Why Won't You Talk (Murtagh)

[Quetzal]

Ever since the fall of the Empire, Eragon and Saphira had not been sure where they stood with Murtagh and Thorn. The other pair were on the Grand Council with them, yet always seemed to go off by themselves, reluctant to speak to anyone. They weren't sure if that was down to shame, fear, or a grudge. They had seen the other two around but whenever they tried initiating conversation all they received were blunt responses and excuses to leave. They both sorely wanted to talk properly as they had on a couple of occasions. Only a year or so ago they had been firm friends, then brothers - Eragon had missed Murtagh sorely during his time serving the Empire. Neither dragon nor Rider had forgotten the strong friendship with the moody young man, wanting to return to those times. Saphira in particular wanted to get along with Thorn, seeing the important in her species all sticking together if they were to recover in number after the near extinction.

Too much had changed. Eragon and Saphira could forgive their former friend and his dragon for being forced into servitude against their will. As with every high-ranking member of their Empire, their minds had been scoured carefully by a team of Varden spellcasters - Eragon had not been involved with that particular search, feeling it too odd given their history - and they were found to be truly acting against their will when carrying out Galbatorix's orders. The pair still felt angry at the things the former enemies had done, wishing they could have broken free somehow, but knew in their hearts it had not been their fault with them acting as puppets. Normally an outgoing person, time as a leader making him able to strike up a conversation with anyone without any anxiety, Eragon was too scared to speak to Murtagh most of the time.

Saphira was flying somewhere near the outskirts of the city when Eragon spotted Murtagh alone in a courtyard. With no one around this was a perfect opportunity to have a proper conversation, no holding back anything for fear of others listening in. He took a deep breath and readied himself. He was quite busy right now and this was not how he planned his day going, but the chance was here and now he had convinced himself to go for it he did not want to hold back, waste the chance, and find himself unable to sum up the courage to break the ice in future. Now was the chance. He walked up to the slightly older man a little too casually, panicking in his head for a moment as he thought of something to say. "Hi," he blurted before he could chicken out. "You don't really talk to many people, are you doing OK?" he asked.

Without really thinking he had alerted Saphira that something was happening. He could feel her mind press against his as she looked for any information he would give her. "Don't press him too far just yet, keep it casual or he'll run off in the face of bigger questions again," she reminded him. She was slightly annoyed at Murtagh for seemingly avoiding them so much.

[Emiryal ♕]

Finally a quiet place alone. It wasn't often he found solitude in the city. Thorn was currently off on a hunt so he didn't have his friend to talk to right now. He wished the dragon was here instead or better yet that he could've gone with him as he often did. One of the other council members though had requested a private meeting to talk about security and other mundane boring things. It had gone long and Thorn had left without him, reluctantly of course. Which led him to find the quiet courtyard later to await Thorn's return.

So much had changed since the Empire fell, he was glad the former King was gone. The Varden and now the new leadership had been kind enough. He'd almost refused to join the council though for the same reason that made him uncomfortable to be around them and especially Eragon. After everything he'd done it didn't feel right for him to be allowed to be here. He'd played a key role in it yet they still let him stay. Maybe they wouldn't have if they hadn't searched his mind. The memory sent a chill down him. He had resisted doing it for as long as possible, he didn't want anyone in his mind besides Thorn. They had been gentle but still he hadn't liked it at all and it had taken quite some time. Even now he kept his mind closed to everyone, even to his half brother and Saphira. Thorn wasn't as hesitant as he was about it and had spoken to them on occasion. Usually he conveyed whatever Saphira said to him.

So there Murtagh sat deep in thought. He didn't hear Eragon approach and jumped a little when he suddenly noticed him. He reprimanded himself mentally to pay more attention next time to what was going on. In days past it would've meant death if he hadn't noticed. He bit his lip hesitating to answer. "Yeah I'm fine," Murtagh said not wanting to mention what he'd been thinking about or what was bothering him. "Did you come to get me for something?" he asked trying to keep the conversation business only.

[Quetzal]

It was obvious Murtagh did not want to talk to him. Eragon had expected as much and was ready to wrestle a conversation out of the man. He had tried giving him space, letting him speak up in his own time, but this wallowing did not look to have an end and it was time to drag him away from it forcefully. If he didn't, he was scared his half-brother might just run off altogether, convinced he did not deserve to be there or could not make up for all his past wrongdoings. He felt a prickling of dislike towards him thanks to all he had seen him do, but through it all he had known Murtagh did not want betray them by choice, and he could hold onto that knowledge. The dislike was only silly thoughts on the surface. This was a far more complex matter.

"No, there isn't anything you're needed for right now as far as I can tell. I just came to talk," he shrugged. It must have been a while since Murtagh had friends come to find him for idle fun. Did he have any true friends in the Empire? If he did he never spoke to them any more. "You know, just as a friend. I get worried about you and thought you could use some company. You don't have to isolate yourself, you know," he was speaking gently, not sternly, but doubted this alone would be enough to make the closed-off man speak his mind. He said nothing else, not wanting to be too intrusive too soon, but readied himself to find an argument to stop him running off if he chose that means of escape rather than a verbal one.

[Emiryal ♕]

Murtagh visibly stiffened when Eragon spoke just saying he wanted to talk. His mind raced for an reason he could use to get out of it. He didn't really want to "just talk." But anything that would help eluded him. He was stuck for the moment. If Thorn was there he could've left him there to chat and excused himself to do some paper work or something. He'd used that one before and Thorn understood. Thorn always had.

"I've been isolated most if not all my life," Murtagh said. Which was true, even when he'd been around others he had been more or less alone. The only time that really changed was when he'd escaped and met Eragon and again after Galbatorix's death. If anything the opposite was a bit unnerving to him, letting others get close. "Why are you doing this again," he asked. It wasn't the first time Eragon had tried to get him to talk but it was the first time he hadn't been able to immediately excuse himself and get out of it. Maybe he could come up with something about having to go find Thorn.

[Quetzal]

Obvious as it was Murtagh did not want to be here at all, Eragon had been expecting it and pressed on anyway. There was never going to be a good moment to talk to the other man, after all, and the longer he left it the more used to wallowing and being alone Murtagh would get. Best get this over and done with so he could drag him kicking and screaming into realisation that people weren't all bad, that he could actually have friends and would be happier for it. It struck him as incredibly sad he had been alone most of his life. Memories of their time travelling together flooded back to him. Murtagh had been happy then. They had had some truly great times, enjoying each other's company. If only Murtagh could relax and see that was still possible! How it had brought him happiness before so could again! Or perhaps he saw that but didn't think he deserved it?

"I'm doing this because I'm not going to stop until you realise you don't have to be alone. Remember when we travelled together, before the Empire caught you? How happy you were to have friends? And I loved your company, I miss those times dearly. I want to know why you don't want to speak to people when it once made you so happy, why you think you have to stay in your old isolated ways. Change has happened to the entire kingdom, why can't it happen to you too?" he had no idea how to make Murtagh see sense. Give him a sword and stick him in front of an enemy, that was simple enough. Show him a diplomat who needed persuading, fine. People he really cared about were much harder to deal with since there was something much more personal at stake here. Sure, it was only one person instead of hundreds or thousands as he usually concerned himself with, but this one person had such a greater personal link to him.