Chapter 10: Revelations

A/N: Just to let you all know, this is not an update, but rather a fix. I fixed all the conversation between Vanilor and Link to be italicized because the document uploader decided to be stupid. And I decided to be stupid too and forgot to check the document before posting it. So we both goofed. So none of the following is new.

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The next morning was abrupt. Link awoke everyone to get them out of the area as quickly as possible. He was sure Imperial soldiers had seen them, so he wanted to be in Surda soon.

It was within ten minutes that they were in the air, Katrina sharing saddles with Link, Roran sharing with Eragon. Link felt a little bad for separating the lovers, but it wouldn't be possible for them to be together since Link and Eragon couldn't share saddles; they had to ride their dragons.

The ride was quiet, at least on Vanilor's back. Katrina and Link weren't well acquainted and didn't know how to strike up conversations with each other without making fools of themselves. So Link kept his mouth shut and enjoyed the scenery. He noticed Katrina was holding tight onto his waist. It was beginning to get painful, and it restricted movement.

Link finally was able to break the ice with a somewhat personal question.

"So how did you and Roran meet?" Link asked. Katrina didn't even move her head to answer the question.

"We lived in the same village since birth. He's about a year older than me, but we've known each other all our lives," said Katrina.

"What village was that?" Link asked.

"Carvahall," Katrina said wistfully.

Link paused before saying, "Why do you say it in such a manner?"

Katrina was silent for a moment.

"Carvahall was destroyed," she said, "by the Empire. The Ra'zac came looking for Eragon, and Roran ended up fighting them. They didn't like that, so they went to Urû'baen and came back with almost a legion of Empire soldiers. Roran and all the men fought with them for days, and it actually seemed hopeful that we would win. But in time, it grew to be too much. Roran gathered all who would come to make our way to Surda. That was when the Ra'zac captured me. I don't know any more."

Link nodded. More background knowledge was revealed to him. It seemed he would get to know these people's whole lives before this was over.

"What do you know about Murtagh?" Link asked, curious.

"Nothing," said Katrina. "I've only heard Eragon say the name once or twice when he talks to Roran. Roran doesn't know who he is either; at least he's never met him. I think you'll have to ask Eragon about that one."

Link fell silent again, except in his mind.

So what do you think of our new friends? Link asked.

They are nice, Vanilor replied. I think we will spend the rest of our lives with them.

That caught Link off guard. The first thing on his mind was finishing what needed to be done in Alagaësia and getting himself and Vanilor back to Hyrule. He knew Vanilor would be his companion until death, but the rest of them? Unless they wanted to accompany him to Hyrule, he doubted it.

I hope you don't mean in Alagaësia, said Link. I don't plan on staying here any longer than is necessary.

Quite. However, you may not seem to realize that with me, travel has been instantly eased for you. You could get from Hyrule Castle to Aberon within five days, and that's at a leisurely pace.

Now that Link thought of it, he was right. What would normally have taken weeks on horseback took a mere three days on Vanilor's back.

Maybe not all your time will be spent in Alagaësia, but you may want to take into account that while Hyrule is your homeland, Alagaësia is mine.

You're right, Vanilor, said Link. Don't get me wrong, though. Alagaësia is a beautiful country. I can see myself spending a lot of free time in it. But that's just it; Hyrule needs me. I have a duty there. If anything terrible were to befall it, the blame would fall upon my head for being absent. I never have a whole lot of free time, and that's where the dilemma comes in. With the little free time I have, I doubt there will be enough to travel from Alagaësia and Hyrule regularly.

But a thought, Link: with me, you are now virtually invincible to any threat that could be presented to you in Hyrule. Hyrule is not as volatile as Alagaësia. Anything could happen in Alagaësia at the current time, while Hyrule is in a golden age of peace since Ganondorf's defeat. Honestly, have you encountered any real threat since you defeated the King of Evil? From what you've told me, you haven't, said Vanilor.

It is true, said Link. There hasn't been any real danger within Hyrule as of late. Sure, there's been the occasional giant monster here and there, but those were easy enough by myself. With you by my side, there is nothing we can't do. With the added assistance of Eragon and Saphira, we will finally have peace. I'm sure Alagaësia will soon be settled as well. Now that two Riders are pledged to the Varden—

Actually, there's only one, said Vanilor. We haven't sworn fealty to the Varden. Eragon has sworn fealty, but not to the Varden themselves, only Nasuada. I feel it would be wise to do the same. The Council wishes to use Nasuada as their puppet, but if we swear fealty to her as Eragon did, and not the Varden, she will rise over them and become a true ruler who makes her own decisions, and no one will go against her because of us. Already she is more powerful than the Council wanted her to be.

Link marveled at how wise Vanilor was. He was only a few months old, and already had far more wisdom than Link could ever hope to achieve. Link wondered how wise Saphira was.

Link looked down to see that, to his surprise, they were flying over Lake Tüdosten again. That meant they were near Lithgow and Petrøvya again.

Take us down, said Link. Relay that message to Saphira so she can do the same to Eragon.

Vanilor nodded and did so. Link looked over at the magnificent sapphire dragon to see her dive down to a flat clearing. Vanilor followed suit. It wasn't long before they both thudded down to the earth. Link hopped off Vanilor's saddle and assisted Katrina, who was shaking from the trip.

"We don't have to do that again, do we?" a worried Katrina asked.

"I'm afraid so," Link replied. "But it will only be about a two-hour ride tomorrow."

Katrina seemed only a little consoled, but Link could do no more. He patted Vanilor on the side and began setting up camp once again. They followed the same routine they had the previous day, only this time Eragon and Link went for firewood while Roran laid out the bedrolls.

Link didn't know how to ask Eragon what he had asked Katrina. He imagined it was a tender subject, but his curiosity got the better of him.

"I've got a question," said Link. Eragon raised his eyebrows as if to say, "Go on."

"Why did Murtagh betray you?"

Eragon fell silent. At first Link didn't think he would answer.

"It was Galbatorix," he said through clenched teeth. "He used the ancient language as a weapon and virtually forced he and his dragon into submission."

"Why is it such a sensitive topic?" Link asked.

Eragon breathed in. "Because he's my brother."

Link was taken aback. He had never expected this. Why had no one told him?

"When Nasuada told me your story," said Link, "she never said anything about Murtagh being your brother."

"That's because you, Roran, and I are the only ones who know. Katrina doesn't know, Orik doesn't know, Arya, Nasuada, Jörmundur, nobody! I just divulged something I've only told my cousin and best friend."

"Why did you tell me then?" Link asked. "We just met."

"Because we are both Riders," said Eragon. "We have to stick together."

Link looked at Eragon for a moment, then nodded in agreement. If they were going to take Galbatorix down, they were going to do it together.

"So, what happened is Ellesméra then?" Link asked.

"I'll have to tell you that later, it would take too long now. Right now we need to get firewood," said Eragon. Link nodded and assisted Eragon in taking trees down with magic. It was very easy and they were able to get firewood of perfect size and shape and they were finished within ten minutes.

When they came back to the campsite, they found Roran and Katrina in liplock. Eragon put a finger to his lips to tell Link to be quiet and crept over to the site they had established for the campfire. Eragon then dropped all his firewood. All the wood smacked together, making a loud crack. Roran and Katrina instantly pulled away and jumped a mile high each. Link and Eragon both laughed.

It was hours later that they finally went to sleep. They found themselves bonding with each other by telling jokes and swapping stories. Link grew to like Eragon's sense of humor, and both of them had stories that greatly amused him. They found themselves riveted on any story he told. He went more into depth with some of the temples he had gone through, specifically the Fire Temple. They were astonished at how close the battle had come with Volvagia, the dragon guardian of the Fire Temple.

"Do you mean like Vanilor and Saphira?" Eragon asked.

"No," said Link. "He was more like a great flying snake than a dragon. I have my fair share of scars from battles with great monsters like Volvagia. This one," he said, rolling up his right sleeve, "I got from Morpha, the guardian of the Water Temple. It is like a giant snake as well; only it doesn't fly and is made entirely of water. It wrapped around my body and threw me toward the wall, where giant spikes protruded from the wall." Link's sleeve was now high enough to see the scar. Katrina gasped. It was a thick, ropy scar that extended from the top of his shoulder halfway down his humorous. "I assume you can guess what happened."

"Someday, I want to see Hyrule. It sounds like a much more peaceful place than Alagaësia," said Eragon bitterly.

"Believe me, at one time, Hyrule was far worse than Alagaësia is. Those seven years in which I slept were probably the worst Hyrule has ever seen. The very capital was entirely destroyed and haunted by the spirits of those who perished in its destruction. I found myself fighting them off every time I had to go there, which was quite frequently, since the Temple of Time is right in the heart of it.

"But I must agree, Hyrule is a much more peaceful place than Alagaësia right now. Only because Alagaësia is ravaged by a ruthless king and a savage civil war that has been raging for… how long has it been going?"

"It's been at least a hundred years," said Roran.

"The Varden formed shortly after Galbatorix came to power," said Eragon. "They've been waging a war that they've had the lower hand in the entire time. We've suffered far more losses than the Empire. It's time you and I turned the tide."

"What motivates you against the Empire so much?" Link asked. "You seem to have an undying hatred toward them. I can't say I like it, but I don't know enough about it to hate it. You, on the other hand, have lived under the Empire almost your whole life."

"I have seen the Empire do things," said Eragon. "At first, I wanted to defeat Galbatorix for myself. It was for personal reasons, reasons that had directly affected me. But then when I saw the people of Tronjheim, and what they had been reduced to, I realized that Galbatorix's reign of terror has affected almost everyone. That's what motivates me."

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A/N: Kind of an abrupt ending, huh? I'd just like to point out that several of Christopher Paolini's chapters end the same abrupt way, so I wanted to shake things up a bit. Your R&R would be very much appreciated!

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