Murtagh was not a happy person at the moment. The root of his trouble - his brother Eragon and his girlfriend Arya.
"Murtagh please, you're the only one who isn't tied down to commitments," Eragon pleaded.
"And why cant you go?" Murtagh demanded. In truth he already knew the answer. Eragon was busy rebuilding the Riders. A pang of guilt invaded Murtaghs unhappiness. He quickly squashed it. So what if he wasn't there helping? Its not as if Algaesia would welcome him with open arms. Four years was no time at all in the scheme of things, hardly enough time for the people of his home land to bury their resentment. So what if he had done everything against his will? The wounds were to deep for them to forgive him so easily.
"You know there are two new riders here that need to be trained," Eragon scowled. "If I thought for a moment that you would be interested in teaching and training, I would leave them to your care and go off myself. But we both know the answer to that question if I even made the mistake of asking it."
"What about Arya?" Murtagh threw back.
"She is leading her people," Eragon's scowl deepened.
"That just puts a kink in your mail doesn't it," Murtagh grinned. Eragon shot him a glare. "Why on Earth did I promise to contact you and let you know where I was."
"Because I'm your brother and dispite the fact that there is a lot of bagage on your back, you love me," Eragon grinned innocently. After a moment his smile faltered and then saddened. "It's been four years Murtagh. I know why you don't want to come back to Algaesia, but you don't have to make any trips. You could stay here and help we with the new riders. Nasuada was asking about you."
Murtagh's whole body stiffened at the mention of the woman that had saved him from the nightmare that had become his life. The woman he loved and was doomed to only love at a distance. Murtagh was the unluckiest man in the world and his brother was the lucky one. "And what did you tell her?"
"That you were healing," Eragon said quietly. "But that was a lie, your not. I can still see it in your eyes. Your still having nightmares aren't you?"
"Yes," Murtagh mumured. When the war ended he had traveled as far as he could away from his home trying to outrun what he had done. After months of silence he had finally found himself opening up to Eragon about how he could not find rest. It was a way to placate him. Eragon had been about to abandon his work and hunt him down and drag him back home. The more he spoke however, the easier the words came and the harder it was to stopper them.
"Murtagh, you have been wandering for years, trying to outrun what you did," Eragon said. "Arya thinks that your running because you believe that a part of you is evil, that your father resides inside of you. Is that it Murtagh?"
Murtagh glared at Eragon, "Have you been telling Arya what I've spoken to you in private?"
Eragon looked wounded. "Of course not. You should know me better than that," Eragon said.
Murtagh sighed, "Your right, I'm sorry. You have always kept my secrets, even when it when have been better for you not to. Thank you."
"Your welcome," Eragon said bashfully. "Your not Morzan, Murtagh. Arya says we are so similar in some ways that she thinks we take after our mother more than our fathers."
Murtagh studied his brother for a moment. "You look like her you know," he said sadly. "I look like my...I look like Morzan."
"Murtagh I don't care who your father is, you are still my brother," Eragon said defiantly. "Roran is also determined to know his cousin. The one that isn't enslaved and trying to rip apart the country."
"I'm not ready to come back," Murtagh said sadly.
"Fine, but this is your home Murtagh, whether you like it or not, you have family here who love you," Eragon said angrily. Murtagh said nothing, just looked away unwilling to acknowledge the statement. "Be that way then, but if you aren't going to come back at least step up and do your duty as a Dragon Rider. Thorn chose you for a reason, and it wasn't so that you could go get lost in some woods and wallow in your misery. You want to wallow, wallow while you do something. "
"I'm not the right person for this," Murtagh snapped.
Eragon studied him with narrowed eyes. "Arya says that the world is whispering about a shadow - an evil - that rises in the east. That it is stronger than Galbatorix in someways. It has to be stopped at the source, whatever it is. She thinks that once it gets a foot hold it will spread like a disease and Algaesia will be drawn into a new war, one that we cannot win."
"Eragon, what if...what if I fall again," Murtagh said revealing his deepest fear.
"I don't think that will happen," Eragon said. "You've changed since that time. Your not the same man that was caught by Galbatorix." Eragon could see in Murtagh's eyes that he had changed nothing. He took a deep breath and played a dirty trick. "You know what I think. I think the reason you cant get rid of your nightmares is because you never had a chance to redeem yourself. Well here's your chance. Prove to me that you can avoid succumbing to evil."
Murtagh glared at him. "And if I fail. You'll have given this enemy a powerful pawn."
"Then I've given him a powerful pawn and I'll come rescue you again or kill you trying," Eragon grinned at him.
"But you won't die is that it?" Murtagh scowled.
"Of course, I've got to much to live for," Eragon smirked.
"Fine, you win," Murtagh grumbled. "How do I get there?"