Chapter 3: Feast With Friends

Eragon walked the short distance from where Saphira had landed to where the feast was being held. She padded along next to him.

He had expected to pick up Arya at her tent, but was unable to find her. I hope she is still coming.

Perhaps something came up, Saphira suggested, trying to be optimistic, but after studying her emotions for a moment Eragon was easily able to determine that she was doubtful of the elf's attendance.

He sighed, walking under a makeshift arch that served as an entrance for a crudely fenced off area. That had perhaps twenty long tables lined up in rows. Three tables were lined up perpendicularly to the others to serve as a place for the food to rest. It was clearly a serve yourself type of feast.

Eragon recognized Thane standing at the door with a list of names. He had never known that Thane had known how to read. The ability was uncommon in Carvahall.

Thane waved Eragon through without any hesitation, looking excited for his opportunity to spend time with the rider. Eragon smiled at him as he walked by, but Thane didn't manage to return the smile because a look of mortification appeared on his face as Saphira clambered over the fencing, doing her best to not disturb any of the posts. Surprisingly, she succeeded, and they continued towards the tables, leaving a relived Thane behind them.

As Eragon walked past the first couple rows of tables, he realized that there were perhaps eight tables missing in the center, forming a large square sparring ring. The eight tables that would normally fill the space were shoved together in the corner of the clearing. Eragon was unsure of whether or not they were going to be moved into the center after the duel or if they would just be left in the corner.

Katrina finally hurried over to Eragon and ushered him over to his seat. It was at one of the center tables, probably so all of the villagers could have an easier time interacting with him. He noticed most of his guards and a fair number of villagers already seated around the other tables. Acknowledging Blödhgarm with a brief nod, Eragon settled into his seat.

Fifteen minutes later the rest of the villagers had arrived and Eragon was still glancing around hoping to find Arya. Roran came up to him and sat down in his seat, which was to Eragon's left. He gestured at the empty seat to Eragon's right and asked, "Is she coming?"

Eragon shrugged. "Elves are difficult to predict, even for me." He sighed, standing up slowly and facing Blödhgarm. "I'll go ask Blödhgarm to find a replacement."

He started walking away, but Roran touched his shoulder gently and said, "Maybe that won't be necessary."

Eragon turned around and saw Arya walking through the entrance. She looked as beautiful as ever, but her raven hair was tied behind her head so that it didn't get in the way when she fought.

She gave Eragon a small smile when she reached him, and then apologized for her tardiness, but she didn't give a reason for it. She said, "Eragon, I would like to duel you now instead of after we eat. That way we can get it out of the way and enjoy the rest of the evening."

"Very well, I'm as ready as I'll ever be," he replied, fingering the hilt of Brisingr.

Roran glanced around, ascertaining whether or not the villagers were as ready as Eragon and Arya were. Eragon noted that most of them were in the process of procuring food from the main three tables. Roughly a third of them were already seated.

Apparently Roran was satisfied, for he climbed up onto the nearest table and called for everyone's attention. "Thank you all for coming. It has been a long time since we have had the chance to hold a feast like this, so let's make the best of tonight." The crowd voiced their approval for his introduction by clapping enthusiastically. "With that in mind, it occurred to me that while we, the villagers of Carvahall, have been thrust into a world with magic, dragons, and supernatural beings, we do not really understand these phenomenons. When I first was reunited with my cousin, Eragon, on the Burning Planes, I was shocked by his change of appearance. What was even more surprising was the power and skill he displayed while we hunted the Ra'zac at Helgrind. It was because of this that I asked him if he could display that power for all of you to see, so you might understand some of the changes he has been through and just what he is capable of now. I would duel him myself, but he is far beyond my own skill. Instead, Eragon will duel one of his friends, Arya, both of whom have earned the title of Shadeslayer." There was a roar of approval from the crowd. People immediately cleared the space in the center for Arya and Eragon.

Eragon watched Arya unsheathe her sword and guard its edge. While she did so, he shouted for all to hear. "Swordsmanship is only one of the qualities that I have developed. For safety reasons, Arya and I will not be using any magic in this duel." There were a few boos and dissatisfied expressions, but Eragon did not really pay any attention to them. He was not about to risk Arya's safety just to show off his magical skills.

Acquit yourself well, Eragon. Humans are fickle, and I have a feeling you'll suffer if you do not live up to their expectations.

I know, thank you Saphira, he said, taking his place on the opposite side of the ring as Arya.

Most of the villagers had taken their seats and were waiting in quiet anticipation for the duel to start.

Eragon put the villagers out of his mind and focused only on Arya. He was unsure of her exact level of skill with the sword, as she had been holding back during their fight in Farthen Dûr, and he never paid attention during battles, as he was too busy focusing on his own strikes.

After taking a long breath he drew his sword and held it at his side with the point facing down, mirroring what Arya had done moments before. He wasted no time staring and immediately rushed forward, clashing blades with Arya near the center of the ring.

Their initial strikes were powerful, but neither of them devoted their full strength to the blows. As such, Arya shoved Eragon back a few inches with her strike and immediately followed with a slash at his chest. Eragon instinctively parried, and then dodged Arya's improvised slash at his waist.

He retaliated with a low strike, forcing Arya off her balance and closer to the ground. When it was blocked he pulled his sword back and immediately stabbed forward, taking careful note of when he needed to stop his sword to avoid actually stabbing Arya.

If he hadn't held back, Arya would have lost the fight then and there, but his action of slowing down the sword gave Arya just enough time to knock his blade aside.

They mirrored each other for a few moments, and then each executed powerful strikes across the chest. Their blades locked together, and they were forced to stare into each others' eyes. Eragon could see gratitude in Arya's emerald green eyes. She knew that his stab would have hit if he didn't hold back. He also saw a fire in her eyes unlike any he had seen before. It seemed as if that near-fatal blow had awakened something in her that brought out her more competitive side.

She broke contact and attacked with a series of lightning quick slashes. Eragon had trouble keeping up and actually missed blocking one of the slashes to his chest. While it wasn't a fatal wound, he did receive a bruise on his side for his mistake.

The wound brought a rush of adrenaline and he countered Arya's series of strikes with a set of his own, pushing her back almost to the edge of the ring. She circled around him and retreated to the center, and then rushed at him again. A flare ran the length of Brisingr for a split second, unbidden by any command from Eragon. He countered her rush and put his full force behind his stroke.

Their swords clashed and it seemed as if they were equal for a moment, but suddenly something changed. Eragon's sword had enchantments beyond any other blade. Those enchantments helped it slice Arya's in half, shocking the crowd and both of them.

He was unable to stop his sword before it cut through Arya's upper arm, but he did manage to stop it before it cut through a bone. Arya yelped in pain and Eragon hurriedly dropped Brisingr, grasping her arm tightly to reduce the bleeding while he determined which words to heal her with. It did not take him long to decide, and he quickly began healing her wound. His guards rushed towards them as well and helped with his effort to heal her. One of them placed her hand on Eragon's side and healed his minor injury.

Several minutes later, and after spending copious amount of energy, Eragon released his magic and locked eyes with Arya. There was no anger in them, but only confusion. Roran had approached as well and as soon as Arya was healed he shouted to the onlookers, most of which had been murmuring to each other the entire time. "They are both alright! I'm not sure how Eragon cut through her sword, but I am sure it was an accident." Roran hesitated and glanced at Arya, and then added, "Let's start this feast. We'll call the duel a draw."

"You won," Arya whispered to Eragon amongst all the commotion in the background.

He shook his head. "Maybe I did, but it wasn't in a way that was fair."

"How did you do that?" Blödhgarm questioned.

Eragon shrugged. "Apparently the spells Rhunön placed on my sword are more powerful than I had realized. I have done this to humans before, but never to an enchanted blade."

Arya turned to Blödhgarm and asked, "Blödhgarm, could you and a few of the other elves repair my sword?"

"Of course," Blödhgarm said with a bow. "We'll contact Rhunön for precise instructions after this feast. Is that acceptable?"

Arya nodded. She began walking back to the tables that the villagers were setting up, but she stumbled and almost fell. Eragon caught her arm and smiled at her. "Lightheaded?" he asked.

She smiled back after a second. "No thanks to you."

Eragon walked with her back to the tables, keeping a light grip on her so she didn't fall. "That's really not necessary,' Arya said after a few successful steps. He shrugged and released her, only to have her stumble again four steps later. Eragon held his hand out again, and this time Arya just shrugged with embarrassment.

"You just need some food," Eragon counseled as they sat down at the tables. Nasuada, Roran, Katrina, Horst, Thane, and everyone else at Eragon's table sat down as well. Saphira curled up at the end of the table with an enormous platter of meat in front of her. She seemed perfectly content to ignore the chatter before her and focus only on her meal.

Eragon and the other elves were served immediately. Eragon took careful note of how none of the elves, including himself, received any meat. He mentioned it to Roran and praised his memory. Roran laughed. "How could I forget after our talk at Helgrind? I had hoped by now you would have grown up."

Eragon laughed good-naturedly. "You have your beliefs and I have mine. We can agree to disagree."

Roran chewed a strip of meat before responding. "That doesn't mean I'll ever understand it."

"It is a simple concept," Arya commented. "Elves have no reason to kill an animal for food when we are able to sing anything we need from the plants. It is different with the humans and dwarves."

"What do you mean by singing from plants?" Thane asked, his voice quivering slightly as he asked the elf. It was clear that he was at least partly afraid of Arya.

Eragon grunted. "That took me quite a long time to understand. In simple terms, it is a method of magic to grow a plant a certain way."

"Sounds confusing," Katrina said.

"Isn't anything confusing if you don't understand it?" replied Eragon.

"When did you get so wise?" Horst asked with a chuckle.

In a soft voice Eragon said, "I had good teachers." He shook his head. Eragon could tell that the villagers were curious about his teachers and who they were, but his sad demeanor cautioned them away.

Roran called for the mead to be distributed and after a few minutes the mood at the feast eased and people, including Eragon, started to forget about their tensions and troubles. He started to talk more openly with the villagers, socializing with them as he hadn't managed to do since he had left Carvahall, even during the feast that Nasuada had organized for him.

He told stories of his adventures to those that had not heard them, denied dozens of rumors, and even managed to laugh at some old jokes. Through his bond with Saphira he could feel her happiness as well. The feast was a success.

Nasuada excused herself early, followed quickly by Elain and a score of other villagers who had tasks they needed to accomplish in the morning. The remaining few dozen people moved closer to Eragon's table, for nobody sitting at that table except Nasuada and Elain had left.

Eragon noticed that Thane had been quiet for a time, and it looked like he had a question that he wanted to ask. He mentioned it to the man. Than said, "Hmm, well I wasn't sure if I should ask or not."

"Go ahead," Eragon encouraged.

"How do you use magic? I have been curious ever since we arrived at the Varden, and long before then, if truth be told."

"Hmm," Eragon mumbled. He glanced around. "A complicated question. Is anyone but Thane interested in this? I'll try to explain it, but it might take some time so I don't want to bore the rest of you."

"I'd like to know," Horst commented.

"I'd like to see you try to explain it," Arya said with a chuckle.

Jeod and a few others added their interest as well, so Eragon sighed and thought about where to begin. He said, "First of all, to use magic you need a certain innate power, something that has become quite rare in humans. To actually use magic you need to know the words in the Ancient Language to describe what you are doing."

"The Ancient Language?" asked Horst.

"It is the language that the elves speak in. It is impossible to lie in it."

"I find that hard to believe!" Thane exclaimed.

Eragon closed his eyes, trying to figure out how he could convince them that he spoke the truth. Not finding anything, he sighed and said, "I cannot really explain why that the Ancient Language prevents you from lying, but it has something to do with the Grey Folk, the ancient race that originally harnessed wild magic and bound it to their language."

"What does honesty have to do with magic?" someone asked.

Eragon chuckled. "Nothing, actually. It's just an interesting fact about the language. Regardless, to use magic you need to know the words in the Ancient Language that describe what you want to do. At that point, all you have to do is access the power within yourself and you can use magic."

"That's all there is to it?" Thane demanded.

"At the most basic level, yes. The real challenge is not using magic itself, but learning how to access that power and learning how it works. New Riders were taught magic by being given impossible tasks; stacking rocks with their feet or filling an ever-draining tub with water. Eventually, after long enough, the Riders would become frustrated enough to use magic."

"Could any of us learn by that method?" asked Albreich.

Arya shook her head, taking over for Eragon. "No. The tasks can be used to teach basic magic, but you must already have the gift of magic for them to work. With the Riders it was simple; every Rider can use magic, though to varying degrees of success. They have the dragons to thank for that."

There was silence for a time as the villagers considered what they had learned. Eragon broke it after a moment, a thought occurring to him. "Since you all seem so interested in magic, I feel that I should at least tell you the most important rule when using it, just in case one of you are lucky enough to possess the gift. The number one rule of magic is that spells require energy, and the energy they require is just as much as it would take to do the task the mundane way. If you cast a spell that takes more energy than you possess, it will kill you."

"Then how do you know how large of a spell you can use?" someone asked.

"You don't," Arya said simply.

Eragon smiled, but added, "There are ways of wording your spells so that they can be canceled if they start draining too much energy." He shook his head. "Enough of this talk of magic. Can we not simply enjoy a happy night like we did back in Carvahall?"

Horst winked at Eragon. "In Carvahall you didn't have a dragon, and you didn't have elvish company. But yes, we will do our best." Eragon grinned at Horst.

"If it makes it any easier, I am going to return to my tent," Arya offered.

"So soon?" Eragon asked. He thought he would have the entire evening to enjoy with her.

"I need to rest a bit longer tonight to build up blood, no thanks to you and your sword." She stood up and walked toward the arch. Four of Eragon's guards got up and followed her. Over her shoulder she added, "Have a good night, Eragon."

When she was gone Horst smiled at Eragon and said, "I'm glad you found someone to be with, Eragon." He winked at him. "Someone quite beautiful, I might add."

"Arya and I aren't-" Eragon turned his head to Horst. "You didn't think we were together, did you?"

Roran and Katrina both laughed, and Horst frowned. The smith said, "Well, why aren't you together then? You seem to be happy with each other, and I see the way you look at her."

"I'd prefer to not talk about it."

Roran nudged him. "Why are you so shy tonight, Eragon? I thought you would be enjoying this more than you are." The villagers listened quietly off to the side.

Eragon fingered the hilt of his sword, uncomfortable. "It would be difficult to explain." He glanced up and noticed the look of determination in Roran's eyes. With a sigh he said, "It's no excuse, but I've got a lot on my mind."

"Don't we all," Roran muttered.

Eragon smiled at him. "True. So, why don't you tell me about your Urgal adventure?" Roran grumbled for a minute, but then related the story of his assignment and his fight with Yarbog. Eragon inquired about the scars he mentioned on his back, and when Roran told him what they were from and why Eragon frowned, his eyebrows meeting in a V shape. "Nasuada is fortunate that she left early," he said. "She should have at least talked to me before doing that to you."

Roran shrugged. "It was necessary."

Eragon cast a critical eye at him. "No, it wasn't. She may have made you think that, but it really wasn't."

"I'm inclined to agree with Eragon here," Horst contributed. "You were a hero and she punished you for it."

"She didn't even allow the scars to be healed before he went on his mission," Katrina added.

"What?" Eragon exclaimed. "Roran, take off your shirt."

Roran made to protest, but Eragon silenced him with a glare. When Roran had finished taking off his shirt he turned his back to them, bringing his scars into the light. Several of the villagers murmured to each other at the sight. The scars had partly healed, but they were still large, puffy, and very red. Eragon marveled at how well Roran carried his wound without showing the pain.

Blödhgarm sidled over to Eragon's side to take a look. He murmured to Eragon, "My kin and I were there when this happened, but we were unsure of what to do."

"I don't expect you to go against the leader of the Varden," Eragon replied. "That would be asking too much." Blödhgarm nodded at him in understanding. The elves were present to guard Eragon, not to interfere in the Varden's politics.

"I, on the other hand, have absolutely no problem going against Nasuada," Eragon said dryly. He placed his palm on Roran's back and said, "Waíse heill!"

The villagers watched with amazement as his palm started to glow and undamaged skin began to form below it. Eragon ended up having to take some energy from Saphira's enormous reserves to heal the entire wound, as healing Arya earlier that evening had left him more tired than he was inclined to admit.

Roran spun around when Eragon was done and said, "I appreciate you healing them, but what about Nasuada?"

Eragon shrugged. "The simple solution is that you just don't tell her, and if she finds out on her own tell her to talk to me about it. I'll make sure you don't get punished for this. You've already endured enough."

Katrina smiled at Eragon. She said, "Thank you for healing him, Eragon. He can be so stubborn at times."

"Both of them can be," one of Horst's sons commented with a laugh. Eragon laughed as well, for it was true. When he set his mind to something there was little anyone could say or do to stop him.

"So," Horst said, leaning back in his chair. "What are our plans after this war is done? I'll probably return to Carvahall." Several other villagers added their plans as well, most of which were similar to Horst's. Eragon decided not to tell them about the condition of Carvahall.

"What about you, Eragon?" Thane asked. "What are you going to do after the war?"

Eragon shrugged. "I honestly do not have the slightest clue. There will be so many people asking me for so many things when this war is over."

The conversation moved on, as nobody decided to press Eragon for an answer. They talked about small things for a few hours, before Eragon finally said to Saphira, I think I'm ready to return to the tents.

I've been ready for awhile. I ran out of mead quite some time ago.

We probably shouldn't fly, Eragon commented, noting the empty barrels of mead next to Saphira. She agreed.

Eragon took his leave of the villagers after thanking them for an evening away from politics and politicians. He and Saphira, accompanied by Blödhgarm and seven other elves, slowly walked back to the tents.

Saphira stumbled several times, causing the elves to move away a few paces and make sure they would not be crushed if she fell. The dragoness snorted when she realized what the elves were doing, but did not otherwise comment, which brought a smile to Eragon's face.

They arrived at their tents, finding an elf on guard by a small fire and a few others sleeping. Arya's tent was closed and Eragon was fairly certain she was asleep as well.

Saphira curled up in front of the tents, near the fire, and fell asleep promptly after wishing Eragon a good night. He made to go to his tent to sleep, but was sure that he wouldn't be able to fall into his waking dreams. There was too much on his mind. He instead took a seat by the fire near his guards, nodding at them as he sat down.

Most of his guards retreated to their dreams, but two stayed awake to watch over him, Saphira, and Arya.

Sometime during the black of night, when even his elven guards had fallen asleep, he heard a crack behind him. He turned around quickly to see Arya walking toward where he was sitting. She was wearing elvish lámarae fabric, a light green tunic with loose pants.

Arya sat down next to him, giving him a small smile. He asked why she was awake, but she turned the question back on him. He sighed, telling her about Horst's question about his future and how it troubled him because he could find no answer. "In the few hours I've spent thinking about it the best thing I have been able to come up with is living on Vroengard with the purpose of rebuilding Doru Araeba."

"That sounds like something you would be happy with," Arya commented.

"I'd be alone, completely alone, except for Saphira."

"Not necessarily," Arya said, causing Eragon to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. "I would be interested in living there with you."

Eragon's eyes widened to the point where he almost felt they might pop out of their sockets. He was shocked that Arya would even consider something like that. "Why?" he asked. "Don't get me wrong, I'd love the company, but why?"

Arya gave Eragon an odd look. "Eragon, do you honestly think that I could live in Ellesméra and actually be happy?"

He stared into her eyes for a long moment, and then said, "No."

She nodded. "Too much has happened for me to return to a life as the princess of the elves. Vroengard and the riders have always interested me, so what better way to spend my time than restoring their legacy?"

Eragon smiled. "I'm glad you think so." Even with her seeming willingness to accompany him and Saphira, Eragon did not allow his hopes to rise too far. He understood that the war could change any plans, and that nothing would be set in stone.

They spent some time discussing Vroengard and exactly what it would take to rebuild it, but Eragon quickly grew tired and was forced to excuse himself. For the first time in a few nights Eragon managed to sleep soundly, if only for a few hours. The knowledge that there was at least some hope for his future was comforting.