Valiance

Chapter 4

4.

Gage filled in the form that he had gotten from Eragon. He only had to sign it now. He could feel Joshua's eyes on him as he read the fine print at the bottom. He really didn't care about what it said, but he wanted something to do while Joshua's glare burned a hole in his back.  

Josh was still furious about Gage's plan and he was still giving him the silent treatment. It sometimes worked on Gage- the silent treatment, but not this time. Gage was determind and wasn't about to let Joshua stop him from entering.  

"Listen, little bro, I want to help you!" Gage turned to face Joshua and when he did, Josh only sharpened his glare. Josh didn't budge. The two of them had been argueing for the last few hours while Faith tried to sleep through it, and now, while she got her things ready.  

The Tournament started the next day and Gage was trying to get as ready as he could before it. Not that he had much to do. He knew Josh wouldn't be happy about what he was doing, but he hoped that he wouldn't be mad when Gage left tomorrow.  

And Sephy being stuck in his head didn't help either. He couldn't shake her from his thoughts. Why had she been there last night?  

"Gage, please don't do this!" Josh pleaded with him. Finally breaking his vow of silence. It had only lasted less than ten minutes.  

"Joshua, I am going to do this wheather you choose to accept it or not." Josh didn't look happy while he walked from the room and headed upstairs to help Faith with her bag. She was returning to Eragon's mansion that morning to prepare for the ceremony the next day.  

Gage signed the form and slipped it into his jeans pocket. His jeans were torn at the knee from working one day, making the scar on his knee visible. When he glanced down at it, his mind immediatly shot to the scar that was across his torso, from his right shoulder to his left hip bone.  

He winced at the thought of it but he couldn't remember the feeling of it, the winceing was only a reflex now. It had been too long since he felt any sort of pain.  

He met Faith's gaze when he turned around. She and Joshua were standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Faith's expression, kind and worried, while Joshua's eyes were furrowed.  

"Gage, Faith wants to say something." Joshua told his older brother. He had obviously convinced her to jump on the 'anti-Gage' band wagon. Gage waited patiently as Faith took a deep breath and stepped forward, out of Joshua's hand.  

"I want you to enter the Tournament." Gage smiled and looked at Joshua who seemed to be as surprised as he was.  

"What? But, Faith-" Faith cut Josh's sentence off and went to explain.  

"It's not that I want you to get hurt. I..I just don't want Joshua to get hurt. And I think that you are much stronger especially with the advantage of..." She looked to Joshua, and Gage knew what she meant.  

"Of not being able to feel pain. Finally somebody that sees the sense in my plan! Having all of my pain nerves fried is real handy in situations like these."  

"Don't be such a smart ass, Gage. And if anything, not being able to feel pain will only hinder you in the Tournament!" Joshua argued.  

"How so?" It was Faith who spoke before Gage this time.  

"Because if he gets hurt, he won't be able to tell how bad it is because he won't be able to feel it. If he breaks something he won't know." Joshia tried to explain.  

"That way I can continue." Gage retored. "Listen Josh. It's final; you are staying home and keeping the house clean for when I make it out." Faith stepped back to Josh and put her hands on his chest. She looked up at him and held his eyes on hers.