Chapter 6: A witch story

Wow, I am updating very fast. Never underestimate how much you can write in a two hour drive when someone else is driving. Anyway, in this chapter we will learn a little more about Martel.

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle but I do own Delena, her dragon Alfheim, the plotline, and now Martel.

Through the mirror in Fenister, silence broke out. The riders and their allies that were watched the battle, were in deep thought. That Martel is a witch fugitive from the Empire? If she is so powerful, she must have serve Galbatorix because in the Empire all the magicians that are discover either join the army or die. If she served Galbatorix then why did she escape? They wanted answers.

"Eragon, Delena could you please tell your dragons to escort this witch to Fenister?" Nasuada asked of the riders. "I would like to talk to this renegade."

After silent conversation Delena spoke.

"They are on their way," She said.

"Let's go outside then," King Orrin said.

A few minutes after everyone was outside they spotted Alfheim carrying Martel with Saphira close behind. Once the male dragon landed in the floor Martel get off him. She looked at Varden leaders for a while and then bowed her head in sign of respect.

"You must be Lady Nasuada, the wise leader of the Varden," She said while looking at her.

Before the others could make a comment, she kept talking.

"You must be King Orrin of Surda," Martel said.

Then she looked at the elves.

"Those twelve elves must be the elven spell casters sent by Queen Islanzadi, and you must be Arya, the elven ambassador," She added.

Then she looked at Delena.

"Her I don't know, but judging by the rider sword in your belt you must be the rider of this silver colored dragon," Martel reasoned. She made a pause before continuing. "I didn't know that there was another rider in the rebel alliance but it makes sense that the elves manage to save one and hid him out of Galbatorix reach," She said more to herself than the ones she was addressing.

Finally she looked at Eragon. Then, she surprised everyone even more when she put two of her finger in the lips and then complete the ritual in the ancient language.

"Atra esterní ono thelduin, Eragon Shur'tugal," She said according to the elven costume.

The elves were speechless for a while so Nasuada did the talking.

"You seem to know a lot about us and you also seem to know a lot about the ancient language," Nasuada said still surprised.

"Well, I was once Galbatorix best witch and also a part of his inner circle," Martel reveal shocking everyone, "You can learn a lot about his enemies when he trust you," She said and after a paused she continued, "But now he wants me dead or alive so that he can finish me off himself," She added with a shudder.

After a moment of silence Orrin spoke.

"I think that you better tell us tell whole story," He said.

Martel nodded and then said in the ancient language that she wasn't going to lie.

"I was born in Uru'baen," She began, "My mother was a powerful witch that served Galbatorix and she trained me with the hope that when she died I could take her place as the Empire's most powerful witch. Soon after my fifteenth birthday she died of a disease she couldn't cure with magic and that was when Galbatorix took me to his court. After he saw my performance with magic he decided to make a tournament in his castle between his witch division and the winner would replace my mother as the leader of the witches under Galbatorix command and I won," She explained.

"If you had such a high position in Galbatorix inner circle then why did you ran away?" Eragon asked her.

"Because I came to hate the jobs that Galbatorix ordered me to do," Martel replied looking down. "He ordered me to assassinate traitors, torturing prisoners with magic, and spy too much in the minds of the people he thought as disloyal," She said with distaste. "I wanted to escape for a long time but I never founded the right opportunity. Then, a few days ago, the Varden invaded Fenister and the elven army attacked Gil'lead the same day. And, since Murtagh was sent fight off the elves and Galbatorix sent me to do a job in Belatona, I thought it was the best chance I would get to escape and join the Varden. But many soldiers have been following me so I had to kill my way here," She added. "Then I found the dragons and you know the rest," She said finishing.

After they assimilated the story Nasuada spoke.

"I can tell that you are not lying because you proved your sincerity with the ancient language," She said. "However, if you want to join the Varden first we need to enter your mind to make ourselves sure that you can be trusted.

Martel looked alarmed.

"I don't really like people entering my mind," She said, "I had enough when I was in Galbatorix's presence," She added getting angry.

"Well, I am sorry but we have to do it to know if we can trust you," Nasuada told her. "If you can't accept our terms we will have to either imprison, exile you so that the Empire can hunt you down, or execute you," She stated.

"Then how about I make you a deal?" Martel proposed.

The Varden leader raised her eyebrow.

"What kind of deal?" She asked.

"Like I said, I was in Galbatorix inner circle," She repeated. "That means that I have tons of information about imperial activities, secret locations of some of the king's servants, decisions made concerning to the war, the status of the economy, the number of soldiers in the army, their weapon supply, the identity of the generals, weak points in imperial cities, and the identity of the magicians that infiltrated your ranks and are informing Galbatorix of your activities," Martel claimed surprising the others even more. "Kill me, and all of that knowledge dies with me," She stated. "Let me join you, and I will tell you everything I know and help you in either the battlefield or the field of magic," She offered.

The silence attacked the elven camp again. Everyone was considering the proposition. Eventually, Nasuada said some words to Orrin that Martel didn't hear and then turned to face her.

"We will discuss in a council your proposition," She said. "Stay here and could you please watch her Saphira?" She asked the blue dragon.

She just nodded.

Then Eragon, Delena, King Orrin, Arya, and Nasuada entered a building and discuss the situation.

"What do you think?" Nasuada asked everyone.

"I think that if she is refusing to let us into her mind, she must have a secret she doesn't want us to know," The Surdan king said. "That secret could be that she is a spy, so I say we imprison her until we know the truth," He said.

"I think that she just values her privacy," Arya said. "And I think that it will be foolish to kill her if she possesses so much information about the empire. I say we let her join us but we keep an eye on her," The ambassador suggested.

"I think that if she really wants to join us she could be a powerful ally, so I believed we should let her join us," Eragon said.

"I think that she desperately wants to be on our side because the Empire wants her dead," Delena said. "So, her biggest shot at staying alive should be to have our protection and help us in return. And considering what she did to that imperial squad, I wouldn't really want her as my enemy so I say let her stay with the Varden."

After Nasuada heard where they all stand she went outside and found Martel right where she was the last time she saw her.

"Welcome to the cause," Nasuada said with a smile.

Well, no more update for the time being but I will try to update when I can. Also, thanks for the reviews so far.