Brisinger Chapters 41-50
Sep. 22nd, 2008 10:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amatyultareChapter Forty-One: Words of Wisdom
Eragon and Nasuada talk to each other via scrying.
Nasuada: Congratulations, Eragon! You were successful in having Orik crowned, although you were almost killed in the process. How soon can you be back?
Eragon: Um, Nasuada, didn’t we discuss me going to Ellesméra to see my mentor after this nonsense?
Nasuada: We are about to fight a major battle. This is a bad time for you to be away.
Eragon: I don’t think there’s going to be a better time, and there are things I need to know. Like how the heck I’m going to defeat Galbatorix.
Nasuada: *sigh* Fine. Just remember that we’re at more and more risk the longer you’re away.
Narrator: And now, let us rejoin Roran.
Chapter Forty-Two: The Whipping Post
Roran returns and is scolded by Nasuada. Obviously, he was insubordinate and this is a Bad Thing in a military organization. However, his actions saved the Varden forces under his command from being slaughtered. So Nasuada suggests she can keep him in the Varden so long as he agrees to punishment: a public lashing. Roran understands her position and agrees.
Pain and embarrasment for a couple of pages. Roran loses consciousness.
He wakes up to find Angela tending to him. His wounds will not be completely healed, as that sort of defeats the purpose of the punishment, but they can be partially healed. Angela finishes up and leaves, warning him in passing to beware ferrets. Oh, Angela.
Nasuada comes to him and asks him to take on a new mission – she had him healed more than is customary so that he could take it on. Due to the murder of that Urgal a few chapters back, Urgal-human relations are tense. She wants Roran to lead a raid with equal numbers of Varden and Urgals in order to show that they can, in fact work together. Roran accepts.
Chapter Forty-Three: Among the Clouds
We’re back to Eragon again. He and Saphira head out towards Du Weldenvarden in search of further training and hopefully a way to defeat Galbatorix. There is much extraneous description of the geography as they travel.
Saphira prefers to fly in the “rarefied upper atmosphere”? Really? I don’t think that word means exactly what you think it means, CPao.
Anyway, it takes a lot out of Saphira, who flew nonstop to get to Farthen Dûr in time for the coronation, but they make it to Du Weldenvarden within a few days. (Also, Eragon prays for the first time.) They scry Oromis and ask if they can chat that way, but Oromis refuses. They must receive their training in person. Of course. So they head towards Ellesméra.
Chapter Forty-Four: Butting Heads
And we’re back to Roran. Jeez, I’m practically getting whiplash from these constant changes.
Roran leads a group of men and Urgal against yet another supply wagon train, with the usual success. However, as they are mopping up, Roran finds a group of Urgal torturing one of the Imperial soldiers. When Roran orders them to stop and never to do it again, the lead Urgal refuses to follow orders and challenges Roran to a duel. By wrestling!
The fight is, to put it mildly, unfair since they are not allowed weapons and the Urgal has horns, while Roran does not. However, Roran manages to flip the Urgal onto his back using the horns (ouch) and pin him until he submits. Yay! The Urgal respect strength in battle above pretty much everything else, so this will probably be a good thing for Varden-Urgal relations.
Chapter Forty-Five: Genealogy
Quick as a flash, we’re back to Eragon, who’s just reached Ellesméra. Saphira is absolutely exhausted, and Ellesméra, Oromis, and Glaedr are the same as ever.
There are several pages of elaborate description, as if we haven’t already heard plenty about Ellesméra in Eldest. Saphira and Eragon both eat, then start their conversation. The thought uppermost in Eragon’s mind is the whole Morzan-is-his-father thing. When Oromis admits that he knew Eragon and Murtagh were brothers, Eragon starts ranting. This is somewhat bizarre as we haven’t seen more than maybe once instance of Eragon thinking about this issue at all in the previous six hundred pages, but then that’s really nothing new for CPao.
Anyway, the chapter concludes with a major revelation. Glaedr tells Eragon (with some gratuitous Star-Wars-esque "Look into your heart" thrown in) that Murtagh is actually his half-brother. Eragon’s father is....Brom! SURPRISE!!!!
....is anyone surprised?
....no?
...me either.
Chapter Forty-Six: Two Lovers Doomed
This is basically Brom and Selena’s story, and most of it we’ve already guessed by now. Brom absolutely hated Morzan after his betrayal and the murder of Brom’s dragon, and was tireless in his attempts to stymie and defeat Morzan. Selena was Morzan’s wife and his Black Hand (forced by oaths sworn in the ancient language) but her love had long since turned to hate and her true name had changed. Apparently if you are forced by your true name to swear an oath and your true name changes, you are no longer bound by the oath. Not sure how that works, but whatever.
Anyway, Brom infiltrated Morzan’s estate in an attempt to kill his fabled Black Hand, but ended up falling in love with Selena and she with him. He remained at the castle for three years so he could see her whenever possible, but was called away to help with the theft of the dragon’s egg around the time she left on her last mission.
(Note: all three dragon eggs were supposed to be stolen by the Varden; only one was apparently stolen and there is some confusion over why this was the case. Obviously Thorn accounts for the second. I wonder if the third was stolen after all and is no longer in Galbatorix’s possession? It would make things simpler from a plot standpoint.)
Selena, of course, was pregnant with Eragon and hid in her home in Carvahall to give birth and give Eragon to her brother Garrow to raise. Brom managed to kill Morzan right around the time she returned to the castle, and he returned to her as quickly as possible, but she was dead from (presumably) post-birth complications before he arrived. Brom settled in Carvahall to keep an eye on Eragon, but let the world believe him dead to keep both him and Eragon safe.
Eragon listens to the story, and thinks, I am not sure how to feel about this.
And Oromis is like, let’s eat some soup!
Chapter Forty-Seven: Inheritance
Saphira knew all this, BTW. Brom made her swear not to tell Eragon. He had her remember a scene of him talking to Eragon as a father to a son, to be shared only if Eragon already knew the truth. Obi-wan Kenobi, what? Most of this chapter is dedicated to this vision she gives him.
Brom tells Eragon that he loves him, and that he’s proud of him. He wouldn’t have wished the fate of a Dragon Rider on him, but he’s pleased with Eragon’s abilities. He also gives Eragon some advice. First, protect the ones you love at all costs. Second, be cunning. Galbatorix will not be defeated by overpowering him with brute strength, but by analyzing and exploiting his weaknesses.
In other words, the fate of the world rests on Eragon’s intelligence and quick wits. WE’RE DOOMED.
Chapter Forty-Eight: Souls of Stone
Eragon gets to see a portrait of his mother. Aww. He asks Oromis to keep it safe for him, but he refuses. *foreboding music plays* Now, they must talk of Murtagh and Galbatorix’s unnatural power.
Suddenly, I feel like I’m reading a rip-off of ‘Vision of Escaflowne’....
Okay, so I was wrong. Murtagh is not becoming a Shade. Instead, he is gaining part of Galbatorix’s powers, which come from – dragon souls. Or rather, the hearts of dragons. Each dragon has something called a ‘heart of hearts’, into which s/he can send his/her consciousness and expel from his/her body. Once that is done, the dragon’s consciousness is in fact separated from the body and can outlive the body’s death; only destruction of this heart will end the dragon’s existence.
Galbatorix stole all of these hearts that existed as he came to power, and has bent the dragon souls to his will, giving him the vast stores of power that he has. At least Eragon now has a goal, although how he’s going to free these corporeal souls from Galbatorix is anyone’s guess.
I wonder if this has any relationship to the ‘Vault of Souls’?
Chapter Forty-Nine: Hands of a Warrior
I don’t know, this chapter is not very exciting. Eragon tells Oromis about Angela and Solembum’s predictions, including the Vault of Souls and the supposed weapon underneath the Menoa tree. Oromis is all, I haven’t heard of anything, but you can go check the Menoa tree again if you’d like.
Oromis knows of a couple of other swords forged for Riders that still exist amongst the elves and thinks Eragon might get one if he asks nicely. He also offers to teach Eragon one spell before they leave. Eragon asks about summoning spirits, but Oromis says “mmm no”. Then he asks about his true name, but Oromis thinks he should discover it himself. Finally, they settle on teleportation.
Oromis examines Eragon’s hands. He now has the hands of a warrior. Oromis warns him against enjoying killing overmuch.
Chapter Fifty: The Tree of Life
Why isn’t this book over yet? Only a hundred pages to go...
Eragon and Saphira go to the clearing that holds the Menoa tree and search for a weapon, but are unsuccessful. This takes up two pages, one of which is entirely devoted to description of the Menoa tree’s vastness, gnarled roots, wide-spread branches, etc. *rubs temples* Maybe having his protagonist back with the wondrous elves is bringing out the worst in CPao.
Disappointed, Eragon goes to the house of an elf who has a Dragon Rider’s blade. It was wielded by this elf’s sister’s mate until he was killed by Galbatorix. It’s a lovely green sword (hint hint) named Támerlein. And its previous owner was named Arva. So similar to Arya’s name...what an odd coincidence! CPao, you’ll give me a headache if you beat me over the head with this ‘foreshadowing’ any harder.
Long story short, Támerlein is not going to work for Eragon in any way, shape, or form. It’s too heavy and too large for him, designed for a different style of fighting, it just won’t work.
Eragon goes to talk to the elven blacksmith Rhunön, who is as blunt as always. She agrees with him that Támerlein wouldn’t work for him. Eragon brings up Brom’s sword, but it’s lost or destroyed and Rhunön has no idea where it could be found. Nor can she forge him a new sword, even if she could break her vow; those swords were made from metal from a meteor (I wish I were joking, this is such a sci-fi cliche) and she doesn’t have any left.
Eragon and Saphira realize it must be this ‘brightsteel’ that is under the Menoa tree, and return to try to talk it into giving it up. However much they plead, though, she simply doesn’t pay attention to them. Eventually Saphira gets fed up and essentially goes FINE, TRY TO IGNORE THIS, YOU OBNOXIOUS TREE! and starts breathing flame onto it.
That gets them attention, alright, but in a “now I shall kill you” sort of way. Eragon is able to talk the tree out of killing them and into giving them the metal her roots do, in fact, cover. In exchange, he promises to do something that she wants, although what that might be she doesn’t say.
A bunch of elves were attracted by the commotion, and stare at them in a sort of “oh no you DI-IN’T” way. Saphira says to herself, ‘I’m probably going to regret that decision eventually.’
Eragon and Nasuada talk to each other via scrying.
Nasuada: Congratulations, Eragon! You were successful in having Orik crowned, although you were almost killed in the process. How soon can you be back?
Eragon: Um, Nasuada, didn’t we discuss me going to Ellesméra to see my mentor after this nonsense?
Nasuada: We are about to fight a major battle. This is a bad time for you to be away.
Eragon: I don’t think there’s going to be a better time, and there are things I need to know. Like how the heck I’m going to defeat Galbatorix.
Nasuada: *sigh* Fine. Just remember that we’re at more and more risk the longer you’re away.
Narrator: And now, let us rejoin Roran.
Chapter Forty-Two: The Whipping Post
Roran returns and is scolded by Nasuada. Obviously, he was insubordinate and this is a Bad Thing in a military organization. However, his actions saved the Varden forces under his command from being slaughtered. So Nasuada suggests she can keep him in the Varden so long as he agrees to punishment: a public lashing. Roran understands her position and agrees.
Pain and embarrasment for a couple of pages. Roran loses consciousness.
He wakes up to find Angela tending to him. His wounds will not be completely healed, as that sort of defeats the purpose of the punishment, but they can be partially healed. Angela finishes up and leaves, warning him in passing to beware ferrets. Oh, Angela.
Nasuada comes to him and asks him to take on a new mission – she had him healed more than is customary so that he could take it on. Due to the murder of that Urgal a few chapters back, Urgal-human relations are tense. She wants Roran to lead a raid with equal numbers of Varden and Urgals in order to show that they can, in fact work together. Roran accepts.
Chapter Forty-Three: Among the Clouds
We’re back to Eragon again. He and Saphira head out towards Du Weldenvarden in search of further training and hopefully a way to defeat Galbatorix. There is much extraneous description of the geography as they travel.
Saphira prefers to fly in the “rarefied upper atmosphere”? Really? I don’t think that word means exactly what you think it means, CPao.
Anyway, it takes a lot out of Saphira, who flew nonstop to get to Farthen Dûr in time for the coronation, but they make it to Du Weldenvarden within a few days. (Also, Eragon prays for the first time.) They scry Oromis and ask if they can chat that way, but Oromis refuses. They must receive their training in person. Of course. So they head towards Ellesméra.
Chapter Forty-Four: Butting Heads
And we’re back to Roran. Jeez, I’m practically getting whiplash from these constant changes.
Roran leads a group of men and Urgal against yet another supply wagon train, with the usual success. However, as they are mopping up, Roran finds a group of Urgal torturing one of the Imperial soldiers. When Roran orders them to stop and never to do it again, the lead Urgal refuses to follow orders and challenges Roran to a duel. By wrestling!
The fight is, to put it mildly, unfair since they are not allowed weapons and the Urgal has horns, while Roran does not. However, Roran manages to flip the Urgal onto his back using the horns (ouch) and pin him until he submits. Yay! The Urgal respect strength in battle above pretty much everything else, so this will probably be a good thing for Varden-Urgal relations.
Chapter Forty-Five: Genealogy
Quick as a flash, we’re back to Eragon, who’s just reached Ellesméra. Saphira is absolutely exhausted, and Ellesméra, Oromis, and Glaedr are the same as ever.
There are several pages of elaborate description, as if we haven’t already heard plenty about Ellesméra in Eldest. Saphira and Eragon both eat, then start their conversation. The thought uppermost in Eragon’s mind is the whole Morzan-is-his-father thing. When Oromis admits that he knew Eragon and Murtagh were brothers, Eragon starts ranting. This is somewhat bizarre as we haven’t seen more than maybe once instance of Eragon thinking about this issue at all in the previous six hundred pages, but then that’s really nothing new for CPao.
Anyway, the chapter concludes with a major revelation. Glaedr tells Eragon (with some gratuitous Star-Wars-esque "Look into your heart" thrown in) that Murtagh is actually his half-brother. Eragon’s father is....Brom! SURPRISE!!!!
....is anyone surprised?
....no?
...me either.
Chapter Forty-Six: Two Lovers Doomed
This is basically Brom and Selena’s story, and most of it we’ve already guessed by now. Brom absolutely hated Morzan after his betrayal and the murder of Brom’s dragon, and was tireless in his attempts to stymie and defeat Morzan. Selena was Morzan’s wife and his Black Hand (forced by oaths sworn in the ancient language) but her love had long since turned to hate and her true name had changed. Apparently if you are forced by your true name to swear an oath and your true name changes, you are no longer bound by the oath. Not sure how that works, but whatever.
Anyway, Brom infiltrated Morzan’s estate in an attempt to kill his fabled Black Hand, but ended up falling in love with Selena and she with him. He remained at the castle for three years so he could see her whenever possible, but was called away to help with the theft of the dragon’s egg around the time she left on her last mission.
(Note: all three dragon eggs were supposed to be stolen by the Varden; only one was apparently stolen and there is some confusion over why this was the case. Obviously Thorn accounts for the second. I wonder if the third was stolen after all and is no longer in Galbatorix’s possession? It would make things simpler from a plot standpoint.)
Selena, of course, was pregnant with Eragon and hid in her home in Carvahall to give birth and give Eragon to her brother Garrow to raise. Brom managed to kill Morzan right around the time she returned to the castle, and he returned to her as quickly as possible, but she was dead from (presumably) post-birth complications before he arrived. Brom settled in Carvahall to keep an eye on Eragon, but let the world believe him dead to keep both him and Eragon safe.
Eragon listens to the story, and thinks, I am not sure how to feel about this.
And Oromis is like, let’s eat some soup!
Chapter Forty-Seven: Inheritance
Saphira knew all this, BTW. Brom made her swear not to tell Eragon. He had her remember a scene of him talking to Eragon as a father to a son, to be shared only if Eragon already knew the truth. Obi-wan Kenobi, what? Most of this chapter is dedicated to this vision she gives him.
Brom tells Eragon that he loves him, and that he’s proud of him. He wouldn’t have wished the fate of a Dragon Rider on him, but he’s pleased with Eragon’s abilities. He also gives Eragon some advice. First, protect the ones you love at all costs. Second, be cunning. Galbatorix will not be defeated by overpowering him with brute strength, but by analyzing and exploiting his weaknesses.
In other words, the fate of the world rests on Eragon’s intelligence and quick wits. WE’RE DOOMED.
Chapter Forty-Eight: Souls of Stone
Eragon gets to see a portrait of his mother. Aww. He asks Oromis to keep it safe for him, but he refuses. *foreboding music plays* Now, they must talk of Murtagh and Galbatorix’s unnatural power.
Suddenly, I feel like I’m reading a rip-off of ‘Vision of Escaflowne’....
Okay, so I was wrong. Murtagh is not becoming a Shade. Instead, he is gaining part of Galbatorix’s powers, which come from – dragon souls. Or rather, the hearts of dragons. Each dragon has something called a ‘heart of hearts’, into which s/he can send his/her consciousness and expel from his/her body. Once that is done, the dragon’s consciousness is in fact separated from the body and can outlive the body’s death; only destruction of this heart will end the dragon’s existence.
Galbatorix stole all of these hearts that existed as he came to power, and has bent the dragon souls to his will, giving him the vast stores of power that he has. At least Eragon now has a goal, although how he’s going to free these corporeal souls from Galbatorix is anyone’s guess.
I wonder if this has any relationship to the ‘Vault of Souls’?
Chapter Forty-Nine: Hands of a Warrior
I don’t know, this chapter is not very exciting. Eragon tells Oromis about Angela and Solembum’s predictions, including the Vault of Souls and the supposed weapon underneath the Menoa tree. Oromis is all, I haven’t heard of anything, but you can go check the Menoa tree again if you’d like.
Oromis knows of a couple of other swords forged for Riders that still exist amongst the elves and thinks Eragon might get one if he asks nicely. He also offers to teach Eragon one spell before they leave. Eragon asks about summoning spirits, but Oromis says “mmm no”. Then he asks about his true name, but Oromis thinks he should discover it himself. Finally, they settle on teleportation.
Oromis examines Eragon’s hands. He now has the hands of a warrior. Oromis warns him against enjoying killing overmuch.
Chapter Fifty: The Tree of Life
Why isn’t this book over yet? Only a hundred pages to go...
Eragon and Saphira go to the clearing that holds the Menoa tree and search for a weapon, but are unsuccessful. This takes up two pages, one of which is entirely devoted to description of the Menoa tree’s vastness, gnarled roots, wide-spread branches, etc. *rubs temples* Maybe having his protagonist back with the wondrous elves is bringing out the worst in CPao.
Disappointed, Eragon goes to the house of an elf who has a Dragon Rider’s blade. It was wielded by this elf’s sister’s mate until he was killed by Galbatorix. It’s a lovely green sword (hint hint) named Támerlein. And its previous owner was named Arva. So similar to Arya’s name...what an odd coincidence! CPao, you’ll give me a headache if you beat me over the head with this ‘foreshadowing’ any harder.
Long story short, Támerlein is not going to work for Eragon in any way, shape, or form. It’s too heavy and too large for him, designed for a different style of fighting, it just won’t work.
Eragon goes to talk to the elven blacksmith Rhunön, who is as blunt as always. She agrees with him that Támerlein wouldn’t work for him. Eragon brings up Brom’s sword, but it’s lost or destroyed and Rhunön has no idea where it could be found. Nor can she forge him a new sword, even if she could break her vow; those swords were made from metal from a meteor (I wish I were joking, this is such a sci-fi cliche) and she doesn’t have any left.
Eragon and Saphira realize it must be this ‘brightsteel’ that is under the Menoa tree, and return to try to talk it into giving it up. However much they plead, though, she simply doesn’t pay attention to them. Eventually Saphira gets fed up and essentially goes FINE, TRY TO IGNORE THIS, YOU OBNOXIOUS TREE! and starts breathing flame onto it.
That gets them attention, alright, but in a “now I shall kill you” sort of way. Eragon is able to talk the tree out of killing them and into giving them the metal her roots do, in fact, cover. In exchange, he promises to do something that she wants, although what that might be she doesn’t say.
A bunch of elves were attracted by the commotion, and stare at them in a sort of “oh no you DI-IN’T” way. Saphira says to herself, ‘I’m probably going to regret that decision eventually.’
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-27 02:37 am (UTC)And Oromis is like, let’s eat some soup!
LOL. Also, what's wrong with meteor swords (http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Sokka%27s_sword)?
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-27 05:44 am (UTC)Meteor swords aren't bad per se, but CPao is reaching the limit of how many cliches he can shove into a single book... ^_^
Butting Heads
Date: 2008-11-04 07:35 pm (UTC)Sorry, but opening the door for Urgals and otherwise to challenge command any time they want is not good. Roran (CP) acted stupidly... hey, he must be related to Eragon!