The sounds of fighting echoed through The Burning Plains. The sounds of metal striking metal, and the thunderous roars of battle calls, and the screams of the dying seeped into the small clearing where no movement or sound came from. But inside the clearing surrounded by large rocks were two humans and two dragons. Eragon was on his knees, his eyes wide, Murtagh, one he used to consider a brother-in-arms was in front of him. Now Eragon knew the truth, he and Murtagh were real brothers, they shared the same mother and father.

Morzan!

The name echoed through the rebel Rider's head like a mantra. Why? Why did no one tell him! Did Oromis know? Had Brom known! That he was the son of the right hand of Galbotorix, the infamous Morzan of the Forsworn. Who had betrayed the Riders and killed them all, including Brom's dragon the first Saphira, before being killed by Brom himself. Eragon shook violently 'ITS NOT TRUE!'

Murtagh twirled Zar'roc in his hand before putting in his sheath. "Believe what you want, little brother. But remember I said the same thing in the Ancient Language. You know its true!"

Saphira growled but she couldn't do anything while she was suspended in the air from Murtagh's spell.

Murtagh crouched by his brother, "Eragon look at me…" Eragon did so with reluctance, betrayal and horror still in his eyes at he looked at his older brother.

"I won't take you to Galbatorix, not this time. You are my little brother, as your older brother I have to protect you. But only this once, he will know if this happens a second time." Murtagh said.

Eragon looked at the dark haired man in shock, he wasn't going to be taken to Galbatorix?

"There is something you should know… You will be betrayed in the end."

That shook Eragon out of his thoughts "W-What do you mean?"

Murtagh smiled sadly, "the Varden will betray you brother."

Eragon glared at the man with loathing, if he had the strength he would have hit his brother "don't sprout lies you liar!" he growled out.

Murtagh glared back, he whispered in Eragon's ear in the Ancient Language, where you couldn't lie "I don't lie dear brother, after this battle ends the leaders of the army will be having a meeting, a meeting on your fate of what happens if you do kill the Mad King. It's nothing good I assure you, but if still don't believe me despite speaking in this language see for yourself. The meeting will be at midnight, where the men are slumbering and only the night-watch are awake. But as I leave you cannot go back, you have to hide until night. If I am wrong, then go back to the Varden, but if I'm right… And you know I am. Meet me in the marshes between Daurth and Aroughs. I will help you, but I can only do so much due to my damned oaths." Murtagh stepped away from the shocked teen before saddling Thorn, he gave a fake salute to the still kneeling Eragon "Good bye little brother! I'll see you in the marshes!" and with that Thorn and his Rider flew back towards the retreating and very depleted Imperial Army.

Saphira fell back to the ground as Murtagh's spell finally ended, she curled her tail around her Rider 'Little one, what should we do.'

Eragon slowly stood up, he looked at his friend, his soul-partner with calm eyes that held nothing but determination.

"We hide. And then we go see what this meeting is about."

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Hiding was quite easy. The battle had ended with the Varden victorious. But they had quickly noticed their Rider was missing, a couple of soldiers headed towards the spot they had seen Saphira had landed. Arya was somewhere else no doubt healing the wounded, which was good as Eragon doubted he could have hid himself and Saphira from the elf.

"Freytha," Eragon muttered, he and Saphira quickly turned invisible as the soldiers appeared. A single magician was with them, using his mind to look for any sign of their minds. But Eragon was by far a better Magician, he easily hide both his and Saphira's minds from the weaker man. "I don't sense anything!" the magician yelled to his comrades.

The soldiers looked worried "do you think the Red Rider took them?" a young broad-shouldered man asked.

Another soldier shook his head "nay for we would have seen them being taken! No doubt they are somewhere else, either resting or on their way back to the Varden, we must find them!" and with that said the soldiers left the small clearing looking for any sign of the missing rider.

After that Eragon and Saphira decided to hide in a different spot, they didn't want Arya to find them.

The sun was starting to set but it would be awhile before any such meeting would begin. The two just simply sat and waited, each mulling over their thoughts and what was to happen.

Finally the full moon was high in the sky, the moonlight was streaming down, it outlined the large Varden encampment, thanks to becoming a half-elf Eragon could see the outlines of horses and the small glints of moonlight striking metal weapons and armor.

"Be careful little one," Saphira cautioned her Rider as he got ready to sneak into the camp.

'Hey its me when have things ever gone bad when i'm involved?' Eragon said via mental link with a grin, it soon disappeared as Saphira turned one large massive eye towards her Rider with a blank stare. "Just wait here," Eragon muttered as he left the area they had hidden again.

"Freytha," Eragon turned invisible again and made sure to keep his mind hidden along with his presence. With the speeds only an elf could hope to achieve Eragon sped through the patrols of guards, it was night and they couldn't see the small tracks appearing out of no where.

He easily found his way towards Nasuada's tent, with a quite incantation he placed a minor spell on the guards standing outside, it was small enough for no one but an experienced spell caster would notice but it still did the trick. The guards would only see what they had been seeing and hearing the entire night, nothing.

He edged towards the tent cloth, he heard nothing, he muttered an incantation, a small bit of nostalgia came to him, he had used this spell to eavesdrop on Brom and Jeod.

Almost immediately voices were heard, it was like he was standing right next to the speakers.

"Ah I see we are all here," a rough and gruff voice rumbled out, Eragon assumed it was a dwarf who had taken over the dwarf army until a new king or queen was chosen.

"Yes but we still need to find Eragon! That boy is the entire hope of our army, if the Mad King has him we may as well slit our throats now!" Another males voice spoke angrily.

"Hush King Orrin," Nasuada's voice spoke calmly.

"We still need to think of how to deal with him!" Orrin complained.

The dwarf snorted "I say the second the boy cuts the head off of the king we do the same to him." Eragon's heart lurched.

"We will not kill them…" Nausuda's voice spoke, Eragon smiled, Nausuda wouldn't agree to this. "… But we must deal with him, I consider banishing him from Alagaësia for eternity, not allowed to step foot on its shores for the remainder of his days. We don't need another Galbatorix."

Eragon's eyes widened, a small tear appeared before he furiously wiped it away, "While I am not happy with this, I must sadly agree. What's to say the boy won't become like his fellow rider? I respect the dragons and it's riders greatly, but most would rather live free and happy than have newly gained freedom be ripped by a rider more powerful than Galbatorix." Nasuada said.

Orrin laughed "I agree! I'm not fighting a war just to have our Rider make himself king!"

Eragon had heard enough, with a broken heart he tripped backwards from the tent, he felt like he was be drowned in sadness, he was betrayed.

All of a sudden the sadness turned into something else, anger. A great anger swelled within the young man, it threatened to consume him, he would have let it if he had not been in the middle of an now enemy camp right outside the leaders tent. He quickly ran towards where his tent still stood. As he ran like the wind he contacted Saphira, she roared in anger inside her mind at the Varden's betrayal. She waited above the camp waiting for when Eragon was truly away from the Varden.

He quickly entered his tent, he grabbed everything he saw. He grabbed his pack and filled it with everything he could stuff in it. He grabbed his scroll and books that Oromis had given him for training, these were probably the most important things in his tent. He also grabbed a book he had gotten from Oromis that was by far his favorite Domia Abr Wyrda, A rare book in the entire continent. It held the entire history of Alagaësia without any influence of outside parties, only few existed in the world. He knew Jeod had one, but he had been overcome with joy when Oromis had given him it. His tent was now bare, he had his armor with Saphira, his necklace that stopped those from scrying on his neck. Now he just had to leave.

As Eragon gazed at his empty tent a small bit of the anger he had felt returned. He wanted to do something, something that showed that he knew. That he wouldn't come back. That he was no longer their poster boy, their greatest weapon.

He was their enemy now.

He got out a small piece of parchment, he scribbled a message on it. As he finished he looked at it with grim pleasure.

"I know, good luck fighting the Mad King with no Rider, outnumbered 2- 0. You should have trusted me, believed in me. Now it's too late. Have fun fighting against the Imperials alone. I'm no longer your friend, your protector, your weapon. We are now enemies.

- Eragon Shadeslayer"

He stuck the note to the bed, he left the tent and ran through the camp until he reached the Plains. Saphira's talons grabbed him from the air, with great agility Eragon climbed up Saphira and got into the saddle. The two headed towards Aroughs, the moon in front of them, a new adventure, a new life. The Varden camp slowly faded as the flew away. Neither looked back.