She hated the rain.

Ariwyn looked up into the crying sky as she held tightly to her sobbing brothers hand. The sky offered her no mercy, only building onto the grief that already had a firm grip on her heart.

Her mamae was dead.

Mamae had died from the cough that had taken her during the winter, fighting through the sickness that held her till the beginnings of spring. She had died in her sleep, a peaceful death.

But she had left them.

She drowned out the sobs of her father, the pained little gasps her twin made as they clutched tightly to each other. She focused on the soft warmth of the energy that rested in her belly, and watched the rain fall upon her mamae's new grave.

She hated the rain.

She laughed at her brother's yelp as he struggled to control the electricity that danced across his fingertips.

"It's not funny Ari!" He whined, shaking his tingling hand with a pout. Ariwyn snickered at him once more before someone clearing their throat made both of the twins freeze. Keeper Istimaethoriel stood at the edge of the clearing with her arms crossed and one silver eyebrow raised.

"And what do you two think you're doing?" Anger laced her tone as she stalked toward the youngsters. The woman didn't hesitate to take both of them by their pointed ears and start dragging them toward camp.

"What have I repeatedly told you about unsupervised magic?" She said in an authoritative tone. The twins share a look behind her back before sighing in unison.

"Always practice in the safety of your sight." They droned together.

"The consequences?" She demanded.

"Demons." Eragon listed.

"Possession." Ariwyn groaned.

"Accidentally lighting each other's smallclothes on fir-"

"Hey, that was one time!" Ariwyn yelled at her brother. The Keeper simply sighed, letting the children's ears go with a huff as she started towards her tent. "Meet me in my tent in ten minutes for your history lesson Da'fen." The Keeper calls over her shoulder.

Watching the Keeper leave, Ariwyn reached over to whisper in her brother's ear.

"Were going to have to find a new spot."

"I heard that Lethal'lan!"

Eragon struggled to keep a scream in. He knew exactly what that black dot on his bedding was. And he was quick to stealthily creep away from the spot as quietly as possible.

"Ari?" He silently whispered - hoping that his sister was somewhere nearby. No response. Taking a deep breath, he looked to his siblings bedroll.

Walking over to her, he bent down to shake her shoulder. She only groaned and brushed his hand away with a mumble. He really didn't want to go back to his own bedroll at all.

"A-Ari? Halani…" He muttered desperately in a final attempt to gain the young elf's attention. His twin finally decided to roll over. His fear was obvious enough to keep her from getting angry at him for waking her up. Her eyes softened.

"Hamin. Ma'lin."

"There's another spider on my bedroll," he murmured quietly. Feeling an embarrassed blush creep its way onto his cheeks, he buried his face in his hands as his sister quietly stood up and walked over to his bedding. He watched her quietly - trying not to grimace as she calmly picked the spider up and set it on the nearby trunk of a tree. It happily crawled its way across the bark, and was out of sight within seconds.

"Ma'nuven. It was only a spider." His sister told him, a teasing grin on her face. Frowning, he furrowed his brows.

"At least I'm not afraid of centipedes…" He whispered quietly.

"Th-They're different!"

Ariwyn held her brother's hand as the branches were painfully tattooed across her twin's face. She felt her heart beating wildly in her chest as she saw the look of pain that crossed his face with the simple but slow swoop of the inking tool. The Vallaslin had been applied to her face only minutes before and she easily sympathized with her twin as his fingers tightened around hers - and a spark of electricity sparked from his hand that was clasped with her own.

Her brother's magic was gentle to her; never harmful or hurtful. The Keeper had brushed it off as explaining it was due to them being twins, and that was why his electricity - nor her flames - ever hurt the other; which she was glad of. Her short temper usually resulted in red curls or bursts of flames to flicker around her in a blazing heat; the same as his rampant emotions could produce streaks of blue electricity that crackled over or around him.

She watched as the last elegant line was etched under his eyes and helped him slowly sit up. Their eyes met as they both witnessed the same Vallaslin on each other's faces, and Eragon tiredly smiled at her.

It was yet another thing they now shared.

Eragon squinted through the rain as he slipped down a rock - wincing as his bare toe hit a jagged edge. His sister Ariwyn was with the Keeper back at the camp. Of course, they were twins and all - but she was still older than him by only a few minutes. Thus, making her the First. And he was the Second. Not that he didn't mind.

Shaking his bangs from his face, he continued to walk along the soaked forest-floor. It was then that he heard a strange cry over the booming of the thunder. He was still rather young, but he had finally come of an old enough age to head off on his own - if he didn't wander too far; courtesy of his twin's rules. Gritting his teeth, he brushed past some thorns before coming upon a small cave across the stream ahead of him.

He remembered the stream well enough. He and his sister used to play there when they were younger. Stepping into the running water, he ignored the goosebumps spreading up his legs from the chill. There in the dark of the cave stood two halla-like creatures he had only seen pictures in books of.

Harts.

Eyes wide. He crept upon them; trying not to scare them off. Just as he was questioning where there mother may be, he got his answer when he came upon the corpse of a giant dark blue Hart with purple stripes lying on the ground. She must have been attacked by the black wolves passing through.

He returned his attention to the two baby Harts with sympathetic eyes. The bigger of the two stepped up to greet him, nudging its head against his hand. He assumed they weren't going to hurt him, and so, he seated himself upon the cave's dry floor. The larger of the two was a dark blue with black stripes adorning its haunch. The legs were one of the most gorgeous features on the animal. The were a pale blue colour, eventually fading to a pure white once you reached its hooves.

The other one was much more quiet. It was observing him carefully - huddled up against the back wall. This Hart was pure white with black stripes. Much like its sibling's overall fur colour, its legs were just a dark blue - leading to black hooves. Looking into its chocolate brown eyes, he clicked his tongue. The other Hart came up to him willingly, resting its head upon one of his knees as it knelt to relax next to him. Amber-green eyes moved to watch the creature once more.

It let out a bleat in confusion. He smiled at it.

"Garas. Ma eth. Assan."

Their dadae laughed, a true happy laugh the twins had not heard in a long time. It had hit the clan hard at their mamae's death, but it had affected him the most. He had withdrawn from the world, slowly becoming a shade of the man he once was. Eragon laughed with him, snorting as his sister used her hands to imitate a Hart's antlers as she continued on her story.

"Poor Assan couldn't hold his head up right with his new antlers and Thalion, that little ha'ren, teased his brother after receiving his and almost got him stuck in between two trees." She gasps out, laughing at the memory with her family. Their dadae started his own story, hands waving excitedly in the air as he told one of his past days as a hunter of the clan.

The twins glanced at each other, giving small relaxed smiles as they listened to their dadae across the campfire.

"Your mother came stumbling out of the stream, bow string broke and soaking wet. I don't think I have ever seen her that angry!" He laughs fully, his eyes starting to shine suspiciously. Eragon didn't hesitate, Ariwyn close behind him- as they went around the fire to sit on either side of their dadae. He wrapped both arms around them, eyes watery as he continues on his story.

Ariwyn and Eragon crept silently through the underbrush, and the male twin's eyes narrowed as he heard two deep voices ahead of them. Peeking through some leaves, he spotted two slave-traders next to a wooden cage atop a cart. There were already people

He heard his sister snarl under her breath, and he tried to hold in his own noise of disgust. They'd left Assan and Nalva behind; knowing the great beasts' footsteps would be too loud. They had traveled rather far from their clan. So, they'd had to bring plenty of provisions and supplies. Thankfully, their Harts were safe back at their temporary campsite. The Keeper had finally entrusted them to travel on their own - their Vallaslin fresh on their faces.

Keeper Istimaethoriel had sent them to investigate the rumours of slavers in the area. According to a nearby clan who had been traveling, two of their own warriors had been stolen from them. So, the Keeper had sent Ariwyn, Eragon, Durgen, and Rimedur.

Durgen had been left at the camp with the Harts to keep watch. And Rimedur had scouted for them. He was quick with a bow - and he was to be there backup in case something went wrong.

Ariwyn signaled to Eragon, and they both circled around to the side opposite of the men. One of the elves in the cage - a young child - shot them a worried look, but knew better than to speak out. Eragon smiled at her shakily in an attempt to ease the tension.

"We're going to free you." His twin whispered to the Dalish in the cage. An elder one - older than the twins - nodded in understanding. Ariwyn shot her brother a look, and he looped around. Grinning, he flicked his fingers. A streak of white electricity shot from his fingers, hitting one of the men in the back of the head. It only took a moment for the lighting to travel through his body. And the slaver fell to the ground within minutes. This caused a good reaction from the other one - just like they wanted.

His eyes roamed back to his sister as he watched her guide the Dalish elves towards where Rimedur was stationed. Stepping out from his hiding place, he shot another bolt of electricity at the man - stunning him.

Just as the last Dalish child made it out of the cage and into the bushes, four more men entered the clearing. Eragon kept a curse from bubbling past his lips as his sibling rushed to stand next to him. They didn't think there would be more of them.

Nodding to his sister, the stood at the ready, and both shot with their magic. They could be a terrifying duo when provoked enough. He set up an electric current on the ground - paralyzing them - and Ariwyn shot out multiple fireballs rapidly.

All of them hit their mark.

Ariwyn's shoulders brushed against her brother's as they stood in front of Keeper Deshanna Istimaethoriel. Eragon gave his sister a worried look. Both siblings were rather nervous. They hadn't seen the Keeper this serious in a long time, and neither of them knew what could be the issue this time. She gave them both an indefinable look, and Ariwyn felt some tensions rise into her shoulders.

"I have important news for the both of you," the woman started - easily gaining the attention of the two. "There's rumour of a meeting to be between some shemlen at the Chantry conclave. And I would like to entrust you two to go and investigate it."

Ariwyn and Eragon gave her a surprised look, but the eldest sibling was the first to speak up.

"Why should we care of a bunch of shems ridiculous meetings? It is none of our business, correct?" Ariwyn asked - anger lacing her tone. Eragon knew why. Humans were terrible. Mostly all they did were insult the Dalish, or take them as slaves. He frowned upon the thought.

But the Keeper merely shook her head.

"This is far greater than you two could understand. The contents of what may be happening there could affect us far more than our people would believe."

Both elves frowned. Eragon finally spoke up. "But, Keeper Istimaethoriel, what are we supposed to do? If it something so grave, why not send someone with more experience than us?"

"I trust you two. You both have more strength than you would be lead to believe. Da'fen. Da'halla."

Ariwyn and Eragon met each other's eyes. She took a shaky breath, finally breaking her brother's gaze to give an affirmative nod in the elder woman's direction.

"We will go."

Eragon hadn't slept in two days. As the issue was urgent; he and his sister had grabbed Thalion and Assan and left as soon as possible. They had barely found the time to say their farewells to everyone. Of course, their father understood the situation, but it had still been hard for him to let nearly all he had left just walk away into danger. He had given them both wooden carvings to keep with them and wear around their necks. Ariwyn had the wolf, and Eragon had the halla - respectively. Eragon shifted in the saddle atop Assan, and the Hart snorted quietly at him. He patted the white fur on its neck and smiled.

Ariwyn was nearly in the same predicament as he, and he gently shook her shoulder to keep her from slipping out of the saddle. Normally, they wouldn't put such garments on their Harts, but for such a long journey, it was required. Personally, Eragon preferred to ride bare-back. He clicked his tongue after his sister had done so as well, and both of the beasts stopped.

They could see the Chantry conclave from where they had stopped. It was a tall building - definitely easily noticeable by anyone who was passing by.

Ariwyn looked at him, and it only took him a second to understand what she was going to say.

"No," he stated before she even opened her mouth to speak.

"You're not going in there with me." She told him, dismounting her Hart and swinging her staff off her back. "Only one of us needs to risk themselves in there Eragon." She says, throwing Thalion's reins to him, before strapping her staff onto his saddle bag.

"But that's not fair. Something could happen to you, and I wouldn't be there to stop it," he replied with a frown. He might have been slightly younger - or even less stronger - but there was no way he could let his sister go in there alone. "What use will I be out here?" She shook her head at him, shrugging on her mercenary coat.

"You will watch Thalion and Assan, and stay out of danger from the shemlan forces that are everywhere out here. This is not something we can both go running into Ma'nuven." She says with a sigh, pausing to meet her brother's eyes. "I have a bad feeling about this Eragon. Something-" she groaned angrily, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "I don't know, I'm just really not liking this."

Eragon bit his lip, trying not to let a growl slip past his lips in frustration. He'd always been babied the most when they were growing up. But he knew his sister wouldn't let him go. She'd fight him tooth-and-nail until he decided to agree with her wishes. Just because he agreed - didn't mean he wouldn't follow at the slightest sight indicating something had gone wrong. "Very well. I'll comply - for now. But that doesn't mean I won't come running if something goes awry. So, don't even try to argue with me on that." He finished, crossing his arms.

She laughed quietly, reaching up and clasping her brother hand. "Wouldn't expect it any other way little brother." She says with a smile on her face before she turns and begins toward the conclave.

"By five minutes!" He called after her.

She blended easily into the crowd of mercenaries; all following some shemlan noble from what she could tell. It was easy to make it inside the foreboding building.

Such strange clothing, she thought to herself as she skirted around a lady in robes. The conclave was filled to the brim with what she knew were templars and mages that seemed to circle each other with suspicious gazes. Members of what she knew where from the Andrastian religion all stayed in their small fractured groups, eyes wary of those around them. It made her hair stand on end with how heavy the seemed to be.

At the first opening she saw, she slipped from the group and down a darkly lit hallway. From what she gathered so far, this was the fault of some mage who decided to blow up some shemlan religious building, and by doing that started a mage rebellion. Ariwyn did not understand the reasons or logic behind this, so she could only shrug at the new information. She got what she came for, and now all she had to do was figure out how to get out of this maze of a building.

"Somebody help me!" Ariwyn paused outside the door, head tilted as she listened.

"Anybody please! Help me!" With her mind made up - and with hurried steps - Ariwyn ran towards the door. Her hands go to shove the double doors open, and she is blinded by the sudden bright glow.