The Truth About Lies (An Inheritance Cycle Fanfiction)

For the Love of a Princess

It is a good place to come to clear one's head, Amera replied. Nothing to dull the senses or distract your thoughts.

We should get back to Eragon and Nasuada, I said reluctantly, not wishing to leave this place. She hummed slightly in response and angled her amethyst-colored wings downward, pitching us to the right and hurtling us back down to the ground. She folded her wings behind me and we picked up speed, the green earth rushing towards us at an alarming rate. I let out a joyous cry, relishing in the feeling of my adrenaline pumping. When it seemed it was the very last second, Amera flung her wings open, letting them catch the wind and slowing us to a halt. We landed on the ground with a resounding thump that sent shudders through the ground and caused several people of the Varden to glance over in our direction in alarm.

I could not help the uncontrollable laugh that came over me. I knew my life had never really been in danger, but the thrill of it... It was amazing! Thank you, Amera, I said, rubbing her snout lovingly. I needed that.

I know, young one, she replied, pushing her head into my stomach and nuzzling it gently.

I'm sure Murtagh will have seen us, but I bet Galbatorix knows about you already. There's no point in hiding it anymore, is there? She shook her massive head back and forth slowly.

No, I don't think there is. He would have found out about us on the battlefield anyways, she said. She was right, I knew, and I knew that Murtagh would never purposefully betray me. But it hurt all the same to know that Galbatorix will have found out about us from him. I could only hope that he did his best not to give too much away.

***

The night before...

Murtagh's POV

Tabatha disappeared over the wall into the darkness and I let out the breath I'd been holding in. It hurt to watch her leave, but we both knew it was for the best. Her words echoed in my head. 'We'll be together when this is done, Murtagh. I swear it.' Smiling sadly to myself, I went back over to where Thorn was lying across the wall. She didn't know what that was going to take, to break me of Galbatorix's hold, and I feared that if it came between the choice of destroying her father or saving me... It was going to break her, and there was not a damn thing I could do to stop it.

If anyone can find a way, it will be that girl, Thorn tried to comfort me. I sent him feelings of skepticism, and he replied by overwhelming me with a sense of hope. Do not give up hope, young one, he continued, nudging me hard in the shoulder. I looked over my shoulder at him into those huge orange-red eyes, the only ones I could really trust of those around me.

How can I not? When nothing has changed? We've tried, Thorn. And it only brought torture and pain. We are stuck. Galbatorix knows our true names and he will use them to enslave us until the day that we die. Eragon and the Varden's rebellion are doomed. They have seen you, Thorn, and Saphira, and even Tabby's dragon, but they have never seen the like of Shruikan... I let my angry thoughts fade off, feeling myself only growing more heated the more I thought about it. I did not like arguing with Thorn, but sometimes I thought he did not have a very realistic view of our situation.

My black brother is large, yes, but he is just as much a slave as you and I. If we could find a way to get him to revolt against the king—

No, I cut him off sharply. Anything we say to him the king will immediately know. I wish it was not so, but we are trapped, Thorn. We are trapped like mice between the cat's paws. The great red dragon let out a deep hum from within his chest, causing the stone wall beneath us to shudder slightly.