I'm back, faithful readers! Like I said, this chapter will be based on Arya's birth, but only based… I'm not quite sure if I can write five Microsoft Word pages on it, but I can try!!!
PLEASE READ!!!!!
I may or may not have Internet access from Friday to Sunday, including those days. But if I don't, then I'll have the chapters for those days (if not more) up on Monday or if you're lucky Sunday night. Thank you and I appreciate reviews.
Disclaimer: why have disclaimers, when if I did own any of the Inheritance Cycle then I would be writing up the fourth book?
Arya woke up quite early, groaning quietly. She felt a bit of pain in her lower abdomen. She sighed, knowing what it was. The exact day, too. She stood slowly, knowing that labor would start soon enough, and washed her face. There was no point in waking up Eragon until absolutely necessary, or even better, at dawn if it takes awhile. She saw waning moonlight to the west window, but no sign of daylight quite yet.
She walked around a little bit in her quarters, making tea and drinking down a few cups. She could still hear Eragon quietly snoring. The pain would get stronger and then fade; which Arya knew as the beginning of her contractions. They weren't very strong yet, but she was known as a light sleeper, which was always helpful on battle sites.
She stood again, getting restless often, and moved around more. She winced at one contraction, particularly stronger than the mini ones she'd been getting before. She knew they would be starting with more intensity now.
--A few hours later--
Arya let out a small yelp, not wanting to wake others in Tilidarí Hall. It was near dawn, so she lay down without a sound and shook Eragon.
"Eragon?" She asked in a musical, yet shaky, voice.
Eragon yawned hugely, rubbing his eyes. "What is it, Arya?" He mumbled sleepily.
"It's time, Eragon. The baby's going to come soon. My contractions started." That made Eragon bolt upright. His face was a look of worry.
"Are you okay? Do you need Illyria?" He asked, jumbling the words together.
"Not yet. Wait until dawn to get her, alright Eragon?" She spoke in a clear voice to make him understand easier.
He nodded. Arya winced, and he grasped her hand. Her lips moved into a smile through the wince. "Thank you." She said through gritted teeth. Her face relaxed moments later. "That one's over now." She didn't let go of her mate's hand, though.
"We're very young parents, considering elf years." She commented.
Eragon agreed. "Even if I was still human and if you were human, we would be considered pretty young for having children."
Arya looked at him with interest. "Well, considering how old I look, that is."
Eragon smiled. "Well, I am only nineteen."
Arya frowned. "No, you're twenty. Your birthday passed while you were in a coma. I'm sorry, I forgot all about it."
Eragon laughed. "I forgot too." This made Arya and he laugh for a few minutes until her next contraction.
At dawn, Eragon waited for Arya's contraction to end. She hissed loudly and her face relaxed. "Get Illyria now." She said through still-gritted teeth.
Eragon nodded. "Will you be fine on your own?" he asked worriedly.
Arya touched her forehead with a smile-ish look on her face. She opened her eyes. "Bhronnë's with me. I'm never alone. Saphira's decided to join also."
Eragon nodded. "I'll be right back, Arya." He left the room at a jog, his face expressionless.
Oh, I didn't have these pains when I was having my eggs, Saphira said.
Well, it is just how humans and elves are Saphira. I read up on motherhood quite a few months ago. Arya thought.
If you need my energy, just take it. Bhronnë said calmly.
Arya winced again as another contraction came upon her. It was much stronger than before, and they were becoming more frequent. Thank you Bhronnë. It is almost time... The last bit was thought to herself and she gasped suddenly. There goes my water. She winced again. Eragon, hurry up!
--
Eragon entered the infirmary. "Her contractions are well on their way, Illyria." He announced to the empty room, knowing that Illyria would hear him.
Illyria came quickly out of her office, carrying a small bag. "Alright, let's go." They jogged side by side back to Tilidarí Hall a bit quicker than Eragon anticipated they would, but he kept up all the same.
--
They entered to find Arya wincing, arching her back in pain. Illyria walked up to her. "I'm here Arya. I'm going to check how far along you are with labor now."
She lifted up the sheet, putting on a glove and sticking her hand out of view. Under the sheet she took off the glove and stood straight again. "She's dilated about eight and a half centimeters."
"What does that mean?" Eragon asked frantically.
"It means that the baby will arrive soon, Eragon. Calm. Down. Now." She spoke slowly for him to understand. He nodded.
Illyria turned to Arya. "Now, Arya, don't push yet, alright? Just even breathing. In, out. In, out. Good, keep breathing like that, you're doing great Arya-"
She was cut off by a scream coming from Arya's mouth. Eragon had already completed a spell to insure that they would not be heard, but he covered his ears and looked to the door all the same.
Eragon reached to grasp Arya's hand again, and she took it, squeezing it a bit and then relaxing her grip. This hurts. She told Saphira.
It's alright, Little One. It will be over soon. She soothed. Bhronnë adopted a different method, making Arya laugh a little in her mind at it.
Another contraction seized Arya, making her groan loudly and arch her back. Illyria spoke soothing words, pushing gently on her abdomen to make her go back to lying down.
"Okay Arya, I need you to spread you legs a bit more. It's time for you to start pushing. Do you hear me Arya?"
Arya nodded, spreading her legs widely. The sheet just barely covered what was beneath. Illyria continued. "Okay, push on three and hold it as long as you can. One, two, three."
Arya's face turned into an angry force and she winced, throwing her head backwards in pain. Illyria counted to eight and Arya stopped the push, needing a breath. "Good, Arya, you're doing great. Now keep pushing!" She said calmly. Arya groaned loudly again.
It hurts, She thought to Saphira.
Arya, you're doing great. Keep pushing, like when you told me to. Don't give up Arya.
But it's hard! And it hurts!
Well, it's gonna be hard! Wasn't Eragon hard when you made this blessed child? It will hurt, but it'll keep hurting until you're done, Arya. Saphira told her. (I know that was bad of me to put that joke in the there XD)
Arya didn't notice the joke. She gasped for air, feeling Eragon wipe sweat off of her face. Illyria was speaking. "I see the baby's head, Arya. Come on, keep going. You'll be done very soon." Arya gripped Eragon's hand, hearing a very audible snap. Eragon screamed taking his hand away from Arya's grip.
"Sorry," She told him through her teeth.
"It's fine. I'll fix it." She heard Eragon muttering in the ancient language and bones popping back into place. "Just grip the mattress now. You're almost done, Arya. Come on finish it. For me."
Arya pushed again, as hard as she could, taking some of Bhronnë's strength. She felt Illyria interfering a bit with her baby, and suddenly it was all over. She heard crying.
"Say hello to you lovely baby boy, Arya and Eragon." Illyria said.
A boy… Arya thought. "His name will be Kaïdon."
Eragon nodded. "A good name."
Illyria blessed the child in the ancient language and cleaned him off, handing him to Arya with a pair of blue baby clothing on. Arya cradled him gently, tears of joy running down her face. Illyria said a spell that cleaned the sheets and everything else that got bloody.
Eragon placed a finger on his baby's arm. Kaïdon feebly grasped it with his hand, which made Eragon smile warmly. "He's all ours…"
"Yes. He's all ours." Arya murmured. Kaïdon's hand unclenched from Eragon's finger and fell to his body, open. He began to sleep, closing his newborn eyes slowly.
Arya knew what to look for then. She lifted up Kaïdon's right sleeve gently, finding what she had hoped to be there all along: on his right shoulder was a gedwëy ignasia. It didn't shine, however, like Arya's or Eragon's did when they were tattooed on their bodies.
"Eragon… the gedwëy ignasia isn't shining." Arya said in a questioning manner.
Eragon sighed. He knew it would come to this. "Arya, usually when a female is pregnant and is marked as a Rider, they become dual riders. But I do not know... Oromis never told me about what happens if the symbol doesn't shine when the newborn is brought into the world. He has the Rider's mark, but why… does Bhronnë feel anything different in your connection?"
No, Bhronnë said. In fact, it actually feels normal now. Maybe it is because Arya was meant to be a normal Rider? We will have to see.
"Yes, we will have to see." Arya said. "I am going to sleep now."
Eragon nodded. "I would only expect you to. I will announce to our elves that our baby is born, and not to disturb the Hall unless they live there."
Arya agreed and stood unsteadily, putting Kaïdon into a small bed. She walked to the bed and fell onto it, a weary smile on her face as her eyelids fluttered and shut. Eragon left Tilidarí Hall to share news of new life.
--
Arya woke up to the sound of silence. She stood, looking out the window and seeing it was only a few hours after noon. Her body shape was the exact same as it was before she had given birth; she hadn't gained any weight during pregnancy surprisingly. She washed her face in the stream, gasping at little pieces of ice that joined the water. It was an amazing wake-up.
Eragon walked in then, and smiled at Arya. "You've been asleep for a day." He commented. Seeing the look of horror upon her face, he added, "You needed it. I handled Ellesmera fine. Many elves are waiting to see Kaïdon. He's been being fed out of bottles by me. Illyria said it would be best to feed him with bottles, seeing as you are the queen."
Arya nodded, thinking about her child and finding that she did not have milk. She shrugged and took off her shirt, standing to find a different one. She looked down to her gedwëy ignasia and stopped cold. It wasn't there. All there was left was a thin white scar where it used to be.
"Oh my god…" She whispered. "Where is the damned thing?" She searched her body, finally slowly coming to her right palm. She held it up to the light, finding what wasn't her normal palm. "Eragon…" she half-yelled.
Eragon was beside her in a second, which made Arya start. She had forgotten he had the reflexes of an elf. He was already fingering her palm.
"This isn't normal… But I'm guessing that you are Bhronnë's only Rider now."
Arya walked to check of Kaïdon. He was sleeping peacefully. She pulled up his right sleeve again, seeing that the dull gedwëy ignasia was still there. She sighed in frustration and picked up the sleeping babe.
"You're going out?" Eragon asked.
"Aye. To the dragon eggs." Arya strutted out of the room, leaving Eragon speechless. She's just like she was before… He thought, smiling.
Okay, that's all for now. Sorry it's not too long, but I did the best I could… Anyways review!!! I'll have another chapter tomorrow!!!