BLANKET WARNINGS: Eragon/Murtagh INCEST and SLASH! If either offends you, I'm sure you know where the back button is. This is a bit darker than some of my usual stuff- this does deal with homophobia, and I tried to portray Eragon as best I could in his situation (In a homophobic world, he has just realized he's gay, and he has been brought up to be homophobic) while still keeping him IC. I hope I succeeded. Since no one knows exactly what goes on in his head, I think it's pretty believable.

BLANKET DISCLAIMER: I don't own Eragon, or Eldest, bookwise. Chris Paolini does. I only own Talc, Krin, Eruka (though I am borrowing a bit from Naruto for Eruka… And yes, I know that's it's spelled 'Iruka' in the show, I changed the spelling), and the other random OCs through the story . The theory in here is mine as well- that Angela's Prophecy could also be taken to mean Murtagh. (I go a bit in-depth on this through the fic. I have a full copy of the theory in my profile.) If anyone steals it without crediting me and I find you, let's just say I won't be very happy.

Note: I just changed Varin's name to Vanir, since I made a mistake when first uploading this chapter. Nothing else has been changed.

This is dedicated to my awesome beta- Tjay Motou! She's been a doll, helping me out with revisions.

Italics: dreams, imaginings

(Parentheses): Mind to mind communication (i.e. between Eragon and Saphira) Why parentheses? Because the site won't let me use carrots…

Good news and bad news at the end of this chapter, in the author's note. (And before anyone panics, the bad news is NOT that I won't finish this. I WILL finish this story, don't fret!)

Last week:

He allowed his mind to separate itself from his worldly woes, and his consciousness drifted into a stream of white light as he stopped being 'Eragon' and became everything, from the smallest mouse to the largest horse. He still retained enough of himself to avoid the dragons, as well as the dungeon area he could sense as he merged with the rocks of the castle as well.

All consciousness, all worry, all thought... stopped.

He was free, if only for a little while.

And now, this weeks installment!

In Dreams V, Part D

Eragon spent the next several days doing everything in his power to keep himself busy, avoiding going outside the castle gates and avoiding the dungeons. He did not even go near the steps for fear that his feet would take him down the stone stairs.

He trained himself to the point of exhaustion. He practiced fighting multiple opponents and shooting multiple targets with one draw of his bow. The men were hardly a match for him, and the targets easy prey, but Eragon threw himself into the work whole-heartedly. Any pain he received was welcome as a distraction, and whenever he was off the training field he was healing himself or meditating. The white void had become a refuge for him, allowing him to be whole without being himself.

Often, too, he practiced magic in his room, shortening the length of the sentences needed to create spells until he could do even the most complex magic with but a few whispered words.

If anyone noticed his odd behavior, no one commented.

He visited Saphira daily, but conversation between then was strained with the weight of the secrets the Rider had to keep. The sapphire dragon had tried to pry into his mind once, but Eragon had quickly stopped the attempt. He had been so angry with her- despite the fact he knew it was concern and worry that motivated the act, he refused to speak to her for days after. Eventually, his better judgement prevailed, and he went back to speaking to Saphira. Neither mentioned her attempted break into his guarded thoughts, but neither forgot the incident.

Six days into the routine, it was broken.

Eragon had been on his way to visit Saphira when he was pulled aside by a messenger. It was the same brown-haired girl that had pulled him aside before, and just as she had last time she carried a message from Nasuada.

"Sir, Lady Nasuada wishes to see you in her office." She delivered the message with a low bow, straightening and folding her arms behind her back as she waited for some form of a response. The wait wasn't long.

Eragon nodded, motioning for her to lead with a wave of his hand. Hopefully this message from Nasuada would provide a better distraction than the last had.

It wasn't a far walk, as Eragon had gotten no farther than the small entrance hall before being pulled aside. As they traversed the rich corridors, Eragon distantly took note of the luxurious surroundings. They didn't seem nearly as impressive as the first time he had walked this way.

Scant minutes after his routine had been interrupted, he reached the large wooden door that the head of the Varden's office lay behind.

As she had last time, the girl knocked and announced his presence, but there was something odd this time around. Eragon frowned. After his elven training, he had learned to be extraordinarily aware of his surroundings, and his senses were telling him that not one but two people were behind the door. One was Nasuada, but the other...

'An elf and magic user.'

Eragon barely heard Nasuada's reply to the messenger's call as realization hit him.

A warm smile spread over his face.

'"...the elves should be here within a week..."'

It wasn't surprising, therefore, to see a head of silky black hair as the door swung open. Delicate-looking pointed ears were visible behind the ebony strands as the figure seated in the chair turned to face him.

The elf was, as usual, dressed in plain black leather. The tunic was sleeveless, as to allow free movement of her arms, the bottom of the shirt hanging several inches below her waist. A belt was secured around her waist, usually to hold the sword Eragon could see leaning against her chair. Her bow and quiver- usually hung over her back within easy reach- were next to the deadly blade. The design of her pants was simple, the soft leather loose around her legs, but not loose enough for them to slip. A soft cloak hung over the back of her chair, the dark green material partially covered in dirt from the road.

Arya nodded respectfully to Eragon as he bowed slightly.

"Arya svit-kona." he greeted her, using the respectful term he had learned in Du Weldenvarden. "It is good to see you again." He straightened, repeating the slight bow to Nasuada as he guiltily remembered he had not done during his last meeting with the Varden's leader.

The dark-skinned woman just nodded, her small smile a bit strained even though she seemed a great deal more rested than last the Rider had seen her.

"And likewise to you, Eragon." Arya replied. She turned back to Nasuada as the blue Rider moved forward and sat in the free chair in front of the large desk the Varden's leader sat behind.

As soon as he was settled, Nasuada sighed and ran a hand through her slightly messy hair.

"I've called you both here to discuss our potential ally- Murtagh." she announced, looking pointedly at Eragon as she referred to the red Rider as a 'potential ally'. "Eragon, to bring you up to speed, I've been informing Arya of what my guards as well as you have been reporting, and she relayed information about what magicians Queen Islanzadi has lent us." Here, the dark-skinned woman paused for breath before continuing. "We're very lucky- the Queen was very generous with her resources since you are a friend of the elves. Arya has told me that several of their best magicians are now at the Varden's disposal until we manage to release Murtagh from his servitude, or..." Her voice trailed off, but she didn't need to finish the phrase. Eragon knew perfectly well what was forfeit if the magic binding Murtagh to Galbatorix's command was too strong.

"I've arranged a meeting between you and the magicians. As you have the most personal interest in this of anyone in the Varden beside myself, it will be your responsibility to discuss this with them. You have also known Murtagh much longer than I- you are best suited to this task, and my duties to my people don't allow me the time it will take for this." Nasuada took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before releasing it slowly.

"I have also given the guards notice about the elves. You may not remove Murtagh from his cell, but every magician working on this will be given freedom to speak with him. You will keep me informed of your progress, and once a solution is found I am to be told." Her tone allowed for no argument, but the blue Rider had hardly planned on giving one.

Arya spoke next.

"Our meeting is scheduled for this afternoon. Most want to go back to our homes, and so we'll be starting promptly."

"I understand. I want to end this quickly as well." Eragon replied. Green eyes peered at him for a moment, slight curiosity in their depths, but a careful mask of neutrality quickly replaced the emotion.

"A servant will be sent to fetch you in your rooms when the elves are ready." Nasuada said, dismissing him with a small motion of her hand.

Eragon nodded, then stood, chair scraping the stone floor as he moved. With one last slight bow to both women, he turned and left the room.

Behind him, he could hear Arya and Nasuada talking quietly, but he couldn't make out the words.

The door shut behind him, the noise almost loud in the deserted hallway. Happiness as well as anticipation welled up inside of him. He was glad to see Arya- she was a dear friend, and he had fancied himself in love with her not long ago after all- but her coming also meant the conclusion to the question of Murtagh.

While her coming with the magicians of Du Weldenvarden could herald Murtagh's release, it could mean his death, and Eragon did not know what he'd do if his brother were to be executed.

Reflecting on the problem, he began walking back to his room to await the meeting that would be the first step in determining Murtagh's destiny.

Insert Line

The sun had not yet begun to set when a loud knock awoke Eragon from the light doze he had slipped into while waiting to be fetched for the meeting.

Shaking his head to clear out the muzziness that always accompanied such an awakening, he rubbed his eyes and stood. His mind slowly coming to full alertness, he called for the person who had knocked to enter. Quietly, the door opened and soft footsteps sounded.

Eragon glanced at the messenger as her footsteps muted after she had walked several feet into the room. She bowed, long brown hair falling over her shoulders.

"Sir Eragon, I've been sent to fetch you for a meeting. When you are prepared, I shall lead you to the room." She straightened again, flipping her hair over her shoulders in an absent gesture. The messenger then folded her arms behind her back, standing still as she waited for instructions.

Eragon took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before releasing it silently.

This was it.

"Lead the way."

The girl nodded, turning on her heel. She pushed the door open, holding it for Eragon before continuing down the stone hallway. Their boots made soft noises on the floor, but their short trek was otherwise silent.

The room they eventually stopped in front of had a large oak door, situated just a floor below Eragon's own room and several hallways to the right. The corridor that held it was long, each end disappearing into distant beams of light from the windows. The floor of the hallway was bare, all the decoration in the form of abstract paintings along the walls.

The girl leading him didn't bother knocking at this door, despite the low murmur of conversation Eragon could hear behind it. She pushed the door open, bowing respectfully to the occupants before turning and bowing to the blue Rider as she held the door open for him.

Eragon quickly moved into the room, noting the large circular table around which five elves sat, the extra chair- presumably left for Eragon himself- and the odd shape of the room. Instead of being square- like most rooms in Orrin's castle- the room seemed to be a near perfect circle, with several small paintings on the walls. Most, if Eragon had to judge, seemed to be one-foot squares with random splashes of color. Lit torches also lined the walls, providing more than enough light and heat for the whole room.

The Rider moved further forward into the room, sitting down on the free chair and moving himself closer to the table. He was uncomfortably aware of how each elf present was staring at him, but ignored the feeling until he was settled in his seat and he looked up.

He glanced around the table. One face he recognized instantly- Arya, who was still dressed as he had seen her earlier. Moving on to the elf seated next to her, his eyes widened as he saw the familiar, haughty face framed by smooth black locks. The tall, lithe elf had been his sparring partner during his stay at Du Weldenvarden, and Eragon could easily remember the mutual dislike between the two of them. Vanir had disliked him on sight, it had seemed, and the elf's attitude had not endeared him to the Rider at all.

Vanir was attired in a simple brown tunic, the color similar to tree bark after a long rain. For a moment, Eragon had thought the elf was dressed in black, but the light from the torches along the wall revealed the true color.

The pale elf proved that the dislike was still going strong as his crystal blue eyes met Eragon's coldly. The small amount of respect the Rider had earned from the elf meant Vanir did not look away in a deliberate snub, but it was obvious that Vanir was no friend to Eragon by the sheer amount of ice in his eyes.

Frowning slightly, Eragon's gaze moved to the slight female elf. She wasn't very tall, and her frame made her seem almost delicate despite the fact that the brunette knew she couldn't be helpless- Queen Islanzadi would not have sent her if she were.

She was obviously young- her face was heart-shaped and smooth, without so much as a hint of a wrinkle- but her hair was a bright silver color Eragon had rarely seen outside of Du Weldenvarden.

Her hair was done in a tight braid, but it was almost impossible to determine the length of her moonlight-colored hair as the braid had been wrapped around her head several times. A few strands hung over her grass-green eyes, but they didn't seem to bother her.

Her tunic was a fawn color, much lighter than Vanir's was.

Her eyes flicked to his face to meet his directly, but then she glanced down again towards the table.

Eragon's eyes moved to the next elf seated at the table.

This was yet another elf he didn't recognize- he was very tall, dwarfing the smaller female seated next to him easily. His hair was also silver, but more a shade of pure silver mined from the mountain ranges than moonlight. He, too, seemed young, his face unlined and unmarked by age.

Strands of hair fell around his face- no bangs fell into his eyes, but there were two long locks that fell just in front of his ears to his neck. The rest was loosely braided down the elf man's back, secured by a leather cord.

His eye were deep green- so dark they were almost black but for the small glimmer of green that reminded the Rider of the tall evergreen trees he had seen in the Spine. He wore a simple tunic of green as well, the color matching his eyes almost perfectly.

Finally, his eyes turned to the last elf in the room.

Eragon nearly fell out of his chair in shock.

"Master?" he asked incredulously. The familiar figure in pure white robes nodded his head. His hair- pure white with age- was cut to just barely brush his shoulders, and his dark eyes shone with dry humor.

"So my pupil remembers me." the old elf stated, his voice old and gravelly, with just a hint of mirth. Eragon- out of respect for the old elf- bowed his head as far as he could sitting down, which Oromis returned with a much slighter nod.

Having shown the proper respect- albeit belatedly- Eragon turned to Arya.

"Is everyone here?" he inquired. Arya nodded at the same time Vanir spoke.

"We were only waiting on you, Rider Eragon." The brunette just resisted the urge to glare at the dark-haired elf, trying to keep his mind on Arya and the far more important matter at hand.

"You have already met Oromis, Vanir, and myself," Arya stated, motioning to both male elves and then herself. "- but I do not believe you have been introduced to Svara-" At this, she indicated the small female elf, who inclined her head slightly. "- and Kyrin." The male elf also inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"Pleased to meet you, Rider Eragon." Svara stated politely, her voice full but light, with a clear tone that could only be compared to the clarity of a hidden mountain lake.

"I am honored to meet you." Kyrin greeted, his voice deep but smooth.

"I am honored to meet you both, and I thank you all for coming." Eragon replied, looking at each elf in turn.

"We've called this meeting to discuss the problem of Murtagh. Some of us are anxious to get back home, so may we commence with the discussion?" Vanir interjected, tone carefully polite.

"After we inform the Rider of what he's working with." Svara replied, tone stern but not unkind. "We are to follow his wishes until such a time as we have finished the task appointed to us."

Vanir's face was carefully schooled into a mask of neutrality, but it was clear the elf was not enjoying his orders.

"Eragon," Arya broke the slight tension forming over the group, her voice cutting through it easily as a hot knife through butter. "My strength lies in wording spells and I was gifted with a good deal of power at birth. Vanir's strength lies in the amount of magic he was gifted with at birth- he and Kyrin are two of our strongest magicians. Svara has a talent for wording spells, and can recognize a good deal of them. Oromis- while unable to help us cast- has the most knowledge about spells and spell counters."

The dark-haired elf looked to the others then.

"Is that a satisfactory description?"

No one argued, just nodded in agreement.

"In order to complete our task quickly, we should meet this Murtagh soon." Kyrin stated logically. "If I may, I suggest we visit him tomorrow to begin our work."

"It should not take us long to decide if he can or cannot be saved." Oromis agreed. "I doubt we can do much before meeting him and seeing the exact nature of the vow that binds him to Galbatorix."

"For now, we should discuss the possibilities." Vanir added. "I say we hear Eragon's observations to see if we can draw any solid conclusions from those before going to meet the prisoner tomorrow."

All eyes turned to the Rider, a few of the elves present murmuring their assent.

Eragon swallowed- the spotlight was not an easy place for him to be, especially on a matter that was so close to his heart.

"Murtagh has stated on several occasions that he does not wish to fight for Galbatorix." Eragon began. "Since that first battle on the Burning Plains of Surda, he had defied orders he was supposedly given many times. I have never heard the exact wording of an order given to him, but every time we had fought when he had orders to merely capture me, he allowed me to escape. It was only in our last battle- when he had orders to take my head- that he attempted to kill me, though I believe even then he held himself back." For a moment, Eragon allowed himself to think back to when he had just met Murtagh, before even reaching the Varden. The skills Murtagh had held then were better- marginally, but the brunette knew that that margin was the difference between the pale Rider winning or forfeiting.

"Has Murtagh said anything to that effect?" Svara asked. "Did he tell you that he was holding back, or are you just assuming?"

"It is an assumption, but I've sparred with him before he was captured by Galbatorix's men and there is a noticeable difference in the skill with which he fights." The slight female considered his words for a moment, apparently satisfied.

"What have you noticed of Murtagh's behavior while he is imprisoned?" Arya asked. She had been there as Nasuada had passed the sentence, but had left shortly after to gather magic users from among the elves.

Guiltily, Eragon looked down at the table.

"I don't think there have been any problems, but I have only been to visit him once. I have not heard any reports of his misconduct, and I doubt Murtagh would misbehave as hostility to any member of the Varden is forbidden."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arya's face morph into an expression of curiosity, but it was quickly buried behind a neutral mask once more.

"I see."

"Is there a possibility that Murtagh is pretending to switch to our side? Is there a possibility he might be willingly working for Gal-" Vanir began, but Eragon cut him off.

"No." The brunette shook his head vehemently. "Murtagh does not want to follow that mad king- of this I am certain. He has said as much."

All was quiet for several moments.

"I don't think any more will be accomplished tonight. Let us meet outside the dining hall after we break fast and from there we can visit the dungeons to assess the problem better. Trying to judge from one person's observations will not get us anywhere." Oromis stated, pushing himself out of his chair. It was strangely tense and silent in the room as the others followed suit.

Eragon pushed his chair back underneath the table, then turned and opened the door. He could feel one set of curious eyes on his back, but paid Arya's attention no heed as he left through the open doorway and headed back to his room.

He would need his strength for tomorrow, as he would have to keep control in front of a crowd of elves while interrogating his brother.

He would definitely need his strength.

As soon as the door to his room clicked shut behind him, he kicked off his boots and moved over to his bed. He collapsed onto the hard mattress tiredly, falling asleep in minutes as imaginings and dread of what tomorrow would bring swirled around his mind and his heart.

Two dragons- one the color of blood, the other the color of the purest sapphire gem- danced.

They dove, rose, and twisted as one- never close enough to touch, but close enough so that their dance was clearly being performed together.

A small figure was visible on each dragon- the rider of the ruby beast clad all in black, while the blue dragon's rider wore dark brown.

The figures reached out their left hands, small bands of gold sparkling on their ring fingers.

Unable to reach, they leapt from the dragon's backs.

Their hands connected as they fell together, but they only smiled at each other as they began falling slower and slower, until they landed gently on a small, grassy knoll. In the distance, the ruby and sapphire creatures touched down, the blue-scaled beast tucking her head beneath the head of the red dragon in a gesture of affection.

The two riders had pulled closer during their fall, and the darkly clad one rolled atop the slightly smaller man that had ridden the sapphire dragon.

They did not need their mouths to speak the words both already knew, as their lips and hearts connected.

Still, as they broke apart, the ruby dragon's rider spoke.

"Eragon, I..."

TBC…

A/N: Heh… sorry, I know this chapter was kind of boring… It had to be written though. Hopefully the dream sequence at the end made up for it a little…? I know it wasn't how I usually write the dreams, but my beta liked it- I hope you all did too!

Bad news: Chapter 6 isn't being nice and letting me pen it, so it may be a while before the next chapter comes out. On the other hand, Spring Break is next week! I have a whole week away from school and at least some of that time shall be spent on this since I have been (cringe) sadly neglecting this fic… I PROMISE I will finish it! Have no fear- it shall be completed before I'm a high school senior (I graduate in 2009- go me!) or my penname isn't Bookkbaby!

Next Week: While the next chapter hasn't been written yet, I know a certain someone who might just have a spell broken and get out of jail free! Plus, there MAY be some more ExM interaction, but that might come later in Chapter 6… Lets just say the best is yet to come!

Review Replies (Hopefully, none of you now want to kill me…)

Geek Squared 1307- Thank you so much! I loved writing the ExM interaction, so I'm glad it was fun to read! Congrats on being the first to review Chapter 5C! Hopefully you liked this and will like Chapter 6 when it comes out… (Chapter 6 will need to be split up, I know that much…)

eryl – Was Gladiator a movie? I think it was… (anime-style sweatdrop). I'm usually in my own little world, but that's okay, they know me there! I'm so happy you enjoyed it- and don't worry, Eragon stops being such a sissy about this later on…

chiri – Yup- it was cool to update regularly, but I'm afraid something called the 'Real World' (shudders) has caught up with me. I had the first five chapter written by the time Chapter 2 was posted, but then I ran into a dry spell…

twitchy of the lying sluts- Thanks! I always like praise- especially if it's for something fun, like my writing! Simple hobbies are always the best to get compliments on… And don't worry about getting off topic talking to me. I'm random enough that I'd probably think it was still on topic…

October Morning- I think my face just went the color of a ripe cherry tomato! I know about the alerts, really sorry- this website always does that to the alerts that are supposed to be sent out for my stories whenever they change something. It always takes them days to get it back to normal too… I can not tell you in words how ecstatic I am to know you like my story so much! Definitely flattered here! So sorry about the long wait…

Shauna- No- sorry to say it, but you didn't get the first review. The website was being incredibly stupid and didn't send out alerts until days after the chapter was updated. (Sorry about the long wait, by the by!). Everyone's dying to hear them say those three little words to each other- hell, even I am! It'll be worth the wait, I hope! (And of course Eragon had to leave before Murtagh could say anything- it just wouldn't be as much fun if everything had gotten resolved! Mwahahaha!)

Gloria Monday- It might end up being '08 before I finish… I'll try to get it done before then, but it all depends on how much time I have to write… (To think I started this during Winter Break, and now it's almost Spring Break…) So glad you enjoyed!

Krista-shadow- I noticed the alerts weren't working, so I tried to send everyone a message to let them know! I know I hate missing a chapter of my favorite stories, so I figured it was only polite!

Desert Thief- Aw, you make me blush! I'm just a simple sixteen-year old- not as great as all that! I try- so happy you like it!

CaramelBoost- Actually, you're the first! You get a prize- a thousand points, but the points don't matter, yes, they don't matter at all… (If you've ever seen Whose Line Is It Anyway that phrase is funnier…) So the story is gripping? That's always good! Hopefully the rest of the story will be just as good and the intensity will rise…

LadyBird- I'm happy to write it, you're happy to read it! A good combination, I must say. I thought it was the polite thing to do- if everyone allowed me some space on their lists of things to receive an alert for, then I thought it was only right they got their update alerts when they were supposed to!

OshayO- You've been sick? I hope you're feeling better- I know I hate to be sick! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

FangedWriter- Thanks! I'm so sorry you had to wait- the alerts don't like me, so they lag sometimes… I'm glad you thought it was worth the wait!

Thebrunetteditz- Hopefully this was worth waiting for!

Night Dragon9- Thank you very much! I'm so glad you share my point of view- gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people are no different than any other, heterosexual person. I hate how people bash gays just because they like someone (gasp!) the same gender as them. It pisses me off, so I wrote this! Eragon and Murtagh will end up together in the end- I can't write romance where the two characters end up apart! I've tried, but I just love happy endings!

lorennasumeragi – Thanks! I know this wasn't a very quick update, but I'm glad you like it!

Mantineus- I know I delay in updating, and to me any review (except flames, I hate those) is a good review! I'm just happy to have several faithful reviewers- makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! (huggles) Thanks so much for the review and I'm so happy you're enjoying this!

Kaylen- Thanks so much! Glad you like it- and that you had enough time to read it! I may be doing something with the dungeon scene from Murtagh's POV, but probably only in flashbacks. I'm glad I managed to pull off the dungeon scene well- I worked hard on it!