A/N: Yay! Chapter 6 is here! This one was really, really, really fun to write! If you like it, review! If you don't, review! I'm asking nicely! Please? Okay, so I think the next chapter MIGHT be from *Drumroll* Murtagh's POV! Maybe, maybe not. Happy MLK Jr. day!

"Don't do anything with them! I mean, tell Trianna and Angela to heal him. And his dragon. How in the name of all things good did you capture him?"

"Well, they didn't exactly put up a fight," Eragon said sheepishly. "They've surrendered, escaped from Galbatorix's control."

Nasuada was dumbstruck. She faltered for words. "They're – they're on our side, now? No limitations? And why are you all muddy?"

Eragon shrugged. "We had quite a roll downhill. Murtagh wasn't in any condition to speak, my lady."

Arya sprinted up quietly, then. Or rather, Nasuada thought she had just sprinted up. For all her attention, she could've been standing there the entire time.

"Ah, Arya," the leader of the Varden said. "Please, contact Angela and Trianna, immediately.

Arya nodded. She looked pensive for a moment, and then said, "Trianna is otherwise engaged, as is Angela."

"No matter. Tell them both to meet us in at Orrin's dungeons, and make haste."

"Trianna wants to know if you wish another of Du Vrangr Gata to accompany her," Arya relayed.

Nasuada thought for a moment. "Yes." Just in case. "Where is Saphira, Eragon?"

"Washing in the river."

"Tell her to join us, will you?"

Nasuada began striding toward the dungeons. She had been in them before: the only words to describe the place were dark, dank, and lonely. She swung the heavy metal door open.

Eragon pointed one of the numerous cells, this particular one located in the corner. "In there. He was asking to see you – to negotiate, I assume."

"Murtagh," Nasuada whispered, "Murtagh, wake up." She took the key Aria offered her and pushed the door open.

Angela and Trianna burst into the dungeon. "What is it?" Trianna demanded, her spell caster trailing behind her, at the same time Angela shouted, "I was in the middle of teaching Elva which type of vinegar makes the cabbage taste best!"

Nasuada gestured them over. "Murtagh surrendered, but he's not conscious. Can you wake him up?"

Both witches gasped, and the member of Du Vrangr Gata shrank into the wall. Trianna stayed back, while Angela rushed forward.

"He is awake," said Arya, "just barely. He can speak, nonetheless."

"Murtagh. Murtagh, answer me!" Nasuada commanded.

Murtagh groaned in response.

"Can you heal him, Eragon?"

Eragon gave Nasuada a sideways look. "I'm not sure we want to, at least until we know where his loyalties lie. But yes, I could."

"Please, do. I want to speak with him, and he needs to be interrogated. You're right, of course. We do not wish to heal him, yet to have his escape from our grasp again."

Eragon nodded, assessing the damage, and mumbled a few words in the Ancient Language. "Most of his energy is gone; I think he and Thorn ran out of food, I'd say about halfway from Urû'baen. Is that so?" the question was directed at Murtagh.

"Aye," said Morzan's son. "Galbatorix couldn't –" Murtagh coughed.

"Save your strength, rider," Lady Nasuada directed. "Angela, will you make few poultices and such so that Murtagh can heal at a normal pace? Trianna, I'd like you to inform the members of Du Vrangr Gata not to contact Murtagh with their minds, accidentally or not. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lady."

"Then you are dismissed." As the spell casters vacated the dungeon, Nasuada turned her attention back to Murtagh. "Tell me, Murtagh," she said in voice that would send shivers down anyone's spine. "Why have you come? Are you still loyal to Galbatorix? Or have you had a sincere change of heart and are now helping our cause, defeating your master?"

"I never wanted to help Galbatorix." Murtagh began wearily with the regular argument.

"Are you, or are you not loyal to Galbatorix?" Nasuada's intensity even made Arya shiver.

"I'm not," he coughed out in anger.

"Swear by it," Nasuada growled. "Now."

Murtagh swore by it in the ancient language quietly. Eragon, who had grown silent until now said, "Remember, he may just think he is out of Galbatorix's control. We cannot confirm that he actually is."

Murtagh snorted. "I doubt he even noticed we're missing yet. The whole of Alagaësia would've heard his horror. He wasn't even planning on speaking to me again until about six months from now, when all his eldunarya have reached full power."

"I say we kill him, just like he killed Hrothgar," Eragon said frostily, "just like he killed innocent villagers that stood in Galbatorix's way."

"We can't kill him, Eragon," Nasuada said firmly, "he is incremental to our fight against Galbatorix."

"I owe him my life, as do you," Arya added, "if it was not for him, neither of us would be standing here, nor would the Varden be the great it is."

Nasuada tried to imagine a gap between herself and Eragon where the beautiful, determined, trustworthy elf, Arya, stood. She would not be here if Murtagh had not rescued her and Eragon from Gil'ead. And Eragon be assuming his rigid stance if Murtagh had not saved him from the Ra'zac when Brom died. Indeed the Varden would not be what it was today if it were not for Eragon and Arya, and in turn Murtagh. She remembered how Murtagh had saved her hide by blocking a deadly blow to her head with his shield at the battle of Farthen Dûr. Ajihad would've never forgiven himself if she hadn't returned from that battle.

"We all owe Murtagh our lives. We could not afford him dead then, and we cannot afford him dead now."

"He deserves proper punishment for his deeds," Eragon argued.

"Hasn't he had punishment enough?" Nasuada asked incredulously. "You've killed villagers, but have you ever been subject to Galbatorix's madness?"

"We seem to have a quandary," said Arya sagely. "Murtagh has done evil, but his good was immense. Shall he be punished, or shall he not?"

Here lies chapter 6. I had a lot of fun with it. Anyway, it only took me, like, 45 minutes to write this one (which translates into 'very fast' in my fic-writing time) so alert me to any grammatical errors (I would really have thousands, if it weren't for my typing program) REVIEW! Tell me what you think, I am dying for your opinions! What do you think I could improve? Which direction do you think I should be going with this? I'm running out of ideas fast.

Thanks for reading!

-Seastar97