19. Surprise

"What's the plan?" Eragon asked after the commotion died down. He glanced between Murtagh and Blödhgarm, unsure who had overseen the wedding preparations, if any.

Willow surprised him by saying, "It's now just before midday. We prepared a small wedding luncheon since I knew you would be hungry. All of you men are always hungry. The ceremony will follow. Murtagh is prepared to solemnize your union. Thereafter, we will enjoy a larger wedding feast, and that's all we have planned. Though," she glanced teasingly at Blödhgarm, "the elves might favor us with some song and dance, if they deem fit."

Blödhgarm and the other elves smiled merrily. "We guessed you wouldn't wish for more celebration than that. But I had a wonderful time preparing for this. I'm so excited for you, Eragon!" Willow concluded with a delighted smile.

Eragon knew Willow viewed him as a beloved older brother, since she was only a handful of years younger than he, just as he thought of her as a sweet little sister. He guessed that seeing him so happy after knowing him to be only solemn and stern in all her years on the Isle was nothing short of a miraculous transformation in Willow's mind.

"Oh, and we made you some wedding clothes," Willow added with a pointed stare at his bare chest. They were all accustomed to Eragon going around without a shirt. There wasn't much the Riders kept from each other, and there was no reason for them to suspect that Eragon was no longer burdened by excessive heat.

Eragon hugged Willow. "Thank you for doing this for us, Willow. It means more to me than I can say."

"It was my pleasure. Not that our days are ever boring, but this brought a welcome difference to the unvarying routine on the Isle. Yelloweyes has been most helpful too," Willow said, nudging Varhog, who was standing beside her, and giving him a warm smile. Eragon happen to see that Arya noted this exchange with interest.

-:-:-

Arya was observing Willow in attentive fascination when Eragon brought her around to face the younger female. By way of introduction Eragon said, "Arya, this is Willow, the first female human Rider, who joined us on the Isle almost seven years ago with her dragon Sunset."

At that, a remarkably-colored dragon raised her head and trumpeted her identity. She had scales of a deep, pinkish-orange hue, which did remind Arya strikingly of a breathtaking sunset.

Eragon finished, "Willow, as you have undoubtedly guessed, this is Arya, the woman I've always loved."

Smiling brightly at Eragon's unreserved statement, Willow gushed, "It's an honor to meet you, Arya Svit-kona." She flawlessly performed the formal greeting of the elves. "I haven't heard much about you, but I have observed much nonetheless. It's amazing to see Eragon this happy. Murtagh warned I might not recognize him, and indeed, I almost didn't. Though the stubble could also be part of that." She grinned teasingly at Eragon.

Arya nodded graciously at Willow's respectful greeting and completed the traditional elven salutation before saying, "It's delightful to meet you."

Willow then grabbed Varhog's arm and said, "And this is Yelloweyes, although I suppose that's just my nickname for him. You already know him, since he began his instruction as a Rider in Ellesméra, so here he is again." Willow laughed at herself, and the Urgal smiled affectionately.

Varhog turned his attention to Arya and touched the first two fingers of his right hand to his lips as he performed the customary greeting of the elves, beginning with the first of the three phrases and finishing them after Arya said her part. He then added, "It's a pleasure to see you again after all these years, Arya Svit-kona. So you're the woman Firesword has long loved? I now better understand his difficulty. I'm glad you have overcome the barriers between you and are together. He is completely altered." Varhog reached out and carefully clapped Eragon on the shoulder, but Arya noticed that he didn't move the arm Willow still held in a friendly gesture.

Craning her neck to look at his face, Arya responded, "Varhog, you're also quite altered from when last I saw you almost nine years ago. You have grown so much! As has your dragon. And your command of the ancient language is impeccable." She was duly impressed.

Varhog bowed his head in modest acknowledgement of her praise. "I've had much opportunity to learn here on the Isle and have had a most worthy example to emulate." This was said with a respectful nod toward Eragon, and Arya smiled at his compliment. "As for the growth, there's not much I could do about that thanks to my bond with Black Thunder. I just hope it's over now, though he'll continue growing, otherwise I'll end up taller than any Kull. I'm quite tall enough for my liking as it is." He glanced down at Willow, who was a foot shorter than he, though she was as tall as Arya herself.

Willow was listening to Varhog with an amiable expression, continuing to hold his arm in both of her hands. She smiled at him when he looked at her. Arya could see they were dear friends, which surprised her more than a little.

"Yes," Willow mischievously agreed. "If you get much taller, I'll never be able to defeat you as I currently can, now will I, Yelloweyes?"

Varhog chuckled. It was a deep, vibrating sound, which Arya clearly saw filled Willow with rapturous joy. "No, Eartheyes," the Urgal tenderly said. "You'll always be able to subdue me, no matter how tall I am. But I have remained at this height for some years, so I think I can safely count on stopping here."

Willow laughed and, from the affectionate look in his eyes, Arya began to think that Varhog's feelings were deeper than friendship. She would have sworn his statement contained an obvious double meaning, which Willow also seemed to suspect. But the thought of an Urgal ram being fond of a human woman was so foreign to Arya that she carefully kept her suspicions from affecting her expression. As Willow and Varhog were done speaking, they all looked expectantly at Eragon.

The others had remained where they were during this exchange, and the long pause alerted Eragon to the fact that they were waiting for him. "Shall we eat then?" he suggested. "That truly does sound welcome." This was met with a number of appreciative chuckles, and Arya guessed that the many male Riders shared Eragon's constant appetite.

As the group walked toward the hall, Eragon attempted to interact with each of the Riders. He apologized for his absence, asked after their training, and personally introduced Arya to those she hadn't previously met. Arya saw that they all loved and respected him, but their relationships seemed comfortable—that of friends, not master and student. He wasn't many years their senior after all, and was in fact younger in age than most of them. Arya felt a strange yearning that she had missed out on this companionship, but it was softened by the knowledge she was here and would be a part of it from then on.

Just as they were about to enter the Great Hall, a sound reached their ears from the far side of the impressive courtyard. Arya could make out a figure bustling toward them and after a few moments, she felt a growing astonishment as she recognized none other than Angela the herbalist hurrying their way.

When Angela was close enough, she panted, "Surprise! I haven't missed it, have I?

"Angela?" Eragon stammered, bewildered.

"The very same!" Angela snapped in exasperation. "Well, I haven't missed it then, have I? Your wedding? The union between two Riders, an elf and a human no less, is a special event indeed," she prattled, echoing the same thoughts Arya and Eragon had so recently shared. "And to think, not even a personal invitation for the one who predicted your epic romance, Shadeslayer! Having to guess the truth from hearsay! Unpardonable!"

Arya could sense how difficult it was for Eragon to muster the wherewithal to respond. "No, Angela, you haven't missed it. But how . . . how did you know? And get here in time?"

"Well, I may not be as fast as a dragon, but I have my ways of moving swiftly when needed!" Angela retorted.

Murtagh quietly entered the exchange with, "I scryed Nasuada with the news. She and the other leaders in Alagaёsia will witness the ceremony through a scrying mirror. Could you have heard that way?"

"Of course not!" Angela indignantly responded. "I haven't been in the high queen's court for years, what with her policies on magic usage. I started here the moment I knew Arya left the elves. Anyone could have guessed what that meant!"

Arya, who was as dumbstruck as Eragon, then asserted, "How could you have known that? And you claim you're not as swift as a dragon, yet I departed Ellesméra just over a week before my arrival here not five days ago. How is that possible, wise one?"

"I have my ways," Angela repeated, this time reminiscent of her characteristically mysterious manner, which emerged as her annoyance ebbed.

"I wonder if we'll ever learn of your secrets," Eragon muttered in bemusement.

"Not likely, Shadeslayer," Angela replied brightly, a twinkle returning to her eyes. Apparently satisfied that she had arrived in time, she finished, "Let me not detain you! Well, let's be off then!" And she hustled forward through the spacious entryway to the Great Hall, her dark curls bouncing and the others following in silent disbelief.