(A/N Wow, I'm soooo sorry for not updating in a while. I didn't mean for it to be this long between chapters. I hope you all didn't lose interest! ; Arya4Ever, thank you for the reviews! They are greatly appreciated!)

Chapter 10

Roran's hammer dropped from his hand as he heard her voice. In nearly an instant, his face had softened and his shoulders slumped in relief.

"Katrina?" he questioned. He needed to be sure it was her as he wasn't sure he could trust his senses. Katrina launched herself toward him at full speed and their embrace seemed to emanate light as their hope turned to reality. It seemed to spread through the group around them and their chances didn't appear as slight anymore.

"Roran," Katrina said and pulled away from their embrace," You must trust her. She means the Varden, Eragon, or anyone outside the empire no harm."

"She must reveal herself if she wishes to gain admittance to my city," Orrin's strong voice echoed through the silence, but not unkindly.

"I agree," added Nasuada," You may keep to yourself your message, but we must know you for our own protection.

Just then Eragon arrived from the city's main square where he and Saphira had landed. It was the only place she had been able to find that was large enough for her to land. She followed Eragon, careful not to damage any of the buildings around her.

"Eragon, this woman has a message for you," Nasuada explained," But she must reveal her identity first."

He nodded in agreement. Myra saw that she wasn't going to win and sighed.

"Very well," she muttered and pulled her hood down revealing her pale complexion made even paler but the sliver of moonlight and golden hair. There was a collective gasp from Orrin and Nasuada followed by a confused glance from Eragon and Roran.

"You know her?" Katrina asked having noted the recognition on their faces.

"Of course, though I haven't seen her in many, many years," replied Orrin, "Welcome Princess Myra."

"Hello King Orrin, Lady Nasuada," she replied and nodded her head toward each of them.

"Come, we'll find rooms in the castle for both you and Katrina," Orrin exclaimed and waved Myra through the gates.

"I thank you for your hospitality King Orrin," Myra said as she was led into the city," But my message for Eragon is urgent."

"Very well," Orrin relented," Patrick here will show you, Eragon, and Saphira to the castle's walled garden. You can deliver your message to them in private there."

Myra thanked him and followed the soldier to the garden.

Eragon turned to Katrina as Myra was led away.

"Katrina are you sure she can be trusted?" he asked quietly," I don't want Saphira and I to be walking into a trap but I can't sense her intentions."

Katrina nodded without pause.

"I'm sure. You aren't able to sense her because she doesn't trust you either. She has traveled a difficult road and will have trouble trusting others for a while to come. But hurry Eragon, I'm sure she'll explain everything to you."

Eragon thanked her, expressed his relief that she was safe, and hurried to catch up with Myra and Patrick.

He walked a few steps behind them once he'd caught up. She walked stiffly and he could tell she was nervous. Yet he noted that her head was held high revealing her nobility. Her hair was golden and piled high upon her head in an interesting knot of twists. She was short in stature, very petite, and looked as if a stiff wind could toss her like an autumn leaf. The soldier stopped and waved an arm to indicate the area of the garden where they could talk and Saphira landed in the wide atrium. Myra waited for the soldier to be out of earshot then turned abruptly to face Eragon. By dim light of the garden, he could see that she glared at him with bright, determined green eyes.

"Your brother sent me to you," she began. Eragon reacted automatically. He drew the steel sword he employed since losing Zar'roc to Murtagh and held it to her throat. It surprised him to see that she didn't even flinch.

"If you'd please refrain from killing me until I deliver my message, I would gladly succumb to that whim," she frowned but her voice was calm and controlled. He was disturbed by her response.

'Murtagh sent a message? Is that why the Ra'zac were attacking her?' came a question from Saphira.

'Perhaps,' Eragon responded,' Should we listen to his message?'

'It would be foolish not to,' Saphira replied,' Besides, Roran's Katrina said she was trustworthy. Just be cautious and ready for anything.' Eragon sheathed his sword, though he didn't remove his hand from it.

"Very well," he answered quietly, "What is your message?"

Myra reached into the bag hanging in front of her stomach as Eragon and Saphira both watched as if they were hawks hunting their prey. She lifted the strap of the bag over her head and dropped the sack to the ground. On her arm sat a little green dragon, no more than a few days old. Eragon could feel his jaw drop as he watched the dragon scamper up the girl's arm and settle on her shoulder, wrapping his long tail around her opposite shoulder. By the gods! The rumors were true! Galbatorix's last egg HAD been stolen and this girl had done it! Eragon struggled to compose himself.

"I was to deliver an item of great import to you and only you," she said, her voice strong and steady, "Only… it turned out that it was a dragon egg." Her eyes fell to the floor.

'Is she ashamed that the dragon hatched for her?' Eragon asked Saphira.

'Murtagh had INTENDED for her to deliver a dragon egg, not a dragon,' Saphira replied.

"Did the dragon mark anyone?" Eragon questioned.

"Yes," she paused and pulled her riding glove from her right hand. She held her it out for them to inspect, "I am marked."

"And that is why you were pursued by the Ra'zac?" he inquired further.

"Yes and no," she answered enigmatically. Eragon looked perplexed so she continued," There is much more to my story than you could ever imagine. The easiest and quickest way for me to tell you what happened is to show you. If neither of you object that is…"

Eragon looked shocked," You actually want me to break into your mind?!"

"You couldn't break into my mind if you had tried," Myra snapped coldly," However, I can allow you to see my memories."

Eragon frowned. She seemed arrogant and there was nothing to say that you couldn't lie in your mind, though he had imagined it would require great skill.

'Should we?' he asked Saphira.

'Yes, but take what you see with a grain of salt for we do not know if it is all truth,' she replied. Eragon nodded sharply.

"What do I need to do?" he asked. She held out her hand to him and placed her other hand on Saphira's nose. He placed his hand on top of hers and closed his eyes. Almost instantly he found a rush of images flooding into his mind. They slowed enough to allow him to follow the flow of events. He watched as her memories took him through her capture and imprisonment. Eragon felt nauseous and had to fight the urge to vomit as he saw the violation perpetrated upon her by the false king. He followed her as Murtagh facilitated her and Katrina's escape from Uru'baen. The images ended as abruptly as they had begun and Eragon opened his eyes to see Saphira sniffing Myra's hair. He could feel her curiosity through their bond. Myra's eyes were open and boring into his, ablaze with anger and pain over what she had endured. To a human, having a child out of wedlock was the height of shame. He almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

"Satisfied?" she asked sharply. Eragon frowned. Why did she need to act as if he was the one who had violated her?

'Perhaps she didn't care for having to relive it to convince us that it happened,' Saphira offered. He could sense a great sadness within her. She truly felt bad for this young woman. Jaydon hissed at Eragon impatiently.

'He wants you to hurry,' he heard Saphira's voice in his head, 'She is tired and he wants her to be able to rest.'

He nodded, "I am satisfied for now. Follow me into the castle. I will ask them to find a room for you to stay in while I go and speak to Lady Nasuada. I'll need to tell her everything you shared with Saphira and me. Is that acceptable?"

She agreed and followed him into the castle, Jaydon clinging to her shoulder.

'Saphira, I'll see you later,' he spoke to her through the mind-touch. She let him know that she was going to hunt and that she'd be back in a few hours.

/\/\/\/\

"Do you believe it?" Nasuada asked, an eyebrow raised in disbelief. Eragon hesitated.

"…Yes," he said slowly, "But I still think she needs to prove that she means us no harm. It just seems too easy that she and Katrina were able to escape Galbatorix."

"Could he have sent her as a spy?" Nasuada countered.

"Maybe," Eragon responded, "I think only time will tell. Just like anyone new, she'll have to prove herself."

"We'll need to talk to Arya, Roran, and King Orrin," Nasuada said as she stood, "We'll all need to decide what to do and where to go from here. This changes things drastically. Oh and Eragon…"

He paused in his bow to her, "Yes my lady?"

"It is not necessary for anyone else to know she carries his heir just yet. It would… complicate matters if they wanted to sentence her to death for carrying his son."

Eragon nodded, "Yes my lady," then he turned to summon his cousin.

/\/\/\/\

Myra collapsed onto the bed in the scantily furnished room to which she had been placed. It wasn't much but it was warm and appeared to be safe. Whether they didn't trust her or they wanted to prevent others from seeing her she didn't know, but they had placed two fully armed guards outside her room. Jaydon hummed deeply beside her head on the pillow and she quickly fell asleep.

/\/\/\/\

They had all gathered in the war room of the castle.

"She is a rider, and as such should be trained by the elves," Arya's face was calm but her voice was strong.

"She knows of Galbatorix's castle, she could be of great use when we're ready to lay siege to it," Nasuada rebutted, "She may not be ready when we are and our need seems to be greater."

"But can we trust her? Her escape from his castle seems to have been too easy," Orrin argued.

"Katrina trusts her and so do I," Roran said stubbornly, "I think we should ask her what she wants to do instead of forcing her to do what we choose."

The room went quiet at his words though Roran never raised his voice. He was staring at the table in front of him.

"What exactly would make us any different than Galbatorix forcing her to wed him if we force her to either go to the elves or break into his castle?"

"But that still leaves the issue of trust. How do we know we can trust her with the location and knowledge of the elves or of our battle plans which no one outside of this room yet knows?" Orrin insisted.

"I have looked into her memories with her permission," Eragon began, "Arya, is it possible for one to lie with their memories, intentionally that is?"

She paused for a moment before responding.

"It is not possible for one to consciously alter one's memories, however everyone remembers the exact same events in a different manner. It is based on perception of the event"

"Then I believe she is being fully honest with us," he replied to the group.

"If Eragon believes her to be trustworthy, then that is good enough for the elves," Arya broke the silence with her sing-song voice.

"I agree," Nasuada stated.

"Here, here," agreed Roran.

"Well, then, I must agree," Orrin said reluctantly.

"Good, that is settled," Nasuada proclaimed, "Eragon, we'll call for her first thing in the morning. She looked as if she greatly needed rest upon arrival and we should allow her that much.

To be continued in Chapter 11…