Chapter Fourteen (Part III) | Table of Contents | Chapter Fifteen

Kerlois: Welcome back to Eragon, everyone! Last time, Eragon got Zar’roc from Brom, and nothing much happened.

 

For the reader post…

Epistler notes that Eragon would not “die as a martyr”, since that only occurs in relation to religion.

PPP: 490

I would also like to award a point for “teardrop shaped” spelled as two words in the description of Zar’roc. I have looked, and every other combination of [noun] and “shaped” has a hyphen, and there are five other occurrences of “teardrop-shaped” with a hyphen in this series.

PPP: 491

 

Now, let us continue with the final part of this chapter!

 

Eragon has just asked Brom what the black symbol on Zar’roc means. Brom reacts like this:

“That was the Rider’s personal crest.” Eragon tried to interrupt, but Brom glared at him until he was quiet.

I hate this. First, we have Brom flat-out lying to Eragon again.

Some Father You Are: 56

The symbol on the sheath is the ancient language glyph for “misery”. The smith who made these swords always put the name of the sword on both the sheath and the sword itself. I suppose the Rider could have had it as crest, but using a written-out rendition of the word seems… unlikely at best.

Again, why is he lying here? If he does not want to say, what would have been the problem in saying he has no idea? That would be better than feeding Eragon false information! But also, why would he not be familiar with the ancient language? Only a hundred years ago, it was widely spoken, so I would not necessarily be suspicious of him for knowing how to read it. Did Paolini genuinely think that knowing such things would make him suspicious?

And second, glaring at Eragon until he is quiet. If you want him to be quiet, you ask him to, Brom. And anyway, what is he doing this for? Let him ask questions!

ASWLT: 5

Some Father You Are: 57

Also, why does Saphira not say anything of this? In fact, she has not done anything for the entire conversation so far! This is truly quite insulting.

What Dragons?: 278

Brom then goes on, saying that if “[Eragon] must know”, “anyone can learn how to speak to a dragon if they have the proper training.”

1) What do you mean, “if Eragon must know”? He was asking an honest question! Then do not act as if it is some kind of huge burden to answer.

ASWLT: 6

2) Nice to see that we have switched back to Eragon’s earlier question, right in the middle of a paragraph. It is quite clunky: we go from wanting to hear about Eragon’s question to Zar’roc to talking about dragons.

PPP: 492

3) See? Singular they. That is why I am so harsh on generic “he”.

4) As for what Brom says, it is actually correct. We will actually see people other than Eragon and Brom talk to her later.

Brom “raises a finger for emphasis” and says it means nothing if they can. Well, it means they can talk to dragons. More seriously, this is a clear attempt at getting Eragon off his case. I do not mind it per se, but he did not need to say it either.

He then says that he knows “more about the dragons and their abilities than almost anyone else alive”. On his own, it might take Eragon “years” to learn what Brom can teach him, and he is offering his knowledge “as a shortcut”. And as for he knows so much, he “will keep that to himself”. The self-published edition also adds “why [he is] helping [Eragon]”.

I can see what Paolini was aiming for, but he missed the mark by a mile. In short, this comes across as obviously manipulative and shady, and without the context of the rest of the series, I might well have assumed that he was an agent of the Empire.

ASWLT: 7

PPP: 493

For a longer version, it just rankles me. It should not do so; he is simply offering to help Eragon while he makes sure he would rather not want to talk about his past, but he is so manipulative about it. Come to think of it, did Saphira consent to having Brom in the party? Not that I know of. So of course she is not allowed any choice, and Eragon does not give her any.

Best Partners Ever: 211 (+20)

What Dragons?: 283 (+5)

Well, back on track, I especially dislike the bit where Brom says that it might take Eragon “years” to learn the things about dragons which he could teach him. Which… Saphira is right there, Brom, so I think Eragon could learn a fair bit from her, not to mention her “ancestral memories”. And he knows that. So he is, once again, lying to Eragon.

Also, “why Brom knows so much” is kind of integral to whether or not Eragon can trust him! Yes, he might have learned it as a travelling storyteller, but he might also have learned it by working with the dragons of the Forsworn, so that he is now an undercover agent for the Empire. It is completely unreasonable to ask Eragon to accept him without question.

Finally, we have the context. And that is that Brom let Garrow die, and that he has just said he only cares about Eragon as a potential story. And despite that, he still has the gall to tell Eragon he can teach him everything, if Eragon would just pretty please ignore why he is doing this? No way.

Just… after the harm he has already done, manipulating his way into the party?

Look Away: 377

Some Father You Are: 67 (+10)

Well, Saphira finally comes into the scene, as she gets up and walks over to Eragon. Eragon “pulls out the blade and show[s] her the sword”. Yes, this redundancy is present in both editions.

PPP: 494

She says Zar’roc has power, and touches it with the tip of her nose. At that, the colour of the sword “ripple[s] like water”. She gives a “satisfied snort” and lifts her head, whereupon Zar’roc returns to normal. Eragon sheaths it, “troubled”. Well, that was… interesting, to say the least. I am interested as to why Saphira did that. Did she just want to show off that she was able to influence the sword?

Brom raises an eyebrow at this, and says that this is “the sort of thing [he’s] talking about.” Dragons will constantly amaze one, and strange things happen around them that are impossible “anywhere else”. (That does track with my experience.) The Riders “worked with them for centuries” (try “millenia”), and they did not completely understand what the dragons could do. Well, little wonder, given that they were mainly focussed on enslaving the dragons. Of course they would not bother to truly understand the dragons, and the dragons would not want to give the Riders too much information.

He goes on, saying that “[s]ome say” (citation needed) that even the dragons themselves do not understand all their powers. Well, that is a little hard to verify now. They are “linked to the land in a way that lets them overcome great obstacles”. Or, to explain the explanation, these dragons can sometimes use magic simply by wanting to.

He says that what Saphira did illustrates what he said earlier: “there is much [Eragon doesn’t] know”. Because you just had to bring this around to getting Eragon to allow you to go along.

ASWLT: 8

There is a long pause. Finally, Eragon says that that might be, but he can learn, and he needs to learn about the strangers most of all. He asks Brom if he has “any idea” who they are. Finally we are getting somewhere! Brom takes a deep breath and goes to explain everything about them.

He first says that they are called “the Ra’zac”. “No one knows if that’s the name of their race, or what they have chosen to call themselves.”

Hmmm, that is not easy to interpret. I think that he means that it might be either how their race is called, or what these two in particular have called themselves. At first I interpreted it as meaning that it might either be the name of their race, or what they call their own race, which… would not be great.

PPP: 495

I am also not exactly sure what he is talking about, since “Ra’zac” will be used to refer to all members of the race, not just to these two, so I think that the consensus (in usage, at least) lies to the former.

Forgot Your Own Canon Again?: 91

He says that, if they have “individual names”, they keep them hidden. Well, why would they share them with anyone else? They were “never seen” before Galbatorix took over, and Brom says he must have found them during his travels and “enlisted them in his service”. I… think that fits? No… it is not exactly true, but Brom could hardly know what actually happened.

He then says “little or nothing” is known about their race. I think you mean “little to nothing” there. Oh, I see that apparently both are in use. Carry on, then. He can tell Eragon, though, that they are Not Human, because, as the self-published edition explains, their faces are nothing like humans’. Oh, nice!

When he glimpsed one’s head, “it appeared to have something resembling a beak and black eyes as large as [Brom’s] fist—though how they manage our speech is a mystery to [Brom].”

Hmmm, this sentence is not very well constructed. I would turn the em-dash into a comma, and get rid of the “though”, as these two ideas do not contradict each other.

PPP: 496

Going to what he says… “eyes larger than his fist”? How large would that be…? (I cannot make a fist, so I cannot measure this.) Let me say some ten centimetres (~4 inches). That is indeed impressively large, and I wonder how they exactly see. Too bad we do not find out… If anyone has an idea, do let me know! (My own idea is “usual vertebrate eye, but larger”, since there is no description of any subdivisions.)

And about how they manage human speech… Well, we will not see either, so speculation it is. My first thought is “air sacs and a syrinx”; that is how CN manages, for example. (Speaking of CN, they do look quite look the Ra’zac. If I were reading this series for the first time, I would probably have assumed they were mutated anthro corvids or the like.) Then we get this:

Doubtless the rest of their bodies are just as twisted. That is why they cover themselves with cloaks at all times, regardless of the weather.

How do possibly having a beak and having very large eyes translate to “twisted”, Brom? Do you truly want to imply that that is bad, Brom?

FYRP: 46

Yes, this gets a racism point. The Ra’zac might be evil, but that has to do with their actions, rather than with their bodies. Especially knowing how this will develop later, it is a red flag. (Nothing more, mind you. I am quite amazed at how much Eragon focuses on their deeds instead of who they are.)

Also, I doubt they are wearing solely cloaks to conceal their looks. Later on, we will see them somewhere where they would not be expected to wear cloaks, and they are still wearing them. So I think they simply like it (as do most of the Tamed Ones here. I can say with quite some confidence that they are not doing so because they do now want their body to be seen).

Manual Patch Job: 63

Brom now goes to describe their powers: they are stronger than any human and “can jump incredible heights”, but they cannot use magic. But they can. They used mind-control on Eragon earlier, and it is so much different from the usual methods that I would class it as, well, magic. It is certainly not of the usual sort (i.e. dragon magic), but magic nonetheless. I do not blame Brom for saying this, though, because I think information about the Ra’zac would be quite thin on the ground. He then says this:

Be thankful for that, because if they could, you would already be in their grasp.

But he was nearly in their grasp, Brom! And Eragon, you experienced this! Why do you not correct Brom on this!? And he has not forgotten this, as he brings this up next book and it will be confirmed that the Ra’zac can do mind-control! What is this?

PPP: 501 (+5)

This Cannot Be: 38

Well, one of our counts has already breached 500. Way to go.

Brom further explains that they have “a strong aversion to sunlight”, though it will not stop them “if they are determined”. Then they must be always very determined, because they will never be held back by sunlight. He finally says that Eragon must not underestimate them, because they are “cunning and full of guile”. They mostly seem to use that for heavy-handed acting instead of being an actual danger, though.

Eragon wonders how Brom can “possibly know so much”, not that he will do anything with that. Also, Saphira has completely disappeared, it seems. Either way, Eragon asks how many of the Ra’zac exist. Brom answers with this:

“As far as I know, only the two you saw. There might be more, but I’ve never heard of them. Perhaps they’re the last of a dying race.

First, I would like to note that they are certainly not “the last of a dying race”. I already mentioned them back in chapter 6, and in the story from the WormFork story we will also see Lethrblaka. So that means that there were once Ra’zac in Alalëa, and, as with the dragons, I have no reason to assume that they went extinct in the meantime there.

That aside, these two are also not the only Ra’zac left in Alagaësia.

But, of course, Eragon, Brom and Saphira do not know that. So let me be clear: killing the last two members of the Ra’zac means exterminating the Ra’zac. And that is not a good thing at all.

The strange thing about this, I would say, is that I doubt that Paolini realised this at the time. Yes, there will be quite some talk of killing them, sure, but this book (and only this book) does not have any talk about wiping the Ra’zac out as a species (which amounts to genocide). It is… refreshing, compared to the other books, but it also feels… strange. Surely they should think of this at some point?

Ill Logic: 212 (+5)

It reminds me of Tris’s comment about the uncomfortable amount of “lack-of-thinking” that shows up. This is really not thought through well, and it shows.

Well, Brom explains that they are Galbatorix’s “personal dragon hunters”. Whenever he hears rumors about a dragon in the land, he sends them to investigate. Given their abilities, they do seem like a good choice for that, as long as they take it seriously. In the self-published edition, he adds “if the rumors prove to be true… you know what they do; their methods aren’t gentle.” Um, Brom, I am quite certain this it the very first time the rumors proved true, so what are you basing this generalisation on?

He ends by saying that “a trail of death” often follows them. Not something I disbelieve immediately, but we have not exactly seen anything to back it up, either. For something else, I think that these Ra’zac being “the last of a dying race” might explain why they are messing around like this. After all, why bother with following Galbatorix’s orders precisely when their race is bound to die out anyway? They might as well have some fun.

Manual Patch Job: 64

Brom blows some smoke rings and watches them float up. Eragon does not pay attention until “he notice[s] that they [are] changing color and darting around. Brom [sees] him looking and wink[s] slyly.”

I… Where to even start here? Well, let me start with the fact that Brom is using magic in front of Eragon and Saphira, and he even winks slyly to Eragon! He is constantly being secretive, and now this?!

Ill Logic: 222 (+10)

Also, why do Eragon and Saphira not notice this? All right, Saphira does not notice because she is being ignored.

What Dragons?: 284

But Eragon literally sees this, and yet he will never bring it up again, or even acknowledge it happened.

This Cannot Be: 39

It is simply incredibly out of place. It does not make sense with the established motives of Brom, and it is ridiculous that Eragon never brings it up again. In short, it ought to have been cut.

PPP: 502

(And yes, I did just drop Why Are We Doing This?, given that I do not think it is particularly useful.)

Well, we are told that Eragon is certain that no one has seen Saphira, so how could Galbatorix have possibly heard about her? This is put in the narration in both editions, which is… strange, given that such thoughts are almost always given in italics in this book.

PPP: 503

Eragon voices “his objections” (but he is not objecting. He is wondering)—

PPP: 504

—and Brom says that he is right: it “seems unlikely” that someone from Carvahall could have informed Galbatorix. (It was most probably Durza, who reported his failure to capture the egg to Galbatorix.) He asks Eragon to tell how he got the egg and raised Saphira, as it might “clarify the issue”.

Eragon hesitates, and then “recount[s] all the events since he [has] found the egg in the Spine”. And he noticeably does this without asking Saphira, never mind that this is also her history. Good going, Eragon!

Best Partners Ever: 212

What Dragons?: 285

The self-published edition notes that it is sometimes difficult, but as he forces the words out, “relief [sweeps] through him.” Both editions note that it feels wonderful to “finally confide in someone.” Oh, I can imagine. Might be nice to have had some more on this, but it is still good. Brom asks some questions, but most of the time he just listens. When Eragon finishes his story, the sun is about to set. They are both quiet as “the clouds turn[] a soft pink.” Eragon then speaks up, saying he wishes he knows where Saphira comes from, and that she “doesn’t remember”. Because it is not like Saphira could say this herself or something. Gah.

Brom cocks his head and says he does not know. Eragon has “made many things clear to [him]”. He is sure that no one outside of them has seen Saphira, so the Ra’zac “must have had a source of information outside of this valley, one who is probably dead by now….”

And just who might that source be…? Oh, I know! The traders! Let me explain: Once Galbatorix told the Ra’zac to go looking for the egg, they sought out the traders, because they would be carrying lots of news and rumours. So they met up with them somewhere outside of Palancar Valley, asked around (maybe with the help of mind-control), found Merlock, and questioned him. From what they heard, they knew the egg was in Carvahall, so that way they went, and they arrived a few days before the present. As for Merlock, I doubt they would have killed him; they could have got the information out of him anyway, and killing someone would give more trouble.

Manual Patch Job: 65 (quite an airtight explanation, I would say)

Brom then says that Eragon has had a “hard time and done much”, and he is impressed. I have to say that does not exactly impress me when Brom was part of the cause for Eragon’s “hard time”. The self-published edition notes that the praise has not effect on him. In both editions, he looks into the distance and asks what happened to Brom’s head, as it looks like he has been “hit with a rock”.

Brom says that that was not what happened, but it is “a good guess”. He takes a pull on his pipe. And… well, see the explanation for yourself.

S: “ I was sneaking around the Ra’zac’s camp after dark, trying to learn what I could, when they surprised me in the shadows.

K: “I was sneaking around the Ra’zac’s camp after dark, trying to learn what I could, when they surprised me in the shadows.

(Yes, the self-published edition does have a loose quotation mark.)

So… Okay, trying to sneak around their camp to learn something is not a bad idea per se. (Where was this camp, anyway? I think that might help to know.)

Missing Puzzle Pieces: 55

But, while the basic idea might be sound, why was he doing this after dark, when he knows they are at their strongest? And without knowing where the Ra’zac were? I would certainly not take the risk. And what was he hoping to discover that was worth risking his life for? After all, doing this is practically asking to be attacked.

Ill Logic: 227 (+5)

With Leaders Like These…: 10

It also seems that he did not bother to take any precautions, either. It is quite typical of Brom, but still.

It was a good trap,

And what kind of trap was it, then? Seriously, I would like to know, and I have trouble envisioning what happened because of it.

Missing Puzzle Pieces: 56

but they underestimated me and I managed to drive them away.

How? I guess it had something to do with magic, and that is why he does not want to say anything, but still… Also, you only managed to drive them away because they let you. They have mind-control, after all.

Not, however,” he said wryly, “without this token of my stupidity. Stunned, I fell to the ground and didn’t regain consciousness until the next day.

1: So Brom was knocked unconscious by the Ra’zac, and he only came to the next day. And yet he insisted on avoiding Getrude. True, he may well have healed his concussion with magic, but I do not get the impression we are supposed to think that. Rather, I feel like Paolini, once again, underestimates the consequences of unconsciousness and concussions. So we have Brom being fully healed within a few days.

Manual Patch Job: 66 (again, outside intervention would be my suspicion)

This Cannot Be: 40

In fact… let me create the count Knock Yourself Out, It’s Fine (a red count, as this will track over the whole series).

Knock Yourself Out, It’s Fine: 2 (one point for this, one for Eragon waking up relatively fine after two days)

2: What exactly happened, then? How did he manage to drive them away when he was stunned? Or how did they manage to stun him if he drove them away? My best guess is that he used magic to scare them off, and they hit him in the side of the head while they left, with… the pommel of one of their swords? That makes sense to me, at least.

Missing Puzzle Pieces: 57

3: So they knocked him unconscious. How hard would it have been for them to notice that he was not coming after them, to see that he was unconscious, and then to catch or kill him? They could have killed him at a hundred times if they wanted to! But, of course, it is clear that they did not actually care about killing him here.

And that does undermine their evilness quite a bit. If they are not willing to kill Brom here (maybe because they want to draw out Eragon and Saphira?), why are they that great of a threat?

Papier-Mâché Villains: 8 (+2)

It is framed like the Ra’zac genuinely wanted to catch Brom and he just barely managed to fend them off… but he simply lay there unconscious for hours. It is the same deal with Brom not appearing in Carvahall at all during the past few days, and with his head wound: Paolini did not think this through at all, and the end result is a complete mess.

PPP: 507 (+5)

By then they had already arrived at your farm. It was too late to stop them, but I set out after them anyway. That’s when we met on the road.”

Well, that clarifies that. And good on Brom for going after the Ra’zac anyway!

Eragon now wonders who Brom is to think that he “[can] take on the Ra’zac alone”. They ambushed him in the dark, “and he was only stunned?” Well, he “only” lay unconscious for hours, which would not give anyone the chance to kill him at all. Other than that, I love how this exposes the absurdities of the set-up, while trying to cast them as Brom being more than he seems. Let me state it clearly:

Brom thinking he can take on the Ra’zac by himself is more a sign of his hubris than it is of how powerful he is.

Brom being “only” stunned means that the Ra’zac were not interested in killing him, not that he was very good at driving them off (if he were, he would not have been hit).

Well, Eragon gets “[u]nsettled”, and he asks this (which the Knopf edition notes he does “hotly”): “When you saw the mark, the gedwëy ignasia, on my palm, why didn’t you tell me who the Ra’zac were?

Very good question, Eragon! He says further that he would have warned Garrow instead of going to Saphira first, and then the three of them “could have fled”. Would it truly have gone like that? Also, why does he say he “went to Saphira”? He called for her, and she came to him!

Forgot Your Own Canon Again?: 92

That aside… Would Eragon have had an easy time of convincing Garrow to leave? I do not think it impossible, I just think that it might be more complicated than Eragon thinks.

Brom sighs and he says he was “unsure of what to do” at the time, which the self-published edition notes he does with “slow emphasis”. He thought he could keep the Ra’zac away from Eragon, and, as soon as they had left, “confront [Eragon] about Saphira”. But they “outsmarted” him. It is a mistake “he deeply regret[s], and one that has cost [Eragon] dearly.”

1: Good to see Brom take some responsibility! It does bug me, though… Yes, he says that his mistake was underestimating the Ra’zac, which is indeed a mistake, true. But that, in and of itself, did not have to lead to tragedy. As Eragon says, he needed to tell Eragon about the Ra’zac so he could flee with Garrow and Saphira if necessary.

And that is indeed one of things he desperately needs to learn: that communicating his plans and ideas to others helps, that he cannot do everything by himself, and that, even when he can, it is often undesirable. Here, he wanted to sort out the Ra’zac entirely by himself, so he did not even warn Eragon, and see what happened.

Too bad that he will not learn any of this, and that there is no further attention paid to this.

PPP: 512 (+5)

2: So Brom did mean to “confront” Eragon about Saphira, like Eragon had done something wrong by not telling him! I knew that I was right about the earlier scene!

Some Father You Are: 68

3: And of course he does not mention that he was gone for literal days. Never mind that that was also something he absolutely should not have done.

Well, in the self-published edition, Eragon thinks “bitterly” that Garrow would still be alive if “[Brom] hadn’t been so arrogant”. Which is entirely true. If Brom had actually bothered to try healing Garrow, and so deviated from his plans, Garrow might still be alive. Eragon then “suddenly” demands to know who Brom is.

In the Knopf edition, he asks this too, only here he is “suddenly bitter”. Because that is a very smooth way of changing this.

PPP: 513

In both editions, he asks how a “mere village storyteller” happens to have “a Rider’s sword”, and how Brom knows about the Ra’zac. Brom just taps his pipe, and says that “[he] thought [he] made it clear [he] wasn’t going to talk about that.”

Well, then you clearly thought wrong, because this is what you said: “As for how I know so much, I will keep that to myself”. You did not say anything about keeping you history to yourself, so you have no business calling Eragon out on this. Outside of that, what is the bother in giving him at least some information? Or can you at least not be like this to him?

ASWLT: 9

Some Father You Are: 69

Then we get this:

S: “That’s not good enough!” exclaimed Eragon angrily, slashing his hand through the air. “My uncle is dead because of this. Dead!

K: “My uncle is dead because of this. Dead!” exclaimed Eragon angrily, slashing a hand through the air.

Yes, go off, Eragon!!

In both editions, he says that he has trusted Brom this far because “Saphira respects him”, “but no more!” Um, I do no think Saphira exactly “respects” him. He threatened her to get her co-operation, remember? Why would you use that as a reason to trust him?

Ill Logic: 228

He says that Brom is not the person he has known for “all of these years”, and he demands that Brom explain himself. Brom just stares for a while “at the smoke swirling between them”, with deep lines on his forehead. He only stirs to “take another puff”. Finally, he says that Eragon “[has] probably never thought about it”, but the greatest part of his life was spent outside of Palancar Valley.

What, “you have probably never thought about it”? We literally learned in chapter 6 that Eragon asked Garrow about it! Yes, Brom cannot know this, but it goes beyond “very arrogant” into “plain wrong”! Also, he literally assumes that Eragon did not think about it? Just… I do not even know what to say to that.

ASWLT: 10

Some Father You Are: 70

He continues that it was only in Carvahall that he “took up the mantle and title of storyteller”. He has played many roles to many people, and he has a “complicated past”. It was in part through “a desire to escape it” that he came here. So he is indeed not the man Eragon thinks him to be.

Well, those were quite some words to say nothing at all. Eragon snorts, and asks who Brom is then. And let us see this for ourselves:

Brom smiled gently. “I am one who is here to help you.

A bold claim. How have you helped Eragon so far? Yes, you dragged him to the village when he fell unconscious, and you have given him Zar’roc, and you stayed with him for a bit after the Ra’zac got him, but how else have you knowingly helped him? I literally cannot think of anything else. For the rest, he has only grumped at Eragon, been very mysterious, just stood around, or actively made things worse. You have to do much better to convince me, Brom.

Do not scorn those words—they are the truest I’ve ever spoken.

Well, you might certainly believe that, but your behaviour does not support it at all, so do not take offence when I do not believe you (and if you do, Brom, that is just too bad for you). Also… why does he say that these words are “the truest he has ever spoken”? Given how little there is to back up this claim, he might better have reserved it for something like “I do not wish you harm”. As it is, it seems like he admits to being a quite big liar.

At this point you don’t need to hear my history, nor have you yet earned that right.

And when will he need to hear that history, and how can he earn it? If you want to share your history eventually, then make clear when it will happen! Something like “I will tell you my history once we have caught the Ra’zac/know each other well” would work better. Yes, it is vague, but it is better than “at some unspecified point, you will need to hear my history”. Come to think of it, why is he saying something this vague, if he wants Eragon to trust him?

Ill Logic: 229

And if Eragon needs to “earn” the right to hear Brom’s history, Brom also needs to “earn” Eragon’s trust. If it does not work both ways, they might as well not be in this team.

With Leaders Like These…: 15 (+5) (for Brom’s general attitude)

S: I’ll not give it to someone as overwrought as you.

Never mind that he is this “overwrought” because of you! You let Garrow die, and you have the gall to complain that Eragon is “overwrought”? I want to bite Brom. Hard.

Also, what about Saphira, who is still here? Brom will be perfectly comfortable telling things to her later on, so this does not make much sense. Well, at least it was cut in the Knopf edition…

Yes, I have knowledge Brom the storyteller wouldn’t, but I’m more than he.

Yes, we know. And Eragon knows too! What do you take him for?

You’ll have to learn to live with that fact,

But… Eragon is not complaining about you being more than you said you were, he talked about you letting him believe for years on end that you were just a storyteller. And, to me, it is quite clear that he has had enough of your secretiveness, and that that is his complaint! So Brom is literally making stuff up now to complain about.

ASWLT: 11

Some Father You Are: 71

and the fact that I don’t hand out descriptions of my life to anyone who asks!”

1) This is your son, Brom, not just anyone!

2) He does not ask you to “hand out a description”; he wants to know if you are trustworthy!

3) How dare you yell at him like this!

I get the feeling we are supposed to see Eragon as overly untrusting here, but Brom comes off as a complete brat here. I truly hate him.

ASWLT: 12

Some Father You Are: 72

Eragon “glare[s] at him sullenly”, which I can completely agree with. He says he will go to sleep, while leaving the fire. Brom is unsurprised, “but there [is] sorrow in his eyes”. And I see we are supposed to sympathise with him: “It is just so sad that Eragon will not see that Brom is truly trying to look out for him”. That simply is not supported by anything, though, so it feels as if we are supposed not to mind all of this.

Look Away: 382 (+5)

He puts his “bedroll” next to the fire, while Eragon goes to lie next to Saphira. Ah yes, Saphira, who literally did nothing at all after touching Zar’roc! This is downright insulting!

What Dragons?: 290 (+5)

If you did not know of anything to do with her, Paolini, then have her not be present, or be asleep, instead of this!

We are finally told that “[a]n icy silence” falls, “stifling any comradeship”. Oh, how sad. And there the chapter mercifully ends.

Hmmm, how will I tally this chapter ending? Given that it ends with Eragon going to sleep, I will use Protagonist Unconsciousness.

Protagonist Unconsciousness: 7

Now for my thoughts on the chapter as a whole. I think… yes, I will throw out the question I had put up for this, given how much we sometimes struggle to get them filled in.

I would say a consistent problem with this chapter is that Paolini is constantly missing the point he is trying to make. So we have this:

Saphira rousing Eragon to action → Saphira bullying Eragon into leaving.
Eragon deciding to leave Carvahall to get revenge → Eragon being a total edgelord
Brom being helpful by going along with Eragon and Saphira → Brom forcing himself along with them
A bit of description on Zar’roc → Why is the chapter named after this sword?
Brom not wanting to reveal anything about himself → Brom being an ass about not wanting to reveal it, and being very untrustworthy.

It makes the chapter a quite frustrating read, really.

This chapter also fails at being the one where Eragon leaves Carvahall, because they are now just outside of the farm. Sure, they may be out of Carvahall physically, but they have not yet left that part of the story.

Finally, what gets me is just how bloated this chapter is. Though I do not have complete metrics, this is the third-longest chapter of the Knopf edition, at least, and there is simply very little to justify its length. If we cut the conversation between Elain and Horst, the introduction of Zar’roc, and the endless carry-on about Brom’s past, we would lose 1141 words in the self-published edition. That would already be much better.

Well, at least the next chapter will be much shorter, as we will be making a saddle for Saphira. Until then!

		K
Content
A Better Commando Name		12
All the Isms		8
Bullyay		33
	Murdered by the Convocation	8
	Perfection is Pure	3
Best Partners Ever		212
Ill Logic		229
Just Drink the Poison		0
Look Away		382
Manual Patch Job		66
No Touchy		6
No-Wave Feminism		59
Petty Ain’t the Word For You		62
Resistance Is Futile		3
FYRP		46
Some Father You Are		72
Some Teacher You Are		0
Sparkly Damsel		22
This is Fine		82
IYES		27
What Dragons?		290
Papier-Mâché Villains		8
With Leaders Like These…		15
ASWLT		12
Edgy Equals Mature, Right?		3
Writing
Read the Discussion Boards		9
Dead Herrings		60
Drop It Like It’s Hot		33
Forgot Your Own Canon Again?		91
Forgot the Narrator		29
Get to the Point Already		20
Give Me a Piece of Your Mind		2
Missing Puzzle Pieces		57
Paoclichés		21
PPP		513
Reaction, Please		73
Shine Bright Like a Diamond		6
Thanks for Explaining		3
But Thou Must		86
This Cannot Be		40
History-Rewriting Narrator		53
Knock Yourself Out, It's Fine		2
Cliffhanger Chop		2
Mid-Scene Break		0
Other Ending		6
Protagonist Unconsciousness		7
Single-Purpose Chapter		5