The Bonded Ones

Chapter 3

I watched calmly, or as calmly as I could considering that I was waiting for something, anything, to happen. My sister was sleeping, or what amounted to sleep with the things that she as going through. The fact that she was in love with her Rider didn't help the matter that she was up most of the night because of a sense of foreboding that has surrounded Stronghammer for the past three days. I rolled my shoulders, removing the kinks in my neck. I sat there on that rock for four hours before the sun rose over the horizon cuing the camp before and behind to prepare for battle.

Hours passed as I waited, my body practically vibrating with the need to enter the deadly dance that it was made for. When the slight trickle of magic made its way by me I grinned that was the signal from the Spellcaster with Stronghammer to start the distraction. I was so looking forward to taking out some of Gallbatoirix's men. There were no qualms with me that would gainsay my hand when faced with an enemy. I had no problem shedding the blood of another.

Rising to my feet I turned to my horse Shadow and leapt into his saddle. My contingent of the guard rose from their seats many of them Urgals and others still dwarves. Nar'Lok, Captian of our guards nodded to me, and gestured to my still slumbering sister whose twin sapphire blades lay buckled to her hip and back as well as her quiver filled with no less than one hundred arrows.

I nodded to the guard, who had had all mounted up while I had been exchanging glances with my protector. Turning in my saddle I made the signal to merge with the Varden forces, my people knew what to do. They also knew that I didn't need them to stay near me during a battle…in fact they knew that it was better to stay away from me when the battle took me. I had been known to take a hundred men on and leave the battle completely unscathed. My sister would say it was because I was an amazing fighter, but the truth was that it was because of what I was, my speed and flexibility were unmatched by any, but a master dragon slayer and my sister.

As the barges that Roran's men had made finally broke through the gates of the river opening my men and I appeared within the stronghold, using a spell only known to my people. The spell was ingrained into us, an inborn spell so to speak. As soon as we had appeared I did not wait, I leapt from the saddle knowning that the hooves of my destier would prove deadly to any soldier that was foolish enough to approach him.

The sound of my blade, Sintra, coming out from its scabbard drew the attention of the nearby combatants. The scarlet of the blade making it appear as though it was already stained with blood. A grin spread across my face as I swung the blade up to parry the incoming blows from the guards. This was going to be fun.

I wove through the attacking men easily dancing through their attacks. This was the most fun I had, had in over a month and I was going to revel in it. Eventually I ended back to back with one of Roran's men, and we were surrounded by the enemies of the Varden.

I looked over my shoulder at the rebel fighter and asked, "So you kill half and I'll kill half?" The young man, not that much older than I, looked at me with a shocked expression, mouth a gape. I returned the look with a raised eyebrow, and then grinned. "Alright, I'll kill them all!" With that I leapt into the fray my ruby red locks streaming behind me like a bloody red banner.

I felt rather than saw the man coming up behind me, I smirked, and at the whistle of an arrow flying the smug grin grew wider. Lurana had arrived and she never missed with her bow.

Swinging my blade I knocked out the knees of another solider even as another volley of arrows embedded themselves into more of my adversaries. The Varden solider I was fighting alongside appeared next to me even as I kicked another of the Keep's men against a nearby wall, causing a satisfying crack to resound through the suddenly still air.

I heard a shout of warning from one of the men that Stronghammer had brought with him, and I turned my eyes narrowing as I took in the situation in a millisecond. I didn't even need to think my body just jumped into action throwing itself at a nearby flagpole. I swung my body gaining momentum then flung myself toward the attacker. In midair I rolled so that my back was parallel to the ground. Then I snatched one of my sister's arrows that flew beside me, notched to my bow that I conjured to my hand and shot the projectile straight into the oncoming assailant's eye.

The battle around me seemed to die down and cease as I landed on my feet a few yard from Roran. Looking around I accounted for all my men, all of which were looking to me for their next orders. Shadow came galloping up to me even as Roran shouted, "Ho, warrior. Thank you for your timely assistance, but pray tell why help us?" I glanced at my sister who stood a ways behind me cloaked and her face cast in shadow.

I stepped forward my hair glinting like the jewel that it drew its color from. "We loathe Gallbatorix even more than the Varden. We have aided you because you fight against him, and because we wished to, no more, no less." I turned away trusting my sister to make sure no one tried attack my back. I mounted my stallion even as I sheathed my blade and rehung my bow in front of me on the horn of my saddle.

"Why not join the Varden, if you share our cause," one of the men I recognized from Cavahall asked his eyes never leaving the group of Urgals that surrounded me.

It was not I that answered the question. Lurana stepped forward, the hood of her cloak falling to reveal her veil which fluttered gently in the wind, but not going high enough to reveal her face or hair. "We may share your cause warrior, but we have our own tasks set before us. To join the Varden for us would cause the whole to be lost." A small smile flittered across my vistage as I thought about how our mother spoke in a similar matter even as Nar' Lok appeared at my side.

"My Ladies, the battle is won, we must continue on to the next arena." I nodded even as my sister and her archers evaporated like mist from where they had been standing.

"I bid you good day, Stronghammer. Blessings on your house Garrowson," I called as my men and I too disappeared from the view of the Rebels and transported to our camp. I knew that, that battle was just the beginning of this campaign the Varden were in. Now I'm no seer, but I knew that this battle was a crucial one to the overall siege on Gallbatorix. Nasuada was an idiot if she thought that she could win without a little intrigue thrown in, but then again she hadn't been raised by a man who knew traitiors before they became such. There were signs, people just chose to ignore them, and because of this there were scores lying dead because of their idiocy, ignorance was not bliss, not at all.

Moon-chan: Chapter four is already in the works just keep an eye on my Facebook page to find out when I will be updating again. Like me on FB, and see you next time…By the way who do you like more, Lurana or Lafaye?