Inheritance Cycle: The Journal of Roran Stronghammer

The Journal of Roran Stronghammer

(Based off the Inheritance Cycle)

Journal Entry One

It has been five years since my cousin, Eragon, the first Dragon Rider of our age, left Alagaesia and I was appointed Earl of Palancar Valley. Katrina, my wife, has convinced me to write a journal for future generations, so they know my story. I was reluctant at first but I was thinking about my children, Ismira, my daughter (named after Katrina's mother) and my son Garrow (named after my father) and realized they deserve to know my story if I do not make it back from this upcoming battle. They deserve to know why I sacrificed my life for them and the people of Carvahall.

I will start with how New Carvahall was created from the ruins of old Carvahall. Eragon just left Alagaesia to train the dragons in a distant land and I was made Earl of Palancar Valley. The villagers from Carvahall and I traveled to what remained of Carvahall. We rebuilt our homes and shops but more and more people started coming here to see the birth place of the Dragon Rider that killed Galbatorix. with so many new arrivals we had to expanded Carvahall and the little village that once was became a thriving city in the making. We also built a stone wall around New Carvahall to ensure a threat like the Raz'ac didn't destroy our town again. The town isn't completely finished but we have made surprising progress thanks to hard working men and magicans. Nausada, the queen of our empire, sent me hundreds of soldiers from the Varden to serve as my guard.

More and more people moved to Palancar Valley, and in three years the valley had three villages besides Carvahall. With the increased population I had to assign mayors to each village. Aldur, a young man from Therinsford became its mayor, Britson, a varden war veteran, found Valenwood, a small village to the west of Therinsford and became its mayor, and Terry, a trader from Terim, the coastal city, became the mayor of Cancon. My court (including the three leaders of the small villages) consisted of twelve of the most respected and powerful people in Palancar Valley. My right hand man, and close friend, Horst and several other villagers from the original Carvahall where in my court.

About two years after he left Alagesia Eragon contacted me with the magic mirror he set up before he left to tell me one of the dragon eggs he left the dwarves hatched and that the new rider is training with Arya until he is ready to train with Eragon in Shur'tugal ( the ancient word for Dragon Rider). He explained that is what he named the land he went to train the dragons. He also told me that he has sent half the eggs bound to rider's back to Algaesia so that they may hatch. One egg would go to each of the races each year which then would go to every village, town, and city in their respective kingdoms to see if a new rider was chosen. If the new egg did hatch the new rider would train with Arya (the queen of elves and dragon rider) until he/she was ready to go train with Eragon. I did not approve of this plan for I feared another Galbatorix would rise but I didn't say anything for it was not my place. It has been three years since this plan has been in action and an egg has been yet to be hatched for humans, but the dragon egg is still passed from city to city. Even to Palancar Valley. That's the problem.

When Galbatorix was killed the remaining soldiers that where still loyal to him formed their own group that was nicknamed Galbatorix Remnant's. When they found out one of the dragon eggs was coming to Carvahall they knew that since Carvahall was a new settlement that was still unfinished this was their best opportunity to steal the egg. Since then the Remnant has surrounded Carvahall and blocked the roads so no reinforcements could help us. Giving in wasn't an option so we decided to fight until we couldn't fight anymore. We evacuated the women and children through the secret tunnels I installed when we first returned here. My wife Katrina aruged with me about the decision. Long ago we both agreed I would never force her to leave my side again. I had to explain to her it was for the children. Only then did she leave with the rest of the women. After the women and children left everyone still in Carvahall grabbed a weapon of some kind. Once the town was prepared I sent the Remnant a message informing them we would not hand over the dragon egg. I then went to my study and began writing this journal so my family will know my story if I fall. The battle is about to start and I have a feeling it isn't going to end in a happy ending.