Murtagh The Red Rider of Uru'baen
Chapters
1. After the Battle
2. Betrayers
3. Dwendling Hope
4. Uru'baen
5. Galbatorix and the Twins
6. The Long Wait
7. Interrogation and Torture
8. Thorn
9. Vertau Sin'Ji Hauth and Elbashen Dartu
10. The Secrets of Magic
Part 1. The Ancient Language
Part 2. Power
11. Air Dueling
12. Shruiken
13. A Day Off
14. Orders
15. The Battle
Part 1. Murtagh Watches
Part 2. Murtagh Reveals Himself
16. The War Begins
Chapter 1. After The Battle
Two Days had passed since Eragon slew the Shade Durza by stabbing him in the heart. When that happened the Urgals awoke from whatever spells forced them to fight with each other and they turned on one another. This enabled the Varden and the Dwarves to rout the enemy and save the underground mountain city of Tronjheim.
Murtagh walked the blood soaked ground as the Dwarves and many humans were still burying fallen comrades and burning the bodies of Urgals. A Dwarf passed by him and nodded, then a few minutes later a soldier did the same. It was strange to see this behavior from these rebels. The son of Morzan fought with the King's enemies and they have accepted him to a degree. At least no one was willing to give strength to such petty concerns.
"Psst!" The sound came from an archer with dark skin. The second person Murtagh had seen with such a complexion. Nausada had told him that most of her people dwelt in the desert. There were a few dwelling in the small country of Surda.
The man was a little smaller than most of the other archers. When the archer removed his helm Murtagh gasped, because it was a woman and not just any woman, it was Nausada. "I thought you left with the women and children…"
She hunched her soldiers, "I thought the Varden could use another bow…besides all the women of my people are warriors…so why should I run and hide when there is blade work to be done…"
The more Murtagh talked with Nausada the stronger his attraction to her became. He bowed, "Apologies…My mother was a warrior or at least she could use a blade with great skill…"
"When the chance arises I would like to hear more about her…"
Murtagh smiled as he racked his brain with what to say next. He had never felt this way about any female, there had been attractions, but nothing like this. He remembered his talks with Tornac his faithful servant about women and he would use all that advice to win the beautiful exotic Nausada. "What will your father say when he finds out…"
"He will say that she should have never disobeyed me…" Ajihad's strong voice rang out as he approached the two. He stepped in between Murtagh and Nausada, giving his daughter a venomous look. She returned his stair with all the pride of an adult woman born of noble birth. As the two squared off Murtagh noticed the smug look of the Twins.
He grunted to himself, "Little rats…they probably snitched on Nausada…"
An hour later Murtagh stood outside of Ajihad's study, he could hear their muffled screams, but couldn't tell what they were arguing about. He wished he was alone waiting in the hall, because the twins were with him. The two snakes as Murtagh often referred to them as, were watching him with too much interest.
"We did not know that this boy was the son of one as powerful as Morzan…" Those words were spoken in Ajihad's office when Eragon and Murtagh were brought before Ajihad. No one else had picked up on the subtle admiration for his dead father, but Murtagh did. He considered that and the unwholesome feelings he got from the twins when they tried to enter his mind. At first murtagh felt one mind, but when the younger twin couldn't breech his mind, Murtagh felt another familiar but different mind add to the power of the first. When they met the twins Murtagh found the source of the second mind. Every time he came into their presence his guts turned and his mother and teachers always drilled into him listen to your guts. Something about the twins wasn't right and no one saw it. Murtagh recognized scum and power hungry leaches when he saw them. They were infested in the royal court of Uru'baen.
Murtagh just stared at the two men calculating the best way to kill them, he grunted thinking to himself, ("I can't just kill them…Oh I know, the next time I see Eragon I will ask him to read their minds…These two are more than they appear to be…he could do it with Saphira's help…") Murtagh knew all about the Riders, his mother taught him and no spell caster in the world could compete with their minds or magical abilities. Murtagh's thoughts were interrupted by the door opening and Nausada storming out. He tried to catch her attention but she was too angry to pay him any attention.
"Murtagh! Would you please come in…" Boomed Ajihad's voice
He did and was instructed to shut the door, ("Good maybe I can ask about those snakes…") He thought in relief when the twins were not allowed to enter.
Murtagh took a seat as Ajihad ran a hand across his face, "If I am not being too forward…Nausada is your daughter and she is very capable…More capable than you give her credit…She certainly would give all the women in Galbatorix's court a run for their money…"
Ajihad stared at Murtagh, who returned his stare without blinking or shame. Eventually Ajihad started to smile, "There is truth in your words…If you ever become a father then you will see things from my point of view…" Murtagh agreed, but he remained silent. "And so son of Morzan…we speak again…You could have joined Durza and the Urgals during the battle…"
Murtagh hunched his shoulders, "I could have…and you could have left me in my room…"
"I admire action above words and so you have proved yourself by your actions…Or you could be waiting for a better opportunity to betray us…"
"As you say…but if there is something else you wish me to do in order to prove that I am no threat by all means tell me…"
Ajihad stared at a fairth of his daughter given to him by a magician of Du Varn Gata. "I will, but…"
Murtagh interrupted him, "But this is the part where you tell me to stay away from your daughter…"
Ajihad sighed deeply, "Actually she speaks very highly of you…More than I would care to admit…" Murtagh smiled on the inside, but he had to be cautious about how he replied, he didn't want Ajihad to know he was attracted to his daughter yet. He had to win him over first, then maybe he could court Nausada. "…I would like to know what the two of you talked about."
"I have nothing to hide…" Murtagh saw this as any other game of cat and mouse he would play with the nobles of Uru'baen. "Nausada surprised me with her visit…She told me…The fact that Morzan was my father plays no role in her opinion of me…and it was obvious that I am nothing like him, because I ran away, helped Eragon, and escorted him to the Varden when I could have just walked away…"
"Why didn't you walk away…"
Murtagh hunched his shoulders, "Eragon, Saphira, and I traveled so much together that apart of me was reluctant to go…and even after I told him who I was he didn't judge me…"
Ajihad sat forward leaning his elbows on his desk interlocking his fingers. He stared at Murtagh for a few seconds, "You are not your father…You can be better than he…What else did the two of you discuss…"
"She wanted to know if I was leader of the Varden what would I do…"
This peeked Ajihad's interest, "And what did you reply…"
"I said that I would invade the Empire…The Urgal attack proves that Galbatorix's reach stretches all the way to these mountains. It is not safe here…"
Ajihad sat back in his seat, "Truth, but we still aren't ready for that…"
"Then you underestimate the Varden…"
"There are two many variables to consider…" Ajihad grew quiet and didn't want to say anymore.
Murtagh took the opportunity to ask what was really on his mind, "The Twins how long have they been with the Varden?"
Ajihad raised an eyebrow and it took him a few minutes to gather his thoughts. "They have been with us for the past fifteen years…Why do you ask?"
"Were their minds scanned…"
"Yes…Where are you going with this?"
"My mother always taught me to follow my gut and my gut says that those two are trouble…Maybe you should have their minds checked again…"
Ajihad took offense, but he didn't let it show, "I will take it under consideration…" Despite his attempt to hide it Murtagh could tell he was offended, "As I said earlier I wanted to give you another chance to prove yourself…I am leading an expedition into the tunnels to scout for more Urgals…Would you like to come…"
"Yes I would…"
"Good meet me at the Northwest tunnel in five hours…"
Murtagh stood up to leave, "Thank you for your kindness…"
Ajihad wanted to say stay away from my daughter, but Nausada was right about Murtagh and he felt she was attracted to him, but what was Murtagh's intentions. He tested Murtagh and the boy was too clever to let his intentions slip. "On your way out tell the Twins to come in…" As he left Ajihad hoped he would die in the tunnels on the expedition. It would relieve the tension with Hrothgar and the Dwarven Clan lords.
Murtagh was waiting with fifty soldiers for Ajihad's arrival at the tunnel. He wanted to go and see Eragon before the journey but there was too much to do. Murtagh had to secure his horse, get supplies for himself and replenish his arrows.
("Murtagh…What are you doing here?") He thought to himself. Many thoughts went through his head, things like what Hrothgar said to him during his seclusion. The possibility that Ajihad may use this as way to get him killed. ("Ajihad didn't say it, but he wants me to stay away from Nausada…") He had heard whispers that the Dwarves were causing Ajihad all kinds of problems because of him.
"Finally…" One of the soldiers barked.
Murtagh sneered because the Twins were following Ajihad, ("Oh great…I need to speak with Eragon about the snakes…") Eragon was on ordered rest by Ajihad and Murtagh had not seen him sense Angela healed him.
"We are ready lets be off men…" Before they could take a step a Dwarf ran up and handed Ajihad a note from Hrothgar. He read it in silence and balled it up. Murtagh was looking the other way but from the corner of his eye he saw when Ajihad snuck a look at him.