Chapter 5

Rumors came to Durza that the great Master of the Spine had left his so-called Guardians to fend for themselves. Tomorrow, Durza would attack, when the Guardians were defenseless, and Edhellhach too far away to either hear of it or interfere. When Edhellhach returned, instead of his force of two hundred, he would find Durza and a thousand others ready to attack.

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When Edhellhach arrived at Carvahall, he was met with curious stares. He got the feeling that not many visitors came here. He found one man, a butcher in his shop, it was a small shop, but with many meats throughout the shop. It carried the smell of blood and meat, and there were faint stains on the counter where the butchr cut the meat.Edhellhach stood politely in front of the butcher's counter. "Excuse me, good sir, do you know where I can find Brom?" Edhellhach inquired after he had gained the man's attention.

The man grunted. "Who are you to come here and bother me about where some crazy old bard is?"

Edhellhach, attempting to control himself, asked one more time. "Please, sir, I am one of Brom's old friends, come to look for him. I am in dire need of his assistance."

The butcher leaned across the counter with a determined frown. "If I got to tell you one thing, it's that Brom is crazy and won't be able to help you unless you want made-up stories of Dragon Riders and such." The butcher's tone plainly indicated his distaste of Dragon Riders. Just as Edhellhach was going to berate the butcher for insulting one of the "nonexistent" Dragon Riders, he felt a tug at his shirt.

A little boy, about twelve years old squeaked up."Please sir, don't get angry at Sloan. I'll show you where Brom is."

As he was leaving the shop with the little boy, Sloan yelled spitefully after him. "Make sure that pipsqueak Eragon doesn't steal any of your things!" Edhellhach merely chuckled and walked out of the store, rolling his eyes at Sloan. Eragon asked Edhellhach how he knew Brom, and Edhellhach responded by saying they old friends.

"But how old? Since when have you known Brom?" Eragon persisted.

Edhellhach thought back for a moment. "Since he was just a bit older than you are now."

Eragon, shocked, blurted, "But you don't look that old." He paused, then asked. "How come you don't look so old?"

Before Edhellhach could make up an answer, he saw Brom walking down the street. The two men saw each other then ran towards each other and embraced the other. Both of them were shocked to see the other one still alive. At the same time, they asked each other, "How are you doing? Fine." They laughed, and then Edhellhach remembered Eragon, "Here you go, this for helping me find my old friend." He had handed Eragon two crowns.

Eragon looked at the money, and then said. "I can't take this. I didn't help that much."

Edhellhach chuckled, charmed by the boy's innocence. "You have very good manners, take them. I won't accept 'no' for an answer. Your help to me was worth every bit of those two crowns." Eragon thanked him and then ran off excitedly.

Brom laughed "You have just made my little boy's day."

Edhellhach looked at Brom curiously. "You are the boys father?"

Brom looked at him sharply. "Follow me and swear you won't tell anyone. In the Ancient Language." Brom led Edhellhach towards his house, where no one could overhear them.

After Edhellhach swore not to tell anyone, he asked, "Why not? And what's your story here?" Quietly, Brom told him how he and Selena had fallen in love, and all that happened since Edhellhach had run away, cast from Du Weldenvarden, from how Brom helped form the Varden to rescuing the egg from Morzan in Gil'lead to how Brom became a bard in Carvahall, watching over his son until the next Rider appeared.

Curious Brom asked Edhellhach, "And why you come here?" Edhellhach told Brom of how, with magic, he had moved Narlhug's body to Spine, conserved it, started a war against the Empire to find Mir in order to restore Narlhug back to his body.

"You're certain you can give Narlhug control of his body again?" Brom inquired.

Edhellhach sensed where this was going to go, and nodded. "Brom, unless you have kept Saphira's body in the condition it was when she was alive, and have her Eldunari, my spells won't work." Brom sighed, it was not to be, even he had preserved Saphira's body, she hadn't "moved" into her Eldunari yet. She was indeed lost to him.

"I can lead you to Mir. It is hidden near Utgard."

Edhellhach nodded, "I shall travel there next week. I need to return to my forces and make sure they can travel with me to Utgard, else we will have to wait until next spring."

Brom thought for a moment then said, "I shall go with you. I need to help you fight the Empire."

Edhellhach was adamant in his response. "You shall not come. If you do, the next Rider won't be protected if he is within the Empire."

Brom frowned, but admitted the prudence of Edhellhach's words. "It is for the best."