Awakening
This story takes place some fourteen years before Eragon's birth. These are the trials of a young man seeking to reach the Varden. Our story begins.
Town
The sunlight floated down into Brand's lofty dwelling in the barn. He ruffled his mocha colored hair, making sure it was messy enough, yawned, stretched, wiped the sleep out of his midnight blue eyes, and clambered down the ladder onto the barn floor. The chickens rushed on him, intent to get him away from their coop and he lazily booted one across the barn. He lumbered into a small hut and rummaged around. He grabbed a couple pieces of bread and trotted out the door.
A rather large dog lumbered out from behind He took a ravenous chunk out of the stale bread and gave the rest to his dog, Wulf. The dog pranced around him, eager for more, but they were a poor and he had naught any to give to Wulf. The dog looked saddened but followed his owner into the underbrush.
He walked warily through the underbrush and burst out on the main road. He had started towards a small village in the distance when a stone, the size of a marble, rebounded off the back of his head. He turned, reflexes quite catlike, to face Gerrard, a small, round-faced boy, with a goofy grin on his face.
"Bout time you got up" said the boy accusingly
Brand grinned sheepishly "I would have been up earlier if it hadn't been for you throwing stones into my loft all night, you stupid lummox."
The grin slid off the boys face "What does lummox mean?" he stood there looking stupid for a time before saying "Are we off to the town again Brand?"
"Aye, we're off to the village again," Brand responded "maybe this time you won't get slapped by that rotund gal you fancy mate."
"Her name is Mari-Lou thanks very much." He rushed at Brand and the two of them wrestled for a moment before they strolled into the dimly lit, scattered village.