Chapter 2
Murtagh paced back and forth in his cell, he sat down roughly on the cot and kicked the dresser that was a foot away from the bed. It had been a week since the Varden won the war and yet Murtagh was still locked away in a cell. At least they let him keep his connection with his dragon, Thorn.
Thorn, Murtagh called out through his mental link that he shared with his ruby red dragon.
Yes, young one, Thorn responded shortly after.
Why are we still their prisoners? The war is over and yet here we are, locked away like caged animals- before Murtagh's anger could build him his dragon cut him off.
There is something wrong in the air, I can feel it. The Varden has won yes, but the celebrations are not what we expected them to be. In fact there are hardly any.
Murtagh sat there and thought about what his dragon said, he was right, there was something in the air that did not seem right. The Varden was not filled with victorious celebrations; in fact things were rather quiet. He also thought it was strange that his younger brother, Eragon had not been there to see him.
Perhaps Eragon was upset with him still over the things that he did under the King's control. Murtagh could not blame him, but he still could not help, but feel hurt about the way things were. When Murtagh and Eragon met up again on the Battle of the Burning Plains, Eragon had pleaded Murtagh to change his true name. That was the thing about Eragon he admired, he always held onto hope. Murtagh sighed and leaned his head back against the brick wall behind his bed. He stretched out his legs and just sat there.
There was the sound of keys jingling and the lock to his cell door turning, with a loud clang the cell door opened to reveal Nausada, the Varden leader. "Give the two of us privacy, please,"Nasuada said to the guard who had opened the door.
"Are you sure milady?" the guard asked looking over my way not trusting me.
"Yes, I am sure," Nasuada responded rather tense. Once the door was shut behind her, she let her shoulders slump. Murtagh studied the woman for a few moments, she seemed stressed, lost, sad, concern, there was too many emotions she was emitting, it was hard to tell what she was truly feeling.
"Nasuada," Murtagh said quietly rising from his bed. He reached out to touch her arm, but she backed away.
"Murtagh, we cannot do this," Nasuada chocked out finally. She looked down at the dirt ground and then back up at Murtagh. Tears threatened to fall freely, but she fought them off. Murtagh retreated back to his cot. "I'm sorry," she whispered weakly. She collapsed in the chair that sat in front of the writing desk.
"Nasuada, I am the one that has to be sorry, I know that saying I am sorry and apologizing will not take back the horrible things I have done. The unspeakable horrors I have caused, but please know this," Murtagh said in a pleading voice, "please know that I did not do them, because I felt like doing them, because I could do them. Galbotroix had a strong hold on me; he made me do things that you could not even imagine. No one will understand what I went through, but Nasuada you have to believe me."
When she said nothing in return Murtagh continued, "I know pleading is not going to help my situation, but I have changed, I do not want to act out on any of you, I am free of the bonds that held me captive. Eragon-"before Murtagh could continue Nasuada rose from her chair and slapped Murtagh. He looked at the dark skinned woman with shock, his hand rose to where she had slapped him.
"Because of you, Eragon's life is hanging by a thread, granted it is not fully your fault, part of it is Galbotroix," Nasuada began. All this time she held back her feelings, trying to keep herself collected in front of the rest, she was like a ticking time bomb and she finally was letting all her feelings show. Murtagh looked down picking at his breeches.
So that explains it, Murtagh thought.
It does, Thorn voiced.
No one is celebrating, because their hero is still fighting, this time to hold onto life. The reason why Nasuada is in the state she is in, is because Eragon. I wish I could see him. To tell him things that I have wished to tell him ever since I found out we where brothers.
You will get your time.
"How bad is he?" Murtagh asked.
"Do not ask such questions, like you care," Nasuada said coldly. Murtagh was taken aback at what Nasuada said to him. Is that how she truly felt toward him? That he did not care?
"Nausada," Murtagh began slowly and carefully, "I cannot tell how-"
"No don't you dare!" Nasuada yelled, "Many people think that I do not care for Eragon, that I only care about him, because he can fight the battles I need fought, but that is not the case. I care for him, sometimes I see him as my younger brother, and he is old enough to be my younger brother, to be honest. Never once did he complain about the things he saw, the things he did. He is only seventeen, seventeen!" Nasuada exclaimed. She through her hands up and then dropped them down again heavily by her side.
"Murtagh, you hurt him in so many ways. When you reappeared as the Kings new Rider it crushed Eragon, but even though it did, he held onto hope. Then you crushed him again killing his hope when you killed his mentors. It took Eragon a good while to recover from that devastating blow. Sure he acted like he was fine around others, but if you looked at him closely he was hurting. After all he is just a boy."
Murtagh could tell that Nasuada had to get things off her chest and he let her do just that. He had no idea what she had bottled up, but Murtagh let her let go of it all. He wanted to crawl into a corner when she started to talk about how Murtagh had hurt Eragon mentally, he was cruel to him, he was aware of that, but to hear someone else say it and say it so bluntly, made Murtagh want to cower away. Guilt rose up in him as he thought of his brother.
"You will be held on trial for your crimes," Nasuada said cooly. "I get it that the war is over, and you are free of your bonds, but you are not free of your crimes. The trails start next week with or without Eragon present. "
"Nasuada," Murtagh whispered.
"I cannot trust you myself right now, I want things to be the way they were, before you got captured, but they can't Murtagh. I can't forgive you; I can't forget what you have done. I will see you next week." With that the Varden leader left the cell quietly leaving Murtagh to ponder on the things that she had said to him.
You knew this would happen, Thorn said.
I know, but to hear it, it is different.
So I rewrote this and rewrote this, finally out of frustration I stuck with this. I am not entirely happy with it, but you guys can be the judge of it.
Courtney
