Black sand welled up around his bare feet when he jumped out from the small boat he and three other Elves took to shore. The ship had to be docked further out to avoid running up into the shallows, which would effectively strand them as it would cause extensive amounts of irreparable damage.
Inky blackness swelled around the rest of their bare feet when the others jumped out to help take the boat to land, muddying the nearly crystal-clear waters that surrounded them.
"Pull the boat all the way up onto the shore." an Elf woman named Raeth called to him and he nodded. "We'll help receive the others when they come."
"Of course." He smiled, then gritted his teeth while he tugged on the rowboat. "Saphira, how are you doing?" He asked within the bounds of his mind and a quick flash of cloudless air surrounded him.
"Wonderfully, Little One." She responded happily.
"I'm glad to hear it." He replied. "Would you help us with the Eldunarí?"
"Of course." She almost sounded offended. Another quick flash and she was diving downwards towards them. Eragon looked behind him and paused to watch his beautiful blue dragon tuck her wings and legs close to her body as she plunged into the water several meters from the ship.
"Saphira, please be careful when you do that. We don't know how deep these waters are anymore. The clarity of them can be deceiving."
"I was being careful." She said defensively and he couldn't help his smile.
"She is happy, I see." Raeth said kindly.
"Yes, she is." Eragon confirmed as he turned back to continue helping them dock their little boat. "She misses Alagaësia, though. It's where she was born and raised. Her parents were born there and they lived out their entire lives there as well. She and I both are a little homesick." He smiled.
"That's understandable." Kenri volunteered. He was a tall, golden-haired Elven male. He's the only Elf Eragon had ever seen whose hair was golden. Raeth's hair was a dark brown, and several of the other Elves had black hair. Some had silver, white, blonde, red, or mixtures of those colors.
"Are you homesick?" Eragon asked as they finally pulled the boat up onto the black sandy beaches.
"Perhaps sometimes," Kenri grinned. "but then I remember why I'm here, and I suddenly remember that my current purpose is to help raise the next generation of dragons and Riders alike. That purpose is where I find my home."
Eragon considered that for a moment while they all helped drag the boat further up onto the shore. "I must say, every time I speak with you, I find that your outlook is full of wisdom. May I ask your age?"
Kenri shrugged. "Seven hundred and ten this fall."
Eragon nodded. And he was only eighteen. "Thank you for trusting me with that knowledge."
"Of course, Ebrithil." he chirped happily, then walked with long strides into the cool, almost chilly waters to help receive the next set of Elves. These ones carried chests filled with Eldunarí.
On the ship, a loud clang was heard, causing everyone to look up. The large iron grates that separated the deck from the stores were drawn open to reveal a large casket that contained both eggs and Eldunarí. Perched to the side, Saphira waited for her signal to help work the mechanism responsible for hoisting the casket out of its holding location. Once given the 'okay', the mighty blue dragon pulled down on the chains, lifting the casket into the air. Below, several Elves pushed the grates back over the holes so Saphira could set the casket down, which she did so with as much care as she could muster. Once the container was unhooked, a harness was attached so she could hoist it up with her when she flew to shore. The process would need to be repeated twenty-four times before the ship was fully unburdened.
"I'm glad we had some time to work with the trees here." Raeth said as they accepted the smaller boxes filled with the smaller Eldunarí. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have a safe place to keep the dragons."
"How did the endeavors of last night go? I'm sorry I didn't ask this morning." Eragon inquired as he watched the most recent boat sail back towards the boat to unload more equipment, supplies, or dragon-related items.
"They went well." Kenri said. "The trees here contain violet wood. I was pleased to work with them when we began working on our temporary structures, though these trees are challenging to handle as they are very old and very dense." He looked back at the edge of the forest. "A pleasure and a challenge." His golden eyes flashed.
"How much were you able to get completed?"
"Individual sleeping quarters for all of us, assuming we will be sharing our spaces with the Eldunarí for protection until we can familiarize ourselves with this island further. From what Raeth, Blödhgarm, Faren, Nraim and I managed last night, we haven't found anything hostile towards us, but that doesn't mean nothing exists."
Another boat ran ashore carrying the smaller boxes of Eldunarí, and once more did they help unload the cargo. They sent the boat back towards the ship once everything had been taken out and stowed for later transport.
"That's a fantastic start." Eragon said with a smile. "Please allow me to help you further this evening. I have much to learn and I am eager."
"Of course, Shadeslayer." Blödhgarm said smoothly as he stalked up behind them. He had been busy organizing the items from their own boat. "It is only proper that we teach you further and guide your practice."
"Thank you." Eragon nodded. He still was getting used to being around Elves who were… more traditional. Arya, he realized, was the most human out of all the Elves he's met, but then again, she did spend much of her life around humans. His expression fell. He hoped she was okay. It's been over four weeks since he's spoken with her, and the worry was definitely gnawing at his stomach. "Blödhgarm, have you spoken to anyone in Alagaësia recently?" He asked impulsively.
"To Lord Däthedr just yesterday to inform him of our progress. Normally, I would scry Arya, though we both know she is preoccupied at the moment and also that Däthedr remains in her place for the time being until she returns to Ellesméra." The cat-like Elf looked at him pointedly and he stiffened.
"Has Däthedr heard anything from her?" Eragon asked and Blödhgarm cocked his head slightly in thought.
"No, he hasn't. The last time they spoke ended up being when she still was in Ilirea, same as you. Eragon, you must understand that traveling takes a toll of its own. You must be patient with her." His gaze softened and Eragon sighed.
"Patience is different from worrying for someone and it's hard for me to not worry about her. My mind automatically goes to the worst scenario possible for our situation, and I don't want her to be alone through that if it comes to pass." He switched to mental communication as he hasn't told the other Elves that their queen was expecting a child in the next eight months or so. He wasn't even sure she was still… no… no, he can't think like that.
Blödhgarm rested his hand up against Eragon's back. "She would tell you right away if something like that happened. I've known her long enough to be certain of this. Despite the pain it would cause her, she would do the right thing and let you know as soon as she could. If what you've told me is accurate, she should be past her fourteenth week, meaning the risk of miscarriage is far lower than it was before."
Eragon turned to him, his eyes suddenly looking ages older. "She's still alone. I know I should be with her through every law of nature there is and yet I'm farther from her than I've ever been. Tell me what more I can do for her because you and I both know she's struggling with the changes she's going through. It's not fair to her that we're separated." The anger in his eyes flared and he looked back out to the sea, positioning his body northwards, where he knew Arya was.
"You must try to find calm in this turmoil, Shadeslayer. It'll do nothing but hurt you. The best you can do is to continue trying to contact her, and if she doesn't answer in two weeks, contact Lord Däthedr to inquire about her welfare. It seems he knows about her condition as well."
Eragon's head snapped back over to look at him again. "Who else knows?" He almost growled.
"Only Däthedr and Rhunön are aware, to my knowledge."
The Blue Rider took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. "When I'm able to return, I'm not telling her." He said through clenched teeth. "She will only tell me to not come home, but she is more stubborn than I am sometimes. I am to be a father soon, Blödhgarm. I refuse to be robbed of the chance to see my son take his first breath because of duty. There are things I plan to do to keep the operations here moving while I'm away so there will be less of a gap in our progress." his eyes softened at the thought of Arya having to give birth alone. It almost brought tears to his eyes because he knew how afraid she would be. It would be much harder on her if it were that way.
"I can't stop you, but the Eldunarí can. I would suggest speaking with them about this before you do anything rash. I understand your motives and your worries because they are my worries as well. I also would advise telling her of your plans. She has the right to know as the mother of this child you share together." Blödhgarm said sternly. "You need to show her respect in order for her to trust you. After all, she has control over how often you see your son. I'm not implying that she will try to keep him from you, but if you hurt her, she will retaliate in ways I'm sure you could not imagine." he looked very pointedly at the Blue Rider. "Arya does not play games."
"I'm not trying to play games." Eragon said hotly.
"Then explain to her your intentions, discuss the plan should you decide to leave as well as for how long. You need to include her in this." Blödhgarm said calmly, then walked forwards to receive the next boatful of items from the ship while Eragon stood there, processing their conversation.
"He has a point, Eragon." Saphira spoke up just as she delivered the first casket full of Eldunarí and eggs.
"I know he does… I just… it makes me so angry that I've left her alone in Alagaësia with a child on the way while I'm here, hundreds of miles away to fulfil a duty that could have waited a few more months. I left because I had no other obligations to Alagaësia. My only task was to the dragons; to you and to our future. I'm angry that our wards failed because of the position it's putting her in; of the position it's putting our child in. I'm not upset about the child, I'm actually quite excited to become a father, but I know this is hurting her. I know she's scared and alone and confused and probably angry as well, though she'd never admit to any of these things, because Arya is Arya and she's constantly a very stoic individual. My issue is-"
"Eragon."
"She won't let me in even if I tried to help-"
"Eragon!" Saphira snarled and a jet of flame erupted from her maw. "Calm down!" She exclaimed into their mental link. "Focus on the task at hand. It'll help you get your mind off of it. Scry her this evening before bed just to be sure and once more tomorrow morning, as she told you the best time to contact her is usually in the morning."
Eragon sighed and felt like sinking to his knees, but he remained upright due to sheer will. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her snout in an attempt to hold himself together, but without his consent or control, tears began leaking from his eyes as he clung to her tightly. "I can't keep doing this…" He whispered. "It's hurting me."
"I know, Little One. I know. Things will resolve themselves in time. Perhaps once she is back from her travels she will contact you. It shouldn't be much longer now."
Eragon nodded and straightened before wiping his eyes to help with his composure.
"Don't worry, Eragon. The mother of your child is nearly a hundred years older than you. Trust her like you do in battle. Trust her like you do in negotiations. Trust her like you do in bed. She may be young to this sort of situation but trust her to work with you. She's probably still adjusting. You know how she is." Saphira spoke soothingly. "Give her time to learn about herself in this new setting."
He nodded again and offered a soft smile despite the embarrassed blush that burned his cheeks. "Thank you, Saphira."
"Of course, Little One. Now, get back to work. We have a long day ahead of us." She encouraged, and he smiled with more confidence this time.
A/N: I KNOW THIS CHAPTER IS SHORT. I wrote it last night after sudden inspiration hit me while I was in the shower. I finally went to bed at, like, 1:30am Narnia time, and I regret nothing. I also started writing a good portion of the next chapter as well and I like where this is going now. I feel a lot better.
TO SERGEANTWESTOVER: I missed you and I'm glad you're still interested in this story! Whenever you see this, I hope you're doing well and I hope you like what I've done with this story thus far!
TO ORACLE OF HYLIA: You're awesome for commenting so much, you're engagement often makes my day. Also, yes, I have read TFWW, though that was about two years ago when it first came out. I was going to make this story fall in line with that story, but it would mean Arya would have either kept the baby a secret or she miscarries because she isn't spoken of very much in that book. I think her absence, if she was pregnant, would be due to either of those things. I don't like how canonically she and Eragon practically drop each other because of their duties. I can't see how they're that busy. I actually have a lot of writing where a miscarriage was the initial plan. I have a sore history with that myself and refused to continue writing in that scenario. Actually, I currently refuse to post any of that. Too painful. I also couldn't see her keeping an entire child a secret from him, that's just... mean and entirely against the Elves' beliefs when it comes to babies.
TO GLIDERPILOT: Once more, you're awesome for commenting on every single one of my past chapters. It's so cool, you have no idea. Also, in response to your question about Arya hiding her pregnancy from people via magic, the thought there was that because she doesn't know a whole lot about pregnancy in the first place, she's nervous to try anything that might hurt the baby. Fírnen is also in the same mindset and would refuse to help her even if she wanted to give it a try (her ability to use magic is waning due to the baby's development). He only knows how much she knows in this instance. If she were to try hiding the changes in her figure, it would be by bending the light so that an illusion covered her. That might only work if she were to stand still because the light would need constant readjusting. Simply trying to hide herself with clothing takes a lot less energy and is tons safer than magically inducing something similar to what's called a 'cryptic pregnancy'. I would suggest googling that if you're curious, it's complicated to explain. I hope this helps! :)
TO EVERYONE ELSE: I love you all, I really do, and thank you for sticking with me 3
-Lady Arlo