Disclaimer: I Do NOT own any of these characters, they all belong to Christopher P.

"Excuse me miss" Eragon tapped the young woman on the shoulder.

She turned to face him with an angry snarl. It wasn't a woman, but a young man. Murtagh, in fact.

"Easy mistake." The rider laughed.

Murtagh was dressed as a dancer in a long pink and red skirt that wrapped around his body and tied at his slender waist. His upper body was swathed in the same pink and red fabric as the skirt. The hem was decorated with tiny golden beads and depictions of the sun. He had traded his shoes for golden anklets and toe rings.

"How did you talk me into this?" Murtagh's voice was as dark as his wild black locks.

"Why so angry? It could be worse."

"Worse?" The older boy yelled. "How could it be any worse than this?" His voice echoed between the trees of the forest.

The rider motioned for silence. He walked past his companion to a wall of leaves and berry bushes that stood almost fifteen feet high. Eragon parted the greenery to look through to the other side. Between where they were hidden and the large intimidating fortress of Galbatorix was a large chasm of doom. There were sentries on either side of the chasm marching in pairs and keeping watch. Murtagh poked his head through as well.

"You could have been an ugly girl." Eragon whispered. "Just be thankful for your looks."

"You think I'm pretty?" The older boy fiddled with his unruly hair. A coy smile played on his thin lips.

"Yes." The brunette watched as two Urgals, on the side of the fortress, began unraveling chains wrapped around two wooden wheels. They were lowering the drawbridge.

"Well, then say it." Murtagh demanded.

"Say what?"

There was a group of women, dressed in a rainbow of colors, and their escorts of Urgals standing on their side of the chasm. They were waiting for the drawbridge.

"You weren't listening." Murtagh complained as if he were a little child. He caught his lips between his teeth. "You never listen." His voice cracked as if he were on the verge of tears.

Eragon pulled him away from the bushes and held him by the shoulders. His brother hung his head low with his eyes to the ground.

"None of that, now." He gently lifted the other boy's chin. "You look gorgeous. We don't have much time left and we still have to make up your face."

The dark haired boy reached into his traveling sack and brought out a tiny lump of coal they had stolen from a little old lady earlier that day.

Eragon took the coal and began making lines along Murtagh's eyes. He snatched bright red berries and smeared them on Murtagh's cheeks with the hope that they would give him a ruddy glow.

"Now, what is the plan?"

"I go in with the women, perform, wait until dark and walk around the fortress memorizing the floor plans." Murtagh recited.

"Good girl, you'll be just fine." Eragon wiped his wet hands on his pants. "The layout is very important. If we're going to storm the fortress, we have to know where we're going once we're inside."

"Yeah. Something is missing."

"What? What?" The brunette looked about frantically.

Murtagh grabbed a handful after handful of leaves from trees and stuffed them in his make-shift shirt.

"Breast." He arranged the leaves until they looked somewhat sufficient for their purpose.

Eragon gave the breast a feel. "Perky." He said approvingly. His hands were slapped away.

"Buy me dinner first and then maybe I'll let you -"

"Shhh." The younger boy heard a loud wooden thud. He peeked through the wall of greenery to see that the drawbridge was down. "Time's up, you're on."

"I'll be back as soon as possible." He spoke in a high pitched falsetto trying to get into the character of a woman. "I won't fail you."

"Just try to avoid conversations at all cost."

"Right." He gave Eragon a quick kiss on the lips and wrapped his pink shawl around his head to hide his face.

All Eragon could see was his eyes. They held a hint of fear and sadness.

"I'll be waiting here." He parted the wall of bushes to make a passageway for Murtagh. "You really do look gorgeous."

"Thank you." Came the falsetto reply.

From his hideout, Eragon watched his brother run as best as he could in the awkward skirt to catch up with the rest of the females. As the group crossed the bridge he saw Murtagh looking over his shoulder to where he knew Eragon would be watching.

"I'm still here." The rider muttered to himself.

Once everyone was safely across and inside the fortress, the Urgals raised the drawbridge and secured the chains.

Eragon leaned against the trunk of a tree and slid to the ground.

"God's speed to you." he sighed.