Arya shivered and pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, then resisted the urge to cough.
"When was the last time you were sick from illness?" Angela asked as they flew over the extensive and very old forest of Du Weldenvarden. Ellesméra could be seen in the distance.
"I'm fine, Angela." She responded but didn't turn around.
"Regardless, my question still stands." The Herbalist leaned forwards and gathered all of Arya's hair up to begin combing her fingers through the healthy length. It had grown several inches since she first cut it while they were on their way to Palancar Valley.
"I don't remember, probably while I was with Durza, but a lot of my memories of that time are hazy and incoherent."
Angela rested her hand on Arya's shoulder. "Sweetheart, I really don't think you feel well. For starters, you sound miserable."
"I'm just tired."
"Says the cough that's been following you around for the past two days. You're not going to fool me, I know you too well." She said as she began braiding Arya's hair to keep it out of her way.
"I am tired, though." She insisted, then covered her mouth as she coughed several times in quick succession into her cloak when she couldn't resist it any longer.
"I know. We're almost home. Take a nice warm bath and then get some sleep. Eat when you wake up."
Arya nodded, but didn't say anything else, favoring to simply close her eyes and lean back against the saddle seat. Angela was right, she didn't feel well. Her skin was cold and clammy, yet her forehead burned. An unproductive, dry cough set her lungs on fire and she couldn't do anything about it because she couldn't use her own magic. Fírnen was cautious about helping her because of the baby… actually, everyone was that way, even Eila who had expressed concern before everyone else. In truth, she needed to go see a healer whose knowledge was far more extensive than others in this area of practice.
For now she just focused on enjoying the feeling of the simple physical contact that was the activity of having her hair braided.
According to muscle memory, Fírnen landed softly on the familiar deck that connected their woven Loft to the outside. Eylörís was behind them shortly after.
Solembum jumped down first, followed by Elva, who winced and suppressed a groan when the wooden surface jarred a shockwave through her aching legs. Fírnen crouched and Angela slid down next. She reached up and helped Arya dismount, who was relieved that she didn't have much trouble with the simple task.
Eila leapt down and began undoing the ties on Eylörís' saddle, which had to be extended to the reaches of its adjustability. The blue and white dragon had almost completely outgrown her saddle.
With a whispered word, Angela shooed Elva away with instructions to go help Eila with her process of dismembering the leather contraption.
"I'm just here to help. I know how to take apart a saddle. You know that too, but I'll ask in case I need help." Elva said with a sharpness that came from their constant fighting and arguing over the past week. It was making them both bitter and angry individuals to be insulted in small ways on a regular basis.
"So be it." Eila said harshly just before her attention was interrupted by the sound of another one of Arya's coughing fits.
Angela looked over at her and gestured for her to come, which she did in short order.
"I know you're not familiar with this place, but the people here are more helpful than humans. Go out and find someone who can take you to a healer named Lyda. It would be good to get her here as quickly as you can."
A terrified look was plastered to her features and she tried to hide it.
Elva sighed heavily, then spoke up. "I'll go with you, come on." She rolled her eyes as she quickly crossed Eila's path, taking up her hand just before pulling her away.
"Hey!" Eila shouted and tried to yank her hand back, but Elva held on tightly.
"Stop resisting everything I say and do for once, please. If not for the relief from our constant bickering, offer your cooperation for Arya." Elva shot, leaving Eila wide-eyed and stunned for a moment. "Come on." The human sighed and squeezed her hand just before tugging her through the opposite door that would take them through the Loft.
With Elva leading, Eila simply followed while she stewed in her own anger over Elva's suddenly forceful and commanding nature.
With an aggressive jerk, Elva pulled her closer so they were standing side-by-side, then let go of her hand. "I know you're upset about this but try not to let it bother you. I've never been here either, but as long as we work together, I'm sure it'll be okay."
Eila hesitated. "I'm not worried about talking to people. I'm worried they'll ask about my heritage because I am half-Elf." she sounded completely annoyed and terribly inconvenienced, but the other woman could tell she was just trying to cover her deeper anxieties.
Elva sighed and pulled her hair away from the side of her head, pushing it over the opposite shoulder. "That makes two of us, in a way."
At the sight of Elva's pointed ear, Eila gaped. "You're a half-Elf?"
"No, but in case you hadn't noticed the dragon mark on my forehead, I think it's doing something to the way I am. I'm starting to develop the traits of a Rider without actually being one, I think, and that's… I don't know what it is." She sighed and covered her ear with her hair and Eila was able to pick up on her self-consciousness over the matter.
"You don't like it?" She asked curiously, though she couldn't help sounding offended.
Elva quickly looked over at her as they continued to walk, but her gaze returned to the ground shortly while she guided them down a flight of stairs. "I don't know. I don't know a lot of things about myself; why I'm this way. I'm technically three years old and yet I have a mind as old or older than Nasuada, the experiences of a rather knowledgeable magician and the power to destroy… more than I think I'm capable of. I fit in nowhere. I have no one to relate to or to go to if I have questions. I am the only one of my kind. Just recently do I actually feel like I… fit in with myself. For the longest time, my body has felt too young for my mind. Now I finally look older, and I think I'm taken more seriously because of that." She calmed herself then shook her head slightly and drew in a deep breath. "Sorry. I know you didn't ask." her voice still sounded sharp.
"No… it's good to know…" Eila felt a stab of pain in her chest when Elva revealed the truth over the way she actually felt. Their arguing hasn't made it any easier on her, and most of that was facilitated on Eila's behalf. It made her feel bad.
"Why do you hurt?" Elva frowned and looked over.
Confusion marked the half-Elf's features. "What?"
"You're chest. You're in pain. Why? It feels almost like you've been mildly punched. Are you having a heart attack?" Elva asked casually as they walked through what was thought to be the kitchen, then through a common room, and finally to a massive door where they stopped.
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Eila let her demeanor soften. "It's… because of you." she said. "I feel…" she rolled her words around in her mouth. "I didn't know what you were going through, and now I see how harsh our arguing is to you. How hard it impacts you."
"I can handle our arguing just fine." Elva said defensively.
Eila took a deep breath and pressed a finger to Elva's chest, then leaned in close. "You're dealing with more than meets the eye. That means you and I are not so different. My father is the cruelest man you'd ever meet. My mother is an Elf who used to live in this place. My existence was wrought of dark intention. I've been draped in scorn since day one. While I'm unsure of your lineage, you're also dealing with not feeling like you fit in, like you belong. I understand the sideways looks people give. It's currently worse for you because you can feel their pain while I've been given the chance to heal. That will take a long time, though, and I'm sure you're aware of it. You and I truly are not so different." she repeated to drive in her point and she could have sworn she saw the other woman's pupils dilate slightly.
Elva cocked her head to the side and tried to ignore Eila's natural scent of… honeysuckle. "I could have ignored it if I wanted. I can ignore it all if I want and live in blissful ignorance. It's always hard, though, when someone I care about is in pain."
Eila saw the slight softening in Elva's gaze which told the truth about the way she felt. Drawing away, the half-Elf's rather aggressive posture relaxed and her heart felt like it was skipping several beats.
Elva's jaw tightened and she looked away to open the door for them. "We should go." her voice was strained.
With an absentminded nod, Eila followed while she continued trying to wrap her head around her newest discovery. It was only momentarily distracting.
Together, they walked out onto the wooden platform that connected the trees together and Eila shrank back, suddenly wishing she had a mask to hide her face. Elva felt her hesitation, then reached out to grab her hand again, then paused as if she realized the touch would burn. She drew away and swallowed thickly. "I'll talk. This way." a shudder seemed to run up her spine before she turned and began heading off to the right.
"Hey." Eila called, jogging slightly to catch up. "Why this way?"
Elva slowed and looked down at the ground. "The right is on the second side if you count the left as one, and two is even. I pay attention to more than you may know and I know your world revolves around numbers. Either that or you do it for fun, I'm not sure yet. You're not exactly subtle in the way you guide yourself." She shrugged.
Eila's couldn't exactly hide her surprise. Yes, her quirks sometimes get in the way of normal activity, but she hadn't expected Elva of all people to pick up on it. She at least tried to be discreet. She looked over at Elva while they walked. "What else have you noticed?"
"Hm, that you count a lot. You walk in a rhythm, even now, like your mind is constantly moving to unheard music. Arya does that too." She looked over at Eila's hands. "I haven't seen you without gloves, but your left ring finger is shorter than mine." Elva held up her left hand. "My ring finger is in line with my index. The tip of yours resides just above your pinky finger, and your gloves are stitched to compensate."
Surprised, Eila held up her left hand, and Elva watched the soft black leather stretch and shift along with her movements. "My father cut off the tip of my left ring finger. He used to carry the bone around with him everywhere he went." she lowered her arm and a heavy sadness crept in over her previous mood.
Elva forced herself to meet Eila's gaze. "Did you get it back?" she asked and she saw the half-Elf's demeanor brighten slightly.
"No, I didn't. He… everything with him disintegrated when he was killed. You were there." She said softly as realization washed over Elva.
"Wait… y-your father… is…"
"Please don't say his name." Eila rubbed her upper arm self-consciously.
"It's alright, I won't say anything." She looked over. "And I don't think of you any differently either." Elva offered a small smile when she stopped and turned. "Friends?" A hopeful look found its way into her features as she held out her hand to Eila to shake.
The half-Elf paused for a moment and considered the question, then nodded with a slight smile of her own. "Yeah… friends." She reached out and clasped Elva's right hand in her own and shook in agreement. They then let go and continued on in silence.
With careful fingers, Eila drew back the slip knots on her necklace and slipped it over her head, then inspected it. Since its creation, the glass-like substance had morphed into a teardrop shape that completely encased the small arrowhead. She held out the cotton cord to Elva, who accepted the gift with a timidness that would be expected of an overly cautious hunted animal.
"For you." Eila shrugged. "Eylörís and I made this while we were traveling from Ilirea. Arya said I needed practice with enchanting things so the pendant is laced with a spell of unbreaking." She looked over at a confused looking Elva and smiled. "Don't worry, it's not going to hurt you, nor am I losing anything. I can't really wear jewelry around my neck. It bothers me."
With a nod, Elva slid the necklace over her head and slid the knots so it wouldn't hang so loosely. The pendant now resided just below the hollow between her collarbones. "Thank you." She said softly as she held the crystal for a moment. It was still slightly warm from Eila's body heat.
"You're welcome." She smiled. "Friends do things like that… right?"
Elva shrugged a little bit. "I've never had any close friends. I've cared for people, like Angela or Nasuada, but that's a little bit different. I don't know how friends work, actually. I think this is appropriate, though." She let the pendant rest over her fingers.
"Oh, good." Eila smiled, her blue eyes becoming gentle. "I'm glad I haven't overstepped."
Elva winced suddenly and rubbed her side.
"Arya?" Eila asked worriedly.
"Yeah…" Elva nodded, then looked ahead. "And, no, you haven't overstepped. It takes a lot to overstep with me, just so you know." She smiled when the pain in her lungs faded. "You better let me know if I've overstepped. I tend to be lacking in sensitivity sometimes."
"I will."
Silence fell upon them as they walked and listened to the wind in the trees. It was cooler here in Ellesméra than it should be in Ilirea now, both of them knew, but the warm breeze promised warmer weather. In the distance, a soft clanging could be heard, and Eila instantly knew it to be the ring of metal against an anvil and hammer.
On nearly soundless feet, a tall, silver haired Elf placed himself in front of them. He seemed to simply appear and they both froze.
"Atra esterní ono thelduin." he twisted his arm over his chest in greeting and Eila locked up for a moment before remembering her lessons from both her father and Arya on the Elvish greetings.
"Mor'ranr lifa unin hjarta onr." she sounded unsure of herself.
He smiled. "Un atra du evarínya ono varda. You must be Eila, yes?" He looked to Elva. "And, if I remember Arya's descriptions correctly, you must be Elva. She told me to expect three individuals to be with her when she returned. Oh, forgive me, I am Lord Däthedr, one of Arya Dröttning's advisors."
Confusion and hesitation lingered only for a moment longer. "Y-yes, you're correct, I'm Eila and this is Elva."
"Very good." his carefree smile remained, but Eila knew to be cautious. "How may I help you? I hadn't heard anything of your return, then again, Arya is always rather secretive."
"We just got back, actually. We're looking for a healer named Lyda. Arya has fallen ill and we've been sent to find her to bring her back to… where we landed." Elva volunteered and dark concern washed over Däthedr's features.
"This way, then." He knew not to ask why she was ill for confidentiality's sake.
He started with long strides in the direction from which they came, and soon, they had exceeded the areas where they had previously been.
"How was your trip? Easy, I hope?" Däthedr asked suddenly after a long while of silence.
"Oh, yes, for the most part. We didn't run into many issues. Thank you for asking." Eila answered as she studied his light tunic. It looked soft.
"And how is Eylörís, if my memory of your dragon's name serves me." He looked back to her with a kind smile.
"She's well. Tired, but well. It was a long flight and she's never flown so far for so long, nor has she carried any sort of equipment with her. In our case, it was dragon eggs."
"I'm glad to hear. What about Fírnen?"
"Also well. He's in the same state, I think. He had to carry a larger load, but he's strong and we had help from Shruikan." She paused. "Please don't hurt Shruikan."
Däthedr paused at her request. "I won't hurt him, nor will any other Elf here for that matter. The Eldunarí who serve as Arya and Fírnen's teachers may see fit to have him come before his crimes if they are to welcome him in full, though. I cannot speak for them." he nodded, then looked up into the treetops. "We're here." he said pleasantly.
"Hm, come with me." He gestured as he began climbing a long, winding set of stairs, and both women followed in silence.
Thankfully the climb wasn't too terribly lengthy, and when they reached the top, Däthedr knocked on the doorframe, then waited.
A brown-haired, Elven woman came to the screen door, then opened it and gestured for them to enter. Däthedr bowed to her firstly and recited the Elvish greeting, to which she responded with a smile. Eila and Elva also bowed, but the woman seemed to take great pause when she laid eyes on Eila.
"I have never met you, and yet I very clearly see an old friend in you. What is your name?" She asked directly and Eila went pale.
"M-m… E-Eila… my name is Eila." She managed to force out.
The woman's eyes lit up with recognition. "Eila." She said. "You're a new Rider, aren't you?"
"Yes ma'am." She nodded and straightened. "May I ask… your friend…" Her voice faded and she shrank back.
"Who you remind me of? Freydis Dröttningu. Might you know her?"
Eila's cheeks flushed and her eyes watered in an unexpected emotional reaction. "I… never knew her, but I… belong to her." She swallowed thickly and found that it hurt.
The woman's eyes softened, and she reached out to grasp ahold of Eila's hand. "And your father?"
Eila stiffened with anger and pulled her hand away. "A story for a different time. I… need to know you better. For now, if you are Lyda, I- we request your aid. My teacher, Arya Dröttning as fallen ill, and it's a situation that requires a healer. I was sent to look for you as we've only just arrived here."
Concern instantly replaced curiosity. "Yes, that's me. What are her symptoms?"
"A dry cough and possible fever." Elva spoke up. "She's pregnant, so all of us are hesitant to use magic for fear of hurting the baby."
Lyda's mouth dropped in shock as she looked to Däthedr. "Did you know about this?"
"Her pregnancy, yes, her illness, only for a short span of time." He smiled.
"And you didn't tell me?" She said almost aggressively.
"I didn't know about it when she left, otherwise I would have tried to reason with her about staying." Däthedr raised a sharp eyebrow. "Now, we're formally requesting your aid."
It didn't take long for Lyda to throw herself into motion. "Do you know if she's been keeping care of herself?" She asked, mainly to Däthedr, but Eila answered while they watched her collect a bag and dig through its contents, only to decide what she had in there wasn't enough.
"I was able to obtain the correct sort of nutritional supplements for her, though she is running out of those. I have certain experiences that have leant me that specific set of knowledge, and thankfully, humans have adapted to include Elvish medicine in their modern practices. I lied about being pregnant so her own pregnancy would remain away from the public eye and away from Queen Nasuada. It's the only way she could obtain such supplements as they are… expensive for humans to create."
Lyda stopped her search and turned. "You do know the measurement for that sort of treatment is very specific when it comes to Elves. Anything greater than that said amount could harm her."
Eila nodded and stared at her with darkness in her eyes. "Yes, I am aware. I've been pregnant myself and ended up having to do plenty of research of my own to keep myself safe. I am from Urû'baen and I've lived there my whole life. Because of certain circumstances, I lost the child, but it wasn't because I was taking the wrong amount of nutritional supplement, so with all due respect, I wish to express my sudden urgency to get back to her." her voice was eerily calm and she saw how her words caused Lyda to flinch.
Elva looked at Däthedr, who had grown visibly sad, and it seemed he mourned the loss of Eila's child without ever having known her prior to this day.
Lyda's tasks were carried out in silence, and no one spoke while they waited. A line had been crossed, and everyone was painfully aware of it.
The healer nodded when she was ready, and Däthedr led the way back to the cluster of treehouses that made up the Rider's Loft.
Eila stayed behind everyone and kept her eyes focused on the ground while she tried forcing herself to be unbothered by her most recent exchange, but it was becoming difficult. Trying to ignore that piece of her past was getting harder in general. She quickly wiped her eyes when they had grown foggy with tears, hoping nobody had noticed.
Elva noticed despite not having seen her. She hung back a moment and fell in step with Eila, then reached out and carefully wrapped her fingers around the Rider's gloved hand, then tightened her grip and kept it that way.
"I think you are going through more than what meets the eye." She whispered and tried catching Eila's gaze.
With a small nod, Eila said nothing else, and Elva let it be, but she never let go either.
A/N: New chapter! Another short-ish one, but that's okay. I hope you guys like it. Buildin' that depth, y'know (lol, kinda). I'm doing a lot less re-writing now that I have a better plan.
to my reader IDK: I had nearly forty chapters written when I decided I didn't like what I had. It was convoluted and it didn't make much sense, so I went back to chapter 28 and started re-writing the story from there.
Love you all, and thank you for reading!
I should probably go home now. I'm at work. Gettin' paid to write fanfiction (because I'm finished with my schoolwork and just stayed)
-Lady Arlo