The Truth About Lies (An Inheritance Cycle Fanfiction)

The Turning Point

Eragon's POV

Everything still felt like a dream. I seemed to be staring at the world through a clouded lens; the men moving around me were ringed with fog and their movements seemed sluggish and weighted. My gaze tilted to the sky from where I sat upon the ground, following the form of the huge red dragon and the Rider upon his back. Why couldn't it have been someone else? Anyone but him... Murtagh had told me we were brothers; that Morzan was my father. I didn't know whether or not to believe him, but the thought itself disgusted me. How could my mother have loved that monster? And why had she abandoned Murtagh to him? What had happened? Saphira stood at my side silently, leaving me to my thoughts. She had no more answers than I did.

But even more than myself, my heart was breaking for Tabatha. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was in love with Murtagh, but she'd told me she was over the fact that he was dead. To have him back just like that—and under the circumstances—I can't even imagine the pain she must be feeling right now. I shook my head and the fog slowly receded from my eyes. Where had she gone? I needed to find her; she needed me right now. Slowly, I got to my knees and then pushed my weary body to its feet.

'I need to find Tabby,' I said to Saphira. She shifted at my side and gazed at me in concern. The battle was over and we had won, but there were things I still needed to do.

'Do what you must, little one,' she replied, nudging my shoulder with her nose. 'I'll be right behind you. We'll find her together.' We stepped off the plateau and headed onto the battlefield. There were men already checking the bodies of their fallen comrades—looking for those that were wounded and those that could not be saved. As I searched all the faces around me, and the ones laying on the ground, I didn't find Tabatha anywhere. My search continued on into the afternoon, and with every passing second there was a growing fear that took hold of my heart. What if she had been caught off guard by one of the Imperial soldiers and was killed? Or worse... what if she'd been captured?

'Saphira,' I called desperately. 'Do you see her? I can't find her!' I spread out my consciousness to the battlefield, but there were too many minds to search through. Saphira lent me her strength, but I didn't sense her. My palms began to sweat and my heart was hammering in my chest. With whatever little amount of strength I had left, I sprinted through the tents of the camp, racing toward Nasuada's pavilion.

She was there recovering from the battle and removing her armor. "Eragon?" she said in surprise at my arrival. "What is it? What's happened?"

"Tabatha," I replied simply. "She's missing." Nasuada's eyes widened as she leaned forward in her chair.

"We'll send a group out to look for her," she said firmly.

"I'm going back out there. I won't forgive myself if something's happened to her."

"Nor will I." Nasuada then called to one of her advisors to form a search party. I left quickly to find Saphira standing stoically at the base of the hill the pavilion was set upon. Her sapphire eyes bore into me, an immeasurable sadness locked within them.

'Eragon,' she whispered desperately. 'I sense her. She's... she's been taken.' My heart plummeted into my gut and the world seemed to spin around me. Our worst fears had finally been realized.

***

Murtagh's POV

The sun was hanging low in the sky as Uru'baen came into my sight. The caravans, wagons, and soldiers far below trudged through the steady rain that was falling. Thorn flapped his wings lazily to avoid pulling too far ahead of them, but it would be at least another half hour before they arrived at the city. The orange light breaking through the clouds was beginning to dim and disappear. I closed my eyes against the slanting rain and an image of Tabatha's face burned in my memory. I would never forget the look of hurt and betrayal on her face when she'd unmasked me. As soon as she realized I was the Rider under Galbatorix, I'd felt so ashamed. What's more than that, I'll never forgive myself for causing that hurt I saw etched into her eyes... those beautiful violet eyes...