Throughout the entirety of the Inheritance Cycle, there may have been no soul more tormented than Murtagh’s. Condemned from birth, the son of betrayer Morzan spent his life shackled in both body and mind leading up to the culmination of Inheritance and the Varden’s victory against Galbatorix.
Whether it was torment suffered as a child at the hands of his ruthless father, imprisonment by the Varden, or having an oath of servitude forced upon him by Galbatorix, Murtagh never truly experienced freedom to live his life on his own accord. The same can be said for his dragon, Thorn, whom Galbatorix used as a pawn to bring Murtagh into service as a Rider.
It wasn’t until Murtagh helped Eragon defeat Galbatorix once and for all that he and Thorn were able to finally choose their own path and begin anew. Perhaps this new sense of freedom was most telling when Murtagh offered no definite plans for his future at the end of the series, taking to the northbound skies towards new horizons.
Below you’ll find a piece of fan art by artist “Ticcy”, of DeviantArt, offering us a glimpse into what “Murtagh and Thorn” might be up to following the liberation of Alagaësia. With smiles on their faces, the pair look wholly content as they huddle next to a warm fire amidst a blanket of snow.
From Inheritance, Murtagh shares his thoughts towards the future in a conversation with Eragon:
“Thorn and I need time alone; we need time to heal. If we stay, we’d be too busy to figure things out for ourselves.”
“Good company and staying busy are often the best cure for a sickness of the soul.”
“Not for what Galbatorix did to us….Besides, it would be painful to be around Nasuada right now, for both her and me. No, we have to leave.”
“How long do you think you’ll be gone?
“Until the world no longer seems quite so hateful and we no longer feel like tearing down mountains and filling the sea with blood.”
To that, Eragon had no response. They stood looking at the river, where it lay behind a line of low willow trees. The rustling of the nettles grew louder, stirred by the westward wind.
Then Eragon said, “When you no longer wish to be alone, come find us. You’ll always be welcome at our hearth, wherever that may be.”
“We will. I promise.”
Now we ask: How will Murtagh find a way to restore his faith in the goodness of humanity and be able to return to Alagaësia and to Eragon? After the events of Inheritance, what else do you think lies in store for Murtagh and Thorn? Will they rejoin their companions from the Varden like Murtagh promises? Or is Alagaësia even the best place for this Rider and Dragon to call home?
I’m hoping for a urgal rider as the new main character
During the memory of brom talking to eragon as a son it says Aren was on brooms hand but isn’t the this taking place after terim
I feel he needs to spend a long time meditating and being a hermit. Once everyone has forgotten him, and he’s learned what it is to be a decent person, he’ll come back to eragon to help the dragons
kvetha fricai, that seems a good theory, maybe completely true!
I don’t think any knurla will forget about him
They will take time. We don’t know the extent of the abuse they went through with Galbatorix, I figure it’ll take them a good long while for them to sort their minds out together and really figure out who they are and what they want to be. I’ve always imagined them leaving Alagaesia and looking for Eragon and the other riders. Training the new recruits under Eragon’s rule. Possibly being an ambassador of the riders to Alagaesia and Nasuada.
amazing!
I think he’d explore the region’s outside of Alagaësia (the area not shown on the maps in the inheritance books?). If he does come back, I think it would be to bring back news of some major event there which would need the riders help. He may even become a leader in his own right in his travels, even equal to Nasuada.
No, I don’t think so. He will live in other places, outside Alagaesia, but will visit time to time Eragon and perhaps, just peeeerhaps some Varden and Ellesmera acquaintances.
Yes 🙂 Just NOT with Nasuada, please; that would be a completely fucked up, toxic relationship for obvious reasons! Otherwise, of course :))))
i honestly thing Murtaugh should get his own book about what happens to him and thorn after the events of inheritance
i think nasudas ‘dream’ should happen because i love it when there are ties from different parts of storys
Personally, I want them to join Eragon and Saphira and everyone else in…well, wherever it is that Eragon’s decided to set up shop. I think it would be so sweet for Murtagh and Eragon to be like brothers again. 🙂
I agree, Eragon and Murtagh really do need to make up for lost time 🙂
i dont think like that… he can be a good friend, reliable and others things, but in his heart he is a liar and a
possessive person! Her mind already been changed and this is a fact that we cant change!
I don’t think they’ll return for quite a while, years probably. They’re plans were to go north, so I imagine just like Eragon, they’ll visit Vroengard to show homage to their predecessors. After that, who knows.However, everyone from Alagaeasia knows they went north, so when they do come back I wouldn’t be surprised if they did so by sneaking in from the south so they can gauge the mood from people to see if it was the right time to return while everyone else would have their heads are looking the other way
I like the geographical approach to your ideas! It definitely seems like a long term process to get back to where they’d like to be.
I have a feeling we’ll see them again in Book V, although there’s no saying how many years after the end of Inheritance that will be. Christopher’s teasing in response to Murtagh questions (featured on the Book V and Beyond page) really seem to back that up!
I’ve seen a LOT of fan art “in my days” (ha!). Proof: I have a document with links to over 300 pieces of fan art for use in future articles and galleries on Shur’tugal.
…and I can safely say that this is my all-time favorite piece of fan art!
I LOVE this one too! I’m thinking perfectly desktop wallpaper-worthy in oh, say early January 😉
Murtagh will be back. One day, he will decide it is time to go back. He would visit Nasuada, an old lady by then. He would sure visit Eragon again. Yes, Murtagh will return, but not any time soon…
Interesting thought! It would be kind of neat to see the characters reunite when they’re much older…sort of like the new Star Wars Episode VII plans to do
I have no idea what Star Wars VII is gonna bring. I just hope that disney doesn’t fuck it up…