Silvery moonlight stole into the attic room through the window and cracks in the ceiling, battling the golden glow of the flickering candlelight. The poor illumination didn't stop the girl hunched over the uneven wooden table from working. The slated, crumbling space smelled of dust, mold with just a touch of the salty sea.

Balanced on the table's edge, Ink swung her leg, nibbling on a stale chunk of bread. With an annoyed sigh, she glanced at her half-sister who was fiddling with the tip of an arrowhead. At fourteen the two girls were tall with slim with bodies still undeveloped but strong from their nightly excursions. They almost passed for twins with their olive skin, round faces and full lips. But where Ink had raven black hair and dark eyes, Aya had cinnamon hair and silver eyes.

"Are you almost finished?" Ink asked, prodding her sister's shoulder.

Without looking up, Aya hit Ink's hand with her tool.

"Do you want me to do it fast? Or you want me to do it right?" She lifted her head, staring at Ink. "Remember that if I don't get this right, we are both likely to die."

Ink made a sweeping gesture with her thin arm. "Then, by all means, take your time."

When Aya returned to her tinkering, Ink hopped off the table, making it wobble. The was floor was splintered and pieces of decaying boards poked her bare feet. Tottering in a slow, bored circle around the narrow room, Ink eventually tipped forward, inverting her body and walked on her hands.

With the same restless energy, she made a trek about the place. She was heading into another turn, her hands filthy at this point, when something small and hard hit her stomach. She crumpled, tucking herself into a roll at the last second. When she righted herself, she glared at Aya. In return, Aya was smiling down at her work.

"You shouldn't let yourself be so easily distracted," she said.

Ink located the object Aya had thrown at her. It was a broken nut that her sister was trying to replace. Tossing it up once, Ink sent it back to Aya. It hit her sister's shoulder, bringing a scowl to her face.

"You shouldn't let yourself be so easily distracted," Ink taunted.

"I didn't."

Aya rammed the metal arrowhead into the table and prongs sprung out of it, latching it to the wood. A look of glee spread across Ink's face as she bounced forward, inspecting her sister's work.

"Genius as ever," she said.

This teased a pleased smile from Aya.

"I say we hit the kitchen's first," Ink said, "I want something better than stale bread."

Aya nodded in agreement, then pulled a thin wire. The prongs snapped back into the head of the arrow and it tumbled onto the table. As Aya loaded a small crossbow and slung it across her back, Ink lopped a tight coil of thin rope around her waist. She opened a battered wooden box pulled out four strips made from burlap sackcloth. In response, Aya held out her hand and Ink wrapped the rough fabric around her palms and wrists. Once finished, Aya returned the favor. Blowing out the candle the two girls moved to the window.

Below them lay Lithia. Clay building with flattop roofs stretched for miles in tight huddles like scared peasants. The streets were cracked stone lined with dirt and sand. Off to the east, the city seemed to stop abruptly like the ocean had tried to eat it but got tired halfway through. From their distance and height, the sea was a slab of black glass that offered a wavering reflection to the moon. At the heart of the city lay the King's palace. It was a beacon of power with its high, well-guarded wall and menacing spires that jutted up into the sky like they could pierce the heart of a star.

Aya waved a hand forward and Ink launched herself from the window ledge. When she landed on the roof of the neighboring house, she curled into a ball and rolled, sand dirtying her loose shirt and pantaloons even further. When she popped back up, Aya was jumping up beside her. Using the light of the moon to guide them, the girls raced across rooftops, vaulting over building gaps, and scaling walls when height was needed. They moved like two winged creatures and appeared as silhouettes against the indigo sky.

They made quick work of crossing the city, leaving behind the slums and finding their way to the wealthier section. The palace loomed before them, the dark marble walls and stained glass windows scowling down at them as if knowing their criminal intent. At the edge of an apartment building they stopped. Below them was a courtyard with a fountain at its center. Where they were, the houses were too spread out to get to by jumping.

After Aya unslung the crossbow and Ink attacked the rope to one end of the arrow, Aya leveled it at one building over. Every inch of this structure said wealth. Balconies, with polished railings, ringed the upper floors and trimmed hedges lined the iron fence that encircled the home. Aya fired and the arrow shot across the void, latching onto the wall above one of the balconies. Swinging the crossbow back into place, the girls grabbed the rope.

They looked at each other as if to wish the other silent luck. Then, holding their breathes as they had each time, they prayed and jumped. Air rushed up to eat away at their clothes and limbs as they swung over the street. The unforgiving wall surged toward them, but both girls titled their body and hit the side with their feet. The impact rattled Ink's legs and she took a moment to adjust.

"It still held," Aya whispered, always surprised her invention hadn't gotten them killed.

"I knew it would," Ink said.

Aya raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Is that why you muttered a prayer before we jumped?"

Ink shrugged. "You muttered one too."

Smiling, Aya dropped down to the balcony below and Ink followed. Looking up and taking in a breath, Aya pulled the thin wire in her hand. As it had back in the antic, the prongs on the arrowhead clicked back into place and the shaft fell into Aya's open palm. The arrow was reloaded and the rope dealt with, leaving no trace of their approach. Ink peered into the house. The room beyond the doors was dark and the light of the moon barely did anything to disperse the shadows with it.

"This room or another one?" Ink asked her sister.

Aya scanned the interior but saw about as much as Ink did.

"This one."

Aya pulled out a thin blade from her waist and tripped the doors lock. Soundlessly, the door swung open, pushed by Ink's hand. From inside they could hear nothing. With one last glance at each other, they slipped into the room. The air smelled sweet, like fresh flowers and fruity wine. Ink took the lead and crossed the room, peering into the hallway. Nothing stirred beyond. Sticking to the shadows, they descended to the bottom floor. Their path was clear to the kitchens and they snuck into the pantry, stealing small proportions as to not arouse notice.

Their journey back to the room where they had entered was just as successful, but that was where their luck ran out. As Aya was pulling the crossbow free, two guards walked in, a lantern held in hand. At the sight of two ragged girls, they shouted. Aya rushed out onto the balcony and fired, the arrow's rope tail stretching across the street.

Ink darted after her sister, but one hand yanked her back by her shirt. She rounded and kicked the shin of the man. He let out a grunt of pain and released her. As Ink broke free and tried to reach Aya again, the second guard hauled her back. Aya spun around, eyes widening with fear. One hand was still clutching the rope, the lifeline ready to take her away to safety.

"Go!" Ink yelled at her. "Get out of here!"

In the guard's powerful hold, Ink struggled, butting her head against his chin. He cursed her and she flailed harder, kicking the second man in the head. When she looked to the window, her heart sank, Aya had let go of the rope and was charging towards the second guard. When he tried to grab her, she dropped to her knees and slid over the polished floor, slicing his ankle with her knife. The man crashed to one knee. Murder in his eyes, he pulled out a curved sword. The metal gleamed in the lantern light and Ink swallowed hard.

"Aya run!" she screamed.

"Not without you."

Terror and frustration mixed together inside Ink. She bit the hand holding her, tasting blood. A shout of pain rang in her ear and she twisted, breaking free. Without thinking, Ink sprinted toward the man who was raising his sword towards Aya and with all her strength barreled into him. He stumbled and Aya used the moment to dive around him to Ink.

But when the two girls got to the window, the first guard was waiting. Before either of them could attack, the floor vibrated with pounding footsteps and three more guards burst into the room, drawn by the shouts. The guard at the window lunged for Ink, but Aya stepped in his way, stabbing his stomach with her knife. He crumbled to the ground, blood staining his shirt.

Though the girls run out onto the balcony, there was no freedom to be had. Muscular hands dragged them back in. Neither of them stopped struggling, kicking and bite everything they could. Ink caught one last glance of Aya snarling at a guard when something sharp hit the back of her head and the world went black.

*********

Pain was the first sensation that told Ink she was still alive. It radiated down from her head, making her body feel disjointed. Somehow her pulse had shifted and it now lived inside her brain, beating against the back of her skull. When she tried to move, she found her hands were bound behind her, course rope digging into the skin. This fact brought her situation rushing back to her.

Prying her eyes open, she found it was no longer night and she was no longer in the house they had broken into. Instead, she was in a room that seemed to stretch on forever with a vaulted ceiling and ringed by a balcony that was held up by marble columns. Early morning sunlight cut through windows that lined both sides. When Ink twisted her head around to take in more, her mouth went dry as sand. In the center of the room was a throne, the black stone exuding strength and order.

A weak moan ripped Ink's gaze away from the defining symbol of the monarchy. Next, to her, Aya was coming back into consciousness. Though Ink hated that her sister was with her, part of her was relieved she wasn't alone. Though even without Aya, Ink wouldn't truly be alone, a group of guards stood stone-faced above them, waiting. Ink feared what they were waiting for.

"Aya," Ink whispered, swiveling around she was facing her sister.

Aya's face was scrunched up in pain and confusion.

"Ink," she said, her voice a dry rasp. "Where are we?"

"Nowhere good."

As if to echo that thought, a door at the far end of the throne room opened. A man in his late forties with a trim black beard, hard gray eyes and a thin slash of a mouth strode forward. Following him were a cluster of guards, all barring swords at their sides.

"What is this?" the man said, his voice thick with the authority he had fought for.

One of the guards took a step forward and saluted the man.

"His lordship sends you a gift, Commander Slade." The guard gestured to Ink and Aya. "They were found trying to steal from his house. He believes they will make good recruits."

Ink flinched at the words as if her sister and she were merely pieces of meat to be sold off. Slade walked forward, the tapping of his boots sent a shutter through Ink. He eyed the pair like they were goods at the market. What he saw made his lip curl in disbelief.

"Why would his lordship believe that?" the Commander asked.

"They were able to break into his home from the second floor, took on two guards and almost got away." The guard held out the arrow that Aya had been altered. "There is also this. It is unlike nothing we have come across."

The Commander accepted the arrow and tugged the wire, watching at the prongs shot out. His inspection cleared the look on his face and made his eyes turn greedy. When he stared down at Ink, she felt her whole body shrink back. Then his gaze slid to Aya and Ink wanted to tear the man's eyes out. After a moment's contemplation, he nodded.

"Bring them," he said.

Ink was yanked up and she almost vomited on the floor, her head pounding harder than before. It took all her strength not to black out, and by the time they stepped moving, she didn't remember how they got there. They were in a smaller room with a furnace that was so hot it felt suffocating. Along a far wall was a table with an iron rod and bottles of silvery ink as well as cloths and medical supplies.

A jarring pain skidded up Ink as she was dropped to her knees before the furnace, Aya placed right in front of her. Just the couple seconds before the fire had Ink sweating, though she wasn't sure fear also wasn't the cause.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, struggling against the hold on her arms.

The Commander leveled a cool glare at her.

"You're mine now and I am going to give you a reminder so you never forget."

Aya strained against her captor, glowering back at the Commander.

"We aren't yours," she said.

A smile cut into the man's beard. "You might not believe it now, but you are."

As the guards holding the girls ripped their shirt sleeves, revealing bare arms, one of the Commander's men dawned a pair of thick gloves and took hold of the rod. When he brought it over to the furnace, Ink could see that at the top it created a circle with a small opening. He set it on the coals and waited. The sharp smell of burning iron invaded the room and clawed at Ink's nerves. When the man pulled the rod out, the circle was glowing red.

"This one first," the Commander said, point to Aya.

Ink screamed and fought against her guard. "No! Don't touch her! Don't you dare touch her! I'll kill you!" She turned all her rage and fear onto the man. "Do you hear me, I'll kill you!"

The guard stepped over to Aya and Ink felt panic and desperation choking her, making tears crowd her eyes until the world was a blur. She kicked the ground, trying to get to her sister, trying to attack the man about to hurt her. Aya focused on Ink, fear in her eyes and with it a fierce determination.

"You should have run!" Ink yelled at Aya, tears spilling down her cheeks. "You should have left me behind and run!"

Aya didn't have the chance to respond before the man closed the burning circle around her arm. A scream of agony ripped through Aya's mouth and she thrashed in the guard's grip. The rank stench of burning flesh twisted Ink's insides. The tears wouldn't stop and her strength was failing, but still, she screamed. Screamed at the man who calmly watched over the scene. Screamed for her sister, so she knew she wasn't alone. Screamed from the terror and anguish that was drowning her.

When the man released the iron from Aya's arm, she sank forward, breathing hard, tears leaving dirty tracks down her face. Another man stepped forward with a bottle in hand. Lifting Aya's arm, he poured the silvery contents over the burn. It sizzled and Aya cried out as more tears spilled over Ink's eyes. The dye sank into her sister's skin leaving a jagged silver brand on her. The wound was then wrapped with a cloth and Aya leaned forward, panting and trying to remain conscious. Ink wasn't aware of the man with the rod coming for her until he was beside her. She jerked away and yelled at him to leave her alone. It was a futile plea.

Across from her, Aya lifted her head, the gesture taking all her strength.

"I couldn't...leave you alone," she whispered, locking eyes with Ink.

Before the man encircled Ink's arm with the iron, Aya looked to the Commander. She eyes were cold with fury.

"One day...I will...kill you," she said, her voice edged with a promise that was deeper than a child's hatred.

Then pain like a fire trying to consume her took over Ink. She screamed but she couldn't hear her own voice. A thousand blades forged in hell were slicing through her arm. Her body was turning against her, no longer a thing that she felt comfortable in but a thing molded from fire and agony, an agony that ate her from inside. Ink fought against the trader that was her own flesh, but it was no use, it took over her mind searing its way into her soul until the only thing left for her to do was leave the world behind and let the blackness of consciousness take her.

**************************************

Hi Noodle!

So after this the story jumps three years and Aya and Ink have been separated. Ink is a solider and an assassin for the King and in love with one of the guards. The story then goes into how the sisters are reunited and help a rebel prince to overthrow the kingdom! Basic rebellion type plot with a lot of girls being BA!

I came up with this idea because whenever I read about sister relationships in books they always talk about how they would die for their sister but honestly I never believe them. I don't know if it's cause my relationship with my sister is so strong that everything else seems weak in comparison. For reals, if someone was holding a gun to her head and they asked me whether they should shoot her or me, I would say me cause the reality of living without her is not an option to me.

So! Because of this I wanted to write a sister dynamic that I felt really reflected the bond between two sisters. Also I wanted to make it a relationship where not just one girl was strong while the other was weak, or one had dark hair while the other was blonde and beautiful like literally all the sister dynamics out there.

Any who! I hope you liked it! Let me know if you were be interested in reading more!

Vote, comment, follow!