The Truth About Lies (An Inheritance Cycle Fanfiction)

Finally, We're Safe... Or Are We?

"Then... You are his heir?" Eragon questioned.

"I didn't choose this!" Murtagh cried out desperately. He tugged at the collar of his tunic, lifting it up over his head to reveal his bare torso. "Look!" He turned and showed us his back, where I could just make out the scar I'd seen before. Eragon inched closer to inspect it and sucked in his breath at the sight of the horrid disfigurement.

I couldn't help but remember when I'd first seen it, and wondered at how it had come to be there. Now it was all making sense. "See that?" Murtagh demanded bitterly. "I was only three when I got it." Three? What kind of a father would do that to his own child? "During one of his many drunken rages, Morzan threw his sword at me. My back was laid open by the very sword you now carry-the only thing I ever expected to receive as an inheritance, until Brom stole it from my father's corpse. I was lucky, I suppose-there was a healer nearby who kept me from dying. You must understand. I hold no love for the Empire or the king. I have no allegiance to them, and I mean you no harm!" His pleas were becoming frantic; I wanted desperately to run over to him, to reassure him that everything would be okay.

Quickly, Murtagh pulled his shirt back over his head as Eragon conversed with Saphira, no doubt trying to decide if they could still trust him. I was beginning to grow antsy as we stood here in the clearing. The company of Kull wouldn't be far behind. Suddenly, I heard the crackling of branches breaking and the undeniable pounding of heavy feet.

"I hate to interrupt," I said, stepping between the two men, "but we have to keep moving. They'll be closing in on us any second." We hurried over to the horses and began to run frantically, crashing through the trees.

There were only two small strips of rock-covered land around the edge of the lake. That would be our path to the waterfall that lay on the other side. But the rocks were slippery and my legs ached from exhaustion. Yet I had to keep moving. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Kull pouring out of the trees and charging around both sides of the lake. They were going to head us off at the waterfall! A rush of energy flooded my body and I could feel my feet moving faster beneath me.

As the Kull continued to grow closer, Saphira suddenly dove into the lake. She stuck her head out of the water and began attacking the monstrous creatures, buying us precious time. Eragon ran up to the cliff face near the waterfall and began beating on it wildly with a rock, screaming words in the ancient language that I did not understand. What is he doing? We don't have time for this! We need to be figuring out how to get to the Varden!

"Any more ingenious ideas?" I asked him sarcastically when he returned to where Murtagh and I stood on the rocky shore. He simply sneered at me for a moment.

"I don't know what's wrong," he replied. Saphira suddenly came up out of the water onto the shore and stood in front of us, shielding our party from the oncoming barrage of arrows. Eragon looked up at Saphira and an expression of fury came over his face. "Damn!" he cursed, fists clenching at his sides. "We're on the wrong side of the lake! We've got to get to the other side!"

"And just how do you suggest we do that?" I exclaimed in anger.

"The waterfall!" Murtagh offered, grabbing Tornac's reins and making his way towards the gushing stream of water. "We have to go through it!" I didn't have any better ideas-and Eragon certainly didn't-so we followed him. Eragon kept close to Saphira while I led the other two horses and the elf. Eragon forced the horses to go first and then Murtagh dove under the raging torrent of water. With as much hesitation as time would allow, I jumped into the frigid pool before me.

The icy water felt like thousands of needles stabbing my skin, shocking the breath out of me. I squeezed my eyes against the pain, becoming lost in darkness and cold. Struggling against the pounding water above me, my head finally breached the surface. My eyes flew open as blessed air filled my lungs and I coughed forcefully, feeling the icy water still in my chest. And then I noticed the strange scene unfolding around me. Warriors and archers surrounded the pool of water, shooting and hacking down the Kull that had followed us. A little ways away on the shore, I saw Murtagh struggling to his feet.