The Tower

The pain was too great for her to bear; she struggled against her restraints and screamed at the ceiling, but she could not escape her torment, not then and not for a seemingly endless span of time thereafter. The iron had hurt more, but she would have preferred its touch, for the hot metal was impersonal, inanimate, and predictable, all things the burrow grub was not. There was a special horror in knowing that the cause of her pain was a creature chewing on her, and worse, that it was inside her.

At the last, she lost her pride and self-control and cried out to the goddess Gokukara for mercy, and then she began to babble as a child might, unable to stop the flow of random words coming from her mouth.

And behind her, she heard Galbatorix laughing, and his enjoyment of her suffering made her hate him all the more…..

The sudden touch of someone against her caused Nasuada to panic as she drew Rak from its scabbard and swung it at whomever it was, only to have a hand grab hold of her wrist and pull her into an embrace.

"Nasuada, calm down." Murtagh held her close as he guided her hand gently towards her side. "It's only me." He smiled gently down at Nasuada as she took deep breaths to try and calm down, but the pain Galbatorix had inflicted on her was something she hadn't recovered from over the past two centuries, he couldn't expect her to just get over it now.

"I'm so sorry Murtagh, I—"

"It's alright. What Galbatorix and I did…." His voice trailed off as he recalled what nightmarish things she had gone through at his own hands.

"My love," Nausada placed her hand gently upon his cheek. "I know that you were forced to do those things. And it wasn't the burning that has scarred me so." She looked down at her arms to see only the scars from her duel long ago. "It was the burrow grubs." Murtagh's face contorted in a painful understanding as he recalled that having been used on him to force him to swear loyalty to Galbatorix.

The two turned back to the balcony to watch the sun set over the peaceful word they had won alongside Eragon, Arya and the others. Murtagh embraced Nasuada as the two watched Thorn and Arlana fly over the ocean. Their dragons had grown accustomed to spending time with one another just as their riders did.

"It's wonderful that we were able to leave Surda for a time." Nasuada said as she leaned against Murtagh's chest finally calming from her episode.

"Yes. The western coast in winter is surprisingly refreshing." He clasped her hands within his as he had done many times at the palace. "I'm still surprised that you turned out to be a rider."

"Even after one hundred and eighty years?"

"Is it really that shocking to you? Galbatorix's army had tried countless numbers of times to hatch Saphira, Thorn and Fìrnen. Then, twenty years after Galbatorix's defeat, Arya walks up asks if you would go along with her and Ismira to meet Eragon and see if you two can become dragon riders." Murtagh chuckles. "And you both do!" He sighs as he holds Nasuada close. "But I'm glad you did. I love having you in my life."

"What's gotten into you Murtagh?" Nasuada turns to him. "You're never this affectionate."

"Well, a man should be affectionate to his wife every day, but even more so on their anniversary." Murtagh pulled out a necklace from the pouch at his side. The stone that made the centerpiece of the necklace swirled with magical energies. Nasuada looked at the necklace in disbelief as Murtagh put it around her neck.

"You remembered?" Murtagh shrugged.

"Not really, Arya has been reminding me every day for the last month." He chuckles.

"She's a good friend."

"That she is." The two turned back to see the final glimmer of sunlight when suddenly a cloud of black smoke rose up over the ocean.

"Murtagh."

"I know; something is definitely wrong." They both shuddered as a cold wind blew past them in a great rush. The dark smoke twisted and grew and started to take shape as the two leapt from the balcony onto the backs of their dragons. The smoke finally finished its ascent into the sky by becoming a solid black tower. As Murtagh and Nasuada watched on, a shriek unlike anything they had heard since the war with Galbatorix rang out…