Hello dear readers, I apologize for this chapter taking so long but I've been busy with other things and I'm really wondering what I should be doing with Fanfiction right now and with the stories I currently have which is confusing me and jumbling my mind up terribly. Anyway I hope you enjoy and forgive me for my tardiness in this story and all my others for that, hopefully this makes up for it. Enjoy.

I do not own the Inheritance Cycle

-The Spine-

Shade looked down at the mansion that was pressed up against the mountain. The thing was intimidating he gave it that, but he was more interested to see what was inside than what it looked like on the outside.

He and the two Varden had arrived at their destination only a few hours ago and had begun to scout the area. Despite the fact they hadn't even officially reached their destination yet, nor gone inside, the two Varden who were with him were extremely nervous and on the edge. He understood why they were nervous but that didn't make it any less annoying for him

"Come on boys nothing to be afraid of. I'm sure Morzan's ghost is too busy in the afterlife to worry about us." He said trying to calm them. It didn't work as it appeared that his mention of Morzan only increased their nervousness. He sighed in annoyance.

"Well there's no point wasting time here worrying whether or not Morzan's ghost haunts this place. I think it's about time that we went down there and found out for ourselves." Shade said as we started to walk down the steep trail that led to the mansion. The two Varden soldiers didn't look very eager to follow until Shade called out.

"Come on boys, I don't want to keep dear old Morzan waiting!" The two then gave each other one final look and with a sigh of their own, followed after Shade.

-North of Sharktooth Island-

The night air was cool on Eragon's face especially this high up in the sky. He and Starlight had to both use spells just so that they could breath properly as well as not freeze to death, but even with the spells the cold of the freezing night air still squeezed some of its icy fingers to brush up against his face. This however did not bother Eragon, at least not anymore as he focused his gaze on the endless expanse of the ocean.

"To think there's the whole rest of the world is out their and we've only seen a part of it," he thought.

"A very large part of it," Saphira said shared.

"Maybe so but it's still only a part of it and this is only one world. Think of all the worlds out there with the countless stars that wink at us from the night sky," Eragon replied.

"It's best not to think about such things little one. Such ideas can overwhelm any creature and drive one mad. And at this moment there are other matters that need your attention," Saphira said.

"You're right," Eragon thought as he turned his head to the sleeping form of Starlight. The sight made him smile. "And they are just as equally important," Saphira chuckled.

"Agreed but I was more thinking along the lines of finding whatever there is at Vroengard and defeating Galbatorix," she stated. Eragon blushed in embarrassment and he felt Saphira's amusement.

"Oh," he stated making Saphira chuckle.

"Oh indeed," she replied. Eragon, wanted to get away from his minor embarrassment ended the conversation there and started to look around at the scenery once more. This however did not last long as he felt a familiar presence touch his mind. Quickly recognizing it he smiled and opened his mind.

"Hello love," he thought. He could almost feel the smile radiating through his mind.

"Hello to you too," Starlight responded. A comfortable pause drifted between them until Eragon continued.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked. He felt amusement in the link and he grew curious until Starlight responded.

"Oh, Saphira just told me about your little conversation and what was said," Starlight said. Eragon's embarrassment returned and he turned his mind to Saphira and projected his annoyance at her. Her response was to send back her amusement, which of course only annoyed him more.

"There's no reason to be mad Eragon. It was quite sweet and I'm happy that you think so highly of me. It shows that you care," Starlight stated. Eragon's embarrassment and annoyance abated and a smile grew on his face.

"I more then care for you Starlight, I love you," Eragon affirmed. Starlight grew a loving smile on her face and Eragon could feel her love coming forth from her like waves.

"And I love you Eragon, though I don't think I'm quite as poetic in the ways I say it as you just did," she said. This time, instead of being embarrassed, Eragon gave off a chuckle and then continued their conversation.

As Eragon and Starlight were conversing in their minds, so were Saphira and Valorguard. Their riders' conversation was starting to confuse and even annoy Valorguard and finally he shared his thoughts with Saphira.

"Such odd creatures aren't they?" he said to Saphira. Saphira in turn laughed.

"They are indeed, very odd creatures," she thought.

-In Morzan's Mansion-

Shade and the two Varden were slowly and with the most extreme of caution, making their way through the deceased Frosworn's mansion. They had encountered traps along the way but each time Shade was able to disable them or destroy them before they did any harm other then rattle his two companions' nerves. They had gone into numerous rooms only to find nothing expect the occasional scroll or book that held little useful information. There was almost nothing of strategic or even economic value as despite being used by Galbatorix it remained nearly barren of anything more then the bare essentials of what one would call a home. The two Varden didn't like this and were worried that that their mission would come up empty handed despite the danger it presented. Shade on the other hand seemed perfectly content with just exploring the mansion. He continued to walk along the corridor as if he were an honored guest and only stopped for the occasional trap that was sprung. For over two hours this is how things went until they came upon a large door. The door was a heavier make then the ones they had encountered before and when Shade touched the door with his hand his hand suddenly burst into flames as the magic trap on the door sprung. The two Varden jumped back in shock and fear at seeing the fire while Shade simply looked down at the fire as if a butterfly had decided to land on it. The stared at his burning hand for a moment before with a whispered word and a shake of his hand the fire ceased to exist. His two companions' eyes widened at how easily he put out the flame and were shocked to see that his hand was unburned. Their attention was however snapped back to Shade as he spoke.

"Well, someone definitely doesn't want us to go in that room, which means something important is in there," having said this Shade took a step back, which the two Varden quickly did as well, reached his arm back and with another whispered word, smashed his hand into the door. The force of the punch knocked the door off its hinges and with a skid and then a stop; the door fell to the ground harmlessly, like a bridge now welcoming them into the room.

"Now let's see what someone wanted to hide," Shade said with as a smile appeared on his face. He walked into the room, just as nonchalantly as he had walked down the halls with the two Varden following him with a great deal more caution.

The room they arrived into was as dark as the others, which was to be expected considering the state of the mansion and the fact that no one lived there anymore. With a whispered word from Shade the room suddenly lit up revealing it to be a large bedroom complete with a dusty desk, wardrobe that looked like it could hide a dragon, and a bed that look like another one could sleep on it.

"Well someone important slept in here," Shade said before strutting right inside. His two Varden companions were not so eager to follow after seeing the spell that had set Shade on fire. Their fear proved to be warranted as soon Shade was being hit with one spell after another, traps set up by the room's previous occupier. Shade, for his part, did not seem at all bothered by the spells and quite literally brushed them off before giving off giving off a mocking, "amateur."

Shade eventually signaled for his two companions to follow him inside and start looking. They did so, but with extreme caution, even after Shade had told them that there were no more traps.

So the three fanned out to search for anything of interest, the two Varden took to looking at the wardrobe and bed while Shade took the desk. Upon arriving there he immediately took into account the numerous vials of the desk. He picked up one such vial, a black one that any normal person would have had alarm bells ringing in their head upon seeing. However Shade was not a normal person and instead dipped his finger in the vial and put the liquid his finger had accumulated into his mouth. He sucked on the digit for a moment or two before bringing it out of his mouth.

"Yep, that's poison, a good one too, very sweet," he said before putting the vial in his pocket for later and turning back to the desk. It was then that he noticed a picture on the desk. He picked it up and looked at it. In the picture was a man, dark and imposing, a boy with dark, miserable looking eyes, and a woman, one who immediately caught Shade's attention.

"So that's Selena is it? Pretty lady, I can see why she had two men fall for her. I suppose I'll be nice and give this to Eragon, he'd want to know what his mother looks like," Shade thought before proceeding to rip the woman from the rest of the picture and placing the torn parchment in his other pocket.

It was then, with the picture firmly in his pocket that he felt the presence and quickly gained a smile.

"We'd best wrap things up boys," he said turning to the two men. "Murtagh's arrived." His smile grew as these words left his mouth, though his companions did not seem so overjoyed as he was.

The three had made it out of Morzan's mansion without confronting Murtagh though there were a few moments where the red dragon rider had almost found them, and only failed to do Shade's efforts at concealing them. Personally he would have liked nothing more then another confrontation with the boy, but he knew his compatriots were not so eager and he didn't want to hear their whimpering and so decided that he would let the chance to fight slip this time.

After almost two hours they had made it all the way back to their horses and the two Varden got on theirs quicker then should have been humanly possible. Shade shook his head at their fear but nonetheless made his way over to his own horse. But before he got on it, his smile returned and he looked back the Varden men.

"I suggest you two start riding, I'll be awhile," he said. A second later a roar was heard, scaring the horses and men alike as Thorn appeared with Murtagh on his back. Shade turned to the two with a smile.

"Evening Murtagh, it's good to see you again."

"You were a fool to come here Shade," Murtagh growled.

"Oh come now you can come up with something better and more original than that," Shade responded, a mocking smile on his face.

"How about this." Thorn shot a jet of fire at Shade and the two Varden. Shade simply held up his hand and stopped the fire a foot away from himself before twisting his wrist and causing the fire to disperse.

"Better, but still not very original," Shade said turning to the two Varden who were now frozen still in fear. "I suggest you two do as I told you to do and start riding." The two men quickly nodded and started to ride off, their horses just as eager as them to flee. "Now, shall we continue?" Shade said turning back to Murtagh.

He received no response as Murtagh got off Thorn and drew Zar'Roc. Shade's smile grew and he drew his own sword. The two walked toward each other and when they came close enough, they brought their swords up and brought them together with a resounding clash of metal.

The two launched at each other with a flurry of blows and counter-attacks. Shade seemed horribly amused as he fought, ducking and weaving like some sort of drunken dance of madness. Murtagh meanwhile attacked with precision and a professional stance of a sword master. However, despite the ridiculousness of the first style, the unpredictability of Shade's style met that on more than one occasion the only thing that saved Murtagh from injury were his wards.

Suddenly Murtagh ducked and before Shade could respond Thorn brought his tail around and smashed it against Shade who was sent flying more than thirty feet in the air. Despite this, he did a flip in the air and landed gracefully on his feet before quickly bringing his sword up to block Murtagh's sword.

"Well well well, that was unexpected. I'd applaud you for the attempt but my hands are a bit busy at the moment," Shade joked. Murtagh however did not get upset or angry with him like the last time they fought; instead he stared at him with a stoic and unchanging look. "What's the matter, dragon got your tongue?" Shade mocked.

"No, just concentrating," Murtagh, stated.

"Concentrating? On what may I ask?"

Suddenly Shade felt a burst of energy behind him and he turned to see a sharp rock coming towards him, it was only by pure instinct that he dodged out of the way before it pierced his skull.

"What the hell? That shouldn't have gotten past my wards." he thought as he watched the stone fly by. His eyes were quickly brought back toward Murtagh who was on the offensive again. Shade blocked him again, only now his confusion made him a little sluggish and took away his ability to counterattack. Instead he started to wrack his mind for an answer as to why his wards had failed. It was as he did so that he realized that he couldn't feel his magic. It was as if nothing was there, he was devoid of it and the more he searched for it the greater his alarm became until finally the answer he had been looking for and to which he now desperately wished was not true, was revealed on Murtagh's lips.

Shade's eyes widened as he heard the word and he was barely able to put up a defense as Murtagh pushed him back.

"Where did you learn that word!?" Shade screamed, when they broke apart.

"So you know it?" Murtagh questioned, surprise of his own coming to his face.

"That was not my question boy. Where did you learn that word!?" Shade demanded. This time Murtagh said nothing and instead just looked at him. Shade looked back at him, fear entering his eyes for the first time.

A sudden roar brought him out of his mind and he turned his head to see Thorn send another way of fire at him. This time, without his magic, the fire was able to reach him and set his right half on fire. He cursed and tired to put out the fire. He was so focused on the fire that not only was he unwittingly getting closer to the edge of a cliff but he had forgotten all about his opponent, allowing for Murtagh to come up and knock his sword out of his hand. Shade turned to Murtagh and watched as the man drew Zar'Roc back and thrust the blade forward...

Right into his stomach.

Shade looked down. The sword had gone all the way through and now only the hilt was visible to him.

"For all your mocking, you end just like all the rest," Murtagh said before pulling his sword out of his opponent. Shade looked at Murtagh and for a moment, he just stared at the boy, and then, just as so many times before, he smiled.

"Don't be so sure of that Murtagh," he said before he dug through his pocket and pulled out the picture he had taken. He looked at it for a moment before turning back to Murtagh. "By the way, your mother was quite the attractive woman."

And with that final taunt he fell backwards, down the cliff and into the dark valley below.

EEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDDDD! Wow I've been waiting to do this chapter for a long time. Sorry everyone, major cliffhanger. Also, sorry for not getting to this story but hopefully this chapter makes up for it. If you want me to come back more quickly do what so many of you did before and review, those reviews forced my guilty conscience to come back to this story, kicking and screaming, okay, not that bad, but they definitely persuaded me to come back. Anyway, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will see you all next time. Bye for now.