Disclaimer: I only own the plot and the new characters.
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Special thanks to: Lady-Mystique, Canadian-Girl14, EvilBunny101, Rob-girl, alsdssg, Vampire Helena, Phillipina, Issylt, LoveAroundEmbers and crazyforwriting101. Your reviews are incredibly inspiring and constructive.
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Chapter 9 – A little adventure...
It had been a risky plan, but the results were unquestionably satisfying. He was now in the possession of very important information; information that would allow him to get his revenge.
He had thought thoroughly about the consequences of his actions, but in the end, his will to get even obliterated all of his fears.
"Sir?" an uncertain voice called out, making the other man snap from his thoughts with a startled jump. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, yes I'm fine", he replied, scratching the top of his head. "Well, you got your money, leave me now."
The two men obeyed, shrugging as they left.
"What is life without a little adventure in it?"
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Kaila stared at the dark fields bellow, though her mind was drifting away from the castle, back into some of her most beloved memories.
She had known a quiet and happy childhood, despite the fact that her father was never there. If truth be told, she had very little recollections of her father; she remembered him as a grave man, very distant and cold.
Images from her childhood popped up inside her mind, one after another, at such an alarming speed that the young woman felt dizzy.
Kaila rested a hand against the window-sill for support; a detail on the flashbacks seemed to trigger something inside of her. What, she did not know, and it did not matter how hard she tried to focus, she just could not bring herself to grasp it.
Kaila returned to her bed, but she had the feeling she won't be sleeping quietly that night. Why had these memories crossed her mind? It had been a long time since Kaila had recalled her past, so why now? And what exactly had intrigued her so much on those memories?
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Murtagh removed the hood, and his features were illuminated by the pale moon above; a content smile played on his lips as he stared at the mighty dragon which was crouched over a pile of hay.
"Good night, Thorn", Murtagh greeted, stroking the dragon's snout.
Thorn nudged the rider playfully on his chest and then said: "Good night, Murtagh. Came for a midnight ride? I wouldn't mind stretching these wings a little bit…"
Murtagh did not reply; instead, he sat on the ground, leaning against the dragon's soft belly. Dragon and rider remained in silence for what seemed an eternity, and at last: "Are you going to tell me what is troubling you?"
The black-haired young man shrugged, replying: "It's not like you don't know it already… with our mental connection… I know you have been peeking into my thoughts…"
Thorn snorted. "Peeking into your thoughts?" His tone was truly amused. "Your brain seem to be affected lately, rider. Did you happen to forget that our minds are linked in a way that it makes it almost impossible to discern where one finishes and the other begins?"
Murtagh rose abruptly, glaring at Thorn. "Well, I am sorry, dragon, if I still find it hard to cope with all of this sometimes!"
They glared at each other, and it was hard to say who was more furious. At last, Murtagh averted his stare, but nothing was said for a long time. "I am sorry, my friend. We both said things we did not mean to… that is what happens when you speak without thinking." The majestic red dragon snorted, but Murtagh felt him relaxing. "There has been much on my mind, lately", the rider confessed, sighing. "I know that Galbatorix intends to use me again against Eragon, real soon. That, above anything else, makes my frustration and despair to grow higher…"
At last, Thorn spoke. "Are you giving up, Murtagh?" No reply. "We swore to ourselves we wouldn't rest until we found out a way to escape Galbatorix's grip, remember?"
Slowly, Murtagh nodded, allowing his dark hair to cover his face. "I am not a good person, Thorn; I have done a lot of bad things in my life. I did what I have to do in order to survive, you know? But in the Burning Plains… Galbatorix made me do it – made us do it – yet I felt something inside… I felt powerful as I had never been before… and I enjoyed it."
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Tristan had barely slept that night, waking up every time the wind rustled through the leaves or when some owl hooted.
He was so scared he did not even dare to set foot outside the hut's walls. He knew it was reckless to stay put, but would it be advisable to gallop as fast as he could, away from that place? What if spies lurked outside, waiting to put him down like some kind of animal if he tried to escape?
Either way, Tristan was aware of the fact that his chances of surviving were getting thinner by the hour. Ironically, the sound of hooves broke the tranquillity of the forest; even the birds silenced their happy chirps, as if they had sensed some danger.
Tristan gulped, sinking onto the floor, for his knees no longer had the strength to support him. He cowered underneath the table, dagger at hand. He waited for the door to burst open and reveal his doom… footsteps were getting closer… Tristan closed his eyes, terrified… but the door did not burst open.
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Murtagh had just opened his eyes when a loud knock was heard on his room door; yawning, he made his way to the door and pulled it open.
A tall, slender servant man stood on the other side, twitching nervously. "Good morning, my L-Lord. King Gal-Galbatorix wishes to see you at once."
Murtagh frowned. "I wonder what he wants from me…"
Thorn's reply came swiftly. "Don't keep him waiting; the sooner we find out what he wants, the better."
Staring apprehensively at the skinny man, Murtagh said: "Wait for me here. I am going to put something on." The servant nodded obediently as he closed the door. Murtagh then changed from his night clothes into his usual black outfit.
As he followed the servant through many hallways, the young man could not help but wonder what was still in store for him. Being called to the king's presence at such early hour could not bode well…
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"Good morning, Tessa. Have you seen Morcant?"
The girl named Tessa looked up at Kaila and something in her stare made Kaila feel rather uncomfortable. At last, the girl replied: "No, I haven't seen him today. As a matter of fact, Thomas is the one giving the tasks today."
"Thomas, giving the -?"
Without saying another word, Kaila exited the women quarters and headed towards the kitchens. Sure enough, Thomas was busy calling shots left and right, assigning all the tasks. He was what could be called as "the second in command", even though that was not an army.
The young woman lost no time in approaching the older man, her curiosity building. "Good morning, Thomas. Have you seen Morcant today?"
"Good morning, Kaila", Thomas greeted back, smiling politely. "Yes, I have seen old Morcant's bones earlier this morning – more like dawn, in fact. He asked me to stay in charge today, because he had some business to take care of. Morcant did not want these lazy asses to miss out on their chores", he explained, winking.
"Oh…"
"By the way, he told me you are supposed to serve the young rider, and when you are done, you must help in the cleaning of the throne room."
Kaila nodded, keeping a blank expression. On the inside, she was feeling quite apprehensive about her grandfather; he had always been a mysterious man, but saying that these days was putting it lightly.
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He stopped, inches away from the door, fist ready to knock. Somehow, his adamant resolution had drained away along the way; doubts assaulted his mind, making it difficult to think clearly.
If he was wrong, that mistake would cost him a lot, but if he was right… he could avoid a tragedy.
No sound was coming from inside the hut, but he knew that silence was deceiving; after taking a deep breath, he finally knocked.
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"Come rider, come", Galbatorix invited, motioning for Murtagh to come closer. They were in the king's library, one of the biggest rooms in the castle. The walls were covered with shelves, all full of books; magic books. The knowledge in all those pages was formidable and dangerous.
"My king", Murtagh muttered, bowing slightly. He came to a halt right in front of the desk, behind which Galbatorix sat. The king pointed to one of the chairs by the desk, and the young man sat without questioning.
An uncomfortable silence stretched for what seemed a lifetime, but Murtagh was now accustomed to those long periods of silence. He knew better than disturb the king when he was lost in his thoughts. He felt Thorn's uneasiness in his mind and tried to soothe him, despite his own restlessness.
"Murtagh, I did nothing but punish you ever since you returned from that incident in the Burning Plains – fairly, I must add – but I know when enough is enough." Silence once again. Murtagh sensed Galbatorix's scrutinizing look upon him. "To prove all is forgotten, I am going to share with you a secret I never shared with anyone before."
At these words, Murtagh could not help but look up; his blue eyes locked with the king's dark ones. As Galbatorix spoke again, Murtagh's jaw dropped almost to the ground. "No, it cannot be…"
The king smiled wickedly. "Oh, it can be… now all we need is to find where that person is. I trust you can help me with this, Murtagh. After all, you know how unkind I can be to those who disappoint me, don't you?" Even though his voice was still quiet, the veiled threat behind his words was impossible to ignore.
Murtagh nodded, replying: "I will do everything within my power to fulfil your request, my Lord." As he left the king's library seconds later, Murtagh could no longer mask his panic from Thorn.
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Knock, knock!
Tristan shivered; that was not what he had expected, but still he felt no comfort at all.
Maybe he was just playing with him, making him see he was nothing more than a trapped mouse. Another knock made Tristan jump, startled. Pulling himself together as best as he could – shaking like a small tree battered by strong winds – he made his way towards the door, almost knocking over a chair on the process.
"Y-yes?" he called out uncertainly.
"Open up!"
Tristan's eyes widened in astonishment, and he took a few seconds to manage to grab the doorknob and pull it open. "Y-you?!"
To be continued…