Disclaimer: Oops. I forgot to put disclaimers in my last few chapters. I don't own any of this. Okay? Happy now?

Review Replies:

Sabien-black: He told them about Oromis because Aletheia and her family already knew of him. Her parents were trained by him (chapters 2 and 3) and her parents trained her and Micah with Oromis and Vrael's sword techniques in mind. So it was safe to tell them. I realize now that he took an oath, so he couldn't break it - so that was a mistake on my part - but the above is my rationalization for it. Thanks for the review: )

Sadgoat: Thanks so much for the compliment! It's nice to have a new reviewer! I hope you like this chapter!

Miyu-Sato-Hi: Yes, a new Rider. And yes, Aletheia will live. You'll find out about the new Rider very, very soon. Thanks for reviewing!

Emerald Tiara: Yeah, I know it wasn't TOO great. But I'm glad you reviewed anyways. I hope this chapter is better than the last one!

Untamedspiral: Thanks! I figured that Rhunon needed to change her mind about forging swords for the Riders (even if Paolini won't take that route). As always: thanks for sticking with me.

Saucydog: Here's your update! Haha. Don't worry. I have a little bit of everything in this story. I just hope you're not going to guess everything that I'm doing, haha. :hint hint:

dd9736: Um, after reading your review, I'm not sure how to take it. lol. Anyway, I borrowed 'estel' from Tolkien because I could not find a word for 'hope' in Paolini's Ancient Language. Seeing as it was important to my plot, I needed a better word than just 'hope' for a sword. Thanks for reviewing, though : )

Here's another update, since I'm really excited about the next few chapters! Enjoy!

Chapter 9

As the two masses came into view, Aletheia saw the familiar crimson dragon with an armored Rider on his back – Murtagh.

But she quickly glanced at the second mass. It was a beautiful emerald dragon with a Rider on its back. The green dragon was much smaller than the red dragon, but its legs were thick with obvious muscle. The Rider looked small and frail. Long blonde locks escaped from the helm, resting on the Rider's shoulders. The new Rider is a girl!

As they neared each other, the two Imperial dragons dove sharply, heading towards the ground.

The Varden's Riders followed them and landed several hundred feet opposite of the two Riders.

As Aletheia gripped one of Tearlach's spikes, she felt a stone drop in her stomach.

The last egg had hatched. Galbatorix is ready.

The Riders on both sides remained still, watching their opponents. Aletheia looked at the two Imperial Riders incredulously.

We outnumber them greatly! What are they doing here? Do they want to get themselves killed?

I do not think they came to fight. Tearlach said, bearing his ivory teeth at Thorn and the unnamed dragon. I think they came here to remind us that they are still a formidable threat to us, especially with the new Rider.

Aletheia shook her head in disbelief as she waited for someone to speak. At that moment, Murtagh spoke as he pulled off his helm. The other Rider remained silent and still as Thorn walked closer to the Riders.

"Greetings, Riders of the Varden," he said with a sneer, "We have come on behalf of King Galbatorix to offer you clemency in return for your allegiance."

Tearlach growled at him. Does he think us blind and obtuse?

Murtagh glanced at Tearlach before continuing. "Our Master knows of your strength and skill. He is graciously offering his forgiveness if you join us," Murtagh repeated.

Eragon scoffed from behind his helm. "What is the real reason you came here, Rider?" he asked viciously.

Murtagh hardened his glare at Eragon. "You think I'm lying, Eragon?" Aletheia looked at Eragon from the corner of her eyes. They seemed to know each other.

Eragon took of his helm and said, "Am I being unreasonable in suspecting hidden and evil intentions from the Empire's Rider?"

Murtagh stared at Eragon for a moment before he shrugged dismissively, saying, "I suppose not."

This time, Aletheia spoke. "Even if we did accept your offer, Red Rider, which we are not foolish enough to do, we would be tortured extensively. What makes you think that that'd be 'gracious forgiveness'."

Murtagh's lips curled into a cruel sneer. "A few days torture is nothing compared to what you will experience if you defy him. Once we defeat the Varden, and you are captured, you will be wishing that you had accepted our offer."

At his threat, Tearlach roared loudly and snapped angrily at him, coming within a few inches of Thorn. Thorn stepped back in alarm before recovering and snapping back.

"I do not think you are in the best position to be making threats, Red Rider," Mandall said fiercely, as Gunther walked forward. As Gunther neared Thorn, Thorn stepped back uneasily, snorting.

"Leave now, before we tear you and your fellow Rider to pieces," Mandall said menacingly.

Murtagh smiled bitterly, pulling his helm back on. But before his helm covered his eyes, Aletheia could've sworn she had seen a flash of sadness and fear in the eyes of the Red Rider. As Thorn turned to take off, Murtagh turned back around. "Oh, I would like to introduce you to the Empire's new Rider," he said, indicating the Green Rider. "Believe me when I say this: we are still a fearsome threat to you, despite your numbers. You are still no match for Galbatorix."

At this, the Red and Green dragons took off in unison, disappearing amidst the dying sun. The Riders of the Varden watched them disappear in silence. Then, Eragon and Saphira turned around and took off towards the dragonhold.

Sighing, Aletheia told Tearlach to follow the pair.

No one spoke on their way back to the hold, nor did they speak when they returned. The dragons went into their respective caves to rest, while Micah, Mandall and Marissa exited the hold in silence.

Only when Aletheia and Eragon were alone in the dragonhold, did Aletheia decide to voice her thoughts.

"Why would they come, Eragon?" she asked, sitting on a bench. "They knew that we would not accept their offer. Or did they truly think we'd seriously consider it?"

Eragon shook his head bitterly. "No," he said, "you're right. They knew we were not foolish enough to accept it. We would be tortured, as you said, and our minds would've been entered brutally. Galbatorix would extract every single bit of information about the Varden that he could. No. They came to show that the last dragon egg had hatched and that they were not as weak in numbers as we had originally thought."

Aletheia did not respond. Rather, she sat in silence, thinking over their confrontation. Then she remembered the look in Murtagh's eyes and a conversation she had with Maria when she first came here.

"Eragon, there is something I'm curious about," she said, breaking the deafening silence that had overcome the pair. "Maria and I had a discussion when I first arrived in Aberon about Murtagh."

Eragon nodded mutely, encouraging her to continue.

"She said that Murtagh once fought alongside you and the Varden. But he betrayed you by joining Galbatorix," she said, choosing her words carefully, assuming this was a sore topic for Eragon. "You would think that after all that and tonight's events that I would believe him to be an evil person. But before he put his helm on, I saw sadness in his eyes. It was almost as if he regretted what he was doing."

She looked at Eragon. He appeared to be deep in thought. He sighed heavily before saying, "After the battle at Farthen Dur, when he fought alongside me, he and the former leader of the Varden, Ajihad, went looking for more Urgals in a tunnel. But he did not return. We thought he was dead, because Arya found his bloodied clothes in the tunnel." He paused, bringing his calloused hand to his face and rubbing his temples stressfully. "But he was not dead. He had been kidnapped by Twin magicians who had worked for the Varden, but were spies for Galbatorix the whole time. Galbatorix forced him to swear fealty to him and become a Rider for the Empire. So, in a way, you are right. He does regret what he's doing. If it were his choice, he'd be fighting for the Varden. But, he is not as innocent in this as you think."

Aletheia looked at him, confused.

"In the Battle at the Burning Plains, he and I fought against each other – Rider against Rider," he said tiredly. "When I found out he had betrayed the Varden, albeit, unwillingly, I knew what I had to do – I had to kill him. But he would not let me. He would not sacrifice his and Thorn's lives for the people of Alagaesia. If he was truly good inside, he would've have let me end his entrapment right then and there. But he did not. So, he is our enemy."

Aletheia nodded and was about to leave, but she could see that something else was tearing at Eragon.

She put her hand on his arm. "What's wrong?"

Eragon looked up at her. His eyes were full of pain and regret as he opened his mouth.

"Murtagh is Morzan's son," he said quietly, looking away from her. Aletheia gasped softly, realizing that the Red Rider was the son of the man who had killed Micah's mother.

But she wondered why it was so painful for Eragon to say this. He answered her unspoken question next: "He is my brother," he said softly. "I, too, am Morzan's son."

Aletheia's eyes widened at this as she stood abruptly. He looked up at her, startled.

"You are Murtagh's brother?" she whispered. Now it made sense. She had noticed that they seemed to know each other and that Eragon held a separate hostility towards the Red Rider.

Eragon nodded in shame. Realizing that she was alienating him, she sat down next to him again. "I'm sorry, Eragon. I know it must be hard on you to carry such a burden," she said kindly. "But you are not Morzan or Murtagh. You are Eragon. You are a noble and just Rider. Do not think that you carry the same sins that they do."

Eragon nodded in silence. Aletheia realized with a silent laugh that she had comforted Eragon a lot in the past several months.

Eragon seemed to realize this too. "Thank you for being there for me, Theia. It's not your burden. Yet, you have been there for me when others have not."

Aletheia offered a small grin before standing up. "What are friends for?"

When she looked at him, she saw a strange look cross Eragon's face before it disappeared.

Shrugging it off, she followed him out of the dragonhold.

Another month passed after their confrontation with the Empire's Riders. Eragon and Aletheia grew closer while they spent numerous hours together either sparring or flying with their dragons. Aletheia had also noticed that Tearlach and Saphira were spending more time together, choosing to go off on their own. Eragon and Aletheia thought it was good for the two to be close.

One day, during a sparring session, Lady Nasuada entered the room and cleared her throat for their attention.

Aletheia and Eragon stopped immediately and walked up to her.

"Come," she said tersely. "You are needed in the council room."

Bewildered, Aletheia looked at Eragon, who had the same puzzled look she had plastered on her face. While they followed Lady Nasuada down to the council room, they held a mental conversation.

What do you think this is about? Aletheia asked Eragon.

I don't know. But whatever it is, it's pretty serious. Lady Nasuada does not look pleased.

As soon as they entered the council room, raised voices reached their ears.

"I will not allow our main defenses to leave Aberon to go on some fool's journey!" King Orrin yelled.

Aletheia's eyes widened as she saw who he was yelling at. Arya was standing opposite of King Orrin, with a dangerous look on her delicate face. Aletheia briefly mused that she'd hate to be on Arya's bad side.

"Like it or not, King Orrin, my liege would like to see the new Riders for herself!" Arya said in a soft but commanding voice. "To exclude the elves from having the honor of meeting the new Riders, will alienate them and will, in result, make them more prone to ignore your need for aid in the Final Battle."

"Are you threatening me, Arya?" he said dangerously.

She shook her head. "No. I am merely pointing out the fact that it would be unwise to exclude the elves from this. The Riders are as much their business and concern as they are yours!"

King Orrin shook his head in disbelief. He eyed Lady Nasuada and shook his head again.

Aletheia stood next to her mother and asked her what was going on.

"Queen Islanzadi has asked for our presence in Ellesmera immediately," her mother answered quietly. "King Orrin and Lady Nasuada are putting up a great fight against letting us leave."

"What if the Empire attacks while you are away?" King Orrin asked viciously. "What are we to do without our Riders?"

Arya sighed. "My Lord, the spies estimate that Galbatorix will not attack for at least another two months. His army has not yet been built to his expected strength, so there is no possible way that he will attack in the next two months!"

"Estimates?" King Orrin repeated incredulously. "The spies ESTIMATE? We can not go about our plans on mere estimations, my dear Arya."

"Nevertheless," Arya said flatly, "My Queen requests their presence. I strongly advise you acquiesce her requests." Aletheia watched Arya throughout the entire confrontation. During this time, she acquired immense respect for Arya for standing up against Aberon's King.

King Orrin, defeated, threw himself into a nearby chair, putting his face into his hands.

"Very well," Lady Nasuada said curtly. "But if one word enters our ears of an early attack, we need you here at once – no delays. I also want Aletheia to keep Maria updated on your breaks." Nasuada looked at Aletheia. "I want you to keep an open link you're your handmaiden, so that if anything happens, you will know immediately."

Aletheia nodded her comprehension.

King Orrin looked up at Lady Nasuada in incredulous shock at her agreement to the Elves' demands.

Arya nodded before bowing. "We will leave in the morning."

Aletheia, knowing that King Orrin and Lady Nasuada would be exchanging extremely heated words, exited the room behind Arya.

During her stay at Aberon, Aletheia had become anxious about getting out of the castle and seeing more of Alagaesia. But she had never expected that the next time she would leave the castle would be to see the elves.

However, leaving Aberon meant leaving Maria. She dreaded leaving her friend at the castle, but knew it had to be done. Besides, she hadn't seen Maria very often recently. She had been disappearing for days at a time. Nevertheless, she knew she would still miss Maria's company.

That night, she ventured down to the dragonhold to visit Tearlach and tell him of their journey. He was extremely pleased with the news that he'd be able to fly freely and hunt as he pleased. Patting his nose, she turned to leave. As she looked back to smile at Tearlach, she saw him settle next to Saphira and gently lay his head on her neck. Grinning widely, Aletheia made her way up the stone steps and to her room.

The next morning, Aletheia was awoken by Maria shaking her gently. As she stretched tiredly, she noticed it was still dark out. Maria held a candle to illuminate the room as she stood next to Aletheia's bed.

"Your mother and father thought it best if you got an early start," Maria said, setting the candle down on Aletheia's nightstand. She turned from Aletheia and took out a pair of black pants and a white tunic. Maria carried them over to Aletheia and urged her to hurry up and dress.

As she pulled the tunic over her head, she saw Maria packing her leather sack for her.

"Where have you been, Maria?" Aletheia asked tiredly, picking up a brush and pulling it through her hair. "I haven't seen you around the castle lately."

Maria stopped packing abruptly. "I've be running errands for the King," she said dismissively.

Aletheia narrowed her eyes at Maria slightly before shrugging.

As soon as they were both done, Aletheia walked over to Maria and embraced her tightly.

"Thank you so much for being there for me," she said to Maria. "You became my best friend and I thank you for that."

As they pulled away from the embrace, Aletheia thought she saw a strange gleam in Maria's eyes.

Maria merely nodded and said, "Be careful and keep me updated."

An hour later, the Riders were down at the gates of Aberon, climbing on their respective dragons. Food and supplies were attached to the dragons' sides, so that the Riders would not have to make any stops into town. As Aletheia strapped her legs in Tearlach's saddle, she watched as Arya climbed onto Saphira behind Eragon.

"Farewell, Riders!" King Orrin said. "Make haste in your return to Aberon."

The Riders nodded their assent as the dragons crouched and took off into the dark sky.

Two days passed since they left Aberon. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred, giving the Riders a sense of security. During their flight, Aletheia asked Arya how long it would take to get to Ellesmera.

If we fly throughout the day and take short breaks during the night, we will reach Ellesmera in a week and a half. Arya responded.

Throughout their journey, their days grew longer and more tiresome – especially for the dragons. Tearlach would tire after three hours in the air. Saphira, Gunther, Anassa, and Adelbert were the same. The dragons' moods would also sour at the same rate. The Riders would push the dragons to their limits in order to arrive at Ellesmera in time.

Whenever they would land, they would eat a small lunch or snack and give the dragons and hour's rest. During the night, the dragons and riders would sleep for several hours before starting the next day just as they had started the last. Aletheia quickly grew bored and would have frequent conversations with Eragon, Micah, or Tearlach to pass the time.

On the eighth day of their journey, they landed mid-day near a patch of trees running alongside tiny mountains in the Hadarac desert. Aletheia thought it strange to find plant life in a dry climate, but would not complain, as they found shelter from the sporadic sand storms that would torment the desert. As soon as they had settled in the pack of trees, Aletheia contacted Maria, as usual, and updated her on their whereabouts and progress.

That night, Aletheia ventured away from the group to look out on the dark desert. As she sat down on the dusty ground, she felt a flicker of something pass through her mind. But as soon as it had come, it had disappeared. She sighed deeply, wondering what the elves would be like. She remembered her parents telling her of the beauty of the forest of Du Weldenvarden, but she was anxious to see it herself.

Letting her thoughts consume her mind, she closed her eyes. The ironically cool breeze of the desert caressed her face softly as she leaned back on her hands. She opened her eyes and felt her heart stop as she thought she saw something in the distance. She blinked and looked at the same place but saw nothing. Shrugging, she stood from the ground to brush off the sand from her black pants.

As she walked back towards the trees, she felt a familiar presence enter her mind. Alarmed, she turned and saw an enormous black mass approaching her rapidly.

She tried to scream, but found that she had no voice. Panic overcame her as she tried to contact Tearlach, but she realized that this thing had blocked her mind. She turned to run back to the trees, her heart beating frantically through her chest.

She hearda cold voice utter, "slytha", and she knew no more.

hehe. Another cliff-hanger:grins evilly:

How was it? Better than the last chapter? As always: review please!

I also want to add another thank you to my reviewers! Believe me: you'll see some action in the next few chapters :-)

In result of this, I'm going to raise the rating to "T". What happens in Chapter 10 definitely constitutes a rise in the rating. How do I know? I have already written chapter 10. I'm really excited about this next couple of chapters, so PLEASE review and give me your honest opinions of them (a lot is revealed).