Soul Bound

Chapter 5

Eva sat by the window, knees pulled close to her chest. In bed yet again, at her mother's behest. Despite her insistence that she was perfectly healthy.

It wasn't fair.

While everyone was hard at work, Eva spent days in her room, which wasn't her room anymore. After the tree fell on their roof, crushing her parent's room, they were forced to move in here until the carpenters fixed it. She watched everyone outside the window stitch Brar together piece by piece, putting their blood, sweat, and tears into making their village whole again.

Hayden Greene couldn't do much heavy lifting because of his limp leg, so he lent his wagon out to whomever asked. If a carpenter needed wood transported, he'd move it to their next job site; he was currently out on a trip to Riverwood with a few farmers to buy supplies. Her mother, Emily Greene, ensured the workers had ample supplies and the less fortunate people, who lost their homes, had found suitable accommodations to sleep in. Even Erika helped where she could as their mother's assistant and ordered the children around to help the grownups with their tasks.

Sighing, Eva dragged her gaze from the window to Erika sitting on the floor playing with marbles. Eva had a feeling her sister had sensed a shift in her mood lately, so she took it upon herself to sit with her big sister until the mood passed.

That could be a while.

Eva had a lot of time to think in this room. About the storm, the mountain lion, the dragon. Jacob's warning spun around and around in her mind. Grayson's offer, which left a bitter note in the back of her throat.

Marbles clanked together. The sound was more pronounced in the stale silence of their room, and caused Eva to flinch in response.

Was there a part of her that wished she could take it back? That she had flown with them to Dragon Canyon that day? Yes. She longed to be in the sky again, to feel the wind in her hair once more. She had seen the world beyond her humble valley and had a yearning to see it all, explore every creek, forest, and ocean. There was so much for her to see... by Asturias, it felt so right to be up in the clouds! She felt like she had found a piece of herself she hadn't known was missing until Grayson showed it to her.

Would she ever admit her desires, this visceral yearning for more than what this valley could offer, to anyone? No. She was needed here, especially after the storm. Being the main provider for the family was a charge she had accepted and embraced when Jacob left; she would continue to fulfil her duty until they didn't need her anymore. No matter how many long, lonely years she would have to endure.

The marbles collided together again. Eva clenched the blanket draped in her lap and gritted her teeth.

One day, she would leave Brar and see it all for herself, as a Dragon Knight or as an adventurer. Nobody had to know about her scars or the storm dragon that had saved her life; though, she didn't truly understand why being Bound to a storm dragon was significant. She only knew that if Jacob was wary, she should be too.

For now, she would have to settle for exploring her valley with this new awakened fervour.

A marble rolled across the floor and hit the leg of Eva's bed. The last thing she had to herself until their house was fixed.

No more thinking.

She was done sitting and stewing.

She kicked off the blanket and swung out of bed. Erika immediately pinned her with a glare. Eva returned the favour. If Erika thought she could win the glaring contest, she was about to be sorely disappointed. She hadn't learned that glare from their brother.

"Mom says you're not allowed to hunt until you feel better," Erika reminded her, still giving her that disapproving look. Her fair hair fell over her eyes and she frantically brushed it aside, trying to maintain her scolding demeanour, but she had lost it. She just looked like an adorable little kid. To make matters worse, Eva ruffled her head.