Umm sorry for the wait, I've exams coming up soon :(

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 21

At 9 o'clock the next morning, Brom and Carly were ready to leave in search of Eragon and Jason. People bid them farewell as they passed and others wished them luck in finding the two boys. Ajihad walked with them to the doors.

"Be careful out there," he said.

"We will be," Brom replied, hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his sword.

"I mean it," Ajihad said. "If he's got them, there's nothing you can do about it yet."

"No," Brom agreed. "But if Morzansson has them, I'm fighting him!"

"Don't be so rash, Brom," Carly said. "He's bound to be as good a fighter as Morzan was. Besides, he's a lot younger than you – he will tire a lot less sooner than you will. He also has a dragon."

"She's right," Ajihad said quickly, seeing that Brom was about to retort.

"Fine," Brom grumbled. "C'mon Carly, let's go."

"May your swords stay sharp," Ajihad said.

"And yours," both Carly and Brom replied. They climbed onto their horses and set off.

They rode past the waterfall and the dense network of trees for several hours until they came to the edge of Surda, where they decided to rest for a while. Neither of them had spoken much during the entire journey.

The remainder of Eragon's journey went by more slowly as Thorn couldn't fly as far during any one time because of the extra weight, despite Murtagh's efforts to make him grow bigger.

"How far is it now?" Eragon asked when they landed to give Thorn a break.

"Not that far now," Jason answered. "We have to fly past Surda to get to the Boer Mountains, where the Varden is."

"I think it's better to start travelling at night to avoid being seen by people in Surda and us being attacked," Murtagh said.

"Good idea," Eragon said.

They sat in silence for a while, just thinking about when they finally arrive at the Varden and the type of reception they will get.

When night came they all climbed onto Thorn and began their flight over Surda.

The city below them was in complete darkness, so there was no chance that they would be seen. Throughout the flight, everyone was tense but they began to relax when they got close to the Boer Mountains.

Eragon checked Arya's condition again. Murtagh had discovered that she had been poisoned when he had been healing her. She still looked as though she was in a deep sleep, but the longer they took to get to the Varden, the more the poison will take its toll on her, and the more likely she will die. He couldn't let that happen to her. His heart constricted painfully at the thought.

He wasn't quite sure why he felt this way.

Suddenly, he felt his mind being attacked. He threw up his wards and managed to keep the person out.

"Someone just tried to break into my mind!" he said. "Someone's spotted us!" Murtagh quickly began muttering protective spells so that none of them would be hurt. Thorn quickly dived down to the ground to give them some cover.

Murtagh jumped off him when he was a foot from the ground and took out his sword, eyes scanning the surroundings carefully for any sign of movement.

Eragon took out his sword too, just in case. Less than a minute later he felt the hilt burning his hand. He spun around and found himself facing…

"Carly?" he gasped.

When Brom and Carly stopped for the night, Carly volunteered to take the first watch. She scanned the sky every so often in case there was a dragon flying around (or more specifically, Murtagh's dragon).

So far, though, there was absolutely nothing.

She was about to wake Brom to take the next watch when something caught her eye. A huge shape was flying towards them. A dragon.

Murtagh was here.

"Brom!" she hissed, shaking him awake. "Murtagh's here on his dragon!"

Brom jerked awake immediately. "Shoot arrows at him," he said, taking out his bow and arrow.

"They're too high up," Carly answered. "Arrows wouldn't reach them."

"Attack his mind then, do something to make them land."

Both he and Carly then proceeded to attack 'Murtagh's' mind – when they realised there was more than one person on the dragon. So, Brom attacked one mind while Carly attacked another. Neither were successful in getting access.

They watched as the dragon flew to the ground, and went to where it landed. Four people got off.

"Who do you reckon they are?" Carly asked.

"Probably powerful magicians to protect Murtagh during whatever mission he's on," Brom sneered. "You distract the magicians while I fight Morzansson."

Carly took out a dagger and sneaked behind one of the 'magicians' , hoping to grab him and hold the dagger to his throat.

And then he turned around.

It was Eragon.

"Carly?" she heard him say.

"Eragon?" she replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. And were you going to attack me?"

"I didn't know it was you," Carly said quickly. "Brom and I were out looking for you and Jason because we were worried that you'd been captured. You should have made it to the Varden ages ago."

"We had been and Jason got taken to Galbatorix. Then Murtagh switched sides and helped him escape. We were all on our way to the Varden until you attacked us." Eragon finished, scowling at her.

The sound of clashing swords made him turn around and saw Murtagh fighting another man. He realised that the man must be Brom, as Carly had mentioned that she had been with him.

"Brom, stop!" Selena screamed. "He's on our side!"

"I highly doubt that!" Brom snarled. "And you! I thought you cared about our son! How could you mistreat him?"

"I didn't have a choice!" Selena sobbed. "He was controlling me with my true name!"

Brom's eyes softened ever so slightly. He dived away from Murtagh and proceeded to question him in the Ancient language. After a few minutes he relaxed and put his sword away. Murtagh did the same.

"Sorry for attacking you all," Brom said.

"That's alright," Murtagh replied. "No damage was done."

"Did you take the green egg by any chance?" Brom asked. "The person who had the blue one was attacked and we don't know where the egg is."

"Of course we took the green egg with us," Jason snorted. "And as for the blue egg, Eragon, why don't you fill him in on that?"

"Basically," Eragon said, throwing Jason a look, "while I was at the castle the egg suddenly appeared in front of me."

"So you have it?" Brom said breathlessly.

Eragon rolled his eyes. "No, I decided to leave it behind...of course I brought it with me!"

He showed Brom the gedwey ignasia on his palm.

"Where is your dragon?"

Eragon showed Saphira to him.

"What's her name?" Brom asked, staring at Saphira.

"Saphira," Eragon answered nervously. He thought he saw a flash of pain in Brom's eyes but then Brom quickly composed himself.

"And we also have Arya," Murtagh said. "She was in Gil'ead prison and she's been poisoned with the Skilna Bragh. Do you have the antidote for it in the Varden?"

Brom said, "Yeah, but we have to get her to the Varden as quickly as possible before the poison kills her." He turned to Murtagh. "Do you mind if your dragon flies me, you and Arya to the Varden?"

"What about everyone else? How are they supposed to get to the Varden without him?" Murtagh answered.

"Horses," Brom answered. "We have two of them nearby. Both can easily carry two people."

"But why does Murtagh have to go with you?" Selena asked. "Surely you have to warn them about Murtagh coming so that they don't attack him?"

"That reminds me," Brom said. He turned to Murtagh again. "Why did you commit that atrocity in Cantos?"

"I was being controlled," Murtagh answered in the ancient language.

Brom nodded. "Then Ajihad might let you off."

"Hopefully," Murtagh replied. He and Brom climbed onto Thorn. Before he flew off, Selena said to Brom, "Don't let them hurt Murtagh."

"I'll see what I can do," Brom replied.

Thorn expanded his massive wings and took off.

"C'mon," Carly said. "We have to get to the horses."

"Hold on a second, Carly," Selena said sternly. "I thought your father was sick."

"I will explain everything when we get our horses," Carly replied and led the way.

To say that Murtagh was nervous flying on the same dragon as Brom would be an understatement. He knew what Brom was capable of and he did not want to get on Brom's bad side.

Brom, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease around Murtagh. He questioned Murtagh about his training with Galbatorix, how much magic he knew, and how he managed to change his true name.

Murtagh managed to avoid telling Brom the details of the last one but he knew that it would get out sooner or later. He preferred it to be later rather than sooner though.

Brom could tell that Murtagh was hiding something from him but he didn't push the issue. He knew it would come out eventually. All he had to do was wait.

After a while Brom instructed Thorn to land in a clearing with a waterfall. He got off, grabbed a rock and banged it off the cliff next to the waterfall. Murtagh wondered what he was doing until he heard Brom shout, "Aí Varden abr du Shur'tugalar gata vanta!"

The cliff moved to reveal a passageway. Standing there were the last people Murtagh wanted to meet when he was on the run from Galbatorix.

The twins.

Just to let you know, I probably won't update again until June because all of my exams are in May.

Please review!