The Truth About Lies (An Inheritance Cycle Fanfiction)

Hidden Truths

It was the next night that I quietly stole out of the house to go to Brom's. I'd watched out my bedroom window to see when he left the tavern, and when I was sure no one was watching, I followed after him, gripping the hilt of my dagger tightly. I had to know what he was talking about when he said Galbatorix was looking for something. The thought had been nagging at my mind all day, and I couldn't take it anymore. The legs of my leather breeches swished against my cloak softly as I trotted around the edge of the village green. A group of soldiers was coming out of the tavern, clearly drunk by their boisterous laughter and conversation, and I ducked behind the town healer, Gertrude's, house. My dagger suddenly made me feel very small compared to the longswords of the soldiers. If it came down to it, I would be helpless against them. I could hear the sounds of the soldiers' camp outside of town drifting through the quiet air. Armor clanked, swords came together in a metallic crash, and the horses whinnied back and forth to one another. Finally, I made it to Brom's house and tapped on the door. It didn't seem he was going to open the door, so I slowly lifted the latch and stole inside.

"Tabby!" he exclaimed upon seeing me. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to finish the conversation we started last night," I said, breathless. His eyes fell, shoulders slumped and he slowly exhaled.

"I was wondering when you would come," he muttered quietly to himself.

"Please, Brom," I insisted. "The way that you spoke made me think that it somehow involves me. If it does, then I think that I have a right to know what's going on." Brom nodded gravely, avoiding making eye contact.

He sighed heavily, inspecting the wooden slats of the floor. The hesitation was clear on his face, and I couldn't think what would be so bad that he couldn't tell me. "I don't know where to begin, Tabatha," he said morosely.

"Just start at the beginning," I prompted, excited that I was finally getting somewhere with him. Maybe I'd finally get some answers to my questions.

"Very well. Long ago," he began, his voice quiet and serious, "Alagaesia knew times of peace. That peace was kept by the Dragon Riders of old. The age of the Riders was a splendid one indeed, until a young Rider named Galbatorix changed all that. His dragon died and he demanded another egg, but was denied. Outraged, he stole another Rider's dragon, killing his fellow Rider in the process and forcing the dragon to bond to him. Galbatorix and his band of followers, the Forsworn, cut down and killed every last Rider there was, the Red Rider Morzan being the very worst of them. Eventually, they turned on each other in their desire for power, until only the king remained. He had decimated the rest of the dragons, but three eggs still remained, all of which reside in his possession now... until a little while ago. One of the eggs was stolen by the Varden, the resistance that secretly plots against the Empire, and Galbatorix has been trying for years to get it back. The soldiers are not only here to check on the farmers, Tabby, they are searching for the stolen egg."

I had heard the stories of the Riders before, from Brom himself, but I had no idea that there were three eggs still left in existence. "But why would they think that the egg is here?"

"Soldiers have been dispatched to every corner of Alagaesia to find the egg," he said. "It could be anywhere: The Hadarac Desert, Du Weldenvarden, the Beor Mountains, even The Spine." Suddenly, something flashed in my mind and I had to keep from gasping aloud: the brilliant blue stone that Eragon found in the mountains. That was it. Eragon has the egg! But does he know?

"What does all of this have to do with me?" I asked, trying to conceal the knowledge I now had. "There's something you're not telling me, Brom." He sighed heavily again.

"Tabatha," he continued hesitantly, "there's something you must know, about your mother. You-" Brom was suddenly cut off by a pounding at the door.