Shadow of a Shade

Chapter Twenty-Four

Addiane and Murtagh were training before the sun was up. Bout after bout of mock combat, punctured with joking comments and funny gibes, sent the sounds of metal on metal ringing through the sleepy town.

"C'mon, Sparks, move your feet!" Murtagh admonished with a grin, pushing inside Addiane's reach and forcing her backwards.

"I'm moving them plenty, you overgrown oaf, get out of my face!" Addiane snorted, sidestepping and taking a swing at the side of his head. He ducked hastily. 

"What are you two doing?"

The two Riders stopped, looking over to the side of the clearing they were in. Will and Halt were leaning against one of the larger trees.

"Fighting, obviously." Murtagh shrugged. 

"Any particular reason?" Halt raised an eyebrow.

"Sibling bonding." Addiane shoved Murtagh.

"We agreed we were telling Eragon first."

"What's the point in that? It's not like it was a huge secret." Murtagh snorted.

"I knew it!" Will threw his hands in the air, laughing. "I told you, didn't I?"

"You did." Addiane smiled.

"Wait, he did?"

She nodded, turning to Murtagh. "When we had him tied to that chair he called you my brother at one point. I was confused, but he said we had a lot of... what?"

"Similar mannerisms." Will nodded. "The way you walk is fairly similar, you stand nearly the same way. They're all small things, and hard to notice, but you can see them if you're trained to look."

"I'm more interested in how you two figured it out. Seems like it was a revelation you were not aware of at all."

Addiane glanced at Murtagh. She really wasn't sure how to explain it, they had no clue how their dreams had connected together.

"We had a dream. My father had a tapestry enchanted to show our family tree, and she was on it... connected to my father by the very Shade we're dealing with here."

Halt nodded slowly. "Very interesting, how the world brings coincidences like that together."

"It is. Some would say the gods are involved."

Addiane grunted and checked her sword over. "Well, if you two are up everyone else is probably starting to stir, aren't they?"

Will nodded. "Edvin is working on breakfast at the camp. we didn't go into the house, but I saw movement in one of the windows."

Murtagh nodded. "It's probably Roran. He's a farmer by nature, he's up early."

"Well, I want coffee." Will stretched. "We'll see you whenever everyone is up and moving."

They all nodded to each other and the Rangers walked off, heading back in the direction of the the camp.

"Once Eragon comes up, we should talk to him about that dream." Addiane reminded him. Murtagh nodded.

"Until then, lets try hand-to-hand. I want to teach you some tricks."

-----

"At least it's not broken, right?" Murtagh smiled weakly, leaning against the doorframe.

Addiane lifted her head a little from the basin as she washed blood off her face. She glared at him silently.

"I'm sorry, okay! I got a little too into it."

"A little?" She huffed and splashed more water on her face.