Chapter 7. Thorn
Murtagh was alone with both Dragon eggs, but he was drawn more to the red egg. The second day at sunset the egg wiggled and a crack appeared on the side of it. It wobbled again and another crack crossed diagonally over the egg. Then it broke apart and a red baby Dragon the size of his forearm roared a small sound. Murtagh watched in wonder as it licked the egg membrane from its body. Then the Dragon turned its ruby like eyes on him locking him in place. Murtagh instinctively reached his hand out and touched the egg. He feinted as strange feeling shot through his body.
When Murtagh awoke he was on his back with the Dragon on his chest staring at him. As he sat up the little Dragon leapt off and sat on its hind legs watching him. Murtagh rubbed his head as he noticed an almost itching feeling in his mind, a great curiosity accompanied that annoying itch along with a hunger feeling. Murtagh looks at the Dragon as all these sensations are coming from the Dragon.
"Okay that is freaky!" He said out loud. The Dragon snorted smoke from its nose as if offended and had understood what he meant.
"What?" He asked looking at the Dragon.
The doors opened and in walked Galbatorix with the pointy eared man named Greywin, "What is his name?" Galbatorix asked handing Murtagh a piece of meat.
As he handed the meat to the little Dragon Murtagh considered what to name it. Murtagh smiles causing the Dragon to look at him, "His name is Thorn…"
Murtagh was taken to his room where he spent most of his time. Over the next few days Murtagh didn't see any of the King. During which time Thorn doubled in size in just one day. Every day he seemed to get bigger and bigger. Within a week Thorn was as long as Murtagh's leg and stood up to his knee. Another week passed before Cadmuss Galbatorix's chief spellcaster came and got Murtagh and Thorn. Galbatorix was waiting in the Dragonhold beneath the palace. The Black Dragon was there as well and it was a monster of a Dragon.
"This is Shruiken…Thorn will remain here while we train in the council chamber…"
Galbatorix's first lesson began with the ancient Language to which Murtagh excelled at. Then he instructed Murtagh in exercises meant to strengthen the body and mind. The last lesson was on the history of Alaegasia and the order of the Dragon Riders. Every day his lessons were the same from sun up to sun down. Sometimes they would go well into the midnight hours. The days became weeks and the weeks months. Six months passed and within those six months Murtagh became a master of manipulating energy. Casting and creating his own spells, he was also a master of breaking into the minds of others though he was nowhere as powerful as the Galbatorix.
("Murtagh!") He jumped up in bed when he heard the familiar yet strange deep voice in his head. At first Murtagh thought it was Galbatorix testing him, but he felt a familiar presence from before.
("Thorn?")
Thud a gust of air blew open the curtains of his suit. Thud another blast of wind knocked over the sheets of Murtagh's bed. He gasped as a large red Dragon flew into his room and landed. ("Hello little brother…")
"You…" He started to speak with his mouth then he turned his words inward, ("…can talk?")
("Of course I can…")
("How long have you been able to talk?")
("For the past two weeks…I have so much to share with you little brother…")
Murtagh walked over to Thorn and wrapped his arms around his lower neck. The red Dragon hummed and together they lay on Thorn's dias. Rider and Dragon. The next day the King did not show up for training. He did receive a message from Galbatorix that Thorn was not to show himself and that the two of them were to stay out of sight. At midnight the two of them went flying towards the desert and then the edge of the forest. Murtagh was tempted to fly to Carvahal and show Eragon and Roran what he had become, but Galbatorix's orders were clear. When Thorn and Murtagh returned home Murtagh scryed Eragon and Roran. When he tried to scry his mother all he saw was blackness.
("Your heart is full of sorrow little brother…What is wrong?")
("I cannot scry my mother…She has lied to me all my life…And I am afraid of what the King will do to her and my family…")
("Your mother betrayed you and through you me…We Dragons do not forgive even when it is our own kin…I have learned much from Shruiken about human relationships…She may yet be saved…")
Murtagh smiles, ("I hope so…") Over the next few weeks Galbatorix and Shruiken practiced aerial combat with Murtagh and Thorn.