Elva stretched as much as she could from a lying position on her bed, then relaxed with a sigh. She smiled slightly to herself because today they were meeting Arya, Eila, and the dragons outside of Marna. The sun was rising, and it was bound to be a beautiful day.

With a soft groan, Elva removed herself from bed to get dressed in the bathroom they were sharing. Today, she would be wearing a black tunic that still fit well and dark grey trousers that were a little bit big. It had been hard to keep up with her growth spurts over the past month, but it seemed that was slowing down now as well, which was good. Her joints were able to acclimate themselves better, which meant less pain for her overall. It would be a while before she would reach a healthy weight, though. She wasn't emaciated, however, which was good.

Once dressed, she went to pack her things quietly to avoid waking Angela up. Instead, she nearly leapt out of her skin at the sight of herself, though she didn't recognize it at first. She thought someone had entered their room both unannounced and out of her range of senses, which was rather extensive excluding Angela.

Once the initial panic wore off though, she was able to see that it was only herself, and after a moment of intense deliberation, she decided to step closer.

With a tender touch, she pressed the fingers to her cheek as she observed the unusual sharpness of her features. Her jaw was angled, her cheekbones were prominent yet not disproportionate, and her nose was slightly pointed. Her eyes were large and almond-shaped as always. They just seemed slightly unnatural in their size. It wasn't too much to be noticeable, though. Her eyebrows were long and dark and the same could be said for her eyelashes.

With a soft smile, Elva realized she liked the way she looked. A monster didn't stare back at her like she had thought, and she almost laughed aloud.

She ran her fingers through her hair in an absent gesture but froze a second later when she looked at her ears. Pointed. They were pointed. Had they always been like that? She frowned. No… no they hadn't. They used to be round. Human.

With a soft gasp, Elva forced herself to sit back against the footboard of her bed so she could process this newest development. Her fingers absently rubbed her left ear, feeling how the cartilage came to a steep point.

"Is everything alright?" Angela asked and Elva jumped. She didn't know her teacher was awake yet.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. I'm okay." She said absently. "I just saw my reflection and I wasn't expecting to see what I did."

Rubbing her eyes, the Herbalist sat up, her curly hair a wild mess. "Do you like the way you look?"

Elva nodded with a soft smile. "I do, yes."

"Good, because I think you're pretty and you should think the same." Angela said as she stretched. "What were you not expecting?"

"My ears… they're pointed like Eila's or Eragon's or Murtagh's. Not like Arya's, hers are too long to be like my own." She scrubbed her face with her hands, then fell backwards onto the bed.

Angela frowned, then came to terms with the knowledge, then nodded with an accepting look. "You don't like it that way?" She asked.

"No, it's fine, I'm just confused as to why." Elva said as she stood again and approached the mirror that sat on the dresser.

"Perhaps it's because of Saphira's mark. You never know." Angela guessed, then wiggled her legs out from under a still-sleeping Solembum, and got up once she was free. The large Werecat grumbled to himself but didn't move otherwise. An annoyed flick of his tail let them know that he was in a mood now.

Elva shifted in place as she turned her head from side to side in order to see what she looked like in full. Angela drew open the shades that kept the room dark, and suddenly everything was too bright. Elva winced with a soft frown and Solembum buried his face in his front legs.

"Oh, it is going to be a beautiful day, don't you think?"

"Mhm." the young woman hummed in absent response. "Good for travel." She looked over. "They're getting close."

"Oh, then we should get going. Elva, I want you to eat something substantial before we leave, okay?"

"Yes ma'am." She drew the words out and Angela smiled.

"Good. Do you have everything packed?"

Elva shook her head. "No ma'am. I'm almost done, though. I just have to put my sleeping clothes away."

"Fair enough. Get yourself situated and we'll meet you down there." The Herbalist smiled encouragingly.

"Okay…" the young woman said with uncertainty. She didn't like going places by herself. At least… not here.

"It'll be okay, I promise." Angela walked over and took up Elva's hand, then dropped a pouch that clinked into her palm. Her teacher was still in her nightgown. "Get whatever you like, just don't eat too much and make yourself sick." Elva closed her eyes when she felt the Herbalist press a warm hand against her cheek. She couldn't help it. Something akin to touch starvation was beginning to gnaw at her insides and yet most casual contact made her uneasy. The whole concept was beginning to make her… sad, but she just did her best to not think about her overall loneliness.

"Yes ma'am." She tried sounding positive, but a look from her teacher told her it didn't work like she had hoped.

"Now is not the time for the conversation I wish to have with you now, but I promise we'll talk later."

At those words, Elva straightened with a confused yet grateful look just before she bent and pulled Angela into a rather uncertain hug. She's never really initiated one before, and holding onto Blodhgarm while he ran didn't count. Angela pulled Elva closer, hoping to make the embrace more comfortable for them both and held her tightly.

Reluctance came when it was time to pull away, but Elva managed to muster the courage to let go. A hug. Such a warm thing. It had to end, though. All good things do, and the same can be said for the bad. It's just a matter of waiting it out.

"Go on. We'll be down in a little while." Angela smiled and Elva nodded. "And don't you dare say 'yes ma'am' again. I'm not that old."

With a cheeky grin, Elva felt the urge to rebel. "Yes ma'am."

"Oh." Angela huffed and stormed off into the washroom, a smile on her face as well.

The light faded from the young woman's features and her shoulders drooped slightly. She shook her head and righted herself, then finished rolling up her sleeping clothes which she would add to the thick canvas knapsack Angela had bought for her in Ilirea before they left.

With one last glance at an annoyedly sleeping Solembum, Elva forced herself to leave the safety of her room. Her nerves were already on edge, and that worried her, because she didn't want to kill anyone like she had back in the castle. While that may have been due to Shruikan's influence, she couldn't be so sure. Not when she's gone through so many physical and emotional changes in the last few weeks. She was rather quickly losing confidence in herself the more she realized she didn't know herself as well as she thought.

The commons room was relatively quiet when she appeared. Only two people sat, spread out on opposite sides of the room, either eating or reading. She swallowed and approached the bar.

"Hello, lass. How may I help ya?" The tall skinny man who stood behind the counter said in a thick accent while he buffed the inside of a bull horn mug. He wore a warm, welcoming smile as he responded, and it helped Elva relax.

"Hello. I-I'd like to purchase breakfast if you have it." She couldn't help being unsure of herself.

"But of course. What would ya like this morning?" He proceeded to rattle off a long list of different foods and combinations thereof. It was long enough that Elva had a hard time remembering everything that was on it.

"Eggs and toast, please." She said confidently.

"Just eggs and toast, or would ya like honeyed ham with that as well?" He asked kindly.

She nodded. "Yes. Honeyed ham as well… uh, please." Right. Manners are important, Angela always said.

The man chuckled softly. "Alright. Honeyed ham, eggs and toast coming up. Sit anywhere ya like. Annise will bring it to ya." He nodded out to the commons and Elva turned.

"Thank you… when do I pay?" She said as she turned back to face him.

"Once yer finished with yer meal, of course. Ya want to make sure ya've enjoyed it, yah?"

Elva nodded. "Yeah… how much will I be paying you, though?"

The man reached up and pointed to a list above his head. Everything was marked the same. Ten coppers.

"I… can't read. Not yet, anyway, I'm still learning." She said self-consciously. She looked like a woman now and yet she didn't know all of her numbers yet or even how to work with them. Most women at least knew their numbers and a few basic sentences for when it came to cooking or helping the household to balance their finances.

"No worries. Ten coppers for anything on the list, and what ya've asked for is on the list." He smiled.

"Oh good, thank you." She at least knew how to count coins in that basic fashion. Counting to ten is all she needed for now.

"Yer welcome, lass." He smiled and nodded towards the commons where she hesitantly turned and picked a seat up against the wall in the corner.

Elva settled into a chair and did her best to not focus too much on her surroundings as they were distracting. The people around her kept her from not feeling their pain when they bit their tongues or burned their mouths on hot tea. Just then, an aching, twisting feeling manifested in her gut, and it was painful enough for her to have to bend over the table. Thankfully, it faded a few moments later and she was able to relax.

She didn't have to wait long before she learned where- or who- the pain was coming from. The food she ordered was brought out by a heavily pregnant woman who must be Annise, except she looked rather shaken and was trying to hide it.

"Here you are, love." Her voice seemed strained and only then did Elva realize what was happening.

"Thank you…" She tried holding her tongue but failed. "Please, I urge you to contact whoever is going to help you through the birth of your baby. She or he is coming very soon." The news that the baby was going to be a girl almost slipped. "You're lucky, though. The birth will go smoothly. Just remember to keep yourself as relaxed and calm as you can." Elva offered a soft smile.

"How did you…?" her question faded.

"I've been cursed by a Rider and his dragon to feel the pain of others. It was an accident on their part though. That being said, I can feel your contractions when they come." Elva said as gently as she could and Annise' expression fell to sympathetic sadness. "Please go. You'll find yourself filled with happiness by the time this is over. Time is time, it moves regardless through the bad and the good, the painful and the joyful. Please take care of yourself."

"T-thank you." Annise said softly, trying to focus on her next task.

"You're welcome. Thank you for the food." Elva smiled warmly.

"Of course…" the woman said as she nodded in thanks, her mind clearly was in a different place.

Their departure was silent and unusual, Elva thought as she turned her attention down to the warm plate of food. She picked up the toast and took a careful bite. She was nauseous from experiencing Annise' contraction, and she knew that if they didn't leave soon, she would at least have to sit through part of the birthing process. That was something she really didn't want to do. She looked up the stairs to find Angela and Solembum striding gracefully down to the commons and sighed in relief.

"Elva, you look pale." The Herbalist pursed her lips, expecting her student to explain.

"The woman serving the food here is pregnant and is going into labor." She said softly as she turned her gaze away.

Angela took a deep breath. "Oh I see. We should get going, then. Finish your food if you can. Take what you can't and eat it on the way."

Solembum pawed at her leg, silently begging for a piece of ham. She cut off a small piece and gave it to him, then ate her food quickly.

"Have you eaten?" She asked between mouthfuls.

"Yes, don't worry." Angela smiled.

"Please tell me it was solid and not one of your ration tonics." Elva looked at her flatly. The conversation was distracting for her.

"Nope, they offer better nutrition than most meals." the Herbalist smiled and her student groaned.

"Why couldn't I have-"

"Because you're growing and you need actual food. That's why." Angela chucked.

"But that's slowed down if not stopped altogether for now." Despite her distaste for eating quickly, she knew how to do it and not get sick.

"You'll get plenty of tonic rations or ration tonics or whatever you called them when we're on the road." she said as she reached down and stroked Solembum's large head, right between his ears. He closed his eyes and made a happy sound.

"Will they help me with my weight? I don't like being this thin. I know I look unhealthy."

"They should. I've made extras to help with that. Normally one or two a day won't do much to promote weight gain, but if you take three or more, it'll help in small ways."

Elva finished her food, then gave her plate to Solembum who was more than pleased to lap up whatever was left. Before long, the plate was clean, so she took it back to the man who stood behind the counter.

"Thank ya. I hope ya enjoyed it." He smiled.

"I did, yes, thank you." Elva nodded. "Please make sure Annise is alright for me. She's going into labor."

"She told me and I sent her home, of course." His voice was kind and Elva nodded.

"Here is your payment, and then some for good measure and gratitude." She held up one gold crown and set it upon the table. "It's not often we find kind innkeepers. Those who are are worth tipping handsomely."

The man's mouth dropped at the sight. This singular coin could keep his inn running through at least half the winter. "Oh thank you kind stranger…" he began.

She held up her hand. "My name is Elva."

Realization dawned on him and he straightened. "You helped take over Ilirea, didn't ya? That's where the stories follow ya. Ya're eyes."

"Yes, I did, but you know nothing of my existence here. I have my ways of finding those who betray me for coin and riches. What a rotten lifestyle that is. No meaning. No true happiness. Take care." She nodded, then turned to leave.

"Wait-" He called, and she stopped.

"Here." He grabbed something from under the counter and handed it to her. "This belonged to my son. He fought with the Varden and was killed. A family friend brought his body home to be buried, and a few of his belongings went to me and my wife. This is his shortsword, forged by the Dwarves in Farthen Dûr. I want ya to have it as thanks. He would have wanted that as well." He smiled sadly with tears in his eyes. "He always said a person lives on through his sword, so I'm passing him to ya. Please take care of it. All good swords have names, and this one was named 'Wrist Breaker'."

Elva straightened and clutched the sword to her chest, it's worn leather creaking against her grip. "I promise." She whispered, understanding the weight of his gift. "What's your name? I need a name if I'm going to accept this."

"Frederick. My son's name is Balton." He answered.

"Then, thank you, Frederick. I'll keep Balton's sword close to my hip and my heart." She smiled.

"That's all I could ever ask for. Now go. I'm sure ya're eager to get back on the road. Thank you for staying and please come back any time." he smiled.

"I will." She said wistfully and after a long moment, Angela guided her from the counter with a gentle hand on her back.

"Thank you as well." The Herbalist said kindly, then pressed another gold coin onto the counter. "My reasons are the same as hers." she smiled jovially, then left without another word, leaving the man staring down at the two gold coins.

The air was chilly when they stepped outside, and Elva's fingers felt nearly frozen when she belted the sword onto her hip. Angela then offered to hold her pack while she removed her cloak from it's interior, and she accepted. With a flourish, Elva slung the thick drape over her shoulders and fastened the clasp so it wouldn't come undone. It's much colder up north, she decided.

The pack was slung over her shoulders and she drew her hood back over her head to hide her face and to shield against the chill of the morning.

Together, all three of them walked through the rather peaceful town which had clean cobblestone streets swept by young boys wanting to earn a little bit of coin for their families or for themselves.

The houses were made of thick logs sealed together with mortar. The roofs were made of grey clay shingles and Elva liked the way everything looked. It seemed peaceful.

Marna was a large town full of trees which had no leaves except for little green buds that marked the start of the warming season. Elva liked warm. Not the blistering heat of Surda, but… just the warmth of a day where she could still wear pants and a sleeveless tunic and would be comfortable. She didn't much like dresses. They were too drafty.

Her mind wandered to different things as they left the city out of the northern gate. She kicked rocks across the road and she nodded to the guards who stood watch. She felt the sudden urge to crush the neck of one who whistled provocatively at her in return. She wouldn't ever do that, of course, not unless he intended to harm her and decided to act on it.

"Leave them be, Elva." Angela said calmly.

"I wasn't going to do anything."

"But you were thinking about it."

"But I wasn't going to do anything to them." Elva insisted and she heard Angela chuckle.

"How are your joints today?"

"Better." She sighed. "Thank you for letting me have some blue flower smoke. That helped a lot."

"How's your head?"

Elva looked over and smiled softly. "Not hurting anymore, thank you."

Angela nudged her playfully. "What are your thoughts on seeing our two Riders?"

Elva blushed deeply but changed her mind on what she was going to say. "Fírnen is rather nice to me. I'm excited to see him again. Arya will probably still be struggling with her pregnancy. I can't imagine what that would feel like. Growing a person inside your body. I don't even know what a kiss feels like." She said and shivered, then rubbed at her stomach absentmindedly. "I wonder if I'll be able to feel the sympathetic sensations of her baby if it causes her distress."

"That's an answer that'll be answered in due time." Angela smiled, then eyed her apprentice thoughtfully. "What about Eila?"

"What about Eila?" Elva asked pointedly.

"She might not be angry with you like you seem to believe." Angela said gently. "It's worth it to try talking with her. Be nice."

"I wasn't going to be rude to her!" Elva exclaimed. "If either one of us is going to be rude, it'll probably be her to me."

"Elva, like I said before, you don't know that she still holds anger towards you. Don't go into this with that assumption. If you do, that'll probably make things worse."

Elva looked up and saw Fírnen and Eylörís fly overhead. "It's hard to not…" she mumbled quietly and Angela reached over and rubbed her back comfortingly.

"The least you can do is try being kind to her. If that's not well-received, continue being kind. It'll show her that you aren't a bad person. Perhaps once you get to know each other better you could explain the position you were in. Just be patient."

They watched the two dragons land and get settled. They were close enough so that Eila and Arya could be seen as they dismounted.

"How are you?" Angela called in greeting as she picked up her pace.

They waited to be only a few feet away to answer. Elva trailed a few steps behind her and she could feel the eyes that were on her. She drew back her hood and pulled her hair together so it wasn't disheveled looking. Cloaks.

"We're well, the air is good for easy flying. If we can catch a draft, we might be able to speed our process to get home." Arya said with a smile, but then she frowned at Elva.

"Who is…" her words died in her throat when Elva looked up at her. Arya's jaw almost dropped. "Elva…"

"Yes, I know, I'm older looking." She volunteered, though she couldn't help her self-consciousness.

"You're almost as tall as Eila." Arya said. "When did you start growing again?"

"About two weeks ago when we left." She responded, but kept her gaze to the ground. She could feel Eila's eyes on her and she could feel the hostility bubbling under the half-Elf's impassive gaze. "It's a very… uncomfortable process."

Angela snorted. "That's an understatement." she reached over and once again, rubbed her hand against Elva's back to show her she was still there in case she needed something. "But you've been dealing with it well, I must say. I'm proud of you." She leaned over and pressed a kiss to the side of Elva's head and Arya smiled at the distasteful look on Elva's features. The gesture meant a lot to her, though, despite her unwillingness to show it.

Angela's attention shifted to Fírnen, who was quietly watching them. "I have something for you." She said before she went digging in her bag, then produced a jar of yellow jelly. The instant Fírnen saw what it was, he started wiggling with excitement as his pupils dilated. "Eila, I brought some for Eylörís as well to try if she wants to." Angela handed another jar to Elva. "Wait," she said when her apprentice started to move. "Here." She handed a wooden spoon over to Elva, who took it with her other hand. "Now go." She said with a smile.

Elva took a nervous breath, then walked over to Eila and handed her the jar and spoon. "Uh… here. Angela told me once that if Fírnen eats too much at one time, it'll make his stomach hurt and he might vomit. I don't know if that goes for Eylörís as well, but I just wanted you to know that to be on the safe side." Her violet eyes flicked to Eylörís, who eyed her curiously.

Eila took the jar with a careful touch. "Thank you." She said quietly and tension ran up Eva's back.

"You… you're welcome."

With a small nod, Eila uncapped the jar. "Would you hold this for me?" She asked, holding the cap out and Elva nodded, then accepted the small, round object. "Thank you." the half-Elf said softly before dipping the spoon into the jar.

The jelly-like substance stuck easily to the spoon, and Eila held it out to Eylörís, who sniffed at it, then accepted the treat by closing her large maw around it. Eila didn't let go of the spoon while Eylörís licked it spotless.

"I'm…" Elva started. "I… I know we got off on the wrong foot in Ilirea, but I didn't mean to… cause you any distress. I was bound to Nasuada to protect her and I didn't know if you meant any harm to her." She said softly.

Eila looked over at her for a moment, considering her words. "Arya explained that to me while we were traveling." Her tone was not unkind, but it didn't leave much room for further conversation.

Elva nodded with a slight frown as she gazed into the White Rider's piercing blue eyes just before they both turned her attention back to Eylörís. "That's good." She said quietly, feeling dejected.

With another nod to herself, Elva handed the lid back, then walked back over to stand next to Angela, leaving Eila alone with Eylörís.

"You were rude to her, you know." the white dragon said softly to her Rider.

"You know how I feel about it. I didn't ask to be held down by Vanir and Angela while they healed me. I didn't ask to be handled so roughly. I was happy enough in the comfort of my walls." Eila responded.

"Yet she's trying to make peace with you. The least you could do is be a little more friendly. After all, if she hadn't pulled you from the walls, you would have never met me, and yet I would have waited for you until we either found each other or you died." Eylörís snorted. "You brought the manhandling on yourself. If you hadn't fought with them, there would have been no need for a struggle." She nuzzled Eila's shoulder. "But your behavior was acceptable for the situation and I understand the mindset you were in."

Eila's posture drooped. Yes, she had been rude. "I didn't know what to say to her. You know I'm still angry about it."

"And you need to let it go, otherwise you both will remain on the opposite side of the coin." Eylörís said pointedly. "She's reaching out to make peace with you. Will you do the same?"

A long moment stretched on as Eila watched Elva from the corner or her eye. "I'm going to do my best, but I can't promise anything." She spoke aloud as she pressed her forehead to her dragon's long snout.

"At least you're going to try. That's what's important."

Eila smiled as she watched her cousin, Elva and Angela get caught up to the point where they began mounting a happy looking Fírnen. "We should get going. They're getting ready to go."

Eylörís hummed softly. "You should let Elva ride with you one of these days. I think it would mean a lot to her and it would be good for relation building."

"We need to see how these next few days are going to play out, then maybe I'll be okay with that."

"Fair enough. Come. Let's fly."

Eila smiled and leapt up onto Eylörís' back, then buckled her legs into the stirrups. She gave the word to let the dragon know it was okay to take off, and with that, they were airborne.

A/N: Alright, so I think was broken because I did try uploading this when I uploaded the others, but an error kept getting in the way. It's better now, though, thankfully.

Firstly, I really want to thank GliderPilot for commenting on every single chapter as they read, which is beyond awesome. To answer your question (when you get here), Eila and Eylörís are both self-created characters, though you may have been able to tell that by the time you read this, I don't know.

I don't have much to say about this chapter, though, aside from that I hope you enjoyed it. That's all, really.

I hope you all are doing well!

-Lady Arlo