Thorn's winsg beat up and down. Murtagh stared at the horizon, attempting to put off thinking about what was coming. His euphoria and adrenaline had worn off, leaving feelings he did not care to understand. He cast around for something to occupy his thoughts. Not his past, it depressed him, nor his future, as previously stated, nor his present, because he was still putting off thinking about Eragon. There was nothing left. "So my past, present, and future all either sadden, anger, or terrify me." He felt his lips twitch into a wry smile.
"You were cruel." said Thorn simply, referring to Murtagh's revelation what he was not Morzan's only son. Murtagh's annoyance welled up. How could a dragon who had lived in Galbatorix's clutches for his entire, if short, life have any idea about what was or was not cruel? Defensiveness laced his thoughts.
"I told him the truth."
"You were trying to make him feel mind-pain." Thorn had only recently learned the difference between emotional and physical pain.
"And if I was? No one has shown me any other treatment."
"You showed me what-once-was of the blue-scales rider being…kind."
"Memories, Thorn. They're called memories."
"Memories. Memories of the him being kind."
"He was the one who led me to the Varden. Led—or forced me to come with him. Everything that has happened since is his fault. And he takes no responsibility for his actions."
"So trying to make him hurt is all right because he did the same thing to you?" Thorn's question was honest, but it ignited Murtagh's already unstable temper.
"It's all right because no one cared when it was my burden to bear! He deserves to feel some of my pain."
"Oh."
Murtagh began to feel guilty. Thorn, as a hatchling, often asked questions that provided a new perspective on his rider's actions, something Murtagh wasn't sure he liked.
He shook the guilt off fairly easily. "I could have killed him and I didn't! I told him the truth he deserves to hear."
Images rushed through Murtagh's mind, Eragon's face when Murtagh's had revealed his parentage, Galbatorix's taunts, being subjected to every foul name created since before he was old enough to even truly understand who his father was…someone else should share that. Someone who was supposedly everyone's hero. Now they would turn on him. Or Eragon might not tell anyone, proving his cowardice. Either way, it had been proven who was the stronger of the two.
And how much stronger he really was! All those months of quelling his resentment as he watch Eragon show off with his magic, his dragon, his wonderful powers, Murtagh could not only compete, but best Eragon completely. Without question. Eragon had been at his mercy.
"And I spared him." Murtagh thought. There it was, the prefect argument. "If I was really a power-hungry madman I would have brought him back and he would experience the torment I am about to endure."
So—satisfaction was in order. But Murtagh couldn't seem to feel it.
"It is because you are afraid?" asked Thorn. He had learned to ask, not tell, what he thought his rider's emotions were. Of course, again, he had only recently learned the difference between asking and telling.
"Yes, Thorn. I am afraid of what will happen when we get back."
After all, fear was easier to feel than confusion.
This was written after the fashion of "Five Minutes" which is basically my attempt to get inside a character's head, something many people feel Paolini missed. I'm planning on doing more of these.
My goal was to, 1. Portray Thorn as a hatchling, as many fics don't. I think I may have made him a little too old, but it was the best I could do. 2. Portray Murtagh as both slightly guilty and also a little too happy with his newfound power. Also get his self-justification in, because I got some vibes of that from the books.
Thoughts? Be brutally honest, please.