Dawnbreaker [Inheritance Cycle]

12. Questions

"Unfortunately, the spilling of blood did not stop there. The dragons massed together and attacked the entire elven nation. The elves tried to end the hostilities, but couldn't find a way to communicate with the dragons."

"Thus, began a very long and very bloody war, which both sides regretted immensely. It lasted for five years and would have continued for much longer if an elf called Eragon hadn't found a dragon egg."

Serafyna blinked in surprise.

"Ah, I see you didn't know of your or your brother's namesake," said Brom.

"Mine?" Serafyna asked, intrigued.

"Indeed. Listen closely, for you will find this all the more interesting."

He took the kettle out of the fire and poured boiling water into two cups before him. He handed one cup to Serafyna and she took it, watching the leaves float on its surface. She tried a sip and got a burnt tongue for her efforts.

Brom continued smoking the pipe. "No one knows why that egg was abandoned. Some say the parents were killed in an elven attack. Others believe the dragons purposefully left it there. Either way, Eragon saw the value of raising a friendly dragon. He cared for it secretly and, in the custom of the ancient language, named her Sera'Feana."

Her eyes widened. "So me and my brother were named after the first Rider and dragon?"

"Yes, though I'm guessing your name was slightly changed to make it fit in better with our naming traditions."

Brom continued, "When Séra'Feana had grown to a good size, they traveled together among the dragons and the elves and convinced them to live in peace. Treaties were formed between the two races. To ensure that such a war would never break out again, they decided that it was necessary to establish the Riders."

"At first the Riders were merely intended as a means of communication between the elves and dragons. However, as time passed, their worth as the best of both races was recognized and they were given more authority. Eventually, they took the island Vroengard for their home and built a city on it—Dorú Areaba. Before Galbatorix overthrew them, the Riders held more power than all the kings in Alagaësia." Brom took a deep breath as he finished. "Now I believe I have answered one of your questions."

"Yes," Serafyna responded, distracted. It seemed like an odd coincidence that she and her brother had been named after the first Rider and dragon. For some reason, her name did not feel the same anymore. She made a mental note to tell this to Eragon.

"What do our names mean?"

"I don't know," said Brom. "It's very old, as you can imagine. I doubt anyone remembers except the elves. Yours is a good name to have, though; you should be proud of it. Not everyone has one so honorable."

Eragon brushed the matter from his mind and focused on what she had learned–and still needed to learn–from Brom.

A question floated into her mind. "Where were humans when the Riders were created?"

Brom laughed. "We are no more native to this land than the elves. It took our ancestors another three centuries to arrive here and join the Riders."

That gave Serafyna pause as she tried to wrap her head around it. It was odd to think that humans hadn't always existed in Alagaësia, in Palancar Valley. That a certain number of years ago, there was nothing but trees and rocks where has Carvahall stood so stubbornly, old and worn as the village is.

Serafyna frowned and gulped at the tea. It was still hot enough to burn her throat. "What happened to the various races after the Riders were destroyed?"