40. Departure
The Riders spent the next couple of weeks engaging in the various activities of their training routines and studies. The same cheerfulness that was present after Willow and Arya's sword fight prevailed. Everyone enjoyed Arya's company among them, but all of the happenings were overshadowed by the palpable excitement felt by those who would be returning to Alagaёsia.
Angela once sought out Eragon and Arya to ask if anything unusual had ever happened to them while together, any unexpected experiences of a spiritual nature. Eragon was confused by her meaning, willing to describe many of his recent experiences with Arya as spiritual in nature, but Arya had mentioned the time the spirits had visited them as they journeyed together back to the Varden.
Angela had clucked and fussed about it being "troubling" and "mysterious" then had departed just as hastily as she had approached, leaving them to muse over the incident without further enlightenment.
The Riders made preparations as the day of the departure for Alagaёsia neared. Careful effort went into modifying and expanding some of the saddles with additional straps and seat areas so they would easily, safely, and comfortably accommodate two Riders. They assembled the Eldunarí who wished to accompany them and magically reduced them to the size of a pinpoint, divided equally to travel behind each of the flying dragons. A considerable store of brightsteel was also thus packed, made ready to carry to Rhunön. The Riders organized what few supplies they needed—mainly food and clothing, including appropriate winter gear—and packed their saddlebags.
Finally the anticipated day dawned. The Riders had agreed on their various riding arrangements. Arya and Eragon rode together on Fírnen, not wishing to be apart, just as Saphira had predicted. Saphira flew alone for the first stretch of the flight. Sunset carried Angela and the human-boy form of Solembum. Hanin, of course, flew with his own violet dragon, Vera. And Willow truly did ride with Varhog on Black Thunder, just as he had casually though hopefully suggested.
When they finally took to the air, the dragons' enthusiasm was uncontainable. They twirled and swooped about, joyous to be embarking on such a long journey together, their mood only fueled by the elation of the Eldunarí who could no longer fly for themselves. All of the dragons engaged in this behavior save one, that is.
Sunset, who was extremely mindful of the trepidation of her passengers, flew smoothly and off to the side of the swirling mass of dragons so the gusts from their wings would not disturb her timid riders. Though dragons and werecats were traditionally very friendly, Solembum's regard did not necessarily extend to being a passenger on one of the enormous beasts.
After the initial excitement died down, Eragon wrapped his arms tightly around Arya, squeezing her against him as he thought, It's nice that we get to be together like this without interruption for a time.
Mmmm, she agreed, snuggling into him. The last time I flew this great distance, I was miserable. It felt as if my body would break into a thousand pieces from the strain on my tense, shivering muscles. Now I feel warm, comfortable, and full of anticipation, as I should.
Eragon pressed his hands over her womb, feeling a pang of guilt that he hadn't asked or even thought about the baby in almost two weeks. Her body remained as yet completely unchanged by the growing child, and he found it too easy to forget. In an attempt to redeem his thoughtlessness he asked, And how is the baby doing?
His question elicited such delight in Arya that Eragon vowed he would never again go so long without asking. Wonderful! Arya gushed. It is growing so much and so quickly. Here, feel with your mind! You will be amazed at the difference from just a few weeks ago.
Eragon reached out with his mind toward her womb and gasped. As Arya predicted, he was dumbfounded by the changes in the embryo. He observed a tiny heartbeat pulsing at a dizzying rate, proving the life-force of this miniscule being in an irrevocable manner.
The heart! he thought. It's already so fast and strong.
Yes. It's the first organ to begin functioning, pumping the blood from my body to the developing cells of the baby.
It's incredible how it all works so seamlessly, Eragon said.
It is, Arya solemnly agreed. During these past several weeks, I have given serious thought to the idea that there may actually be a power greater than that of this world, one which orchestrates the beautiful creation and flow of life. There is so much intricate, complex detail taking place in the baby's development every day. I frequently observe it happening, but I never do a single conscious thing to help it. Indeed, I wouldn't have the first idea how to do what happens without any thought of my own. Such an exquisite process couldn't happen by coincidence or accident. It's mind-boggling.
What I have always found so impressive, Eragon said, is how much you know about all of this. Every woman ought to understand her body as you do yours. That reminds me! I have been meaning to suggest this but keep forgetting. Willow might really appreciate the same lessons you have given me about the workings of the female body.
Is that so? Arya asked.
Most assuredly, Eragon replied. When she first arrived on the island, she was barely sixteen and her body had not yet undergone the changes you described to me, though at that age, most girls have already experienced the beginning of it. She told this all to me and Murtagh after the changes had taken place, bless her. She must have felt more comfortable confiding in us as almost brothers than anyone else, but it wasn't until two years after her arrival. She thought the stress of raising her brother after her mother's death only to have him pass away five years later, the constant ill health of her father, having Sunset hatch for her, and the difficult first years on the Isle all created such a stress on her body and mind that it delayed for some years what might otherwise have happened earlier.
That was a very wise deduction, Arya said. Stress and the condition of the body and mind have an indisputable effect on the cycle I described to you. And if she has always been so thin on top of everything else, her body simply would not have felt her ready to undergo the changes that indicate she was capable of maintaining a pregnancy.
Yes, Eragon said. Once you taught me how it works, I thought much the same myself. She had begun to worry something might be very wrong with her when that anticipated though dreaded day finally arrived. Dreaded because she was surrounded by men—the only females were the elves—who had no hope of describing to her what was happening or helping her learn how to live with it. I suppose the elves could have helped her if they shared your understanding, but they rarely deign to interact with her, a fact I find most regrettable. And besides, she would likely not have felt comfortable seeking their wisdom—if she suspected they had it—because of how formal they have always been, upholding their customs of courtesy and propriety above all else.
You speak of them as if I'm not one of them, Arya thought in amusement. But alas, there is no denying the truth of your words. We elves sometimes take our polite manner to an extreme worthy of fault. I appreciate your suggestion, darling. If Willow desires it, I will share as much of my knowledge as she is interested in learning.
Thank you, Eragon thought. Incidentally, how do you think Varhog is feeling about his most fortunate riding arrangement? I thought about offering to let Angela ride Saphira, but I didn't want to deny Varhog this unique opportunity, and Sunset is quite a bit smaller and milder than Saphira.
Arya laughed. I would imagine that he is most gratified. And Willow too. Perhaps this will be the moment he needs to confirm her suspicions.
It would be a good opportunity, though they will most likely have to converse mentally. We could hear one another well enough with our keen elven ears, but it is still more comfortable to use our minds. Maybe that will help. There is an unavoidable intimacy to this type of communication. Varhog might feel less vulnerable thinking something to her than speaking it aloud, at least initially.
Arya agreed, and they quieted their mental dialogue for a time, while keeping their minds in contact. The now familiar music of Arya's mind lulled Eragon into a peaceful contentment, which he basked in while enjoying the smell of her hair and the feel of the wind on his face.
-:-:-:-
The Cycle Continues . . .
In Part Two:
Beauty and the Beast
A/N: To reduce the chance that you might feel any resentment or surprise about what's coming, I will briefly share (without giving anything away) what you can expect from the remainder of this story. As the title hopefully makes clear, Part Two delves heavily into Willow and Varhog, and I know some readers have loved them, whereas others thought their story ruined everything. I don't think either is right or wrong, and I always knew that not everyone would love this whole story because we all have such varied tastes.
Only a few chapters in Part One deviated from Eragon and Arya's story. If you merely tolerated those chapters as unwelcome interruptions and put up with the love scenes and fluff because it was between Eragon and Arya, you will probably dislike Parts Two through Four. However, if you enjoyed Willow, Varhog, and the other OCs and loved all of the fluff and romance, you are more likely to enjoy Parts Two through Four. Willow and Varhog really take center stage from here on out, while Eragon and Arya play more of the supporting role (with the exception of the chapters surrounding their baby's birth). I realize that the majority of my audience most likely falls within the wide range between those two extremes.
I wrote The Cycle Continues for me, not Inheritance Cycle fans (though since I am one, I guess that kinda counts :), and what interests me most in any story is the romance. That's what my story has. And since I began (and concluded) writing my story as a thirty-two-year-old married female with kids, the tone and subject matter are vastly different from a series initially authored by a young, single teenage boy (though it should go without saying that I greatly admire Christopher Paolini and that he began writing his books as a very young man).
As I have said before, I never sat down planning to write this monstrous story about two characters I had no idea existed at the time. My sole intent was to reunite Eragon and Arya and give them a love story and happy ending, since the romance written into Inheritance Cycle was just tantalizing enough to keep me going and wondering how it would end. Well, as we all know, there was no resolution, which slightly exasperating fact was the impetus for my work. :) But Willow and Varhog gradually came to my attention, and once they did, I realized that they were anxious to have their story told. So I let them tell it through me because it was interesting to me and, above all, a great love story.
But while some readers may not necessarily care to read about OCs, I also realize they may have appreciated the way I brought Eragon and Arya back together and might be mildly curious as to how I resolve their dilemma. With those readers in mind, I decided to create an "Eragon/Arya track," which will guide you through the enormous remainder of The Cycle Continues with only those two characters in mind. I will list the chapters that mainly deal with Eragon and Arya, and if that's all you want to read about, hooray! You will save yourself a ton of time, finish up my portrayal of their love story, and be on your way with no hard feelings about the excessive amount of time I dedicate to Willow and Varhog. If you happen to really enjoy Willow and Varhog and also want to see what I do with Eragon and Arya, then just go ahead and keep right on reading.
I didn't originally write this story in four parts, so Part Two picks up where Part One left off without any summary or intro. If you want to keep reading, you will find Part Two as The Cycle Continues Part Two: Beauty and the Beast. It is also rated M, so set your filters to find it, if necessary (or just click on my username again). And for my Eragon/Arya only readers, here is your suggested chapter list for Part Two:
Chapter 4. Decisions (a lot of involvement with my OCs, however)
Chapter 5. Passing Through (same as above, since they're traveling together)
Chapter 6. Detour (last segment, after the -:-:- symbol, though the first part has some nice stuff with Murtagh and Nasuada, also originally from IC)
Chapter 13. Compromise
Chapter 23. Best Friends
Chapter 27. Discussion
Chapter 33. Legend (not about E/A, but it has some important foreshadowing)
Chapter 38. Ideas
Those are the main chapters that deal with Eragon and Arya. Obviously they appear in many of the others, but not as extensively. And two of them are basically just love scenes, so if that doesn't interest you, go right ahead and skip them. Actually, if you're not a big fan of love/sex scenes in general, skip any of the chapters with warnings.
To your continued enjoyment!
~Autumn :)
P.S. If you plan on continuing with Part Two, won't you kindly take a few seconds and leave a brief review of what you thought about Part One? I would greatly appreciate it! It obviously doesn't have to be strictly complimentary because if you didn't like certain aspects of the story, chances are good that likeminded readers also wouldn't, and they might appreciate the heads up.