Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or places. They belong to Chris Paolini.

Selena shivered under her blankets. Her body was freezing; she thought it would consume her. She had multiple heavy blankets wrapped around her, but nothing helped. Her breaths were shallow and quick. She could feel her heart beeting furiously against her chest. The door to her bed room opened slowly and a maid walked in holding a steaming cup on tea.

"Drink this miss. It will warm you up." She said, handing it to Selena. Selena carefully sipped the tea. Shortly after her return, Selena had taken ill. None of the healers seemed to know what was wrong with her, for her illness constantly changed. What had started out as a stomach virus turned into a cold. A cold turned into the flu, and the flu had turned into something entirely new. The nurse pressed her palm to Selena's sweaty forehead.

"Your fever doesn't seem to have gone away." She said sadly. You think? Selena thought as the maid went to her window.

"Perhaps some fresh air will do you some good." She said as she opened the window. Selena breathed in the fresh air and sighed. The maid smiled and looked down into the courtyard, clearly visible from the window, and watched two figures mock fighting. One, she could tell, was just a child. Selena's child. Selena's child who had refused to see his mother since her return.

Murtagh's brow was furrowed with concentration. Tornac would circle the boy making attempts to get past Murtagh's defenses. Tornac had to admit, the child was good. But on more then one occasion, Tornac could have sworn that it was a miniature Morzan he was "fighting". For that reason, Tornac had refrained from teaching Murtagh offensive techniques. He smiled slightly as the boy blocked a side attack with ease. Suddenly changing his tactics, Tornac jumped around behind Murtagh and made a stab at his back.

"Dead." He said. Murtagh turned around and glared at Tornac.

"That's not fare." He said sourly.

"Your opponent won't be fare either." Murtagh nodded. His eyes started to wonder and landed on something behind Tornac's head. Tornac followed his gaze. He sighed when he realized were Murtagh was looking.

"Maybe you should go see her." He said as he started to walk away.

"Maybe I don't want to." Murtagh said as he followed Tornac.

"Murtagh, your mother is very sick. It might do her some good for her to see you."

"Well she can see me when she gets better. She can see me when she comes to me." Murtagh said defiantly. Tornac rubbed his head warily. He wasn't sure how to tell Murtagh this. He had heard the healers talking. They didn't think Selena was going to last much longer.

"Murtagh, your mother isn't going to get better." He said. Murtagh's head snapped up to him so quick Tornac thought his neck had snapped.

"What do you mean she's not going to get better? Of coarse she will!"

"No, she won't." Tornac sat walked a stunned Murtagh over to a bench and sat him down.

"Murtagh, the healers don't know what is wrong with your mother. They think, well they think she is going to die." Murtagh's eyes went wide.

"Mom's gona die." He whispered. Tornac nodded. The boy shot up and started to run. Tornac didn't follow him. Murtagh needed to see his mother alone.

Selena's head turned as her door burst open. Murtagh entered her room and ran to her bedside.

"You're not going to die mother, please say you're not going to die!" he sobbed. Selena sighed and reached out to caress her child's face. His little hands wrapped around hers as his eyes filled with tears.

"I don't know little one." She said sadly. Murtagh climbed into her bed and snuggled up to her.

"You can't die." He said quietly, "You won't die."

There was nothing that could have been done. That is what the healers told Morzan upon his return. He had walked calmly to Selena's room to see her lifeless body lying on the bed. He slowly walked over to her bed and kneeled beside it. Her carefully raised his hand and slid her eyelids shut. He sighed, she really was beautiful, even in death. He sensed movement behind him and jumped to his feet. He relaxed when he saw Murtagh curled up in the corner. The child was clutching to a necklace; one Morzan recognized as Selena's.

"Come here son." He said. Murtagh got to his feet and carefully approached his father. Morzan placed his hand on Murtagh's shoulder.

"You have to be strong Murtagh." He said in a detached tone.

"You need to be strong for her. It's what she would have wanted." Murtagh nodded.

"Good." Morzan said and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Come, you should get some sleep." He guided Murtagh out the room. As he was about to cross the threshold, Morzan paused and glanced back once more at Selena's body. Had he ever loved her? Had he ever truly loved her?

No, he had not. He decided and left with Murtagh's hand firmly in his.

The end. No Im j/k. Since this part is too short to be a chapter, We are going ahead to when Murtagh is older. While writing that bit up there, I was attacked by a plague of plot bunnies so expect the next few chapters to be interesting….

Tornac walked nervously towards Morzan's personal study; his legs shaking slightly. He had been requested, no ordered, to see Morzan immediately. All the color had drained out of his face when the servant had delivered the news. Everyone he had come across seemed to give him an eerie look, like he was a dead man walking. No one who had ever been called to Morzan's study had ever been seen again; or at least that's what the rumors said. Tornac shook his head; they were just stories. Or at least he hoped they were. Finally he arrived in front of the large oak doors. He barely noticed the intricate carving that adorned the door as he stared at it. His mind was screaming at him to turn and run, but his feet wouldn't move. He raised his hand.

"Just do it." He muttered. He knocked twice.

"Enter." He heard Morzan say from inside. Tornac opened the door and walked inside. The room was lit up by a giant window that faced the east. Sun light streamed in; but it did little to release the threatening atmosphere. Morzan sat behind a desk, his feet propped up on top of the desk. He was leaning on the back two legs of his chair, and a content smile graced his lips. They stayed that like for what seemed like an eternity. Finally Tornac mustered up the courage to say something.

"Sir?" he said. Morzan seemed to come out of a trance.

"Ah, yes." He said he took his feet down and shuffled some papers on his desk, was he embarrassed?

"I was just having a conversation with my dragon. I forgot you were here." He said quickly. Tornac gaped at him. He was talking with his dragon? There wasn't a dragon to be seen, how they be communicating? Tornac shook his head; the magic of dragon riders was none of his business.

"Tornac I have called you here to tell you that we are taking an extended trip to Uru'baen."

"We?" Tornac said, making sure he had heard right.

"Yes we. Myself, Murtagh, and you."

"May I ask why we are taking this trip?" Morzan frowned.

"The king's daughter's birthday." He said sourly.

"The king had a daughter?" Tornac said incredulously

"That's what everyone else's response was. But apparently she's adopted; No woman involved."

"When do we leave?" Tornac asked.

"Tomorrow. Get Murtagh ready." Morzan gave a look that clearly told Tornac, "You are dismissed" and Tornac quickly left the room.

Muragh's door was locked when Tornac reached it. He bagged on the door, calling for Murtagh to open it. There was no response. Tornac sighed.

"Murtagh if you don't open this door in 5 seconds I will ram it down!" he yelled.

"One." No response.

"Two." Tornac stood back.

"Three." He heard the lock click. He rushed forward and opened the door. Murtagh was heading back to a chair by the window. The ten year old picked up a book and sat himself down to finish reading it.

"Why was that door locked?" Tornac demanded.

"Why do you think people lock their doors? They don't want to be disturbed." Tornac glared at Murtagh.

"Don't talk to me like that young man." He said sternly.

"Right, sorry." Murtagh mumbled. Tornac started to mutter angrily under his breath. In his opinion, Murtagh was a 20 year old trapped in a ten year old's body. He had developed an attitude and sarcasm was second nature to him. The boy was also vastly mature for his age. He wasn't a whiney spoiled brat that most noble's kid where at this age. He took responsibility for his actions and new to what was taking things too far. Physically the boy had changed drastically. His body, while not fully developed, was fit for a ten year olds body. His once light brown hair was now turning almost black from the lack of sunlight for the boy was always inside reading. Instead of it being neatly cut on his head, he was letting grow down to his ears. But Tornac couldn't tell the boy how to wear his hair, or what to do for that matter; unless he had the authority of Morzan behind his words. This was one of those times.

"Murtagh, your father wishes me to inform you that the three of us are going on a trip." Murtagh jumped to his feet, eagerness all over his face.

"I am going somewhere?! I am actually going to leave this place!" Tornac laughed at Murtagh's reaction.

"Slow down boy, you don't even know were we are going." He quickly explained the trip to Murtagh. By the end the boy had slunk back into his chair.

"So I am being forced to go to some little brat's birthday?" he said slowly.

"Not just you Murtagh. From your father's tone, this was something he did not agree to either." Suddenly a look of horror overcame the child's face.

"I am going to have to meet the king, aren't I?"

"I am afraid so." Murtagh scowled.

"When are we going?"

"Tomorrow." Tornac heard Murtagh swear under his breath.

"Hey! Watch your mouth young man!"

Haha bad Murtagh. Next chapter things are going to really heat up. Besides meeting the king's daughter who may or may not become a big character, Murtagh is going to see some real action……..evil grin

Sora-Morikawa- Tornac got to fly on his own a little in this chapter. I hope you liked it!

Alsdssg- Ya I kinda wanted it to seem that way. But as Murtagh gets older, Tornac's going to have a harder time controlling him. I hinted at that in this chapter.

-Bista- Im glad you like this. Though I highly suggest you read Eldest. If people like this story enough at the end of it, there might be a sequel. hint hint and you will have needed to read Eldest to get it. Plus half the stories around her are during/after Eldest. Ya I saw the movie. I didn't think too highly of it though was ready to hunt down director

Tiger Priestess- Oh wow, I didn't even relies I did exactly what you said I should do till after I went back and re-checked the reviews. ;)

LoNnI- All the time? It took three days to write this chapter! The first day i got tired of writing and stopped, the second day I was so exhausted I thought I would fall asleep at the key board and obviously the last day.  Im glad you like this!

Shadow ShiningPalm- Hardly innocent indeed. Well Selena is gone, so you cant be mad at her anymore. But if she hadn't done what she did, the story of "Eragon" would have very different.

Cornelia Claire Chase- I guess he was cute. I just cant wait till I get to the part when he hits his teenage years.