Chapter 14. First Victory

In order to inspire his followers, the Varden Brom planned to kill Foromir. Disguised as a royal courier he gained entrance into Foromir's fortress. Kialandi was on a mission for Galbatorix, so Brom snuck into the Fortress and poisoned Foromir's gold dragon. When Foromir entered the dragon hold, his dragon lay on its side moaning. All the doors shut close and Brom walked from behind the dying dragon

"You!" Foromir said incredulously drawing his sword.

"Yes Foromir… I owe you for what you did to Master Oromis…"

Foromir smiled, "I am going to wound you so that you die slowly then I am going to take you before Galbatorix…"

"If you survive this encounter…"

Foromir tried to use magic on Brom but the dragon hold was filled with enchanted mirrors that absorbed all his magical attacks. A trap spell placed by Brom, he couldn't even place up wards. Brom smiled. "Your magic is useless Foromir… I have been planning this for a long time…"

They charged one another swinging their blades, Foromir danced around Brom who blocked backwards and spun flourishing his sword from side to side. Brom punched Foromir in the head, he did a spin kick to Brom's chin, who rolled to the ground and came up on his feet. Foromir charged him thrusting his sword out, but Brom side stepped him and cut Foromir across the chest.

"Can you feel it Foromir… Your death is at hand…"

"Morzan was right about you… You are a fool… Brom Knocker"

Brom sneered and charged driving him towards one of the eight mirrors he set up in the hold. When Foromir was close his own reflection jumped out of the mirror and grabbed his sword. The mirror image threw the blade at Brom he caught it and he leapt at Foromir stabbing him in the heart.

"Maybe I am not the fool you thought I was…" Brom withdrew the sword and decapitated him. Brom was breathing heavy, "Brisinger!" Fire burst all over the castle and Brom escaped standing on a hill watching the fortress burn to the ground.

Kialandi walked through the ruins of her fortress and found Foromir's bones in the rubble. She buried them and kept his sword, then she buried his dragon's bones as well. Thud a percussion of air blew her now shoulder length hair. Thud dust and debris blew up all around Kialnadi as Morzan's dragon landed in the field.

"I am sorry for Foromir's death… He was great man…" Morzan said standing behind her. She spun around and tried to slap Morzan, but quick as an elf he caught her hand.

"Don't be stupid…"

"If you would have let me kill Brom in Vroengard… Foromir would still be alive…"

"Perhaps…"

"I will hunt Brom down…"

Morzan laughed, "Galbatorix wants you to return to Urubaen…" She just stared at him. "There are consequences to disobeying Galbatorix…"

"Find Brom Morzan… Find him and bring him to us alive… Or I will haunt you with the spirits I summon…"

He smiled, "Don't make idle threats… I am Galbatorix's favorite…"

She jerked her hand away from him, "Nothing lasts forever…" She turned climbed onto her dragons saddle and they took off.

Brom's deed caused more recruits to join the Varden. When Galbatorix received word that an army was gathering to attack Aroughs he sent Morzan and five other members of the forsworn to deal with the situation. However Brom's target wasn't Aroughs, it was Gilead. Brom had an army of five thousand positioned in the mountains not far from Gilead, for the past six months the Varden had been digging a tunnel all the way to the city. When night fell the Varden's warriors burst up from the ground and burned the city to the ground, killing thousands of new recruits.

In his rage Galbatorix punished all the forsworn except for Morzan, but he made Morzan watch. "You are the cause of their suffering…" He whispered to Morzan as they screamed in pain, "I expect better from you… Find Brom…" Morzan stared at Galbatorix, he gripped the hilt of his sword and that is when the Razac entered the thrown room.

"You summoned ussss my lord…" The Razac hissed.

Galbatorix turned his back to Morzan. "Yes… Morzan needs help… Find Brom and bring him to me alive…"

Brom stood in the amphitheater deep in the underground city of Tronjheim. His arms were crossed as he watched the members of the Varden celebrate their victory in Gilead. A woman sang to a minstrel playing on a lute. Another man played light tunes on a flute.

Weldon looked at Brom and made his way to the platform, "Why the long face… Join the jubilee…"

"I will celebrate when my sword is firmly planted in Morzan's treacherous heart and Galbatorix's head has been removed from his shoulders…"

Weldon sighed, "You do yourself a discredit…"

Brom placed a hand on his shoulder, "We meet tomorrow with the allied leaders… don't party too hard…"

Weldon was about to go after him but Arya stopped him, "Leave him…"

"But…"

"But nothing… Brom is that way because his dragon was killed by his best friend who is now his enemy…"

The next day Brom met with Weldon, Almen, Arya, Hrothgar, and the council of elders. "We have dealt Galbatorix a mighty blow and Brom has killed Foromir…" Melista said.

"Yes now is the time to strike… We can raise an army unlike any has ever seen… Then we can take Urubaen itself…" Gamiss said.

"One victory doesn't give us cause to attack Urubaen…" Almen said

"We will do nothing…" Brom said looking at everyone at the table.

"But…" Lorn said, Brom stopped him by raising his hand.

"Galbatorix knows the Varden exists… He will rebuild, Gilead… That attack was to bloody his nose… Our spies spread the word of what really happened in Gilead… I wanted to give those under his thumb hope and cause to think… Now the Varden will disappear into the shadows… When we strike it will be like a hurricane… A quick and decisive victory will boost the moral of those that fight for us… We will only fight battles that we know we can win…And we will strike, but only after careful preparation…"

Everyone nodded in agreement and it was Hrothgar who said; "You are a clever strategist Master Brom… Foroimir's death will please the clan lords to know end…"

"We will wait and watch to see how Galbatorix moves…"

The Varden's victory gained great respect among the dwarves who were divided on the subject of supporting them. More clans were willing to support Brom and his Varden, including the clan Az Swell Rak Ahunin who had been apposed, but to weak to do anything. To gain more respect from the dwarves Brom convinced Arya to speak to Queen Islanzadi to give supplies to the clan Ahunin so that they could rebuild themselves. Brom and the Varden also began disrupting trade in the empire. Entire caravans began to disappear, ships were lost on the sea especially ships carrying personal items for Galbatorix and the Forsworn. It got so bad that Galbatorix placed a sizable bounty on his head. As time went on many people started to join the Varden, but that stopped when Galbatorix made an example of the village of Jorpha.