Thanks very much for reading, all~ And for all of the wonderful comments, too. I appreciate your time and words so very much! I am very thankful that some can enjoy reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it. It really is an honor and a pleasure.
Chapter 9
Brom helped Murtagh onto the horse, and Murtagh in turn pulled Thorn up in front of him. Shortly after, he leaned forward upon his partner's back and drifted in and out of consciousness. The chilled air stabbed his lungs, and he winced with every breath. Even the sound of twigs breaking under the hooves of the horse was like a hammer to his throbbing head. Sleep was preferable to the pain, but it was fleeting.
They ventured into the Spine, mountains usually covered by thick forests and abundant wildlife. Now it was cold and barren, and most trees had lost their cover. The ground was crunchy with dried leaves and frost.
Murtagh drifted to sleep, and when he awoke, he was on the ground in front of a fire. It still hurt to breathe, but his headache and nausea had finally eased. His cloak was set over him like a blanket.
Thorn sat on his knees at Murtagh's head, facing the fire. His eyebrows were knitted together, orange firelight flashing in his feline eyes. On the opposite side of the fire, Selena was burrowed in her cloak and Brom's, and her face was pale and faint. Her eyelids would flutter, and then she would awake with a start. Beside her, Brom rolled a few lizard skewers near the flames. It was a sad dinner, and Murtagh regretted not having the strength to hunt for them.
Grimacing as his muscles burned in protest, Murtagh forced himself upright. Thorn jumped in surprise and then pressed his small hands against him in an effort to stop him from moving, but Murtagh was stronger.
Night had fallen, and the air was frigid. Selena was too weary to maintain a spell for warmth and so Murtagh took on the task himself. Immediately, a bubble of heat wrapped around them, and with the help of the fire, it did not take much strength to maintain.
"You should eat," Brom said, and he offered him one of the skewers.
Murtagh accepted, and then Thorn and Selena received one as well. They ate, and the crackling fire was the only break in the silence. Even after they finished, no one spoke. Too many thoughts ran through their heads of unspeakable things. Together they had witnessed an entire city swept away in a blink, and no one had any explanation for it. Even though Murtagh knew it was a spirit, he could not say why or how.
Furthermore, he did not understand the words of the dark spirit or even the spells he had uttered to defeat it. He had fought with magic, that much was for certain, but he had never learned those spells.
It brought his attention back to the spirit asleep in his mind, and he stabbed at it with his thoughts in an effort to stir it from its slumber. Wake up, he demanded. I know this has everything to do with you. Wake up! Yet the spirit did not react at all and simply existed, quiet and numb, like a forgotten memory tucked away at the back of his mind.
All around them, the world was falling apart, and the one spirit that had reached out in their defense was taking a nap. Murtagh gritted his teeth and tried jabbing it one last time to no avail. An entire city had vanished. Now more than ever Murtagh remembered his need to speed his course to Ellesméra, and he felt a pang of guilt for selfishly delaying as he had.
Frustrated, he rubbed his face.
"Are you hurt?" Thorn finally asked, and he gripped Murtagh's sleeve.
"Only tired," answered Murtagh, and it was mostly true.
"Do you have a fever?" Thorn stared hard at Murtagh, and then he patted him down in several places as if to check. Murtagh did not have the energy to fight him and sat still. Thorn was not familiar with what he was checking for, however, and his cheeks puffed up. In frustration, he nipped at Murtagh's arm.
"Cut it out," Murtagh laughed, leaning away from him.
"That is not how one checks for a fever," Selena explained, and she chuckled. Returning one cloak to Brom, she rose and made her way around the fire. Kneeling beside Thorn, she gently cupped her hand over the child's forehead and then his cheek. "Like this." With a smile, she next turned her hand over and rested the back of it against Thorn's forehead, and then she used her wrist. "These ways work as well and sometimes better."
Thorn blinked at his palm and then spun, slapping his hand on Murtagh's face with enough force to nearly topple him.
"Thorn!" he snapped, and then he laughed again. Well, his headache was back.
"He is hot like fire!" Thorn yelped, oblivious to the harm he had unintentionally caused. The child crawled over Murtagh and touched every inch of his face, letting out a gasp each time.
Murtagh gave up trying to support the extra weight and simply collapsed to the ground, and Thorn sat on his chest. "Do you mind?"
"The boy has some unusual… mannerisms," Brom noted with a hint of amusement. His blue eyes shone in the firelight. "How long has he been your ward?"
Murtagh's cheeks burned, and he sputtered. This was not his fault! Then again, perhaps it was. As his Rider, perhaps Murtagh should have spent more time teaching Thorn about human customs. Nevertheless, Thorn never had hands with which to check for fever, so it certainly never came up.
Selena's face brightened at the exchange, and a bit of color came back to her. She took a waterskin from beside Brom and brought it to Murtagh. He shoved Thorn into fallen leaves and dirt with a crunch, and then he accepted the skin and drank.
"You used some very unusual magic," Selena commented, returning to her place at Brom's side. There was a hint of skepticism in her words as she added, "It should not be a surprise to have a fever after that. Most anyone else would be dead."
Murtagh gave the waterskin to Thorn and allowed the child to drink his fill. He dared not look at anyone and stared instead at the fire.
"Where did you learn magic?" asked Brom, though his initial distrust was gone. Now he was simply curious.
It was a dangerous question, and to answer honestly meant giving away Thorn's true identity while also letting them know that Galbatorix himself had trained Murtagh, neither of which Murtagh wanted them to know. Thorn, on the other hand, did not care either way. He sipped on water and then fastened the waterskin and set it aside without concern.
"I learned from a friend," Murtagh told them after much consideration, and he was referring only to Thorn. What he learned from Galbatorix was powerful but useful only for hurting and killing, and he took little pride now in that. Tiredly, he added, "You will find many who are more skilled than I."
"Perhaps among elves and Riders," commented Brom, and he crossed his arms and leaned back. Selena unconsciously leaned against him for warmth, and Murtagh looked away.
"I have decided," Murtagh said with some hesitation, and he cast his gaze upon the flickering flames. "I will escort you to Carvahall, but then I must move on to Ellesméra from there." Apologetically he looked from Selena to Brom. "I will not be able to continue looking for Eragon until after I speak with the elves."
"Because of what happened in Narda?" Selena asked, and she drew the cloak around her more tightly. Brom laid his across his lap but also offered some to Selena, bringing them closer still.
"You know something of that thing." Brom was scrutinizing Murtagh again, his face wrinkled in a frown. "And why the world changes as it does."
Murtagh nodded slightly and then abruptly shook his head, ruffling his hair. "Nothing of use, I am afraid."
Brom read his expression and dropped the subject. He leaned back against a fallen log. "Therinsford should only be a day or so from here. From there, Carvahall is not far. Let us hope nothing else stands in our way." He glanced at Selena, and his face softened. "We are in need of rest, and the weather here simply will not allow it."
"Weather and circumstances," sighed Murtagh, and he slid to the ground. Thorn crawled beneath the cloak and curled up at his side.
"This is the second time you have saved us," Selena said, softly. "Thank you, Murtagh."
He met eyes with her for only a second, nodded, and then he rolled over. Brom and Selena spoke quietly to each other, but the fire drowned out their voices. With Thorn at his side and the extra warmth from his body, it did not take long for Murtagh to fall asleep.
The trip to Therinsford was uneventful yet disorienting. Soft gray clouds rolled across the sky, and white snowflakes fluttered down. By the time they reached the small town, the ground was covered by a blanket of white. Murtagh managed to keep up the spell that warmed them for most of the trip, but finally he succumbed to exhaustion and had to stop. Selena was also too weary, so they depended on their cloaks for warmth. Thorn rode on the horse with Murtagh and became so frustrated with the cold that he took Murtagh's arms and cloak and wrapped them around him tightly. Beneath his covers, he sneezed several times.
Therinsford was quiet and peaceful. People carried on with simple tasks despite the snow and cold, running mills, working at the forge, or shopping in the tiny outdoor market. Children scrambled to pick up the snow and throw it at each other before it could melt.
"I will see if I can find a place for us to stay," Brom offered. Wandering further into town, he spoke with the people he passed along the way.
Murtagh slid off the horse, and his legs nearly gave way beneath him. After a moment, his strength returned to him and he could stand proper, and he took charge of the horse's reins. Thorn hopped off after him, pulling Murtagh's cloak around him for warmth.
"Thankfully, nothing appears to be strange here," Selena commented.
"Besides the snow." Murtagh scanned the village. Everyone was bundled up in thick woolen clothing and heavy cloaks, and they carried on as though nothing was strange about it. "It should be summer."
Selena leaned to one side, shifting impatiently, and then she took a step forward. "I think I will see about a warm meal for us, as well as where we might purchase supplies. Carvahall is not far, but the weather will make the journey harsh."
Murtagh nodded, and she departed. He kept his eyes on her until she went into a small building, and then he pulled the horse along toward a post and trough set near the entrance for use by travelers. Breaking the ice in the trough, he used magic to fill it with water, and then he fed the horse the last of the food they had brought for it. A hearty meal after a long journey was well deserved, and he made a mental note to purchase more before leaving.
"You humans are frail," said Thorn with chattering teeth. He climbed on Murtagh's feet in an effort to stay beneath his cloak. "If I had my true body, this weather would not affect me."
"Maybe you can show me a little empathy next time we're out in the snow, eh?" Murtagh led the way down the street, and Thorn did not leave his person. The child clung fast to him, and in response to his comment, Thorn bit his arm. Murtagh jerked and thumped the boy in the chest. "Would you stop biting me?" This earned him a nip to the side, and if not for his leather jerkin, it may have left a mark. "Thorn!"
Sighing in exasperation, Murtagh continued through town. There was very little to see, and he stopped at a tiny shop that sold spirits and tobacco. Outside the shop was a weathered bulletin board half covered in rot and unreadable parchment. Above old notices was a new post, and it made Murtagh's jaw drop.
On the parchment were his name and his likeness, as well as a notice about a hefty reward for his capture. His crime was illegal use of deadly magic. The parchment was stamped with the seals of both Orrin and Nasuada. In a flash, he ripped it off the board and crumpled it in his hands, and he could not stop shaking.
"What is it?" Thorn asked, peering out from beneath his cloak.
Murtagh gave it to him but explained, "I am a wanted fugitive, it seems."
"What for?" Unraveling the crumpled parchment, Thorn frowned at it.
"Magic," he answered.
Shuddering, he recalled using magic from Aroughs all the way to Kuasta and the unnecessary attention it brought to him. Someone—or several people—along the way must have reported him. Murtagh had heard of Nasuada's attempts to control the use of magic, and here he was wandering across Alagaësia blowing things up. His actions had been to protect people, and so he hoped to go unnoticed, but anyone with a grudge against magic would have refused to overlook someone so powerful.
"What do we do?" Thorn asked, crumpling the paper and stuffing it into his leather vest for safekeeping.
"Not get caught," answered Murtagh with a sigh.
"Murtagh! Thorn!" Selena called out to them from halfway through the town, and she waved at them so they could see her. "Come here!"
In the center of the town was a popular bake house, and several people gathered for fresh, warm bread and treats. A busty woman scuttled around and served the people around a fire, and she gave them not only baked goods but warm milk or warm liquor as well. It was the largest gathering in the town yet to be seen. Brom stood near the door of the bake house and was talking to a burly man in thick, furry clothes. Selena led Murtagh and Thorn to the fire, and they crouched near it for warmth. Eventually the woman returned with warm bread and milk for them, and they accepted with gratitude.
It was not an extravagant meal, but it warmed them after being chilled to the core for so long.
A man wearing dulled chainmail spoke to the people around the fire, waving his arms in grand fashions. His face was haggard, and his beard and mustache were unkempt. Tears in his clothes and broken links in his armor suggested he was not currently a knight and only acted the part.
"I traveled across the land," he declared in a boisterous voice. "All across the land have the seasons changed as you see! The desert is covered in ice, and the ice on the Beor Mountains melts away!" He spun and twirled, moving his hand as if wielding a sword. Murtagh picked apart his technique in three seconds and determined he had never used a sword before. "Monsters of darkness attacked my comrades, but we fought to the death and I alone escaped to tell the tale! Dwarves, elves, and Urgals fought me, but I resisted!" Children clapped in amazement. "Our beloved queen has forbidden magic in the land, and now the land itself has protested, and magic is no more! All of the dragons and Riders have fallen, the elves have perished, and only we remain!"
Muttering broke out in the crowd, and two children booed the man and pulled down their lower eyelids in spite of his story.
"All of the dragons have fallen," muttered Thorn, and he growled. "Foolish man he is, as if dragons would surrender because of the reign of one tiny human."
"There may be truth to his words," said Brom, and he approached them, standing near the fire for warmth. "Several people have confirmed they hear tales from travelers that magic has been lost. Those who try to use magic either simply cannot or perish in their attempt." Firmly he looked at Selena. "We should resist using magic unless absolutely necessary until we can know for certain what is happening." Casting a glance at Murtagh, he added, "I would suggest the same to you."
"I thought I was simply tired," Selena mused, touching her lips. "But using warming spells is usually not so exhausting."
"Magic has been lost," Thorn echoed while staring at the warm milk in his mug. He folded both hands around the mug for warmth and took another sip.
"Therinsford does not have an inn, but the people are hospitable," Brom informed them. "An older woman name Lauri has agreed to take us in for the night."
Selena sighed in relief, rubbing her brow.
Murtagh drank the warm milk and then rose, handing it back to their host as she scrambled by. "Thank you," he told her. To his traveling companions, he said, "I am going to gather supplies for the horse."
"W-wait!" Thorn poured the rest of his milk down in a single gulp. He yelped and stuck out his tongue, flapping his hand at it and puffing out hot air, and then he rose to follow.
Selena folded her hands behind her, shifting back and forth on her feet. "We should gather some supplies as well." To Brom, she asked, "Shall we?"
Together they ambled through town. Thorn slipped back, shielded by Murtagh, and tossed the crumpled parchment stating Murtagh's crimes into a small cooking fire near someone's home. Then he scrambled back into place at Murtagh's side, sticking his nose up as though he had accomplished some great task. Murtagh smirked.
After hitting two different shops and temporarily parting with Brom and Selena, Murtagh purchased enough supplies to take them hopefully to Ceunon if not all the way to Ellesméra. Thankfully, he could get by pretty well in the forest on his own simply by hunting. He picked up warmer clothing for him and for Thorn, as well as a woolen blanket for the horse.
Returning to the horse, Murtagh covered it with a blanket to ward off the chill. Patting the creature, he said, "I suppose we should give you a name since it seems you will be with us now for a while."
Thorn rubbed his chin, and then he nodded. "How about Sand, since that is his color?" Murtagh frowned and shook his head. "What about Desert, since that is where we met him?" Again, Murtagh could not accept it, and so Thorn lost interest.
Beneath the snow was a sandy stone path that led through the town. Its color, in fact, was very much the same color as the horse. Murtagh straightened and patted the creature. "How about Sandstorm?" he wondered, and the horse nudged its nose against him. Murtagh smiled and stroked its neck. "You like that, do you? In the desert we found you, and in many storms have you saved us from harm. I think it suits you."
Murtagh removed the saddle from the horse and set it aside to take with to their temporary lodging. Now if only someone could lend a place at a stable for Sandstorm. On the edge of town were several small barns made of weathered and crooked boards, but at least they would provide shelter from the wind.
Untying the reins from the post, Murtagh turned the horse around and then paused as Selena and Brom came out of a shop laughing. Selena leaned against him, and whenever she laughed, her eyes brightened, and her mouth opened wide. She laughed honestly and deeply, and nothing hindered her.
Murtagh's eyes fell, and he stared into the trough at his feet. His reflection rippled across the surface, his complexion strangely pale and accented by dark rings under his eyes. With a swift kick to the side of the trough, he dissolved his image. The ripples stirred in hues of gray.
Then guilt tugged his gut. It had been a while since he had attempted to scry Eragon. In his exhaustion after the incident in Narda, he had completely forgotten. With one last glance at Selena, Murtagh sighed and crouched over the water, focusing his thoughts on his lost sibling. Darkness blurred over the surface of the water just as it always had.
And then Eragon appeared.
Murtagh's heart skipped a beat. He dropped the reins of the horse and pressed both hands to the side of the trough, leaning over the water.
Eragon was unconscious and fastened to a stone table by leather straps. He was filthy. Beyond him were stone floors and walls, as well as various devices for torture. Scrying did not allow one to see a place they had never been, but Murtagh had been there. Twice, in fact, once by mistake and once because he was brought there to be taught a lesson. Chills overwhelmed him, and he gasped for air.
The image shattered, and Murtagh flew to his feet and threw the saddle back on the horse.
Thorn jumped at his sudden activity. "What is the matter?"
"Get to Carvahall and wait there," Murtagh shouted to Selena and Brom as they approached, and he leapt into the saddle.
"Did something happen?" Selena asked, picking up her pace as she and Brom returned to them.
Thorn started to climb up on the horse, but Murtagh grabbed the back of his vest and hoisted him into Brom's arms. The older man took the boy, eyes wide. "Murtagh!" whined Thorn, and at first he was angry followed quickly by genuine hurt and confusion. "What are you—"
"Go to Carvahall," Murtagh demanded, and then he focused solely on Thorn. "If it seems I will not return, go to the elves or Nasuada and tell them everything. Do you understand?"
"Where are you going?" cried Thorn, reaching desperately and trying to get out of Brom's arms. The man held him fast.
"Please," Murtagh nodded at Thorn and then at Brom who now had charge of him. Last of all he met eyes with Selena, and his heart pounded so hard in his chest that it made him lightheaded. Turning the horse, he dug in his heels. With the words of a promise, he said, "I am going to bring Eragon back to you."
Sandstorm took off in a gallop, and Murtagh ducked low so as to create little resistance. It was a journey he never expected to make—or wanted to make—for the rest of his life. Yet Eragon was in danger, and it kindled a fire in him that was not so easily snuffed out.
With unwavering resolve, Murtagh set a straight course for Morzan's castle.