplated her answer over a long period of time.

"Can I think about it?" She asked, then flinched when she watched her son brush his foot up against her insides. She got to see and feel it this time.

"Of course you can." Angela smiled. "Just let me know before you leave."

Arya nodded, then looked up. "Thank you for helping me." She said quietly. "I was about to panic." she added regretfully.

"I know, but you had every right to. A miscarriage is nothing to laugh at, but I assure you that your baby is safe and sound. I do want you to take it easy. Flying is okay because he's still securely attached to you, but your insides do look irritated. Have you been remembering to drink lots of water?" Angela inquired.

Arya simply shook her head. "I'm not as good as I'd like to be about that. These past few days have been… stressful. As much as I like visiting with everyone here… I'm pregnant." She sighed. "I feel like it's getting harder as each day passes and I don't know if that's normal or not. I don't think I've ever been so worried about something. It's at the point where it makes me sick and it's like that all the time unless I ignore it."

Angela watched the Elf cover herself back up and fix her shirt, then as she sat up with careful movements. "It's normal to worry, Arya. Despite not having any children of my own, I've seen plenty of women go through the same things you're going through. I also know that Eragon's absence also makes you uneasy, I can see it in your eyes. I am aware that this baby was created while you were under the influence of Fírnen and that Eragon was under Saphira's influence, therefore rendering this lovely little lad a delightful surprise. Magic flows very strongly in him already even in this early stage." Angela reached out and grasped Arya's left hand- her free hand- and looked down at the brightly glowing silver oval on her palm. "Riders weren't allowed to have children while being actively on duty, for several reasons. The ones who did were either retired or had lost their dragons and desired a bond that was at least vaguely close to the ones they had with their dragon. I say this because there weren't any two Riders who had a child together, meaning, you are the first female Rider to bear a child of another Rider, just as Eragon is the first male Rider to father a child of another Rider. Your body is responding differently, but you're still healthy and on track for my guessed gestational age."

"Which would be…?" Arya pried while also trying to absorb the information Angela had just given to her. She wasn't aware of Riders not being allowed to have children while in their active years. She's only really heard of their training styles or their battles when she was going through her history lessons back when she was still very young.

"Between ten and twelve weeks." Angela said with confidence and Arya just nodded shyly. "I'm almost eleven weeks along. You were close."

Angela reached up and gently pressed two fingers to Arya's forehead, ironing out the creases of a light frown, then slid her fingers through the Elf's dark hair until her palm rested on the back of Arya's neck. "Promise me you'll work on how much you worry. I know you can't just will it away, but don't ignore it either. Your mind makes you worried for a reason. It's responding to new instincts that are forming, new traits to your personality and I can guarantee you that your True Name will change as well because of that. I understand that the prospect of becoming a mother is beginning to feel overwhelming, but let it wash over you and pick that feeling apart. Recognize your thoughts, fears, anxieties, what have you, and work on each of them in an organized manner. Spend time with your baby through mental contact or through simple touch and speech if the first way makes you too uncomfortable just yet. Practicing your Rimgar positions aren't a bad idea either. Physical activity is good for the baby, but so is proper rest. It's a balance you'll recognize as long as you listen to your body."

Arya watched Angela for a moment while she absorbed both the new and the familiar advice. "Then… there's nothing wrong with me?" she asked quietly, causing the Herbalist to chuckle slightly, though it made Arya feel a little stupid for asking, despite the question being genuine because she didn't know the answer.

"Sweetheart, you're fine." Angela's smile remained even when Arya frowned lightly at the familiar nickname. It's been a long time since they've talked like this; in private seclusion, about something Arya felt horrifyingly worried about. Angela is acutely aware that the Elf didn't feel like she could talk with her mother about things she felt upset by or concerned about when she was younger. Islanzadí had Rhunön to go to if she needed advice. Arya had Angela and despite being upset by that fact, Islanzadí eventually granted Angela her own permanent living space while she stayed in Ellesméra, specifically for her daughter's benefit once she realized she went to Angela for advice instead.

"Promise me you'll work on it?" Angela repeated and Arya nodded.

"Eka otherúm eka weohnata." I swear I will. "It's for the benefit of my son, I would without a doubt do that for him. I don't want us to be distant like I was with Islan- um… my mother." Arya replied with a sadness Angela understood with a deeper meaning than most. In truth, all Arya wanted was to be accepted and loved by her mother, and was instead ignored and cast out, leaving her feeling invalid and rejected for many years.

Angela reached over and hooked a finger under Arya's chin to bring her gaze back up. "While you both have some of the same mannerisms such as your silent demeanor or the way you look when you're thinking, you are vastly unlike your mother. You favor your father in many ways and I genuinely think he would have been a fantastic parent, meaning, so will you."

The Elf frowned, feeling strangely confused. "You're honest about that or just trying to make me feel better?" she asked, feeling skeptical and Angela chuckled. "Both."

That caused a soft smile to play on Arya's lips. "Then… thank you. That means… more to me than you may know."

"Well, you're welcome. Now, do you want me to reverse my spell from earlier or do you wish to think longer about it?" The Herbalist inquired.

Arya blushed. "I think I'd prefer to keep it like this for now. I… feel the need to show Eragon. He can't be here and he's already expressed the desire to help raise the… baby… because I'm… having a baby." Arya's features grew worriedly anxious again and Angela squeezed her hand.

"Yes you are having a baby, but focus on finishing what you were saying."

"No, I was done…" Arya said faintly, becoming absorbed in her mind again as her thumb rubbed at the stone in her right palm.

"Oh. I'm glad he's supportive. I'd have his hide if he wasn't, but I think he loves you too much for that to even be a possibility. Do you know where he is now?" Angela asked.

Arya nodded, though she felt her heart clench at the word love. "Well, as you know, he left off of the southwestern shore, between Feinster and Aroughs and had intended to sail west. The Eldunarí and the Elves helped him look for suitable islands or continents in that direction, but they didn't find anything so now they're sailing south. If that direction doesn't work, He'll probably end up sailing eastward. It just depends on what they find. He wants this place he's looking for to be close enough to Alagaësia so it isn't dangerous for relatively new Riders to cross over."

Angela smiled. "Out of all the ideas he's had, I think that one is pretty sound."

At that, Arya laughed, truly and happily, nearly falling back against her pillow. Angela laughed lightly with her until they both calmed from their fit, but she could tell Arya was left feeling empty from loss, and her expression reflected just that.

The Herbalist's features softened and sobered as she continued observing the Elf's features. "You love him too, don't you?" She asked quietly and Arya's expression twisted in pain as her eyes filled with tears. "Yes…" she whispered, barely able to make a sound, so she nodded just in case.

The Herbalist frowned sympathetically and brought herself forwards to wrap Arya in an embrace she clearly needed.

The Elf was able to accept the gesture, her hands balling into fists as she held tightly to the older woman, seeking comfort. They stayed like that for a time as Arya worked to regain composure. Angela only spoke when she no longer felt the Elf trembling against her.

"I know it's hard, but you two will come together eventually and then you can talk about it. Just… perhaps use physical contraception next time, unless you want more kids." She said and Arya flinched.

"We did use contraceptive wards… both of us did." She pulled away with a deep frown. She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "But I know that's not physical or alchemical or medicinal…" she said rather grumpily.

Angela didn't look surprised. "And yet you still love your son in a way unique to motherhood." She started confidently and rested a hand on Arya's baby bump, causing her to flinch a little bit. "This baby ties you to Eragon. He loves you and you love him. This child was still created with love in your hearts despite having been influenced by your dragons. That is what's important to remember. Your family is growing again; your body holds a whole new life. Enjoy this because it is special. It'll get easier as you grow closer to your due date, I promise. I'll even help you with the birthing process if you'd like me to."

Arya smiled a little wearily. "You would?"

"Of course." The Herbalist said with an affirmative nod.

"Then… that would make me more comfortable." Arya said shyly. "I've… I've decided I want to attempt a natural birth free of magic unless things go wrong."

"May I ask why?" Angela squeezed Arya's hand.

"I want to know what it's like. I've heard people say that it's the worst pain ever felt and part of me is skeptical about that. I've been hurt so much in my years of living that I've experienced almost every sensation imaginable when it comes to pain. Well that and I won't feel like a valid parent if I didn't try." She answered truthfully.

"Fair enough, I understand your reasoning, though I would urge you to read into it some more, just to familiarize yourself with what happens." Angela advised.

"I'll be sure to."

"Good, now I think I'll leave you be now. I think people may be starting to realize our presence is missing. I want you to stay here and do some self-exploration to help you get more comfortable with your pregnancy. Please remember to drink water, it's good for you."

Arya smiled. "As much as I'd like to go back, I also feel like staying here, so I'm going to listen to you. Make sure Eila knows I'm okay. I've already let Fírnen know."

Angela frowned lightly. "Then I'll need to bring some lemon curd to make it up to him. I told him that I would tell him immediately, though that didn't happen because we started having an important conversation." She made a face while she proactively tried contacting him but was met with an irritable wall on his end. "Nope, couldn't get through. Two jars it is, then." She amended and Arya laughed a little bit.

"Was it you who introduced him to that stuff? We got back to Ellesméra once Eragon, Saphira, and the Elves had left, and he asked me about it practically within the same hour of arriving. Luckily, Elves do make things like jams, jellies, and in this case, curds. I ended up contacting someone who does know how to make it just so he could have some again. Angela, my dragon has a sweet tooth." Arya started laughing again at how comical it sounded.

"Then yes, that would be me." She grinned. "We had a fun time together when you ended up stuck in meetings. He told me he liked lemon things, so we wandered the shops here and I got some for him. You should have seen his eyes when he first had some; his pupils widened so much you'd think it was pitch black outside." She laughed and that just spurred the Elf on a little bit. "He looked like Solembum when he gets a whiff of Catmint."

"Just make sure he doesn't eat the whole jar at one time. He'll vomit if you do. I learned that the hard way." Her smile lingered at the memory. Apparently, dragons are sensitive to sugary things… unless that just pertains to Fírnen.

"Then I'll be sure to only give him a single spoonful of it when I get back." She smiled. "Keep care of yourself. This operation should be over soon anyways. It's already been three hours. The guards will need to be fed and they'll need some rest to stay well, but after that, they should be okay. The same goes for you. If you need anything, just ask."

Arya's gaze softened. "I will. Thank you, Angela."

"You're welcome. Get some rest. You might still be a little sore, but that's okay. You might see some blood too, but don't worry about that. I checked, you're fine."

"You're sure?" She looked worried already.

"Positive. Now rest. I'll be in to check on you a little later."

"Okay…" Arya responded just before Angela leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She handed the stone back, which Angela accepted with a gentle touch. She placed them back into her bag before donning it as well as her shawl. "See you later." She waved, then left without another word and the room was instantly draped in silence.

"See you later." Arya said quietly once the door was closed. Her mind went to her baby again and she pulled her shirt up over the section of transparent flesh, her eyes finding her baby nearly immediately. She briefly looked at her other organs, like her intestines or bladder, but her little Juniper caught all of her attention rather quickly. Her eyes were drawn to him like a magnet.

She let her hand feel the nearly completely clear skin, curiosity beginning to override her hesitations.,

The area felt the same as her skin, well, because it was still her skin, but it just seemed so… unusual. She wondered what dirt would look like on its surface, or if she was injured, would her skin remain clear or would it change back? Her baby moved again, and she felt content to just watch him some more, allowing her nails to run across the surface of her skin as she did.

Squirming a little bit uncomfortably due to her sensitivities, Arya shifted as she now did her best to focus on her baby. Instead… thoughts of self-exploration took on a different meaning and she frowned. She carefully got up off of the bed and walked into the bathroom where she proceeded to fill the tub, deliberately attempting to ignore it.

She ended up being able to find her 'lounging' clothes as well as empty her bladder before having to shut the water off. Her heart almost stopped when she noticed the blood Angela was speaking about, then remembered the Herbalist had said it was fine and forced herself to relax.

Except… the feeling which would lead to desire still didn't go away and she cursed under her breath. She practically shoved her whole arm into the water to check for it's temperature, then yanked it back out when it burned. Too hot.

She growled under her breath at her own irritation and discomfort, then proceeded to stalk about her room. Her trousers caused friction against already sensitive skin, so she saw fit to discard them. Fírnen would already be imparting words of wisdom, but he wasn't around to do that.

She walked back into the bathroom and discarded the rest of her clothing. The water had thankfully cooled enough to be comfortable and safe for both herself and her baby. She climbed in without another thought and paused, then sighed loudly with irritation. Of course the water had to make it worse. Her knuckles were practically turning white the tighter she gripped them into fists because the voice in the back of her mind wished Eragon was here to help her.

Her thoughts then began relenting because at this point, she just wanted relief. Why her own random and sudden desire to touch herself was growing to be nearly maddening eluded her entirely. Without Fírnen here to distract her with offering the obvious, she had nothing else that could come close to stopping these foreign emotions.

But… maybe they weren't bad. Maybe they served a purpose. Perhaps it was something someone in her position simply needed to do. Was it simply because of the baby? Did she have a choice? Or is she just losing her mind and all of her self-control with it?

That's exactly what had happened.

With a relenting and highly relieving sigh, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to shyly indulge in another, more adult definition of the term 'self-exploration'.

And it ended up being fine.

A/N: I grin cheekily.

Yup, I believe I am just going to write really long chapters now. I hope that's okay with you guys. I just don't want to bore you.

Anyways, we're getting closer to the next steps in the story! It's moving right along, yes, yes. Oh! I almost forgot to mention that we are almost at the end of the alphabet. If you haven't noticed, all of the chapter names are in alphabetical order, this one included. I have to say, twenty-four chapters, a little over 100,000 words, and literally a hundred pages of extra stuff I ended up cutting out... I'm surprised and proud of myself.

Thanks for reading and commenting, for those who did that. I find myself obsessively checking the comments thing to the extent that I have to hide my phone from myself to get things done. I don't do the social media thing or the texting thing too often, well actually I have an Instagram thing, but it don't use it a whole lot, but that's beside the point. I just post pictures of my cats, plants, flowers, art that isn't mine but that I think is pretty. Boring stuff. I'm on a tangent now and I've spent close to twenty minutes writing this Author's note so I'm going to shut up now. I still love you guys.

-Lady Arlo