The Truth About Lies (An Inheritance Cycle Fanfiction)

Epilogue: Homecoming

Ten years later...

Time has a funny way of getting away from you. One moment, your whole life can be laid out before you, and you might think you have everything planned and figured out. But the next... Well, if the last ten years of my life have taught me anything, it's that life can change in an instant. A wise man once told me that life is a storm. It will have you basking in the sun one moment, and shatter you upon the rocks in the next. But what defines you is what you do when that storm comes. As for me, I have handled it the best I can. It has been difficult, to be sure, but with my friends and family by my side, I have found it to be much easier than it otherwise might have been.

I've just returned from the east; from Eragon's sanctuary for the Riders, which he calls Nyr Elding, or "New Dawn" in the common speech. And it has been a new dawn for the Riders ever since he went away. They number five, as it stands right now, the little dwarf girl I just took to join them being the newest of our order. They are all so eager to learn, but even the oldest of them does not yet realize what a great responsibility they have been given. I smile as I think about them; "the younglings" Amera calls them, even though some are not so much younger than Eragon and I, and Táslin is older than both of us combined. But our experiences have aged us.

"Where is your mind today?" Nasuada's voice snaps me away from my thoughts and gazing out the window. We sit in her study that overlooks the gardens, each of us with our own tasks. Elva works silently on her needlepoint in the corner, far away from any of the windows. The paperwork I had been looking over sits abandoned in my lap, forgotten in the wake of my excitement.

"Far away from here," I laugh at her. She offers me a small smile, but quickly returns her gaze to the edicts strewn across her desk. Their number seems to grow every day, as does the queen's worry. Her brow is creased in concentration, and I see one of her hands come to rest upon her swollen belly. The next addition to the royal family is expected to arrive any day now, but even the king could not convince Nasuada to let her duties rest for a while. She is determined above all else.

"Today's the day, isn't it?" she asks after a moment's silence.

I return my gaze to the window, letting the sunlight filtering through warm my skin. "Yes, it is," I say softly. "Speaking of which, I must be going. It's growing close to sundown."

"Good luck to you, Tabatha," she calls as I cross the room and leave her. It takes me until I'm halfway down the hallway to realize I never responded. But I'm too excited to care right now. My hands tremble slightly and my heart is racing in my chest, as though it's like to burst out at any moment.

The few people I pass in the halls bow slightly when I walk by, but I pay them no mind. My feet seem to move faster of their own accord. Since it's a special day, I thought I would wear a nice gown for the occasion, but the fabric is getting in my way as I hurry along. I hike the skirt up around my knees to go faster, eventually making my way out of the citadel and through the castle gates.

In the late afternoon light, the whole city seems veiled in a soft orange glow. Three years ago, the magicians of The Coalition finally completed their task of removing the unsightly overhang that used to cover the city. In these years of peace, Nasuada wished to show that she was not afraid, and that the Riders were back to their intended purpose of keeping the peace throughout the land. I agreed with her about removing the overhang, but others were less inclined to do the same. They still clung to the fear that the past would repeat itself, but Nasuada retained her hope, as she always has.

It was market day in the quadrangle today, but the merchants are beginning to pack up their wares and stalls. With the sun in its descent, the city's inhabitants will be making their way to their homes, or to the taverns and drinkhouses. But I have a different destination in mind.