Moon-chan: I know, that you all have been waiting for this chapter for a while and I am sorry for the slow updates. It is slow going because I don't want to reveal too much before it is time to. This story is one of my many babies. Thank you to all of you who have put this on your story alerts list. Enjoy chapter two and please review and let me know what you think…the more reviews the faster I update!
The Bonded Ones
Chapter 2
I looked at Aroughs from beneath my veil with narrowed eyes. The city was well fortified which posed a threat to the contingent of Varden soldiers that were camped out a distance from the city. Faye told me that Nasuada was a fool, but I knew something that she didn't, the leader of the rebellion had sent Eragon's cousin Roran. I was glad that they had finally sent in someone that could think unconventionally because the siege had been going on for a while and from what I could tell it wasn't going well. Our guard was adamant that Faye and I didn't reveal ourselves many still believed our race extinct and Nar'Loc, our head of security wanted to keep it that way.
I watched from afar as Stronghammer took control of the force and stopped the men from Aroughs from decimating his camp while his main company was working on the dam. The whole time that he had faced the group of a hundred or more men I held an arrow notched to my bow, next to me my sister sat calmly, her hands on the hilts of both Sintra and Vangar Gata. I was in awe at his audacity and at the same time wondering why Lafaye didn't gallop down to the camp to hit Roran upside the head. This was just the sort of thing that my elder would've smacked her bonded for.
I was usually the nice one, but every once in a while my personality did a one-eighty and I started acting a lot like my sister. I was on edge the rest of the day even as the men dug two trenches around the camp. I knew that if anything happened to his cousin, Eragon would break. The loss of his teacher and Brom still caused him severe agony and this in turn hurt me because of the fact that my mind was connected to his as was my heart, but for some unknown reason he was under the mistaken impression that Arya was the one that protected his mind and sanity from the assault of the enemy.
Eventually the camp settled down, but for many reasons I did not relax. One of them was that could feel that something was going on and I wasn't about to let my bonded break.
I was right to worry there was a scuffle coming from Roran's tent not even an hour after the majority of the men laid down to rest. I held my breath as I waited for someone to emerge from the canvas cave. It didn't take long, Roran walked out an alert expression on his face moments later.
Now, one would wonder how it is possible for me to hear that far away from my position, and they would be right to question this. The only thing is that my sister and I are unlike any other beings in Alegaisa. We are stronger and more powerful and that is what makes us so valuable, because we do have vulnerabilities just like anyone else.
Stronghammer was slightly shaken, but that was it. It did not seem as though anything untoward had happened or so that would appear. Not even five minutes later, still covered in blood he started speaking and then the men around him scattered, more than likely to flush out any other intruders in the camp.
The spell caster, Carn, brought him over to the fire where another man put a cot. They made the wounded man lay down on the pallet, and then suddenly blood started to spurt out of the gash as if it was a cut to the jugular. Carefully I projected my own energy in to the spellcaster, supplementing his healing Roran so that there was no scar left to mar his chest.
Once the deed was done I sensed my sister take a seat next to me. She had gone hunting hours ago for supper, fresh game was something that was sparse because of the many battles that were happening in the country right now so she had to travel pretty far off to gain the meat. She knew that I was exhausted, and that I would not rest at all unless she took over my watch. It wasn't because I didn't trust my comrades, no not by a long shot, it was that my elder was the only one that knew the spell that would send me to sleep without allowing my gift to activate. I could still do everything else that needed to be done. The spell just quieted my feelings that would not allow me to rest, like the one that had kept me sitting watching the camp for hours today.
I did not look at her; I already knew that her face was a light with bemusement. "The battle is on the morrow, Ana, are you ready?" she asked looking at the camp as I finally glanced at her.
"I must be. I can't let you go into a fight without someone watching your back." I looked at my sister levelly as I stood up. "You tend to run straight into the melee like an Urgal."
Faye laughed as she leaned back on her hands, looking perfectly at ease with a sword and quiver strapped to her back plus two more blades belted to her waist, and that wasn't even counting the various other pointy objects concealed on her person. I shook my head in exasperation; sometimes I wondered how my elder had become so sadistic. I vaguely remembered father telling me before we left that our gifts would each leave a mark on us. I knew that part of Faye's was her temperament, she refused to take any shit from anyone, and race didn't matter to her, or I, but that is beside the point, a wit to her. No one dared cross her. With those thoughts running through my head I left my sister to the watch and made my way to my pallet. The morning was going to be interesting to say the least.