The door to the impressive great hall in Urû'baen and once again Murtagh walked into the hall with his head hung. Once again he was going to be punished. He already knew it. He always was going to be punished.
Rachel followed Eragon into the Varden central tent. Nasauda turned and nodded at them as they entered. They took their seats around the table with one egg laid in the middle of the ornate decorated centre.
The King stood up near the throne turned when the doors had closed. Murtagh was the only other human in the room; beneath the steps up to the throne.
"So Murtagh: You have been unsuccessful," said the dark king making the anticipation build for the unwilling servant, "Again."
Murtagh's teeth set on edge but kept himself silent.
"You didn't find the eggs after all the time that you had searched," Galbatorix continued. "Let us examine your memories."
Murtagh soundlessly gulped in fear of the memories the king would see. Damn why did he have to keep her safe or her company at all. Why did he need to be kind to strangers sometimes to make him feel better?
Suddenly his memories where whizzing by his face; painfully going from the start of the mission to meeting Rachel, from teaching her to the night in the town and from the ride back to the morning after. Then he heard Galbatorix roar in fury.
Rachel listened to Nasuada explain what had happened last week to the council and other important members of the rebel force. Nasduada had been very sympathetic to her situation and consoled her on what had happened. She had also been friends with Murtagh; Rachel had looked at Eragon and thanked him later for not mentioning how much his half-brother had meant.
Nasuada told the council about the mission and how Jömundur had gotten a rider's sword from somewhere and come back to the Varden a few days before Rachel had. One egg of the colour green that had been taken has already hatched for Arya the elf courier and the other egg that was left, this one being of the white variety that Eragon the first rider's dragon was, had not hatched and was in the centre of the table.
"How could you do this? You decided to waste your time to find the eggs and instead hook up with some girl- SOME SLUT!-"
"She's not a slut!" he shouted back to his master as his anger started to boil. Suddenly it didn't matter.
"Oh really Murtagh she's not, is she," answered Galbatorix with his voice dangerously controlled. "Well then we'll have to find her to attest that claim-"
"NO!" he roared and forced himself away from the king and to get out. The king dragged him back by magic and he clanged against the stone steps. A sickening crack was heard around his head.
Crack! The council members of the Varden looked at the centre of the table. Crack! Now they could see the break lines within the shell of the egg. Crack! And the pieces scattered around the table and a small webbed and bony wing emerged. Crack! And feet appeared out of the egg and scrambled out of its old home. The dragon hatchling looked around and stared at its audience it walked around in a circle and got a bit dizzy. Then it moved out of the centre of the table towards Eragon. He moved his face down to meet the small dragons.
"Where's your rider then?" he asked quietly. The dragon's pure white eyes connected with his then looked to Eragon's right. Right into Rachel's eyes. The dragon stumbled towards her and she got on her knees.
"Wow there," she muttered, giggling a little. She tentatively reached her left hand towards the dragon hatchling and the small creature stretched his head to reach her. Icy energy surged up her arm and she gasped silently as it burned and spread instantly to every other part of her body.
Murtagh felt a familiar icy energy burn his body like when he had bonded to Thorn. He flitted out of unconsciousness and then back out of consciousness. He saw her face again and he felt peaceful somehow even though she had abandoned him. He fell asleep and closed of his mind like he hadn't been able to do in months and dreamed of a blue, green, red and white dragon flying in the sky together with their riders.
Rachel looked at her hand and saw a misshaped oval shape forming on her palm. She saw his face as he opened his eyes. His grey eyes stared at hers and stood out through his dark brown hair and crimson blood pooling a little around his head like a bloody halo. His eyes closed and he slept with dried and drying blood matted and matting in his locks.
She promised herself that she would help him. She then looked at the dragon- her dragon- and smiled as she scooped it into her arms to cradle it. She looked to Eragon and he smiled then looked into her eyes. He nodded. He would be there with her. He would help. They would win the war and they would help Murtagh. They had to.