The Tale of Alexandria and Murtagh

Chapter 5: Returning Home

The next morning Murtagh again made breakfast, and we made our plans for the day’s journey home. After breakfast Murtagh saddled Tornac and we crammed all the meat we could in to his saddle bags among Murtagh’s other possessions, and we filled my pack with the rest of the meat.

When we were ready to go I donned my pack, placed my dragon on my shoulder and was about to head down the path that led to home, when Murtagh called out my name. I stopped walking and turned around. “Wait,” he shouted, “Do you want to ride Tornac with me?” he said hesitantly as if he wasn’t sure how I would react to his invitation.

“No Murtagh, not today, I said gently, “some other day definitely, but today I feel like running.” Then I took off running at breakneck speed. I heard Murtagh and Tornac catch up and saw them to my left keeping pace. I gave no thought to them during the journey home. I was entirely caught up in the thrill of running. Running home was one of the best parts about hunting trips. I loved to run fast and I couldn’t at home where people might see me. It felt wonderful to release all the excess energy I contained, to release my strength unreservedly, and to not slow my reflexes. It was the only time I felt like an elf, like I was one with the nature around me, like I was unstoppable, but I also felt stern and collected. I ran until I reached the fringes of the forest near my father’s and my house. There I started walking stiffly, still very much in my elfin frame of mind. I heard Murtagh reign Tornac in to a walk. I walked a little further before telling Murtagh, with little emotion in my voice, “You should picket Tornac here for now. After we speak to my father we can unsaddle him and put him in the stable.” He did this quickly and ran to catch up with me as I had continued to walk slowly toward the door of the house. By the time I reached the door the last vestiges of my run induced elfin feelings had vanished. When I reached the door I opened it. As I crossed the threshold, Murtagh on my heels, I shouted, “Father I’m home and I’ve brought Murtagh with me.” I really needn’t have shouted, because my father was standing in the hallway as if he had known we would arrive at that exact moment.

“Yes, I can see you have. Welcome home.” He stated, then brushed me aside and held his hand out to Murtagh saying, “Welcome Murtagh, you are welcome to stay as long as you like or short as you like. Now go tend to your horse.” Then he turned around and walked in to the kitchen. Murtagh turned and went back out side, and I followed. As we waked out to where Murtagh had left Tornac I said,

“Did you notice that he seemed to know the exact moment we would arrive?”

“Yes, and its further evidence to me that your father is a very powerful seer.” He replied in an even tone. We took Tornac to the stable and put him in a freshly cleaned and bedded stall next to our two mares Tally and Dina. We removed his saddle and placed it with the other tack in the stable. Murtagh removed his saddle bags from the saddle and we walked back in to the house. We walked in to the kitchen and found my father sitting at the table smoking his pipe and reading. When we entered the room he looked up from his reading and addressed us both,

“Unpack, then come and sit with me. We have much to discuss.” Sharply he added, “Murtagh.”

“Yes, Mykolas-elda.” my father made no acknowledgement of the honorific Murtagh had used, but continued,

“You may have the empty room next to Alex’s. Now both of you go about your tasks.” First we unpacked the meat from Murtagh’s Saddlebags and my pack and placed it in the cool locker. Then I led Murtagh to the room my father had said was to be his. The room was a mirror image of my own. The bed was pushed in to the corner so that a person could look past their feet and see the doorway. The opposite corner had a dresser and along the wall opposite the bed were shelves. The far wall had a medium sized window and nothing more, and the wall opposite it had nothing but the dresser and the doorway. Murtagh didn’t unpack his bags, but put them on one of the shelves in the room, and I went and placed my pack on my bed. Then we headed back in to the kitchen and sat down at the table. Once we were seated my father spoke. “Murtagh, Alex, firstly, congratulations on becoming the only dragon riders outside of Galbatorix’s control since the fall, a century ago. As such you will be asked to do many things you are not now capable of doing. It is my task to teach you all that I can in a short amount of time. But before I can begin teaching I must know your current level of skill. Having taught Alex all she knows I am already aware of her abilities. Murtagh, you on the other hand are a different story. I know a lot about who you are and where and how you were raised, but I can only guess at your capabilities. I know you grew up among the elves. So would I be correct in assuming you have a large vocabulary in the ancient language and that you speak it quite fluently.”

“Yes, Mykolas-elda,”

“Tell me, did they teach you anything about magic.”

“Yes, and no.” he paused for a moment, “Queen Islanzdi forbade them to teach me magic, but there was one elf who taught me minor magic in secret as a child.”

“Really, who was this elf who had the fortitude, and security to defy Queen Islanzdi? What was their name?”

“I’m sorry Mykolas-elda, I cannot tell you that. I swore in the ancient language that I wouldn’t reveal my teacher’s identity. But, I can tell you he is a great man who has lived a long time and seen many great and terrible things and that his mere existence in Ellesmera is a secret. I can also tell you that you and he were once very much alike.”

“I understand that, and I think I know of whom you speak, but I will question you no further on the subject as you are bound to secrecy. Now tell me Murtagh what do you know about magic.” My father quizzed Murtagh for over an hour. Finally he said. “Thank you Murtagh. I think I have a good idea of you have and haven’t learned. You are both dismissed.” We stood and headed towards our rooms. I heard Murtagh stop and turn around, but I continued walking. I had been dismissed and I knew my father well enough to know that if he had wanted me to hear whatever he was going to tell Murtagh he would have called me too. I was tempted to go back and eavesdrop, but I knew this would be futile. My all-powerful father would know if I did. So, I continued to my room, and went to bed.