29. Recovery

Tears again filled Arya's eyes, but she was as business-like as ever as she said to Eragon, "Eragon, take Willow to the washroom and set her in the basin. We need to wash all traces of Varhog off of her."

Willow sucked in a shuddering breath and began to sob. Eragon gently lifted her in his arms, not at all embarrassed by the nakedness of her torso—her dress was still around her waist—or his own. Willow was as his sister, and she confirmed her mutual feelings by whispering into his neck as she put her arms around it, "Thank you, brother."

Eragon couldn't control his emotions any longer, and tears welled up in his eyes at Willow's words. The whole situation had been terribly tense and confusing for him. The most obvious things he had been able to observe were Willow's desperate physical and emotional pain as her body threatened to end her pregnancy—which discovery had been surprising enough—coupled with Varhog's emotional devastation. And seeing all the blood had been awful. Eragon had shed enough blood in his life to be content never to see any more again and to witness it gushing out of Willow had been very troubling. Arya's explanation had helped him understand somewhat better, but he still didn't grasp the full enormity of the situation, as he hadn't been privy to Varhog's mental explanation.

Arya stayed right next to his side as they made the short trip to the washroom, soothing Willow by stroking her hair as they walked. "Shhh, my darling. It will be fine. Varhog will return. Feel your babies now. They're safe."

Willow sobbed all the harder, obviously completely overcome by the experiences of her previous week. Eragon could easily imagine that having it all nearly end in a miscarriage was far more than she could bear.

Eragon gently set her in the washbasin, and Arya helped Willow remove the blood-soaked dress. "This is a beautiful garment," she said. "Would you like me to remove the blood with magic?" Willow nodded gratefully. Arya added the small amount of water from the nearby jug to the basin, requesting, "Eragon, would you please fetch more, darling?"

Eragon gladly did so. When he returned, he knew that Arya saw his desire for greater understanding, and after his final trip to refill the pitcher, as she began to gently wash Willow, Arya said in his mind, Eragon, ask me whatever questions you want, but let us not trouble Willow any further with an open discussion of this topic right now. This past week was practically enough to kill them both.

Eragon looked at her gratefully and mentally asked his questions, all of which Arya thoroughly answered while Willow closed her eyes and wearily submitted to Arya's ministrations.

When Arya was done, Eragon was completely incredulous.

Imagine if it had been us, Arya said. I thought our trials were difficult to overcome.

Varhog must be dying inside, Eragon said. I would rather die than almost kill you as a result of making love. The pain Willow felt after that last time was unbelievable.

Arya nodded fervently, and Willow finally opened her eyes. She smiled faintly and said, "You two are welcome to speak aloud about it. Hearing you discuss it will never compare with having to live through it."

Eragon compassionately said, "I'm so sorry, Willow. You're strong to have endured all that. So is Varhog. But it seems things will be better now, won't they, my love?" he finished, addressing Arya.

Arya confirmed, "Yes, things should be better now. And it won't take long either, though I'm sure this enforced absence will seem like much longer than it needs to be." She paused for a moment then added with a heretofore unseen twinkle in her eye, as if she expected to be amused, "I am curious about something Varhog shared." Willow looked at her questioningly. "That last time you made love before your most intense outburst, it seemed from the tone of his mind that it had been going on for quite some time, though he courteously tried to spare me the unnecessary details. Was that the case?"

Willow's smile widened slightly. "Yes. Apparently since he's an Urgal, Varhog can continue with his lovemaking efforts without any need for recovery. That ability made for some very long passionate exchanges."

Eragon took this quite well, raising his eyebrows and saying with a look of playful envy, "Is that so? Well, that explains what we've overheard every night of our stay. That would be interesting, don't you think, Arya? Do you now wish you had married an Urgal instead of a human?"

Arya laughed softly, clearly relieved they had somehow found some humor in this depressing situation. "No, darling. Never. It seems not to matter whether you have recovered for me to continue enjoying our time together, so I suppose the only one missing out is you."

Eragon smiled and said, "I can't envy Varhog something completely outside of my control, since I'm of another species. It seems it would get quite exhausting, but I say that with only my current context and understanding. Perhaps with the strength and stamina of an Urgal, I too would enjoy endless lovemaking."

Willow looked at them gratefully. "Thank you, Eragon," she sincerely said. "Thank you for helping me feel better right now. Thank you, Arya, for saving my babies." Tears came to her eyes. "And for helping us understand what was happening and reversing the terrible conclusion of my brain. I'd be dying right now if my body had completed its rejection of these babies when I want them so much."

"I'm so glad you came to me and that I had the knowledge of how to help you," Arya said. "Not many are familiar with this field of medicine. Not all elves have the interest to study it. I was worried that if I tried to do anything with magic, it would harm the babies, as tiny as they are and as tenuous as their connection was with your brain trying to end it." She shook her head, apparently wishing to dwell on more cheerful things. "Two babies, Willow! How wonderful! You'll have twins only a few months after our child is born, and they will have each other for playmates. I never thought I would experience the privilege of being surrounded by three precious babies all at once. And you will most likely have many children, so the joy will be prolonged all the more."

"And we very well could, as well," Eragon confidently said. Arya looked at him adoringly, and Willow seemed to enjoy their happiness.

"You two are such good examples to me," she honestly said. "And Varhog has told me many times what your example has meant to him, Eragon. It has shaped how he tries to act in every situation, how he perceives and expresses affection, and his efforts to always be mature and in control of himself. He does amazingly. Though you're younger, he highly esteems you as a mentor."

Eragon was modestly abashed. "That means a lot to me, Willow. Thank you. I greatly admire Varhog. There are many ways I wish to be more like him. I'm honored to know you, and from now on, I hope you'll enjoy the tender happiness you both deserve. It seems the deepest love springs from the most difficult trials of that love, when they are endured and overcome through faith." Willow nodded her agreement.

"I've finished washing you," Arya then said. "I'm sorry it sounded so harsh before when I said we needed to remove all traces of Varhog from you. I know how difficult this must be for you. Once Eragon and I were reunited, I wished never to be apart from him again. Our longest separation since that time was during the short flight back to the city from the wilderness, when we each flew on our own dragons."

As Arya reached for a towel to offer Willow, Eragon stood and said, "I'll go while you get dressed, Willow." He left the room, closing the door behind himself.

-:-:-

Arya helped Willow get out of the water and dry off. Then Arya placed the dress in the washbasin, murmuring words in the ancient language that made the blood seep out of the material. Arya lifted the dress and used a different spell to extract all of the water.

Willow did the same thing with her hair and picked up the hairbrush laying on the counter, asking, "May I use this?"

"Yes, but let me," Arya insisted. "I want to return the favor. Thanks to your kind gesture on the day you helped me prepare for my wedding, I have now enjoyed the pleasure of someone brushing my hair many times. Eragon loves to do it, and I love it when he does. Let's get you dressed so you can sit down. You must be feeling weak and tired."

Willow nodded. "And hungry," she admitted.

Arya smiled. "Yes, I imagine your appetite will rival the males' with the demands of growing two babies. My own has been steadily increasing. Sometimes I feel ravenous, which is irritating in the middle of the night and I want to be sleeping." She made a face then smiled again. "I still can't believe it! I'm so happy for you, Willow!" She helped Willow into the dress and gave her a hug. "This is lovely," she commented once the dress was on. "Where did you get it?" Willow explained the custom of the Urgals.

"They never cease to amaze me," Arya commented. "They have so many beautiful traditions and customs, and all this time the rest of us, for the most part, have been thinking them violent, bloodthirsty beasts. Shame on us! Though the elves have a greater understanding of the true ways of the Urgralgra, I would be lying if I said I didn't previously hold some grudges against them. I witnessed Urgals kill someone very dear to me. But now I feel I would be happy to remain in this village forever, with all the children around, with all of the women who are so happy to be wives and mothers, and who find such fulfillment in the work and roles they love best."

Willow nodded. "I agree. The hut Varhog built feels more like a home than anywhere I've ever lived. It started to feel like we were already a family on that first day. I know I would be happy to live here, especially if you did too, but I understand that we must eventually return to the Isle. At least with dragons, the trip to visit isn't an impossibility, as it otherwise would be." Then she asked, "How is your pregnancy? I haven't been keeping track of how far along you are."

Arya smiled radiantly at the mention of her baby. "I'm about ten weeks along. The embryo has passed an important milestone. Its heart has been beating for over a month and all of its internal organs are developed, though they're tiny and immature and don't function as they will. Now the baby is referred to as a fetus. From this point, most babies continue to develop until they are ready to be born."

"Are you going to learn what sex you're having before then?" Willow wondered.

"I think I could with my mind," Arya replied, "but I want to be surprised. I'll have to be careful not to observe that area of the baby when I check on it with my mind."

"Are you nervous for the birth?" Willow asked.

Arya seemed to guess exactly what she was thinking. "Willow, what you just went through was not a natural function of the womb. It was working against its entire purpose, which is to nurture and protect the baby until the time for its birth has arrived. You felt pain because your uterus wanted to hold onto your babies while your brain was trying to get it to remove them.

"To answer your question, no, I'm not nervous for the birth. I've never been more excited for anything in my life. Never fear, Willow. Under my tutelage, you will soon come to anticipate the birth of your babies for more than the reasons most women do—to end their discomfort and meet their baby. The birth itself will be one of the highlights of your life. You'll never feel more empowered or more humbled by your creative ability as a woman. And to bring two babies to this world within minutes of each other will only double your joy and satisfaction."

Willow whispered, "Thank you for painting that picture for me, Arya. The memories of my mother dying after my brother's birth will always haunt me. I wish she had known what you know. I'm so glad I'll be blessed to learn from someone like you."

Arya took her hand and squeezed it. "Come, I can see standing so long is tiring you and making the ache in your womb more pronounced." She guided Willow out into the front room.

Eragon was preparing something to eat. "I heard you say you were hungry," he explained. "We ate together often enough on the Isle that I thought I might at least get close to coming up with something you would like."

"Thank you, brother," Willow said. "That was thoughtful."

"Eragon is nothing if not thoughtful," Arya bragged. "He's the kindest gentleman I have ever met."

Eragon looked up for the first time to smile at Arya. When his eyes fell on Willow in her dress, he raised his eyebrows.

Willow blushed. "Only a few minutes ago you carried me mostly naked from your bedroom to the washroom. Now that the moment has passed, I feel slightly embarrassed to be wearing this revealing dress in front of you. I'm sure it was meant for Varhog's eyes only. Though in comparison, your reaction just then was nothing. He was astounded." She smiled at the memory. "He hadn't ever seen me like this before."

Eragon and Arya both laughed, each able to picture Varhog's reaction with no difficulty. "I can see why," Eragon said without any impropriety. "But you needn't be embarrassed. You're very beautiful, Willow, but as you have implied many times, you're as a sister to me. I don't see you that way. However, if Arya was wearing that dress, it would be a different story. I probably would have reacted much as Varhog, especially if it was the first time her beautiful body had ever been revealed to me in such plain detail."

Eragon returned his attention to his task, and Arya helped Willow over to the sofa. Willow sat sideways with her knees pulled up, leaning her shoulder into the cushions beside her. Arya knelt behind her and began brushing her hair in slow, easy strokes, careful not to tug. Eragon brought Willow a plate with a simple though plentiful selection of colorful fruits and vegetables, a dip made from ground nuts, some cheese, and hard bread.

Willow accepted the plate with a soft, "Thank you," and began to eat. Between bites she said, "I'm sorry to waken you both so early. We meant to come back to the village later today, but when one in the morning rolled around and my reaction started, I knew it couldn't wait."

Arya reassured, "You needn't apologize, Willow. After you're finished, we can all once again retire and rest as long as we please. This visit to Alagaёsia has been an extended luxury vacation. We have nothing pressing to attend to tomorrow."

Arya finished brushing before Willow finished eating so she got herself a snack. Eragon had fixed the broken door with magic to stem the flow of cold air into the hut. After starting a fire in the hearth, he crossed his arms over his bare chest and rubbed them, commenting, "It has been many years since I've experienced a winter up north in the mountains. I've become coddled in my time on the Isle. We're barely through the fall and I already find myself uncomfortably cold."

With an amused smile Arya said, "It would probably help if you had a shirt on."

Eragon returned her smile, walking to her side so he could wrap his arms around her. "I so often have your help staying warm when I'm like this that I never notice the cold. But now that you mention it, a shirt would be nice." He grinned. "I would most likely have mine on if it wasn't otherwise occupied at the moment."

Arya gasped at the realization that she still had his shirt on. She set down her snack and almost removed it on the spot. Then she must have remembered Willow. "I'll go get dressed," she said and quickly left.

While she was gone, though it was only a few moments, Willow looked at Eragon and cautiously said, "Eragon, I have a favor to ask."

"What is it, Willow?" Eragon kindly invited. "You can ask anything of me."

Willow took a deep breath. "I don't know if it's even appropriate to ask. I just . . ." She trailed off. "Never mind," she finished pitifully.

Eragon knelt by her side on the floor as Arya reentered the room and approached with his shirt. Eragon quickly pulled it on before taking Willow's hand and encouraging, "You may ask, Willow."

Willow stared at her knees and said, "Varhog hasn't been able to touch me for so many days. I'm cold and have felt so lonely. I just wondered if you might be willing to hold me in your arms while I sleep tonight. I understand if you won't or if you don't approve, Arya. I suppose it's only fair that if Varhog has to be alone, I should too."

Eragon gently rested one hand on her back. "I'd be happy to, Willow."

Arya added, "I have no objection, sister. I understand how it feels to be cold and lonely. There's nothing like a strong man's arms to provide warmth and reassurance." She smiled and playfully added, "Eragon will be plenty warm, with you in his arms and me pressed to his side. Won't you, darling?"

Willow looked over in time to see Eragon kiss Arya on the cheek. Then Eragon turned back to her and said, "I'll carry you. Are you ready now?"

Willow nodded. Arya stood, taking the empty plate from the sofa and setting it on the table. Eragon lifted Willow in his arms as he stood, and they all returned to the bed, which was as big as the one Willow and Varhog had, as it too had been built to accommodate the large stature of the Urgals. Eragon sat down while still cradling Willow, scooting back and shifting around until he felt comfortable. Arya helped by adjusting pillows behind his back. He loosened his hold on Willow so she could slide over next to him and lean against his chest. Eragon clasped his hands around her shoulder, and Arya pulled a blanket over all of them as she laid down, snuggling into his other side.

"Everyone comfortable?" Arya softly asked.

Willow made no reply, since she was already asleep, so Eragon said with his mind, I'm comfortable, my love. Thank you for your help. She seemed tired.

Exhausted, Arya agreed. The physical and emotional trauma she suffered this week was immense. She's an amazingly strong woman. And you're a good man. What you're doing for her right now is the most healing thing that could be done, short of what I did earlier.

Eragon looked over at Arya in the darkness, able to see her perfectly. She was looking back at him. You were amazing. I don't think I'll ever learn all of your secrets, all of the knowledge you have inside that mind of yours.

Arya smiled. Give yourself another hundred years. You'll catch up soon enough.

Eragon also smiled, leaning toward Arya to give her a kiss. As he returned his chin to the top of Willow's head, he asked, How do you suppose Varhog is doing?

Arya sighed. Not well, I would imagine. He felt wholly responsible for the situation and seemed to feel that his necessary absence was some type of deserved exile.

Eragon said, I think I'd probably feel that way, like I deserved to be punished.

Arya nodded, and Eragon felt her drowsiness. They had retired at a late hour, and the startling intrusion had happened only a short time after. Now that the worst of it was over, their adrenaline had worn off. Eragon's last thought to Arya was, Sleep well, my love. Then he allowed himself to slip into his waking dreams.

-:-:-:-