"I've found a place as far as I can see this place lies within the depths of my dreams."
About this quote, I've actually had a few people ask me where I got it from and I can swear I put it at the bottom of the chapter. When I looked, I hadn't so I felt really dumb and slightly evil. The line comes from a song by "Escape The Fate" and it's called "My Apocalypse".
Enjoy!
The city of Magdalina was incredibly dirty with crooked houses that teetered precariously over the streets crammed together and a god-awful stench festering in the air. Stalls selling various items and trinkets were slotted between the leaning houses and yells of "Coom an' baah yer luvleh apples 'ere!" or "Impress yer missus wi' this lurvley neckuhluhce!" floated up to the couple as the drifted past. Occasionally, a grubby child would wave up at them then an equally filthy mother or sister would usher them inside. It was a sorry excuse for a city in Murtagh's opinion. Even Galbatorix would have seen to it that his subjects were treated better.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the rider lounged on a bed in one of Lord Dewhurst's many grand guest-rooms. His headache had almost completely disappeared and his appetite had been appeased. He had spent the day reading and snoozing in one of the luscious green lawns that surrounded the grand manor house while he regained his health. Of course, now he was bored.
Despite a faint hammering in the back of his skull, he felt perfectly fine. Or at least, he felt well enough to do something more active than nothing.
He groaned and tossed aside the leather tome in his hand, wincing when it landed with a dull "thud" on the floorboards. He relaxed into the silk pillows, sat back up and ruffled his hair with a dull glaze in his chocolate eyes. Why, in such a magnificent place, was there absolutely naught to do? In fact, where had Thorn disappeared off to? And Jinxx? Where was everyone?
He swung his legs off the side of the bed and his body followed, making him land in a crumpled heap by the hand-sewn bed sheets. He cursed under his breath and rose steadily. With uneven steps, due to his headache, he stumbled over to the wash basin and splashed cool water on his face to wake him up slightly.
He glanced up in the ornate mirror and his mouth dropped. He hadn't seen his reflection in weeks and hadn't realised how grubby he looked. He washed his face thoroughly then glanced up again to let out a yelp. His eyes were sunk back into pasty skin, black rimming them due to (what he hoped was) lack of sleep, a beard had started grown which gave him a wild appearance and his nose looked crooked as though it had been broken. He set about returning himself to his former-glory.
A knock on the oak door sent the razor in his hands sliding sideways and cutting his cheek, "Enter." He hissed, licking his finger to press it against the slash on his cheek.
The door was pushed open to see the doctor who had treated him earlier, "You look much better Murtagh!" He didn't remember exchanging names with the doctor earlier so he merely nodded in acknowlegdement, "I'm sorry I didn't check on you earlier but the lord has kept you under lock and key." The elderly man hobbled forward, "Rather jealously I might add."
Murtagh's eyebrow rose, "Hn." He grunted and pressed a clean towel to his neck. "I suppose that's why I haven't had any visitors."
"Aye. Your wife and your uh… Your wife has been anxious to see you all day." He chuckled, "Well, not exactly see, more feel you." He snorted, miming crashing into something blindly.
"She isn't my wife." Murtagh muttered darkly, angered by the mocking tone and actions the doctor had adopted, "She's my…" He paused, just what was Jinxx to him? She was more than a travelling companion yet not a lover, and he could hardly call her a friend because he felt as though he was under-appreciating her. "That doesn't matter anyway, If you're here, I wish to see her and Thorn."
"If that thing is not your wife, she is not allowed near the manor. I will have preparations made so that she will return to the camp outside the walls. Or, if she's lucky, one of the residents in the village will care for her. Although, who would want such a burden is beyond me." The last sentence he muttered to himself but Murtagh still heard it loud and clear. It was then he realised he should have attempted to find her earlier.
"She's my fiancée." Murtagh blurted out quickly, rage clouding his thoughts, "Engaged to be married next spring." The doctor squeaked and stopped his display of rude comments towards Jinxx, his face turning red.
"Oh. Congratulations." The disgust, however, could not be concealed no matter how ashamed the doctor felt. "I shall have i- uh her brought up here immediately." With that, he left with scarlet cheeks.
The door had barely swung shut when it opened again and Jinxx stumbled in. She looked cleaner than she did the last time Murtagh saw her, and different. She looked as though she would have been more comfortable in one of Galbatorix's masquerades: she wore an emerald dress which consisted of two parts- a tight-laced corset and a large netted skirt; a jade mask on a stick with tiny golden leaves hand-sewn around the edges and vines winding up the stick was clutched in her hands; and her auburn curls had been pulled into an elegant bun. She righted herself and took a step forward, tripping over the skirt again and dropping the ornate mask.
Murtagh rushed to her assistance, "You look beautiful." She didn't reply, she merely flung her arms around his chest and embraced him tightly. After a moment of shock, he let his hands drop to her lower waist in a half-hearted hug-like gesture.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled into his chest, "I should have left, this was all my fault."
Murtagh didn't bother to speak to her as she sobbed quietly into his chest; he merely rubbed her back and ignored the stain he knew would be left when she finally pulled away. For a while he wondered why she was crying then decided it must be due to the fact he hardly saw anyone with any kind of disability before. In fact, he had never seen anyone like her.
Realising that others weren't as accepting as Thorn and himself, who were similar to Jinxx in their own way, he began to croon the lullaby his mother used to sing to him as a child;
"Come with me
And take my hand
I'll lead you to
A wonderland
A world that's free
Of hate and lies
Where beauty lives
And evil dies
Relax your mind
And close your eyes"
He paused, forgetting the rest of the song due to how he would almost immediately fall asleep after Selena opened her mouth. In fact, he was proud that he had remembered as much of it as he had. While serenading the elf in his arms, he had begun to rock while singing into a sort of strange, unexpected and unorganised painfully slow dance. Jinxx's whimpers quickly ebbed into nothing and pressed against him as though he was her only hope of living. He hummed the rest of the tune while he tucked the top of her head under his chin.
"Murtagh?" Jinxx whispered tentatively after several long minutes of tuneless humming and revolving on the spot.
"Mmm?" He didn't want the peaceful moment to be ruined by some kind of strange comment.
"Do you love me?" The moment was ruined. Everything now depended on his answer. She was waiting patiently for an answer, peering up at him with wide, colourless eyes.
What could he say? He didn't want to hurt her feelings by saying no but then he couldn't bring himself to say yes in case he looked like an idiot. He couldn't concentrate due to the pounding of his heart in his ears; he wasn't in battle or in danger. He took a deep breath and felt her settle down against his bare chest. It surprised him how comfortable he felt being shirtless in front a woman; his tutor had scorned him into being decent in another's presence.
He let the silence settle and closed his eyes, letting his cheek press against her pointed ear before breathing out one word that was barely audible, "Yes."
The lyrics in this chapter, before I forget, are Blood On The Dance Floor's "My Gift And My Curse" because I have no musical talent whatsoever. Also, I know Jinxx seems Mary-Sueish but I couldn't find any way to write this without her being stupidly Mary-Suelike. I also know that Murtagh seems different, again, difficulties with writer's block. The doctor is different from the last chapter because, as I realised the other day, there are no disabled people in Eragon which has given me the idea to be exceptionally nasty to Jinxx and make it hard for her blindness to be accepted in society.
I do know that this seems to be moving rather fast but for them they've known each other 3/4 months and I will eventually find some way to slow everything down.