The Truth About Lies (An Inheritance Cycle Fanfiction)

A fine dusting of snow coated everything around us, dampening any sound and creating a ghostly atmosphere. We walked along the abandoned streets in silence for a while, taking in what remained of our home. In the south, the cold grip of Winter had not quite reached the city gates, but here, it was firmly rooted and had taken hold of everything. The grass was brown, where it could be seen, and the trees were bare, but, strangely enough, it did not seem somber. In fact, it was the most peaceful I'd ever seen the place. It was like a forest after a fire has devoured all its life; razed to the ground, but with the promise of new life to come swiftly behind. I hoped and prayed that the villagers would return here to rebuild.

We stopped by the ashes of Morn's tavern, and I recalled so many happy memories of meeting Brom there, sneaking out when I thought my aunt didn't know exactly what I was doing. He'd told so many stories here around the hearth, bringing the community together; he really had been a staple of our village. And now he was gone. I wondered who would take up after him, if anyone, but the thought only brought sadness to my heart.

I looked across the common pasture at the center of town to where my aunt and uncle's house used to be. Pieces of the framework still stood, remarkably, but the beams were blackened from fire and crumbling apart. The second floor where my room had been was completely gone, but I could just make out the shape of the kitchen and a portion of the chimney was still erect, though it was slightly leaning. My uncle and cousins had put such care and craftsmanship into the house that I wasn't at all surprised to see some of it had survived. None of the other buildings in town had been so lucky.

"It's so quiet," Eragon said from beside me. He too was gazing out over the ruins of the town, and I saw the anger and sadness locked in his dark eyes. "It doesn't seem natural, for a place that was once so full of life."

"It will be again," I assured him. "The villagers will return and rebuild, better than before. They'll build actual defenses, and it will flourish once more. I know it." A sense of hope was stirring in my chest, but I could not explain it. There was just a feeling that I had about the place.

"It will be a new Carvahall," Eragon continued quietly, casting his eyes at the ground, "but we will not be apart of it." I could hear the immense sadness in his voice, and I looked over at him.

"Who says we will not come to visit some day?" I asked him, walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Both of our families will be here, Eragon. I'm sure we will spend some time with them, whenever we can. We will be busy, that much is certain, but we'll have to allow ourselves some personal time. Else the two of us will go mad." I laughed slightly, to try and lighten his mood, but it did not seem to work.

"We can come back as much as we like, Tabby," he said darkly, "but we'll no longer be a part of the community. We grew up here, started our lives here, but we can never come back. Not truly, anyways."

"You certainly are somber today," I remarked dryly. "What's on your mind?" He fell silent, and I saw Saphira shift slightly behind him. Suddenly, I felt a weight hanging between us, of things that have gone unsaid. It was clear that something was on his mind, but whatever it was, he did not wish to share it with me.

"I have been preoccupied, Tabby," he finally replied, "and I am sorry if I've been distant. With everything that's going on with your mother, I didn't want to involve you. But now I feel I must."

My heart was hammering in my chest with nervousness. What do you think is going on? I asked Amera.

She snorted behind me. I do not know, she replied. But I have noticed Saphira becoming more distant as well. Something is not right.

"I think you'd better tell both of us," I said to Eragon and Saphira, looking between the two of them in turn. I noticed Saphira's eyes held a note of apology, and my nervousness only grew worse.