Fallen Chapter 14
Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon.
Murtagh woke up about an hour after and the healers made him eat a small portion of bread. He would eat no more because just the though of eating made him want to retch. He was worried because he didn't know why.
Murtagh! Thorn practically shouted.
-I am sorry to have worried you, Thorn.
Why haven't you eaten anything?
-It makes me sick.
Why?
-I don't know! He snapped. And that is a disconcerting thought.
Indeed it is. Will you tell Eragon? And what about the lunch with King Orrin tomorrow?
-I'm not sure on any of those fronts. But I still wish to meet with the king.
Well, all I can say is get better.
-Thank you Thorn. I am sorry, again.
There is no reason to be sorry, rider. And then Thorn left to talk to Saphira about the matter of Dragon myths. They enjoyed shooting down the myths and scoffing at the ignorance of humans. Murtagh laughed to himself, thinking that Thorn had developed a crush on Saphira. Murtagh left the healers' quarters, much to their protest to go to the room Eragon had set up for him. It was adjacent to Eragon's room, so Murtagh would undoubtedly run into him. He was glad none of his friends were there when he woke up, because he did not feel like explaining. It made him feel vulnerable. He did not like to lie out his weaknesses on the table for everyone to see, like a display that everyone scrutinized. He tried to be as quiet as he could, but Eragon's heightened elf senses caught him. "Murtagh!" He shouted out. "How are you feeling? The healers let you go?"
Murtagh chuckled and replied, "Not exactly. I just left. That room is so dull. And I'm feeling fine, brother."
"Did you eat anything?" Eragon questioned, still concerned and unconvinced that Murtagh was fine. Murtagh sighed and chuckled again.
"Brother, you worry too much. I am fine. I ate some bread." He replied, but the worried look on Eragon's face did not go away. "Relax! You're going to hurt yourself one day. You always worry." He patted Eragon's shoulder reassuringly.
Eragon laughed and agreed. "I guess you're right. Ready to meet King Orrin?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Murtagh responded. "If you don't mind, I would much like to go to my room." Eragon nodded and let Murtagh go. Murtagh walked down the hallway and laughed a bit at his brother's apprehension. But something at the back of his mind gnawed at him. Was his brother's apprehension unjustified?
The maid jumped up and down with giddy delight. He had finally said his first word, and oh! How cute it was! His little baby voice was the sweetest thing, like music to her ears. And the first word he had said?
"Dragon?" He had said. He had said it like it was a question. And she thought it was the cutest thing ever. Not to mention, his first word was dragon. How exciting! She had said to herself. But something in the back of her mind thought that word was a curse of some sort. Did it mean he would be a slave to the king, like his father? But she was too caught up in the moment. She picked Murtagh up and smiled broadly as he giggled.
"Murtagh!" She cried happily. "You said your first word!" She did not expect to become to close with the son of the forsworn, but just because Murtagh was Morzan's son did not make him evil. He might just have been the sweetest baby she had ever seen. She was sure he would be nothing like Morzan. "That was so cute!" She hugged the baby as if he was her own, and knew that she was the only one that really loved him. She put the happy baby down on the floor, and abruptly, the happy moment ended.
Morzan kicked the door in and staggered around drunk. "Must you come around while drunk?" The maid asked.
"I can come around whenever I want. Murtagh is not your son." Morzan said. He didn't seem to be too drunk but he talked a bit slow.
"He's more my son than he is yours." She replied. This maid had a lot of guts, and would probably do anything to protect the sweet baby she loved so dearly. In a way, Murtagh was her son, and not Morzan's.
Morzan knocked the rather young woman to the floor and yelled at her. "Shut up. He's not yours in any way. Now, have you seen Selena lately?" The maid wondered if she should reply and decided too. She had to live in order to secure Murtagh's safety.
"No." She said flatly. "I haven't seen Selena in quite some time." It's a wonder you two even remember you have a son, she though to her self.
Murtagh grabbed his blanket and began to crawl away, but Morzan noticed and picked the small child up by his shirt. "And where do you think you're going?" Morzan whispered. His breath reeked of vodka and it made Murtagh crinkle his nose in disgust. "You don't want to say hello to daddy?" Murtagh squirmed, but he could not escape Morzan. The maid was about to tell Morzan to hold Murtagh correctly, but the door opened again.
Selena walked in. Her long blonde hair flowed behind her and her blue eyes shone brightly. She walked in and stood next to Morzan. "I didn't say you could leave the castle." Morzan said.
"I can visit Murtagh whenever I want." She replied. "You said I could." Morzan huffed and returned his attention to the squirming boy in his hand.
You barely come around! The maid yelled at Selena silently. She held such a hate for Morzan and Selena. To leave Murtagh like this and not feel guilty? But she thought sickly, Well, then I can have Murtagh to myself. Selena snatched Murtagh from Morzan, a little too brutally and explained to Morzan how to properly hold a baby. Even though Selena did not visit Murtagh often, she liked her little son. Morzan just did not let her leave the castle often. Undoubtedly, she did not love Murtagh as much as the maid did, but that was because she rarely saw him.
"Dragon!" The little boy blurted out. Pride welled up in the maid. Selena giggled and smiled at her son and Morzan smiled a twisted smile. Selena held him for a few minutes longer, and then Morzan snatched the baby away and sloppily let him back to the ground. He almost tripped over Murtagh, kicking his son. Selena and the maid gasped as Murtagh began his quiet, gentle crying.
"What a wimp." Morzan laughed. "I just kicked him on accident." The maid picked up Murtagh as she tried to comfort him while Selena shoved Morzan out the door and hugged her baby before she left, with a little bit of forced love.
That night, Murtagh had nightmares of Morzan invading his mind.
He saw the leader of the Varden sitting alone on the stone bench in the garden. He tried to call out to her, but his voice had disappeared. He watched her back and tried to move, but he was cemented to the ground. He watched as her shoulders heaved up and down. Was she crying? As if to answer his question, she turned around and he saw tears streaming down her cheeks. A scream erupted from her mouth as she dropped dead and Murtagh heard the evil cackle of his father.
"Watch her fall." The demented voice came.
Murtagh just looked on in horror as the flowers died and the stone benches crumbled. The room lost color and soon it was just a lifeless chasm.
A/N Yeah so this is kind of filler-y. Sorry about that, but it should be…actually…okay well I'll try not to make fillers! But we're getting to more important parts!