The Truth About Lies (An Inheritance Cycle Fanfiction)

The Conquest of Spaces

"Now just lay there and let me take a look at you," she said softly. I nodded slightly to show her that I wasn't going to go anywhere. "Where does it hurt?"

"My right side," I groaned through clenched teeth. The pain was growing. Slowly, Angela lifted up the edge of my tunic, the fabric scraping softly against my skin. I had closed my eyes against the pain, but I heard Murtagh suck in his breath and Angela let out a sound of confusion.

"Tabby..." Murtagh whispered.

"What? What is it!" I demanded, eager to know what they were gawking at. They didn't answer me and my eyes flew open to see a look of shock on Murtagh's face. Slowly-and with great effort, I might add-I lifted myself up to get a better look at my torso. The sight caused me to gawk as well.

In addition to the hideous scar I'd received from the exploding barn, there was a strange looking mark covering the entirety of the right side of my torso. It was a dark pinkish-purple, and it fanned out from the main mass in a lightning pattern, little tendrils of the bruise snaking up to just below my breast.

"What happened to you?" Murtagh asked in concern. I'm sure my face was a mask of befuddlement.

"I haven't a clue!" I exclaimed, laying back down quickly and covering my eyes. "One minute, I was on the battlefield, looking for Gregorio, and the next... I don't really know. I saw someone, but then... there was nothing. The next thing I knew I was being picked up by Murtagh out on the battlefield."

"Who did you see?" Angela asked, her eyes looking dangerously serious. I paused to think, but there seemed to be a fuzzy wall blocking the memory of who I'd seen, and who-I was sure-had attacked me. Slowly, I shook my head.

"I can't remember," I whimpered, the pain in my side aching. The witch let out a breath of air and I noticed the look of consternation on her face.

"Tabby, it's very important that you try to remember. If someone attacked you, we need to know. There could be an agent inside the Varden's ranks," she explained. I nodded slightly and thanked her with a small smile. She put an ointment on the mark on my side that would help reduce the swelling, but there wasn't much else she could do, besides binding my waist.

"Thank you," I said weakly as she stood to leave.

"I want you to rest as much as you can stand it. You've had a long couple of days." She smiled at me fondly and turned to go, putting a hand on Murtagh's shoulder. As she opened the door, I saw her beckon him out into the hallway, a look upon her face I'd seen once before on someone else...Gertrude. The healer from Carvahall had looked exactly the same when she'd told me I was going to be fine; as it turned out, she had lied and I was dying. I could only imagine what the look on Angela's face could possibly mean now.

~*~

I must have dozed off, for I was awoken by Murtagh returning to the room and sitting beside me on the bed. The soft mattress shifted beneath his weight, rolling me closer to him. I propped my head on top of my arm and looked at him as he smiled down at me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

I shrugged slightly. "As well as can be expected, I guess. I still feel like my side is on fire, but the pain isn't as unbearable as before. What happened out there, Murtagh?"

"As far as what happened to you? I do not know," he replied quietly, putting a hand on my knee. "But the battle ended very strangely indeed. It turns out the crashing we heard coming from inside the city was Durza leading a troop of Urgals. He slashed Eragon across the back, which is why he hasn't come to see you. He's still resting."

"Is he going to be all right?" I asked in concern. However awkward things had become between us, he was still my best friend.

"We're not sure yet. Angela healed it to the best of her ability, but there's still a nasty scar there. And it's been causing him pain. We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose." I nodded slightly and waited for him to continue. "Anyways, it was going badly for him until Arya and Saphira destroyed the Star Rose, distracting the Shade. They gave Eragon enough time to thrust Zar'roc through his heart. When that happened, all of the Urgals just sort of stopped fighting all at once. And then they turned on each other. It was like some sort of spell had been lifted off them. After that, they all turned tail and ran. It was lucky for us too, or else I'm sure we all would have died."