Hey everyone! Sorry for the fact that I haven't updated since…I don't know actually. I was in my testweek, which is over now by the way. So..I'm gonna steal an idea I saw in one of Cheapxperfume's intro-to-fanfic-thingies…Yes I am cheapxperfume! That is; if this fanfic was made into a movie, who would you see playing Meghan? I really liked that question, well answer the normal way..reviews (A) And thanks for reading! x

Chapter 8 – Heaven's not a place where you go when you die, it's that moment in life when you actually feel alive.

The past week passed the usual way. Meghan continued her walks with Thorn and Murtagh noticed that it did his young dragon well. Playful Meghan tried to learn him to fly, but she knew it was to early. Although Murtagh was busy with his training he made time to walk with Thorn and Meghan once a while. He tried not to attract attention when he walked through the hallways to see her. When there were others around he was rude and strenuous, something that could piss Meghan off every now and then. But she knew it was part of the act. After a week Meghan noticed that Galbatorix demanded more and more time with Murtagh. Thorn suffered from it and did less well on his trainings, he got punished by getting less food. Moody he attacked bricks and trees with his claws and beak. Meghan had taken something from the kitchen for him but he was getting picky. The king only gave him the best meat. She sat down in the grass and looked at the red leaves covering the fields. Normally the trees here had black leaves, but autumn also did her work here. The winters were cold and dead.

She was playing with one of the leaves and listening to the growling sound of Thorn, it comforted her.

"Hey you." She heard behind her, she could see Murtagh looking at her from a distance. She felt her face started to glow, although she never wanted to feel the way she did now. He looked around until he concluded they were alone. He bow down to kiss her head and sat down beside her.

"How are you?" he asked, it had been a long time since someone asked her that question. She decided to be honest this time.
"I'll manage. I miss home..especially now I know what happened to Brom." She said silently.
"Do you always call him Brom?" Murtagh asked while staring into the distance.
She nodded. "He liked it…he didn't want to feel old, he always said 'I'm your father, but I'm also your friend, remember that.'" She looked into the nothingness and the memory of her father made her smile for a moment.
"And your mother…you told me that.." he hesitated.

"Morzan killed her?" she finished his sentence. She nodded and wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about this subject. It was silent for a while.

"Brom was away with Saphira. As usual, and I understand why. He always came home with fantastic stories and I remember most of them. I think he was with Ajihad at the time." Her face was full of pain as she continued. "My mother had heard from people in the village that the men of the king were coming. Someway she must have known.." again there was a silent moment, longer this time. Murtagh looked at her face but she didn't look back. She saw what happened all over again.
"Helena lifted me up and told me we were going to play a game. She told me to hide somewhere she wouldn't find me, and that when I was there I must count as far as I could and that she would come and find me. We didn't play that game very often. Mostly Brom and I were romping around, or I played in the woods. To be honest it seemed dull at the time. But I played along. I ran to my hiding place and heard Helena yell that I really had to stay there until she found me. I hid in a secret hatch that Brom used to keep his books and stuff from journeys..he told me it was our little secret. And there I was…counting, waiting. I couldn't could really far so I got bored really fast." She looked at Murtagh for a brief moment and then continued her story.

"I sat there for half a day. Helena never found me. When I was so bored I started to fold things of pages out of books I heard something above the hatch. I heard someone call my name, it was Brom. I was determined not to tell where I was hiding, I never liked losing. But he knew where I was..of course. Angry I screamed that he should leave me there because otherwise he would ruin the game. He grabbed my little arms and pulled me out of the hatch, something that made me even more angry. 'We're gonna play a new game' he said, I thought it was beginning to become quite irritating, 'put your hand in front of your eyes Meghan, and don't look until I say so.' He pushed me against him and I remember him crying. Outside I could open my eyes. Before Brom could stop me I ran inside to tell Helena it really wasn't my fault the game was ruined now but…I ran into the dead body of my mother on the kitchen floor, her throat was cut. I was six." She was afraid to look at Murtagh for a while, when she finally did she could see the shame in his eyes. He carried the burdens his father wasn't man enough to bear.

Murtagh didn't know what to say. And said so.
"It's okay. I've had a happy childhood after that. But know you understand why I reacted the way I reacted…when I got to know you. It wasn't right, I shouldn't judge you for what he's done but.."

"I'm used to it." He said quickly, he didn't like talking about Morzan.

"Why do you hate him so much?" Meghan asked.

"Because he was a terrible monster." Murtagh said as if it was obvious that a son thought this way of his father.

"I never knew a real father. Morzan was demanding, I had to be the best, the smartest, the strongest, the mightiest of all. Even when I was just born. When my first word was mommy in stead of his name…he got furious and threw me on the ground. When I couldn't walk as fast as he wanted me to he got angry. And when I did something wrong again he threw his sword towards my back. He was dishonest and cruel Meghan, that man never knew love. What he did to my mother…he was so..bitter." lowly his face turned angry, his jaws tightly together and his hands turned into fists.
"He may have engendered me but he was never a father."

"And your mother?" Meghan asked, his face softened.

"I don't remember much of her." He said quickly. He turned to Thorn and pretended to inspect his claws.
"So.." he tried to say nonchalant "after your mother's dead?" he was trying to avoid talking about his past, but Meghan did nothing about it. She might have gotten stronger by her past, she had a good childhood with a loving father. He didn't have any good memories.

"I went to the Varden. Brom had to go there very often so we were together a lot. I learned everything that someone of the Varden should know. Sometimes I played with Nasuada, but she was busy most of the time. I led a normal life, I made friends, was happy with Brom and was brought up normally. Brom was sad after Helena's death but tried not to be bitter, after Saphira was killed he couldn't help it any longer. I remember it well..after the death of my mother he ignored me for a while, I think because I look so much like her. But after Saphira..he didn't tell stories anymore, or about the life he used to lead. He said it was a disappointment I should not believe. It was like a part of his soul died…I rider is nothing without it's dragon they say.." she looked at Thorn who lay his head down in Murtagh's lap.

His head seemed bigger and older, his eyes tough. He definitely looked older, and he was. He glowed ruby red in the sun.

"I should go back to work." Meghan got up and reorganized her clothes.

"You work for me." Murtagh said surprised by her quick move.

"Well they probably need me in the kitchen.." she said while nodding her head to convince herself. She stroked Thorn's head and walked back to the grey palace.

"Meg!" Murtagh yelled when she was only a few steps away.

"It's unbelievable how strong you are." He said soft.

"What's really unbelievable is how weak I really am." She answered.