The Truth About Lies (An Inheritance Cycle Fanfiction)

I awoke the next morning feeling a little sore, but I felt really good about myself. I had beaten Murtagh, even though Eragon hadn't believed that I could. Not only had I surprised Eragon, but I'd surprised Murtagh as well; that gave me the most satisfaction. I stretched my arms over my head and let out a long, drawn out yawn. Today would be a good day; I could feel it.

Slowly, I sat up from under my blankets and looked around the campsite. Eragon and Murtagh were still asleep, which didn't surprise me. It was still before dawn. I quietly crept out from under the blanket and saw that Saphira was keeping a watchful eye on the camp. She looked over at me and let out a small snort.

'Where are you going, Tabatha?' she asked.

'I saw a pool connecting two rivers in the wood last night,' I replied, pulling my long hair out of the leather strap that held it back from my face. It had been weeks since I'd bathed, and I couldn't imagine that I smelled too great right now. 'I need to take a bath or I'm going to go crazy.'

'Be careful,' she chided softly, scanning the camp surroundings with her hawk-like gaze.

'Of course.' I grabbed my blanket to use as a towel and headed through the trees that were bathed in early morning light. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, casting a warm glow over everything. The songbirds were beginning to chirp their tunes, welcoming the day. It must be nice for them, not ever having to worry about being chased by soldiers or keeping their identities hidden...

I heard the stream gurgling and soon found the pool that I'd stumbled upon the night before. Removing my clothing, I slipped into the cold water, shivering a bit. Once I'd gotten used to it, it wasn't so bad, but I didn't want to spend too long in here. I ducked down beneath the water and popped back up, sending my wet hair flying and flinging water. I'd made sure to bring along a bar of soap when we left Carvahall, and I was now eternally grateful for that. When we'd fist set out on this journey, I was woefully unprepared for how much time we'd be spending in the wilderness. I wet the soap and then lathered the bubbling foam into the locks of my hair, actually feeling the dirt and grime coming off of it. The feeling was like heaven, and I suddenly wished I didn't have to leave. It felt so good to do some normal activity again. By the time I'd washed all of the soap out of my hair, the sun was shining brightly, warming the water and my skin.

The boys would be awake by now... I should be getting back... But it felt so good! Just a couple more minutes...

Suddenly, I heard a twig snap behind me and I immediately went on high alert. My senses were running wild, and when I turned around, standing there very much shirtless, was Murtagh. He held a shocked and confused look on his face, and it seemed as though his eyes were about to pop out of his head. With a yelp, I ducked down below the water from the shoulders down. But still, I was sure he had seen something that he shouldn't have.

"Get out of here!" I screamed, covering myself with my arm, though that only served to push my chest upward. He held up his hands innocently, eyes still wide in fear. I noticed that there was a little bit of a blush creeping into his cheeks, like the one I'd seen last night after our sparring match.

"I'm sorry!" he yelled back, averting his eyes to look anywhere but at me.

"Just go!" Birds were screeching loudly in protest at our disturbance, but I didn't care. If I ever got my hands on him again, I was going to kill him!

"Ok, ok," he stuttered, turning quickly and heading back through the trees. Once he was gone, I could feel myself relax again. And then I felt my chest tightening. How much more embarrassing could that have been? By the gods, he saw me naked! What's more, I saw him partially naked! My face was growing hot with anger and embarrassment, and I was now dreading going back to the camp.