Hi all, i'm back.

Disclaimer: i only own Florina and Kuldra

a reminder: Bold italic=conversation between Kuldra and FLorina

Bold= conversation between Saphira and Eragon

regulare italic=general conversation

Florina and Kuldra watched the landscape below them. It was Eragon's turn to train with Brom and so they had offered to keep watch for them. This was the fourth day of travel since Eragon had decided to go to Terim. She had only ever been there once and was sure that no one would remember her. She doubted she remembered much about it, she had only been maybe seven when she and her parents had gone to visit a merchant by the name of Jeod Longshanks. The only reason she remembered the name was because Caleb had told her that if she was ever in Terim and needed a place to stay, she should go to him and mention him.

"Florina?"

"Yes Eragon?"

"Nothing, never mind."

"What was that about?" Kuldra asked.

"I've no idea. Keep an eye on the ground."

"Are you okay, Little One?"

"I'm fine, Saphira."

"Why did you contact her?"

"I just want to know more about her. She doesn't say much at night. And what she does say is so cryptic that I think she is hiding the real reason she was looking for Brom. I want to know what friends they have in common and why Brom suddenly let her travel with us."

"Eragon!" Saphira admonished. "Have you been trying to gain access to her mind?" He didn't answer. "You are impossible. Just ask her. Maybe she will tell you." Eragon grumbled and tried to pay attention to Brom as they rode down the road. If Brom noticed anything, he didn't mention anything. He knew Eragon was curious by nature.

"Florina,"

"Yes Brom?"

"Come ride with us."

"No."

"Why? What is wrong? Did Eragon do something to offend you?"

"No." Brom looked up to where Florina and Kuldra had flown off to. He could see the golden speck that was the gold dragon. She was distracted by something, he knew. But he kept from reaching for his sword so he didn't worry Eragon.

"What is it?" The boy asked.

"Not sure. It may be nothing."

"Stop!" Florina shouted in their minds. Eragon looked up at her.

"Did you see that, Kuldra?"

"Yes,"

"Can you tell what it was? It looked like a pack of something."

"Look for yourself." Kuldra pulled Florina's consciousness into her own and Florina was able to see through Kuldra's eyes. They had done this before, but the sight always made her pause. Kuldra looked closer and Florina saw what they had seen earlier. It was a pack of bandits and they were heading straight for Brom and Eragon. Florina returned to her own mind.

"Get me down there and then you and Saphira circle above us when she gets back. If those bandits see three horses and one not being used as a pack horse," Florina didn't finish the sentence as Kuldra banked back towards the ground. Eragon and Brom soon came into sight and Kuldra landed.

"What is the matter?" Brom demanded as Kuldra took flight again. Florina guided the stallion, whom she had finally named Deloi, to his side.

"Bandits are coming towards us from the south and west." She gestured with her head and they began riding forward. "Deloi is not being used as a pack horse and the group is far larger than you and Eragon can handle on your own."

"And you," Eragon suddenly asked from her other side, "they will want to ensure you are their own personal treasure."

"I'm flattered," she responded. "But if these bandits are who I think they are and are from near my home, then they will not bother us. I hope."

"Why do you say that?" Brom questioned, the answer already forming in his mind.

"Because, if they are them, I have dealt with them before." Is all she said. They traveled a while longer in silence before dusk fell.

"You shouldn't make camp."

"No, they'll know something is wrong if we do not stop and then we won't be able to avoid bloodshed. You and Saphira find somewhere to rest until I call for you. We don't need word of you, Kuldra, getting back to the king and that we are with Eragon. The Ra'zac know that he is a Rider. At least, they suspect it."

"Very well. But she will not be happy about it."

"It's for Eragon's safety."

"Be safe, Brave One."

"Don't worry about us. Let's camp here." She told them.

"Should I tell Saphira where we are?"

"No. The bandits are getting closer and we can't risk them seeing the dragons. We are hoping that the Ra'zac don't know that she hatched for you, even though they probably know and so does the king. If they are not seen, our path is still unknown to our enemies."

"She's right." Brom said before Eragon could protest. "We'll camp here and pretend as if nothing is the matter. We are just three travelers on our way to Terim."

"Hopefully, they will be frightened away by the sight of our weapons." Florina said as she started a fire.

"Why would they be afraid of you?" Eragon asked as she sat back and Brom began making a stew with the meat from the day before.

"Because I am from somewhere that most people fear because it is strange and unknown to them."

"Where are you from?"

"A small city near the coast." She answered vaguely. Brom said nothing. Eragon sulked. They sat in silence. Florina left her sword in plain sight, the hilt close to her hand.

"Florina,"

"Yes Brom?"

"Tell us about your life."

"What is there to tell?"

"How about a story from your childhood?" Eragon suggested. "Maybe how you came into your magic."

Florina smiled. "Alright. But listen closely, because I am not going to repeat it and you had best never repeat it either." She took a breath. "I would say I was about ten years old at the time. My mother had sent me out to gather herbs for her as she worked as a healer next to be the local spell caster. It should have only taken me an hour at the most. I gathered them. But I did not go home right way. I stayed in the forest just outside the city and stared at the sky. You see, even in a place where oddity is normal, I was an oddity and not a welcome one. It's my eyes. They are darker than either of my parents.

"It was noon by the time I got home. Mom was not very happy. When I returned to the house and gave the herbs to her. She didn't say anything to me and so I sat next to the stove in silence. She didn't look at me. Remember, I was an oddity within an oddity and so I had no friends to play with. I felt my mother did not understand me as she should, as her daughter and the one who had raised me. Needless to say, I was blinded by my anger. Like you when you faced the Urgals, Eragon. Anyway, I shouted the word for rise in the Ancient Language and I lifted a chair into the air. It stayed there until I fainted due to the cost of energy it took to sustain the spell. It took the rest of that day and the next before I woke up. When I did wake up, Mom told me she had been trying to coax the magic out for the past few months before that." She hung her head and smile. "Believe me, after that, she was even harder on me."

"That young?" Brom was pale faced when she looked up. She nodded.

"It was a great risk on her part, I admit. But if she had not, I would be of little use now."

"And you will fetch quite a price." A voice said from behind her. She jumped up, spun, and took a couple steps back to the now standing Brom and Eragon. The man stepped into the circle of light. By the way she felt her companions tense, she knew the others had done the same.

"Please," she said, "we don't want any trouble. We are just traveling to Terim."

"A woman alone with an old man and a boy." His tone betrayed his suspicion.

"They are an uncle and nephew. The old man is a friend of my fathers." The slaver grunted. Florina placed a ready hand on the hilt of her sword. "We would like to avoid bloodshed."

"The only way to do that would be to drop your weapons and come quietly."

"I am afraid that we have an important errand to fulfill. Please,"

"They obviously do not know you." Brom said.

"They do. I can see it in their eyes. But there are more of them than have tried to catch me before. Besides, we are nowhere near any place where help will come. They are too confident."

"Then let us show them their mistake." Florina smiled and sent Eragon her enthusiastic agreement. It had been too long since she had had a good fight.

"The old man is worth nothing except maybe as an extra hand. He won't bring in much. The other two, on the other hand," another man said.

"Very good, Torkenbrand. You will make a good slaver yet." The leader turned back to Florina. "Now, like I requested before. Drop your weapons and come quietly." She drew her sword in defiance.

"You have not changed. I should have killed you the first time."

"The first time, you were too near your home." Florina shrugged and moved away from Brom and Eragon. The man looked at her, distrust in his eyes.

"I am not dropping it so you can take me for a slave or for yourself." He jumped at her and all hell broke loose. Brom and Eragon jumped in separate directions, splitting the rest of the men into two groups as they never fought near their leader. He was a ruthless man who preferred to fight his enemies alone. Florina didn't mind as she dodged to the side. Without his men to back him or surround them, she had more room to maneuver and stay alive. She was loath to use her magic and decided she only would as a last resort.

She brought up her sword and blocked the slaver as he tried to hit her with the hilt of his sword. She hoped that the dragons would have enough sense to stay away. She knew Kuldra would, but she wasn't so sure about Saphira. Eragon always seemed to get into trouble when she was not around. Florina knew she would have to answer to Saphira after this was over.

She felt the blade slice her calf and she yanked herself from her thoughts. Thinking about what Saphira would do to her had made her forget that she was in the middle of a fight. She was thankful that is was shallow. The slavers wanted them alive which meant that they would not be trying to kill them, at least, her and Eragon. Brom she was not so sure about. She ducked the slavers blade and drove her own towards him. Her father had made it for her. The blade was slim but strong, made for all kinds of fighting styles. She was more careful than Eragon was as she didn't have a magic blade like Zar'roc. Not yet anyway.

She sliced at the slaver and was pleased when she saw blood on her sword. The fools were not wearing much armor. She jumped back as he tried to hit her with his fist and the rushed forward, meaning to run him through. He jumped to the side and swung at her with his own sword. She twisted and blocked the blow. But she was too slow to move out of the way of his kick. She was sent sprawling across the clearing and landed at the base of a large tree. She spit and wiped blood from her mouth. "Bastard." She whispered and stood up. He advanced on her.

"Give up."

"Not a chance." She swung, ignoring the pain in her side and surprised him by cutting his sword arm from him. She didn't give him a chance to attack with his other hand and cut away his hand before flicking her sword to his neck. "Like I said, I should have killed you the first time." She whispered and swept her sword through the area between his head and torso. The fighting around her stopped as head and trunk fell to the ground. She looked at Torkenbrand. "Do you wish to continue?" She said dangerously.

"This isn't over." He hissed. "I will remember you."

"And I you." She promised and then they were gone. Florina slumped against the tree as the other two sheathed their swords. She looked at Eragon and was glad to see he was unhurt. "Those lessons are paying off." She chuckled as they neared her. "I was afraid you would not make it."

"You insult my teaching." Brom chuckled as he helped her to the fire.

"And Saphira is going to be furious with me for putting him into such a dangerous situation."

"Don't worry about her." Eragon said as he called her and told her to bring Kuldra as well.

"What happened, Little One?"

"Old friends of Florina's."

"I smell blood."

"I did say old friends." He chuckled as the dragons landed. Kuldra immediately inspected Florina.

"You're hurt, Brave One."

"Nothing I can't fix with magic." Kuldra snorted.

"Take my strength."

"No, I can handle it."

"Florina, take it. I am stronger than you in this. You have just been fighting. You do not have the strength to heal yourself now. Please, do not argue with me."

"Fine, if it will make you feel better." Kuldra blinked and Florina felt her feeding energy into her. She healed herself, doing her calf first and then moving to the side the slaver had kicked. She cried out in pain as a bone in her arm popped back into place. Eragon and Brom looked at her suddenly. She smiled weakly as she healed her side, finding two broken ribs. She didn't tell Kuldra she had used all the energy she had given her. Kuldra curled up around her and then covered her with her wing as Florina fell asleep, leaving Eragon and Brom to tell the story to the dragons.

Kinda a filler, i know, but i wanted to change things a bit. THanks for reading and please review.