Chapter Two
Murtagh
It was dark when they reached Gil'ead after riding a day and a half on horse and dragon back. Even from his vantage point Murtagh could see the dead bodies being carried from the castle. Galbatorix must have heard about the destroyed cart.
(Let's go down in the forest. It'll provide cover.) Eragon suggested to Murtagh. Thorn glided towards the forest about a hundred yards in. From there they could see the castle clearly. They waited until the flow of bodies stopped and crept slowly forward towards the edge of the forest. (Thorn, Saphira, stay back. Wait until we call you.)
(Be careful.) Thorn replied. Murtagh nodded in response. He looked over as Eragon started talking to him.
"Lets go." Murtagh followed Eragon as he stalked out into the open.
"Act natural." Murtagh advised, his voice deep and guttural. The changes in his voice made Eragon turn around. His eyes widened in shock as he looked at Murtaghs face. He had modified his face with magic so he now looked like a teenage blond haired page. Eragon murmured some words in the ancient language and moments later Eragon was a redhead teenager barely older than Murtagh, Arya hid herself under an old cloak. They disguised their swords and continued towards the castle entrance. The guards barely looked up as they passed them through the portcullis. So far so good, Murtagh thought. They sped up when they entered the main doors. Murtagh was weary about being inside the castle of Galbatorix.
"That way." Murtagh replied when Eragon asked him where to go. "The dungeon is just down that set of stairs." Murtagh followed suit when Arya and Eragon crept towards the staircase. He watched them descend ahead of him and waited till they reached the bottom to follow. What he saw when he rejoined them was both beautiful and horrible. The ancient underground dungeon was lit red by the light of the torches. A heavy wooden door connected a second room to the first, with locks covering most of its surface. Murtagh determined the energy he would need to unlock the door. He lifted his hands in the direction of the door and murmured Ma'mor, the spell to unlock doors. Arya jumped as the door swung open, creaking a little on the unoiled hinges. From his place he could see the tip of the granite slab on which he assumed the prisoner was on. Eragon and Arya stared at the slab, or more specifically what was sitting on the slab. Murtagh moved closer to the door to see what they saw. Now he could see what they were gaping at. A woman no older than he, with golden-brown hair matching her dress which was trimmed with pearls. Her light blue eyes swam and if you looked into them it was like you could see the bottom of the ocean. It stopped just above her knees, and matched her flat-bottomed boots with leather soles. Murtagh, Eragon and Arya stopped staring at her when she spoke. Her voice was even, not soft like most girls' voices, other than Arya and Nasuada.
"Who are you?" She asked calmly. Murtagh looked at Eragon and Eragon looked at Arya.
"My name is Arya Drottningu, daughter of Queen Islanzadi. Ally of the Varden." The woman nodded.
"Mine is Eragon shadeslayer, son of Brom. Friend of Nasuada." She repeated the same jerky nod as before. Murtagh hesitated before clearing his throat and starting.
"My name is Murtagh. Son of Morzan. Ally of the Varden." If the woman was surprised she didn't show it. The woman looked at all of us once more.
"I'm Carmen. Daughter of Rakr. Friend of Nasuada." She concluded. Murtagh was slightly surprised. Murtagh didn't know what he thought but it wasn't Carmen. He deliberated this while she slid her legs off the slab she had been sitting on and walked towards them.
"So you're the one Nasi sent to rescue me?" She asked, her tone telling it was rhetorical. Eragon proceeded to nod anyway. She walked past them and turned back.
"Are you coming or not?" She asked her tone slightly mocking. Murtagh half smiled.
(You like her.) Thorns mocking voice rang quietly in his head.
(I do not.) Murtagh replied, harsher than he intended.
(Oh really?) Thorns voice then faded out of his head.
Carmen stopped out in front. She looked around.
"Run!" As she yelled this, armour clad soldiers poured from the side tunnels.
The team ran until they were out of the castle, gaining ground in corners, losing it on straight, not stopping to rest as the soldiers were still following them. Murtagh jumped as Thorn and Saphira descended from the sky.
"I'll take Arya!" Eragon shouted over the dragons roars. Murtagh leaped on Thorn behind Carmen, the mystery woman. Murtagh hesitated a little before slipping his hands around her waist. He saw her fingers tighten on the saddle as Thorn launched into the air, arrows trailing behind them. They dodged the arrows that came near them, but most were too far away to bother them. Murtagh was watching how Carmen was handling the flight. He had to lean a little to see her face. She was grinning. She never noticed her looking at her.