Categories > Books > Eragon > Murtagh's Cage 3
Chapter 2
Murtagh sat up straight on the wooden stool, 'Wait that's a thought, why shouldn't I be mean back to Father when he's mean to me? What's stopping me?' Murtagh though briefly of what his Father could do to him if he tried to attack him. Murtagh shivered and steeled himself, 'I will try, whether he punishes me or not!' Murtagh thought determined.
Murtagh hopped lightly off the stool, put his foot into a small crack in the stone wall and launched himself up onto the Windowsill that led to the Outside World.
Murtagh stood on his tiptoes and reached up to grab the small metal hook slightly above the window. Murtagh pulled himself up and put his foot on a slightly outcropping of Stone in the Palace walls, Murtagh continued to climb all the way up to the top of the wall.
As he planted his feet firmly on the other side of the wall he remembered the first time he had found the way up to the top of the wall, Murtagh laughed (quietly as so not to wake up the sleeping Guards) at how he had slipped at the top and had almost fallen to his Death if it not for a moderatley clever Guard who had rescued him. Not out of kindness but out of fear of what the King would do to him if Morzan's son Died.
Murtagh continued on his way down the boring grey stone of the Palace. He crept silently down the wooden stairs and took the first door to the right, coming to some more stairs, Murtagh went down those also. The stairs never seemed to end, Murtagh eventually reached the muddy soil of the Ground floor. Murtagh glanced around the Gatehouse, slumbering Guards snuffled and turned over on the Muddy floor. Murtagh smiled to himself and ran as quietly as he could through the looming archway above him and down to the City below. Tall, straight, sharp buildings rose out of the ground and towered over the smaller parts of the slums. Murtagh walked quickly through the deserted back alley and turned round the corner and leant against the wall next to a moldy wooden door. Murtagh caught his breath and waited for the door to open. Shadows crept out from under the eaves of the slums as the mauve sun set in the West. The setting of the sun plunged the world into darkness, and a harsh wind tore about the streets, making Murtagh shiver.
Finally the door opened, a woman dressed in blue robes, with black spangles covering her robes, making her jingle as she walked, stood in the doorway, she looked back for a second and smiled. Then hurried away into the night, before the door shut, Murtagh slipped in and wound his way to the back of the room,ignoring the looks he was getting from Tornac's wife.
"He's not here." Slei said coldly, walking up behind him and putting a firm hand on his shoulder, twisting him round to face the door.
"He is, I know he is!" Murtagh cried defiantly twisting under her grip, trying to turn around and go into the Study that lay beyond the grey curtain hiding it from prying eyes.
"He is not." Slei said again harshly, steering him towards the door.
A stern voice came from behind the struggling boy and the mean woman, "Let him go, Slei. You know full well that I am here!" Slei reluctantly let Murtagh go and Murtagh grinned at Tornac.
"Come, let us talk in the Study." Tornac said once again smiling at Murtagh, Murtagh eagerly stepped into the Study and sat down in hsi favourite chair.
The chair creaked as Murtagh sat down into the soft fabric, "Well, what did you want to talk to me about? Has your Father been hitting you again?"
Murtagh shook his head and spoke up, "No, no. I wanted to ask how to be mean to my Father without him punishing me!"
The smile fell from Tornac's face and he grew serious, his frown deepened as he spoke, "Are you absolutely sure? It could be dangerous. I'm not sure I should be tipping you on how to secretly annoy your Father."
Murtagh quickly said, "I don't care, tell me."
"It is not something that I just tell you and you do it. We have to make a plan." Tornac explained patiently, to the shuffling child on the soft chair by the window.
Murtagh leant forward as Tornac asked him questions on what Murtagh knew about irritating his Father, Murtagh replied with ease and found that plan making was incredibly easy and fun.
2 weeks later
Murtagh jumped down from the windowsill and glanced around, Murtagh's Father, Morzan turned over in his sleep and Murtagh froze. Murtagh let out a sigh of relief and crept over to the far wall, Murtagh stopped at the wall and looked up at his Father's sword. He could only just touch the tip of the irridescent red sword, Murtagh pushed up on the tip and the Sword teetered on the edge of the nail it was hanging on. Murtagh pushed harder and the sword flew off the nail and landed with a crash onto the floor.
Murtagh turned his head quickly to look at Morzan, Morzan leapt out of bed, and looked at his sword, and then at Murtagh. Morzan smirked and Murtagh took a cautious step backwards, "Stay where you are!" Morzan snapped, picking up his sword and unsheathing it.
Murtagh looked up at his supposed Father and smiled, for he had once heard some-one say, "Smile, it confuses people." For some reason it didn't seem to work on his Father, it seemed to make him more angry not confused.
"Stop smiling and turn around." Morzan ordered sharply.
It was Murtagh who was confused now, he was about to ask why when he realised it might just make his punishment even worse than it already was.
Morzan ran the tip of his sword down his son's back, almost tickling Murtagh, Murtagh stifled a laugh and stepped out of the way of the sword, Morzan leant down and hised in his son's ear, "If you ever come in here, under any circumstances, I will slice your head from your shoulders and feed you slice by slice to Shruikan. Meet me tomorrow at 5am in the Throne Room. I have a surprise for you."
Murtagh turned around and bowed his head before jumping swiftly back out of the window, Morzan grinned, "That boy won't know what's hit him!" Morzan said quietly laughing at his own idea for Murtagh's punishment. It had taken him, 5 whole days to think of it and he agreed with Galbortrix, it was a good punishment, no a scary punishment! When Galbortrix had told him, his son was planning to get back at him, Morzan had realised that Murtagh might not be as much like his Mother as he had thought. That was the day, he and Galbortrix had planned Murtagh's future.
Murtagh sat up straight on the wooden stool, 'Wait that's a thought, why shouldn't I be mean back to Father when he's mean to me? What's stopping me?' Murtagh though briefly of what his Father could do to him if he tried to attack him. Murtagh shivered and steeled himself, 'I will try, whether he punishes me or not!' Murtagh thought determined.
Murtagh hopped lightly off the stool, put his foot into a small crack in the stone wall and launched himself up onto the Windowsill that led to the Outside World.
Murtagh stood on his tiptoes and reached up to grab the small metal hook slightly above the window. Murtagh pulled himself up and put his foot on a slightly outcropping of Stone in the Palace walls, Murtagh continued to climb all the way up to the top of the wall.
As he planted his feet firmly on the other side of the wall he remembered the first time he had found the way up to the top of the wall, Murtagh laughed (quietly as so not to wake up the sleeping Guards) at how he had slipped at the top and had almost fallen to his Death if it not for a moderatley clever Guard who had rescued him. Not out of kindness but out of fear of what the King would do to him if Morzan's son Died.
Murtagh continued on his way down the boring grey stone of the Palace. He crept silently down the wooden stairs and took the first door to the right, coming to some more stairs, Murtagh went down those also. The stairs never seemed to end, Murtagh eventually reached the muddy soil of the Ground floor. Murtagh glanced around the Gatehouse, slumbering Guards snuffled and turned over on the Muddy floor. Murtagh smiled to himself and ran as quietly as he could through the looming archway above him and down to the City below. Tall, straight, sharp buildings rose out of the ground and towered over the smaller parts of the slums. Murtagh walked quickly through the deserted back alley and turned round the corner and leant against the wall next to a moldy wooden door. Murtagh caught his breath and waited for the door to open. Shadows crept out from under the eaves of the slums as the mauve sun set in the West. The setting of the sun plunged the world into darkness, and a harsh wind tore about the streets, making Murtagh shiver.
Finally the door opened, a woman dressed in blue robes, with black spangles covering her robes, making her jingle as she walked, stood in the doorway, she looked back for a second and smiled. Then hurried away into the night, before the door shut, Murtagh slipped in and wound his way to the back of the room,ignoring the looks he was getting from Tornac's wife.
"He's not here." Slei said coldly, walking up behind him and putting a firm hand on his shoulder, twisting him round to face the door.
"He is, I know he is!" Murtagh cried defiantly twisting under her grip, trying to turn around and go into the Study that lay beyond the grey curtain hiding it from prying eyes.
"He is not." Slei said again harshly, steering him towards the door.
A stern voice came from behind the struggling boy and the mean woman, "Let him go, Slei. You know full well that I am here!" Slei reluctantly let Murtagh go and Murtagh grinned at Tornac.
"Come, let us talk in the Study." Tornac said once again smiling at Murtagh, Murtagh eagerly stepped into the Study and sat down in hsi favourite chair.
The chair creaked as Murtagh sat down into the soft fabric, "Well, what did you want to talk to me about? Has your Father been hitting you again?"
Murtagh shook his head and spoke up, "No, no. I wanted to ask how to be mean to my Father without him punishing me!"
The smile fell from Tornac's face and he grew serious, his frown deepened as he spoke, "Are you absolutely sure? It could be dangerous. I'm not sure I should be tipping you on how to secretly annoy your Father."
Murtagh quickly said, "I don't care, tell me."
"It is not something that I just tell you and you do it. We have to make a plan." Tornac explained patiently, to the shuffling child on the soft chair by the window.
Murtagh leant forward as Tornac asked him questions on what Murtagh knew about irritating his Father, Murtagh replied with ease and found that plan making was incredibly easy and fun.
2 weeks later
Murtagh jumped down from the windowsill and glanced around, Murtagh's Father, Morzan turned over in his sleep and Murtagh froze. Murtagh let out a sigh of relief and crept over to the far wall, Murtagh stopped at the wall and looked up at his Father's sword. He could only just touch the tip of the irridescent red sword, Murtagh pushed up on the tip and the Sword teetered on the edge of the nail it was hanging on. Murtagh pushed harder and the sword flew off the nail and landed with a crash onto the floor.
Murtagh turned his head quickly to look at Morzan, Morzan leapt out of bed, and looked at his sword, and then at Murtagh. Morzan smirked and Murtagh took a cautious step backwards, "Stay where you are!" Morzan snapped, picking up his sword and unsheathing it.
Murtagh looked up at his supposed Father and smiled, for he had once heard some-one say, "Smile, it confuses people." For some reason it didn't seem to work on his Father, it seemed to make him more angry not confused.
"Stop smiling and turn around." Morzan ordered sharply.
It was Murtagh who was confused now, he was about to ask why when he realised it might just make his punishment even worse than it already was.
Morzan ran the tip of his sword down his son's back, almost tickling Murtagh, Murtagh stifled a laugh and stepped out of the way of the sword, Morzan leant down and hised in his son's ear, "If you ever come in here, under any circumstances, I will slice your head from your shoulders and feed you slice by slice to Shruikan. Meet me tomorrow at 5am in the Throne Room. I have a surprise for you."
Murtagh turned around and bowed his head before jumping swiftly back out of the window, Morzan grinned, "That boy won't know what's hit him!" Morzan said quietly laughing at his own idea for Murtagh's punishment. It had taken him, 5 whole days to think of it and he agreed with Galbortrix, it was a good punishment, no a scary punishment! When Galbortrix had told him, his son was planning to get back at him, Morzan had realised that Murtagh might not be as much like his Mother as he had thought. That was the day, he and Galbortrix had planned Murtagh's future.
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