Chapter 7: Cool Winds
He enjoyed the cool air that passed over the top of his wings and the slightly warmer air that passed under that kept his weight up. He wished he could go back to when he was a hatchling and grew properly. He hated feeling malformed and in some other dragon's skin. When Murtagh offered to heal his tail, he had refused; he told his young rider that dragons are proud of battle scars and that he could only heal it to stop bleeding and no more. This caused Murtagh to become upset, however, he did as asked.
Thorn still found it hard to communicate with his rider in his own language, or ever the elves' language, so he typically kept very quiet. They had spent a lot of time flying together, but with the need to focus on his ability to fly, he left little time to learn as the dragons of the old order. Now that he was freed however, Murtagh had ample time to talk to him and even take walks into surrounding areas. He began to understand the language a little better each day.
High above Belatona, he shut his eyes and simply felt the air around him; he enjoyed this kind of flying as he would open his eyes and see he was somewhere new. With recent events however, he had begun to memorize the land so when he opened his eyes he knew exactly where he was.
Murtagh sat contently in a saddle stolen by the dark king from a rider he had killed after he lost his dragon in the Spine. That same contented feeling washed over him as he knew Shuriken had lifted most of his vows and occasionally went ballistic around the castle. Even when the dark king used magic, the black dragon would fight with tooth and claw but also with the fire from his mouth. Not many people saw those moments and it was how the king wanted it. The perception of the black dragon's obedience was the important thing, not the act itself. When they had left to recover the newest rider and return it, the king had tried to punish Shuriken and was nearly torn in two.
Thorn chuckled recalling the memory, thinking the king will fall soon.
Murtagh, did you ever find out who the new rider is?
No Thorn. Eragon and I were enjoying the evening, I had not even thought of it. To be honest, I'm still upset that he freed us. I wanted to do it. I hope his jaw still hurts.
He did what had to be done. I am still surprised at how well they worked together in such short notice. She was much quicker than me.
But you are stronger. I would stand by your side even if I knew we had to fight a hundred Saphiras. You are Thorn.
Over the next hour they kept watch from the air. It was a pleasant change from flying as fast as possible from one location to another. It pleased both Murtagh and Thorn not to worry about intimidating soldiers and hunting down his brother. Murtagh feel asleep in his saddle and laid his head on Thorn's neck. Thorn kept as still as possible during the flight to avoid waking him. Only when he began his descent did he wake his rider.
As they landed, he noticed once again the elves watched from the distance. The fight in the tent was understandable, making the elves watch them Thorn felt little better than a prisoner. He understood the caution and why it had been done. The only truly bold elves were Arya and the fur covered elf. He walked with his rider to their tent and his rider went and slept. All was well for now. He knew they would soon be as Dras-leona and that would not be a deserted city.
Another short chapter, sorry. For those reading this work often, thanks. Don't be afraid to email me with feedback or to leave a review. SInce the fourth book is going to have some scenes with Murtagh and Thorn as the character focus, I though I would do one. Enjoy.