33. Comfort

Eragon and Arya were silent and pensive as he guided her by the hand toward his room. Once they arrived, Eragon immediately noticed that his small bed, which had barely been big enough for his large frame, had been replaced by a larger one that would comfortably fit them both.

"That was thoughtful," he said, explaining his meaning to Arya.

They bathed together in the basin in the floor of his washroom. Arya insisted on washing his hair to return the favor as she had promised in the woods, taking her time to gently massage his head as he reclined in the water.

When she was done, Eragon thanked her. "That did feel most enjoyable," he murmured. Then they dried off and lay next to each other on the bed. In a gesture of desperate sadness, Eragon gently touched her body, trying to memorize every part of it.

"What is it, Eragon?" Arya softly asked.

"I can't bear this, Arya," he anxiously whispered. "We might only have a limited time together, and the uncertainty is agonizing."

"Eragon, do not despair. No matter how hopeless our situation seems after Angela's story, I will not give in to doubt. Even if we don't learn anything before our baby is born that will help us understand what might happen, I refuse to believe that we will be parted against our wills. Not after all that has happened to bring us together and to bring this baby into existence. Perhaps this is some kind of final impossible test we must pass before we will at last be victorious."

Eragon closed his eyes, willing himself to believe and find comfort in her words. But he failed, and tears started streaming down his cheeks, escaping his eyes against his will. Arya pulled his face to her chest, holding it there as she soothingly stroked his hair.

-:-:-

Arya understood why Eragon was so downcast, but she didn't share his conviction that something terrible would happen. After conceiving a child with him against all odds, she truly believed that nothing was too large for them to overcome. She felt that things would somehow work out if she and Eragon trusted in each other and kept moving forward, which was the very reasoning he had used with her before. Why couldn't he see it?

"This is no different from what you told me before," Arya attempted again. "When we thought we might lose each other because we wouldn't be able to have a family and that staying together in spite of that was selfish. You reminded me that it was just another example of having to face overwhelming odds while trusting that a solution would present itself. And even if nothing did, we decided that we wouldn't give in to the unacceptable alternatives, just as we never did before. And see how true your words proved to be? The once impossible idea of conceiving a child was overcome so easily, so quickly. Please, Eragon. I couldn't bear it if this entire pregnancy was a time of desperation and grief for you. Please promise me that you will enjoy it with me."

Eragon didn't move his face from her chest as he promised, "I'll do my best, Arya. But it may take me some time. Be patient with me."

"That is the least I can do after how long-suffering you have been," she murmured.

Eragon remained in his position for so long without moving that Arya began to think he had fallen asleep. Though she didn't feel tired, she tried to relax and get comfortable enough to also sleep when he began stroking her again, his hand lingering everywhere he touched.

Arya couldn't suppress the feelings it excited, but she was unsure what Eragon would desire in his current emotional state. "Would you seek comfort in my arms?" she formally asked, wishing it didn't sound so proper but unable to think of a different way to phrase it.

"Can I?"

"What do you mean?" She was confused why Eragon would emphasize his question in such a manner.

"I mean . . . is it safe? For the child? Would I harm it?"

Comprehension dawned on her. "Of course it's safe," Arya reassured, relieved to understand his reluctance. "The baby won't be harmed. It is safe and protected within my womb, which has sealed itself off to prevent the entrance of anything during the pregnancy. The baby is beginning to be surrounded by a warm sea of fluid that will cushion it. Did you honestly think I would be able to go nine months without enjoying your love in that way? I suppose you truly did. I'm sorry for mocking you."

Eragon also seemed relieved. "I was trying to prepare myself for the dismal possibility," he admitted. "Although having now tasted how sweet your love is, I think nine months would have seemed like ninety years. I'm sure I heard some mention of it growing up, some superstitious notion that such relations could be unlucky or potentially harmful during a pregnancy. Many a man in the village regretted the news that his wife had conceived, knowing it would mean an enforced period of abstinence for him."

"That is unfortunate indeed," Arya said. "There may be some cases where a woman with poor health or a history of lost pregnancies would need to exercise caution, at least for the first part of her pregnancy. But for a healthy, strong woman, there is no need for such self-denial."

"But what about as the baby grows?" Eragon insisted. "How will we manage then with your expanding womb?"

"I suppose we will only be limited by our creativity," Arya replied. "Intimate relations can occur right up until the moment before the baby's birth if a couple desires. Some even believe it is helpful for the laboring mother, as it can relax and assist her womb in its effort of opening."

Arya was grateful to see that their conversation had piqued Eragon's interest, which seemed to momentarily take his mind from where it had been. "Is that so? Well, I'm glad to hear it. You said nine months. Is that how long the baby will grow? It's the same as with humans?"

"Yes, the gestational period is nine months in humans, dwarves, elves, and even Urgals," Arya confirmed. "Although, to the careful observer, a pregnancy is more accurately measured in weeks than in months. Most humans are not aware of when the moment of conception occurs since they are uneducated about their bodies and the changes it undergoes. The most noticeable event of the female reproductive cycle is called menstruation, which refers to the time of actual bleeding."

Eragon interrupted her here with, "Why does that happen? I have always wondered. It seems so messy and unpleasant from what little I know of it."

Arya smiled. "Yes, I can see how it would be viewed that way with no understanding of what is occurring in the body in between. Do you remember what I told you a few weeks ago?"

Eragon nodded that he still did recall her lesson. "The menstrual bleeding is the sign that a pregnancy did not occur," Arya went on. "The woman's body prepared her womb for conception by creating an area capable of receiving and nourishing a fertilized egg. That is done by reinforcing her womb, mainly with extra blood. If the effort to prepare for conception is not met with conception, the body sheds the excess blood and begins the cycle anew. So the bleeding is actually the end of a cycle though, since it is the most recognizable event, it is often marked as the beginning."

Eragon raised his eyebrows. "As unlikely as it is, I'm actually fascinated by how logical this all is. The so-called mysteries of the female body are not so mysterious after all. Everything seems to be designed so flawlessly."

"Yes," Arya agreed before continuing, "So most measure the length of a pregnancy by remembering the beginning of the woman's last menstrual flow and by determining that she did not have another menstrual flow when expected approximately one month later. What they don't realize is that the pregnancy did not in actuality begin until a couple of weeks later, when the egg was actually released and fertilized after ovulation.

"From that point, another week to ten days pass before the fertilized egg reaches the woman's womb and implants itself there. That was the moment we noticed. So by most methods of reckoning, I am already three weeks pregnant out of a total of about forty weeks, though as you can see, for two of those weeks the woman actually is not pregnant. Since we are able to sense the energy of the baby with our minds, we have discovered our success far earlier than most. The most attentive humans would not likely notice pregnancy until some weeks from now. So it will seem closer to nine and a half months for us."

"Which means . . ." Eragon trailed off thoughtfully, and Arya knew exactly what he was doing.

"That our baby will be born sometime in the early spring," she finished, having already long since figured it out herself.

"That's wonderful," Eragon said, smiling at her. "Imagining myself as a father is so strange. I think I have always wanted the chance to do a better job of it than I experienced in my own life, although I'm grateful for all Garrow was to me and understand the necessity of Brom's actions."

"You will be a wonderful father, Eragon," Arya said, returning his smile. "Nothing makes me happier than picturing you with our baby. Do you think it will be a son or a daughter?"

"Hmmm, I hadn't thought of that yet. I think I would be delighted if it were either, though it's fun to imagine a tiny little Arya running around. Will we be able to know with our minds before the child is born?"

"I don't see why not," Arya replied. "Although part of me thinks it would be more exciting to wait until the moment of birth to discover it. I like to picture a strapping young Eragon."

Eragon turned his face to kiss the skin right under his lips, which was just above her breast. "So about a few minutes ago?" he hopefully reminded. "I no longer want to ignore the temptation of your naked body right in front of me."

"Mmmm, yes," Arya murmured, sliding down toward him. "I hoped you hadn't forgotten."

"Forgotten?" Eragon scoffed, but then her lips were on his and she didn't allow him to speak again for some time.