He looked blankly at the ground, his eyes where unforced, he couldn’t even think straight. His mind felt clouded over like he had a veil over it making it so he couldn’t think right.

He felt an unbearable pain shoot through his body out of nowhere. It felt like he was being drilled through in his stomach with a red-hot poker. He closed his eyes surprised that he had the strength for it.

Someone grabbed his chin and pushed his head up making him come face-to-face with a dark green eye. The man had a wicked smirk along his face, his eyes filled with hate, and his breath was sank.

“Murtagh,” the man said slowly with a laugh. “This is a great honor for me, you know that.”

Murtagh hardly heard the man’s voice because he was still dazed from the pain.

“It seems you don’t know,” he replied when Murtagh gave no answer. “It’s because you’re the Rider,” the man said rider with hate and glared at Murtagh with more intensity.

“I should have been the rider, but no when I touched the egg it did nothing, and then you touch it.” He shook his head as if to relieve himself of the thoughts. “Sure you’re the son of Morzan, but you’re a weak pitiful being of a human.”

“And your better,” Murtagh said finally able to speak again.

“By far,” snapped the man.

Murtagh laughed his voice hoarse and harsh, “Minger.”

“How dare you,” the man said his face taking on anger mixed in with the hate. “You little bast…”

“Say what you will, you can do no worst to me then what the king has done,” Murtagh laughed again.

The man yelled out, “Malthinae! Brisingr!”

Blue fire that didn’t burn streaked around Murtagh’s body, Murtagh gritted his teeth together, he could feel the screams wanting to come out, but Murtagh held them at bay not wanting to be weak in front of this fool. Murtagh laid on the stone floor, pain that he hadn’t even thought possible was washing over this entire body.

Suddenly the burning pain stopped Murtagh looked up at the man, the man had a big yellow toothed grin upon his ugly face.

“This is what you get for not killing the other traitor rider and his dragon.” The man turned on his heel and went to the thick door with a small widow with bars. The man turned back and said hatefully, “I would have killed that wanker with ease if I were you,” the man turned and just before he left he shouted out.

“Brisingr!”

Murtagh collapsed limply in a heap, and let out a scream, the fire was even more burning then last time.

Make the fire stop! Murtagh whimpered, make it stop! Murtagh realized it wouldn’t stop until the man said the words to make it stop. He cursed inside his head then thought, he is a chav, rotter, skunk, crumb, and git!

The pain stopped then, Murtagh laid there not moving, he waited he wanted to make sure the pain wouldn’t return. It didn’t return.

Thorn, he called out with his mind.

There came no response. Murtagh called again, but Thorn said nothing. Murtagh’s link with Thorn’s mind was weak at best right now, Murtagh knew Thorn was being tortured as he had just been.

Murtagh sat up, surprised that he could do it, he looked around not that there was much to see. He was in King Galbatorix’s castle, the king’s castle was made of stone, and the windows on the wall where of course barred since Murtagh was in the prison.

He was in here for not successfully killing Eragon. Or Saphira. I should have killed Eragon and Saphira when I had the change!

You seem to forget that Eragon was your friend and he is your brother, came Thorn’s mind finally talking to Murtagh.

I know, Murtagh replied grimly, but what of you and I, do you not care if we our punished?

Of course I do master Murtagh, but it is not as simple as that, Eragon and you where close, where you not?

Murtagh grunted in agreement, if it where not for your oath’s to the king, and mine, we would never have done such things. I’m certain we could have joined Eragon and Saphira, but alas dear rider we are cursed to this fate.

And that means we must kill them regardless of what feels we may or may not have towards them, Murtagh finished.

And that is your reasoning for being cold and trying to forget everything that had happened with you and them, Thorn concluded.

Murtagh made no reply and both where silent deep in there own thoughts for sometime.

Thorn?

Yes, master?

Tell me, why is it us and not Eragon and Saphira who have this fate, why couldn’t it have been me who had the simpler life, who could be free?

That question you know I can not answer, master Murtagh, Thorn muttered falling silent once more.