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Lies that Come With Loving You

Chapter 14 Not Much Of A Conversation

'What exactly am I supposed to tell him?' I asked Zoltan as the healer applied a thick white salve to my cleaned wounds after I'd stopped by Ajihad's study to converse with him.

'To be brutally honest, the truth.' He suggested.

'I don't think honesty will at the least contain him from fuming.' I retorted.

'It might make him angry at the least but wouldn't you rather he know the truth than sit where ever he may be sitting all the while wondering and pondering why you're at the Varden or why people refer to you in a formal manner?'

'In all the truth I see no comfort in your words.'

'The truth does not provide comfort nor does it mean to it just simply provides truth.' Zoltan responded wittily.

'How very true.' I snickered inwardly as Tarra, the healer, bandaged me with thick white cotton from the top of my breasts down to my abdomen.

"The bandages should be left on for at least an hour or two then you can take them off and wash the salve off with some water. The wounds are shallow and should heal within only a few hours of washing off the salve. You may leave but I suggest to change your clothing once in your chambers and not to put your dirty blouse back on, it will make the bandages dirty. The bandages will provide you with much coverage you should be fine going back to your chambers milady." Tarra informed me.

"Thank you very much for you help. May you come to help many more." I said and left with my bloody blouse in hand while I went back up to my chambers.

'I will come visit after I produce new clothing for myself.' I told Zoltan.

'You need your rest little one. I will be fine by myself.'

'I insist.'

'I don't. Draining your self will not benefit either of us in any way.'

'You cannot make ne change my mind. I will be visiting and maybe sleeping in your cavern.'

'Be as it may stubborn one.' Zoltan snorted.

'I'll see you in only a few minutes.' I said as I walked around a bend.

*Zoltan's cavern*

'Are you really going to continue thinking about such insignificant things or actually stop staring at the same page and study? You're giving me a headache.' Zoltan joked and nudged me with his snout.

'Then tune me out and leave yourself to a nice rest.' I said as I rubbed his snout and smiled.

'I can't because there will always be a constant buzz at the back of my head. Why don't you calm your busy thoughts and rest yourself?' He suggested and curled on his cushion.

'I have to read it's the only thing that might calm my nerves.' I answered.

'It seems your nerves have gotten quite a lot of calming by staring at the page and thinking of that boy.' Zoltan snickered as his eyes danced with mirth.

'My thoughts are private.'

'Not very private if you're screaming them out to me.'

'It's not my fault my thoughts come on stronger than intended.' I said as I went back to reading about battle tactics and ran a few scenarios and tried to eliminate my own biased judgment that the Varden would win every fight which was not at the very least plausible.

'Rest little one you will need it.' Was the last advice Zoltan gave me before his thoughts slipped into a haze and he started to sleep.

I thought only a second about Zoltan's advice and decided against it for now and ventured down to the kitchen for a quick dinner of boiled fish and dried meat from my latest catch. Afterwards I studied for an hour or two more in Zoltan's cavern then let sleep over take my body and mind after I'd discarded the book on wars in Alagaësia.

*Morning – Training field*

My scratches had healed well to nothing more than angry pink puckers by the time I had awakened to wash off the ointment. Now I was practicing my archery and my class was being taken over by one of my best students as I practiced by myself with Zoltan at my side.

"Milady, Ajihad wishes you to meet him in his study with to discuss the new arrivals." One of the guards informed me.

"Thank you." I said and secured my bow around my body and my quiver on my back as Zoltan followed me to Ajihad's study.

"Eragon, Saphira and their friend shall be joining us shortly." Ajihad informed Zoltan and me as we seated ourselves as we waited.

Moments later we were joined by Orik and our guests. As far as I viewed it they were our guests, our closely watched guests but none the less our guests. Ajihad, Zoltan and I stood to face them.

"Welcome to Tronjheim, Eragon and Saphira. This is Thena to whom you've already met and I am Ajihad. Please, seat yourselves." Ajihad greeted them with a strong and confident voice letting a leader's air float over him, and I bowed my head slightly to acknowledge them.

Eragon and Murtagh slipped into the two armchairs that where placed directly in front of Ajihad's desk, across from me and Zoltan. Saphira took her place behind the two protectively as Zoltan did so as I sat as well. Ajihad gave a signal and the other Twin stepped out from behind the staircase with his, equally horrid, brother beside him. Looks of surprise and amazingly to me an almost nonchalant expression from Murtagh, almost being the operative word.

"Your confusion is understandable; they are twin brothers," Ajihad explained with a small smile. "I would tell you their names, but they have none."

Saphira's hissed of distaste towards the Twins was heard and Ajihad took a wary moment to watch her then took his seat as well. The Twins drew back into the shadow of the stairs. Ajihad began studying both Eragon and Murtagh with an unyielding gaze. I saw Eragon writhe uncomfortably in his seat as Murtagh kept to his own blasé, and stony expression. After some moments passed Ajihad beckoned the Twins and the one, who I guessed, who'd examined Eragon and tried to examine Murtagh. The Twin shook his head briskly when Ajihad had asked a low question and Ajihad nodded his head for confirmation.

He looked at Murtagh and spoke. "You have placed me in a difficult position by refusing to be examined. You have been allowed into Farthen Dûr because the Thena has assured me that you will be of no harm to anyone here and the Twins have assured me that they can control you and because of your actions on behalf of Eragon, Arya, and Thena. I understand that there may be things you wish to keep hidden in your mind, but as long as you do, we cannot trust you."

"You wouldn't trust me anyway," Murtagh said boldly.

Ajihad's face darkened a bit as Murtagh spoke, and his eyes changed to show anger. "Though it's been twenty and three years since it last broke upon my ear… I know that voice and I was hoping you where wrong but it is easy to see that you weren't." He said as he looked towards me and stood threateningly. "It came from another man, one more beast than human. Get up."

Murtagh guardedly complied, as his eyes flitted between the Twins, Ajihad, and then me. "Remove your shirt," Ajihad ordered. With a shrug Murtagh shed his tunic. "Now turn around." As he turned the light revealed a white jagged scar that stretched from his right shoulder to his left hip that contrasted greatly against his tanned and muscled skin.

"Murtagh," Ajihad finally breathed. A grunt from someone reached me but I did not regard it since an unexpected outburst from Ajihad thundered through the room, by now I was standing. "Did you know of this?"

The Twins bowed their heads out of fear. "We discovered his name in Eragon's mind, but we did not suspect that this boy was the son of one as powerful as Morzan. It never occurred–"

"Why was it that Thena was the only one to–. We will discuss this later." He faced Murtagh again after the outburst with the Twins. "First I must untangle this muddle. Do you still refuse to be probed?"

"Yes," Murtagh said sharply, slipping back into his tunic. "I won't let anyone inside my head."

Ajihad leaned forward on his desk towards Eragon and Murtagh. "There will be unpleasant consequences if you don't. Unless the Twins can certify that you aren't a threat, we cannot give you credence, despite, and perhaps because of, the assistance you have given Eragon and Thena. Without that verification, the people here, dwarf and human alike, will tear you apart if they learn of your presence. I'll be forced to keep you confined at all times–as much for your protection as for ours. It will only get worse once the dwarf king, Hrothgar, demands custody of you. Don't force yourself into that situation when it can easily be avoided."

Murtagh, being stubborn, shook his head as I watched and waited for what Ajihad would be ordered of what to do with him and I was fully prepared to intervene if it came to death, which is if Ajihad suddenly changed his mind. "No…even if I were to submit, I would still be treated like a leper and an outcast. All I wish is to leave. If you let me do that peacefully, I'll never reveal your location to the Empire." 'Treated like such should be expected by the Varden.' I thought to myself. 'But not to someone who has done no wrong that can be thought of, is being born such a crime?' I thought and sneered at what the Varden had to come to protect its people, although I understood it, fully.

"What will happen if you are captured and brought before Galbatorix?" Demanded Ajihad. "He will extract every secret from your mind, no matter how strong you may be. Even if you could resist him, how can we trust you won't rejoin him in the future? I cannot take that chance."

"Will you hold me prisoner forever?" Murtagh demanded as he let his eyes dart to me then straight back to Ajihad.

"No, only until you let yourself be examined. If you are found trustworthy, the Twins will remove all knowledge of Farthen Dûr's location from your mind before you leave. We won't risk someone with those memories falling into Galbatorix's hands. What is it to be, Murtagh? Decide quickly or else the path will be chosen for you."

I didn't want him to give in but at the same time I did. No one deserved treatment like a rabid dog, if dangerous be put down and even if you're not just to make sure you'll be caged and maybe killed later.

Murtagh's words broke the silence, slow and clear. "My mind is the one sanctuary that has not been stolen from me. Men have tried to breach it before, but I've learned to defend it vigorously, for I am only safe with my innermost thoughts. You have asked for the one thing I cannot give, least of all to those two." He gestured to the Twins in slight disgust. "Do with me what you will, but know this: death will take me before I'll expose myself to their probing."

I looked to Ajihad and the hostility in his eyes had lessened even so to the point of admiration. Although admiration showed Ajihad had chosen what to do with Murtagh only moments before Murtagh had said once more that he wouldn't be probed. He called the guards and had Murtagh taken to a windowless room with the bars on the doors. Even though Ajihad said no one was to visit before he talked to Murtagh his self who was to say that I wouldn't break something he said. I had the respect for Ajihad, he knew that, and there was no reason that I wouldn't even after I broke what he said.