Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of places in this story, they belong to Christopher Paolinin
For those of you who liked Tornac, this is the chapter were he returns! Hold on because Murtagh is heading in a totally different direction. It was hinted at in the last chapter. Here we go….
Murtagh pulled back his bow and attempted to take aim.
"Lower your elbow Murtagh." Tornac reprimanded. Murtagh did as he was told and lowered it slightly. The little boy took a deep breath and let the arrow fly. Murtagh glared when it missed the target.
"It's ok Murtagh try again." Tornac said soothingly. Tornac watched as the little boy stomped over to retrieve his arrow. Ever since Selena had left Murtagh had been stuck in a permanent bad mood. Not that it surprised him. Tornac had no idea what Selena had been thinking when she had left her son. When the boy had returned Tornac walked over to him,
"Try to keep the bow straight until the arrow hits the target. If you move it down immediately after you shoot it affects were the arrow lands." He advised. Murtagh glared,
"It has to actually hit the target first." Suddenly the boy stiffened and his eyes narrowed. Tornac turned to see the source of the boys sudden unease. A man with a deep booming voice was coming into the court yard. Tornac marveled at the boy's acute hearing.
"It's alright Murtagh, it's not him." The boy nodded but didn't relax. Another change in the boy Tornac didn't agree with; Murtagh was becoming constantly tense, always checking over his shoulder for his father. Murtagh took aim again, breathed in deeply, released the arrow, and missed. The boy yet out a furious yell and threw the bow as hard as he could.
"I HATE this!" he screamed. "Why can't that stupid arrow go into the target?! Why aren't I good enough?!" Murtagh's face was flushed and tears were filling his eyes. Tornac didn't know what to do. He knew it wasn't the archery that was bothering the boy.
"Murtagh," he started out slowly, "Your just starting, you can't expect to be perfect." Murtagh whipped away his tears angrily.
"I should be! I have t be! If I'm not…" he trailed off. Tornac new what the boy was about to say, If I'm not perfect he will never stop hurting me. Although Murtagh never said anything, Tornac new were all Murtagh's bruises came from. It made him sick just to think about it; how could anyone be so cruel? He couldn't imagine what Morzan would do when he found out Selena had left. Thank the gods he hadn't returned from his mission for the king.
Tornac sighed and walked over the Murtagh. He gently placed his hand on Murtagh's shoulder. The boy flinched at the action.
"Murtagh, I think we need to have a talk." He said calmly.
"I'm fine" The boy said.
"No your not."
"Yes I am!"
"No, your not!"
"YES I AM!" Murtagh screamed. The boy's little hands were balled into fists and he was shaking.
"Murtagh," Tornac never got to finish his sentence. Murtagh mustered up all the energy he could and threw a punch at Tornac's face. Tornac hadn't been expecting hit, he wasn't prepared. The child's fist landed on firmly on the man's nose, making it start to bleed. Tornac jumped back in surprise and swore loudly. Murtagh took off across the court yard…
Murtagh ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. Tornac would be furious with him; Tornac would hurt him, Murtagh just knew it. He finally stopped when he reached the stables and hurried to the hay loft. The child curled into a small ball behind a bale of hay. He started to shake violently as tears tried to escape him-but he wouldn't let them, he wouldn't show weakness. Instead he started to scream, he screamed and started to thrash around; trying to let out the pain he was feeling, trying to let it go.
Tornac hurried to were he knew Murtagh had run to. The scent of horses engulfed him as he stepped into the stables. This was were Murtagh always went when he was upset, this time would be no different. Tornac ran up to hay loft as he heard screaming. He pushed threw the hay furiously till he found the source of the screaming. Tornac quickly dropped to his knees beside the thrashing child.
"NO! No no no no no!" the boy was saying repeatedly.
"Murtagh! Murtagh can you hear me?" he said. The boy froze and curled into a little ball. His big eyes stared up at Tornac in fear.
"Oh Murtagh." The man said. He slowly reached for the boy and pulled him into a hug. Murtagh stiffened at the action, never having been hugged by a man before. Tornac vaguely sent a curse to Morzan for never showing any affection towards his son.
"Murtagh it's alright, I'm not going to hurt you." He whispered.
"I punched you." The boy whimpered.
"Yes, you did." Tornac said as he started to rub Murtagh's back soothingly.
"You're not mad at me?" Murtagh asked quietly.
"I'm a little upset, but I'm not mad." Murtagh didn't respond for a few seconds.
"I'm sorry." He muttered. Tornac pulled the child back and looked into the boy's face.
"What is bothering you? Why are you acting this way?" Murtagh looked away.
"It's about her isn't it? It's about your mother." Murtagh's eyes darkened, suddenly Tornac saw Morzan looking back up at him. But as soon as he saw it, it was gone.
"Why did she leave me here?!" he said angrily.
"I know its hard to think that she didn't stay here with you; that she left and might not be coming back but," Murtagh cut him off his eyes glittering,
"She is coming back." He said confidently.
"Murtagh," Tornac began.
"She is! She told me so! She said she would be back!" Tornac was shocked; the boy knew Selena was leaving?
"Why didn't she take me with her?! Why couldn't we both go and never come back?!" the child demanded. The boy started to shake again, his anguish struggling to break free.
"It's alright to cry Murtagh." Tornac said.
"No its not. Crying is showing weakness." Tornac gaped at the child.
"Murtagh, it's natural to cry. It is how we release our pain." He said soothingly.
"No! It is a weakness that is unacceptable."
Tornac rubbed his head wearily. It had been almost a year since Selena had disappeared and she hadn't returned. Neither had, thankfully, Morzan. But Murtagh's sudden changes at his mother's departure were steadily growing worse. He was prone to get frustrated at his disabilities. He would throw tantrums then often resulted Murtagh in the stables. The child was also devolving a violent streak. But Tornac wouldn't give up on the boy; he couldn't. He had grown to love Murtagh as his own son. He couldn't bare to see all the pain the boy was forced to live with each day. He was just leaving from Murtagh's room after delivering the sleeping child from a stable hand. Will he ever learn to live with himself? Tornac thought sadly. He was so deep in thought he didn't noticed the person leaning against the wall until he ran into them.
"I'm sorry I didn't see you there." He stopped his apology and stared at the woman he had run into. "My lady!" he cried. Selena wearily stood and looked at him.
"Tornac." She greeted quietly. The relief he felt at seeing her alive was replaced with resentment as he remembered what her absence had done to his "son".
"You have a lot to answer for my lady." He said coldly.
"I know I do." She said sadly.
That's a bit long, or at least it felt like it. This chapter was supposed to keep going till Selena died, but I decided that would take too long, so I cut it in half. What do you all think? Do you like were murtagh is heading, or do you want him to go back towards the "innocent child". Also I need your opinions! Im kinda tired of writing about Little Murtagh. I Want to move on to a slightly older Murtagh after the next chapter, I was thinking 10ish, what do YOU guys think?
Please PLEASE Review!
