Coran opened her eyes and groaned. Her head was killing her from whatever was in that dart, and her whole body ached from her cruel treatment a few hours before. She forgot all of that, however, as she saw Murtagh laying facedown in the corner of the room.
"Murtagh!" she said, trying to whisper as loud as she can.
She ran over to him and gently shook his shoulder. He groaned and opened his eyes. Coran brushed the hair out of his face, but then yelped and jumped back as he gagged onto the floor, holding his stomach. When he was done, Coran looked at him anxiously.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
He nodded and grimaced, wiping his mouth. "Yeah. One of them kicked me in the stomach. It's still sore." He put a hand on his shoulder next, and felt blood under his cloak and tunic. He pulled it off to reveal the sliceon his shoulder gushing with it. Coran, thinking quickly, ripped a strip of cloth off of his cloak and bound his shoulder. When she was done, she leard Murtagh laugh. She turned to him.
"What's so funny?" she asked.
"I was just thinking of the last time I was in a prison like this. Eragon was with me. You know, before Thorn and—everything." He paused, then glanced down. "It's not that funny any more, actually."
Coran nodded and gave him a quick kiss. Then, for the first time, she looked around the prison. It was stone, with a barred window and one big cot. There was no food or water for now. She whipped her head around to Murtagh again.
He cocked his head to the side in question, and Coran said, "Where's Sorrel?" Murtagh looked around, too, and shook his head. "Why would they want us?"
Coran closed her eyes and tried to feel with her mind. Suddenly, Murtagh shook her arm, breaking the probe and her concentration. She turned to him with a sigh of annoyance.
"What?!"
Murtagh lowered his voice. "Remember where we are right now."
"Oh, right." Coran hung her head in embarassment, cheeks pink.
Even though Coran knew her mistake, Murtagh went on to explain. "There could be spells here. The people who captured us could invade our minds in a second. Or two, depepnding on how skilled they are."
He went to say more, but at that moment Thorn roared, and Murtagh yelled and fell back against the wall, his breathing strangled. Coran bent down to help him, but a shudder of pain racked his body and he yelled, "Thorn! No!" Coran helped him into a sitting position, keeping calm though she could feel the pain, too.