Murtagh/Arya…thoughts

Arya stalked across the room, seething with anger and frustration.

"How can you sit there so nonchalantly? You, you are a traitor! The worst of them! How can you have done those things? How can you be," she paused gesturing at him, "this?"

"You think I wanted this?" he hissed, "You think I wanted to be kidnapped and tortured? You truly think I wanted to kill innocent people and do the bidding of a man I hate?"

Rage was rolling off him in waves as he spat out "How dare you? You have no idea as to what the truth is and you have no idea what I've been through. How dare you?" He stopped abruptly, realizing he had lost his temper, which rarely happened. Why now? He thought to himself. What has changed from the time I was in Galbatorix's castle to now? What has Arya done to me?

Arya stood there, watching Murtagh. His uncharacteristic outburst took her so by surprise that her thoughts had momentarily abandoned her. She studied him from across the room. All trace of emotion had left his face and in its place was a still and calm look, shielding his thoughts. The two stood there in awkward silence, waiting for the other to speak.

Murtagh stood rooted to the spot, the sudden opportunity to share his burden shocking him into silence. . In his experiences, sharing emotions was looked down upon and a sign of weakness. Unwilling to embarrass himself further, he waited for Arya to leave. Besides, he didn't need to explain the circumstances of his situation to Arya and the Varden. They had already tried and convicted him in their minds. No matter what he said, he would be considered forever guilty in the eyes of the Varden. Arya looked from the floor to Murtagh.

"What do you mean by this Murtagh?" she said quietly, almost a whisper. "What are you talking about? You were tortured? By whom? Why?"

"Who do you think, Arya?" he replied in a tired voice. This argument, combined with the flowing emotions and his already present battle wounds, were exhausting him.

"Galbatorix did this to you?"

"Yes."

"Why couldn't you- no- why didn't you leave?" She asked, her voice once more taking on a cold edge.

Murtagh turned away from her and leaned his hand against the wall.

"Just leave me, Arya. I would leave myself, but the circumstances don't permit it, so just, please, leave."

"No Murtagh!" She said as she strode over to him and spun him around to face her. When she spoke it was angry and deliberate.

"Why didn't you leave, Murtagh? Speak up! Now!"

Murtagh carefully lifted her hand off of his shoulder and let it fall back to her side before saying,

"I don't want to talk about it Arya."

"You don't want to talk about it? Excuse me? You're in no position to be deciding what you do and don't want to talk about!. So, why don't you just tell me the truth? Tell me the truth and I'll leave."

Murtagh looked at her, and for some reason, felt compelled to tell her. God knows how many times he'd been tortured and hadn't said anything and now here he was, alone in a room for ten minutes with her and was basically spilling his guts to her. Something is seriously wrong with me. He thought to himself.

"You'll leave if I tell you why I didn't leave Galbatorix?" Arya swallowed, paused, and finally nodded assent.

"And if I don't?"

"I'm not leaving until you tell me why."

"Well then I guess you'd better get comfortable because I'm done talking, and I guess that means you'll be here a while."

"MURTAGH!"