Loivissa: Chapter 6

"When will the supply ship arrive?" Eragon asked, already tired from work. He was busy constructing their home by singing to the trees. He learned how to bend the trees to his will from the elves, and although the work was not physical labor, the task still took its toll on Eragon. While he was absent, Isabelle had contacted Nasuada. The Queen informed Isabelle that the supply ship should be at their island by the end of the week. Pleased with the news, Isabelle repeated it to her husband.

"That's good," he said, warming his hands by the fire. The air had become much colder since they arrived and Eragon strived to have their house finished by the first snowfall. The amount of snow they would receive would not be as much as any of the northern cities in Alagaesia, but from what Eragon calculated, they would still receive a decent amount. In the sky, the clouds made the day bleaker, but that did not dampen their spirits.

"How far did you get on the house?" Isabelle stirred a pot of stew, Aurora crawling towards Saphira. For a baby, she was quite brave and more adventurous than most. Saphira hummed and looked down at the child, her eyes bigger than the baby's entire head. Aurora stuck out her hands and stroked the dragon.

Eragon, distracted by his daughter, remained silent. When his wife repeated her question, he shook his head and answered his wife. "All the walls are done and I am working on the roof."

"So you should be done with the exterior by the time the ship arrives?"

Eragon nodded and turned his attention back to his daughter. He walked over to Saphira and sat down. Next to him Aurora began to play with the sand, ignoring her father. She grabbed handfuls and became increasingly irritated when the sand sifted through her fingers leaving her with only a small pile by the time she opened her hand. In her frustration, she started to throw the sand.

The sound of her mother's laughter made her stop. She gazed up at the woman wondering why she was making such a ruckus. Eragon unintentionally mirrored his daughter's expression, amusing his wife even more. When Isabelle regained her composure she said, "It seems our daughter has your anger."

Behind him, Saphira began to shake as she laughed. Aurora is more like you than you might think.She is quickly becoming a trouble maker, and finder.

What do you mean? Eragon asked.

His question made his dragon laugh harder. You know exactly what I mean. You do not cause trouble as much as you find it. It's rather a bad habit.

Eragon frowned as the realization set in. He looked at Aurora who began to throw the sand again. Attempting to stop her, Eragon was forced to shield himself with his arm as she threw sand at him. "Hey!" Placing a ward around him that protected him from the sand, Eragon watched his daughter's shocked reaction when the sand she threw missed their target. She was too young to understand that he had used magic, and the unnatural act frightened her.

She struggled when Eragon picked her up. "Aurora, it's all right."

She senses something is wrong. You should refrain from using magic around her until she can understand.

You're right, but I think she is also upset because I made her stop throwing the sand.

That too. Saphira chuckled.

Aurora continued to fidget in his arms trying to get away. In desperation, Eragon chanted a phrase in the Ancient Language. It was not a spell; rather, it was a phrase similar to the phrase he had used to calm his former horse, Cadoc. When finished, Aurora ceased fighting and stared at him, her blue eyes meeting his. Although she did not understand what was going on, she knew that she was not in danger, and neither was her father. Eragon placed her on his lap where she played peacefully until dinner was ready.

Eragon and Saphira met with Captain Harold on a surprisingly pleasant morning. The captain had contacted Eragon the night before explaining that with the strong winds they received, they would be at the island by morning. The early arrival of the ship meant that Eragon never finished the house beforehand, but he was glad that the ship had come. The supplies he had initially had nearly been depleted.

"Well met, Shadeslayer," the captain said.

Eragon dipped his head. "Indeed." After dismounting Saphira, he clasped the man by his hand in a more traditional human greeting. "How was your trip?"

"Long," the man suddenly looked tired, but held his discomfort well. "It was a long trip, but we were fortunate to have decent weather, encountering only one storm."

"Well, feel free to stay as long as you need to catch up on your rest. My wife and I have a camp set up with lunch that will be served in a few hours."

"Thank you." The man cracked a small smile. After, he shouted orders at his men. For the rest of the morning Eragon and Saphira helped to unload the ship giving the men specific directions on where to put the supplies. Halfway done, Isabelle arrived with water. The men took a short break to enjoy the refreshment at their captain's orders. As they drank, Aurora watched them. This was her first time seeing other people in months and she was unsure what they wanted.

Her gaze troubled some of the men, especially the younger ones. The older men who had children of their own understood her more and smiled at her, Captain Harold included. "I have an eleven year old daughter back home and I can remember when she was little. She used to bite those she did not like."

Eragon picked up his daughter, kissing her cheek.

"This one likes to throw sand at us," Isabelle said.

Harold laughed. "Then consider yourself lucky."

"We will" Isabelle took Aurora when Eragon had to get back to work.

"Children are wonderful and I encourage you to spend as much time with your daughter as you possibly can. Before you know it, she will be grown." Harold paused, taking a deep breath. "I missed a lot of my daughter's childhood fighting the Empire. Now, she is already interested in boys and I am wondering where the time went."

"Well, let us not keep you from her longer than we have to; the sooner we get this ship unloaded the sooner you can leave."

When the sun was directly above them, they finally unloaded the last barrel.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Eragon said, "That was the last one. Now, let us enjoy a hearty lunch." He led the men to their camp where Isabelle was setting up a table—a table that came from the supply ship- the boar roasting over the fire nearly done. "This looks delicious."

Isabelle turned around to face her husband. After kissing him she said, "Thank you." Eragon helped his wife set up the table and serve lunch, the men clumped together talking idly as they waited. From her pervious observation, Aurora concluded that the strangers meant well and no longer felt inclined to stare at them. The conversation during lunch was light and pleasant, Isabelle and Eragon savoring the human interaction. The men planned to rest for two days before leaving. Typically, they did not need that long of a reprieve, but Loivissa Island was much farther than all the other places they have sailed to.

That night, after he had helped the men set up their tents, Eragon had started a book that was brought over. He only read through the first two chapters when a familiar voice made an unfamiliar sound. At first he thought he was hearing things, but when the sound was repeated, he looked up. A few feet from where he sat was his daughter's crib, Aurora's head peeking over the back frame. All Eragon could see where her eyes as she was too short to tower over the frame.

As he continued to look at her, she made the sound again, this time much more clear. Stunned, Eragon glanced over at his wife who was also looking at Aurora. "Fader." Tears started to form at the corners of his eyes as he witnessed his daughter's first words. He stood up, placing the book on the chair, to embrace Aurora. His wife joined him as she began to say a few other words, like "Moder" and "Zaphera."

Saphira poked her head in to relish in the moment as well, her happiness intermixed with her Rider's. The attention made the girl smile as she snuggled into her father's chest. In his arms, she fell asleep. "I love you," Eragon whispered into her ear before placing her in bed, kissing her brow.