The Truth About Lies (An Inheritance Cycle Fanfiction)

The Urgals-or as we'd found out from Saphira's observations and Murtagh's insight, they were actually Kull-had gained on us. There was no time to rest; only to run. The night was closing in, but we continued to ride faster and faster. From Eragon's constant vigil in the sky, we knew that they were right behind us... and getting closer. The horses were about to drop dead from sheer exhaustion. Not only were Murtagh and I exhausted as well from the constant riding at a breakneck pace, we also had to keep an eye on the elf; or "the burden", as I'd taken to calling her in my mind. When this is all over and she finally wakes up from her poisoned sleep, I'm going to give Eragon a piece of my mind for strapping us with her! Our pace was relentless, but we finally made it to the mouth of the valley that would lead us to the Varden.

"The Kull aren't far behind!" Eragon shouted as he and Saphira landed in a clearing. "How's the elf?" Does it look like we care? We have to keep moving! After Murtagh had relayed the stupid elf's condition, we continued on at our original speed. The trees whipped by my face, their branches splitting open the skin of my cheeks, but I paid it no mind. The only thing I was concerned with was making it to the Varden and escaping these Urgals with my life... and in one piece.

When we stopped again to meet Eragon and Saphira, he'd informed us that we'd gained a bit of a lead. Apparently, they'd been dropping boulders from the sky to slow them down. Good, now we can finally rest a bit.

"Is there any way out of the valley for me?" Murtagh asked impatiently. In our haste to save our own lives, I'd forgotten entirely that Murtagh meant to leave us once we reached the Varden. I felt the blood rushing through my veins growing warmer and speeding its way to my chest, my heart beating faster.

"Well," Eragon began slowly, "it's possible that I could have missed something... but no." Murtagh exhaled roughly in anger.

"You've led me into a trap!" he exclaimed. "You knew the way to the Varden, and yet you still brought me here!"

"I only knew the end destination, not what lay in between. You cannot blame me for this," Eragon retorted. "Why don't you want to go to the Varden anyways? We're going to have to resolve this sometime, why not now?" Murtagh turned away and I felt a tightening in my chest. I knew how he was feeling, and I was hurting just as badly as he must have been.

"I might as well tell you." His voice was barely audible over the roar of a nearby waterfall. "You have a right to know," he said. Slowly, Murtagh turned to face us, his eyes flicking to me first. I saw the pain welling up in his face, and how it was killing him to tell this part of his history. "I... I am the son of Morzan: first and last of the Forsworn." There it was; now Eragon knows. As Murtagh was revealing his deepest, darkest secret I couldn't help but feel guilty that I hadn't trusted Eragon with my own secret.

I glanced over at Eragon's face and saw the utterly flabbergasted look that it held. He looked over at me as Saphira suddenly appeared at his side. "Why don't you look as shocked as I feel?" he asked, desperation in his voice.

"Because I already knew," I admitted. His look of shock only magnified. He turned his gaze back to Murtagh as Saphira growled threateningly at him. If this was how they were reacting to Murtagh's secret, I can't begin to imagine how they'll react to mine.

"Morzan?" Eragon asked incredulously. "This is impossible! The Forsworn never had any children."

"My father hid me from the world," he replied, his voice sounding utterly helpless.

"How can I believe you?" Eragon asked skeptically.

"I can't prove anything to you now. Just wait until we get to the Varden. They'll recognize me soon enough." When Murtagh said that, I had to stop and wonder if the Varden would recognize me as well. If they know my identity, I could be in greater danger than I thought.