Inheritance

mountains of the Spine. He took the egg to the farm where he lived with his uncle, Garrow, and his only

cousin, Roran. And the egg hatched for Eragon, and he raised the dragon therein. And her name was

Saphira.

Then Galbatorix sent two of the Ra'zac to find and retrieve the egg, and they slew Garrow and burnt

Eragon's home. For Galbatorix had enslaved the Ra'zac, and of them only a few remained.

Eragon and Saphira set out to avenge themselves on the Ra'zac. With them went the storyteller Brom,

who had once been a Dragon Rider himself, ere the fall of the Riders. It was to Brom that the elf Arya

had meant to send the blue egg.

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Brom taught Eragon much about swordsmanship, magic, and honor. And he gave to Eragon Zar'roc,

that had once been the sword of Morzan, first and most powerful of the Forsworn. But the Ra'zac slew

Brom when next they met, and Eragon and Saphira only escaped with the help of a young man, Murtagh,

son of Morzan.

During their travels, the Shade Durza captured Eragon in the city of Gil'ead. Eragon managed to free

himself, and as he did, he freed Arya from her cell. Arya was poisoned and gravely wounded, so Eragon,

Saphira, and Murtagh took her to the Varden, who lived among the dwarves in the Beor Mountains.

There Arya was healed, and there Eragon blessed a squalling infant by the name of Elva, blessed her to

be shielded from misfortune. But Eragon spoke badly, and without realizing it, he cursed her, and his

curse forced her to instead become a shield for others' misfortune.

Soon thereafter, Galbatorix sent a great army of Urgals to attack the dwarves and the Varden. And it

was in the battle that followed that Eragon slew the Shade Durza. But Durza gave Eragon a grievous

wound across his back, and Eragon suffered terrible pain because of it, despite the spells of the Varden's

healers.

And in his pain, he heard a voice. And the voice said,Come to me, Eragon. Come to me, for I have

answers to all you ask .

Three days after, the leader of the Varden, Ajihad, was ambushed and killed by Urgals under the

command of a pair of magicians, twins, who betrayed the Varden to Galbatorix. The twins also abducted

Murtagh and spirited him away to Galbatorix. But to Eragon and everyone in the Varden, it looked as if

Murtagh had died, and Eragon was much saddened.

And Ajihad's daughter, Nasuada, became leader of the Varden.

From Tronjheim, the seat of the dwarves' power, Eragon, Saphira, and Arya traveled to the northern

forest of Du Weldenvarden, where live the elves. With them went the dwarf Orik, nephew of the dwarf

king, Hrothgar.

In Du Weldenvarden, Eragon and Saphira met with Oromis and Glaedr: the last free Rider and dragon,

who had lived in hiding all the past century, waiting to instruct the next generation of Dragon Riders. And

Eragon and Saphira also met with Queen Islanzadí, ruler of the elves and mother to Arya.