Christopher Paolini 46 страница

“Watch. ” Gathering up his burst of new energy, Eragon said, “Draumr k& #243; pa. ”

The liqueur shimmered and turned black. After a few seconds, a thin key of light appeared in the center of the bowl, revealing Katrina. She lay slumped against an invisible wall, her hands suspended above her with invisible manacles and her copper hair splayed like a fan across her back.

“She’s alive! ” Roran hunched over the bowl, grasping at it as if he thought he could dive through the faelnirv and join Katrina. His hope and determination melded with a look of such tender affection, Eragon knew that only death could stop Roran from trying to free her.

Unable to sustain the spell any longer, Eragon let the image fade away. He leaned against the wall of the tent for support. “Aye, ” he said wearily, “she’s alive. And chances are, she’s imprisoned in Helgrind, in the Ra’zac’s lair. ” Eragon grasped Roran by the shoulders. “The answer to your question, brother, is yes. I will travel to Dras-Leona with you. I will help you rescue Katrina. And then, together, you and I shall kill the Ra’zac and avenge our father. ”

END OFBOOKTWO

THE STORY WILL CONTINUE IN

BOOKTHREE OFINHERITANCE

THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Distributed by Random House, Inc., New York.

KNOPF, BORZOI BOOKS, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

www. alagaesia. com

www. randomhouse. com/teens

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Paolini, Christopher.

Eldest / Christopher Paolini. — 1st ed.

p. cm. — (Inheritance; bk. 2)

SUMMARY: After successfully evading an Urgal ambush, Eragon is adopted into the Ingeitum clan and sent to finish his training so he can further help the Varden in their struggle against the Empire.

eISBN 0-375-83753-1

[1. Fantasy. 2. Dragons — Fiction. 3. Youths’ writings. ] I. Title. II. Series: Paolini, Christopher. Inheritance; bk. 2.

PZ7. P19535El 2005

[Fic] — dc22 2005009325

v1. 0

As always, this book is for my family.

And also to my incredible fans. You made this adventure possible.

S& #233; onr sverdar sitja hvass!

PRONUNCIATIONGUIDE

AND

GLOSSARY

ON THEORIGIN OFNAMES:

To the casual observer, the various names an intrepid traveler will encounter throughout Alaga& #235; sia might seem but a random collection of labels with no inherent integrity, culture, or history. However, as with any land that has been repeatedly colonized by different cultures — and in this case, different races — Alaga& #235; sia quickly accumulated layers of names from the elves, dwarves, humans, and even Urgals. Thus, we can have Palancar Valley (a human name), the Anora River and Ristvak’baen (elven names), and Utgard Mountain (a dwarf name) all within a few square miles of each other.

While this is of great historical interest, practically it often leads to confusion as to the correct pronunciation. Unfortunately, there are no set rules for the neophyte. Each name must be learned upon its own terms, unless you can immediately place its language of origin. The matter grows even more confusing when you realize that in many places the spelling and pronunciation of foreign words were altered by the resident population to conform to their own language. The Anora River is a prime example. Originallyanora was spelled& #228; enora, which meansbroad in the ancient language. In their writings, the humans simplified the word toanora, and this, combined with a vowel shift wherein& #228; e (ay-eh) was said as the easiera (uh), created the name as it appears in Eragon’s time.

To spare readers as much difficulty as possible, the following list is provided, with the understanding that these are only rough guidelines to the actual pronunciation. The enthusiast is encouraged to study the source languages in order to master their true intricacies.

PRONUNCIATION:

Aiedail — AY-uh-dale

Ajihad — AH-zhi-hod

Alaga& #235; sia — al-uh-GAY-zee-uh

Arya — AR-ee-uh

Carvahall — CAR-vuh-hall

Dras-Leona — DRAHS lee-OH-nuh

Du Weldenvarden — doo WELL-den-VAR-den

Ellesm& #233; ra — el-uhs-MEER-uh

Eragon — EHR-uh-gahn

Farthen D& #251; r — FAR-then DURE (dure rhymes withlure )

Galbatorix — gal-buh-TOR-icks

Gil’ead — GILL-ee-id

Glaedr — GLAY-dur

Hrothgar — HROTH-gar

Islanzad& #237; —iss-lan-ZAH-dee

Jeod — JODE (rhymes withcode )

Murtagh — MUR-tag (mur rhymes withpurr )

Nasuada — nah-SOO-ah-dah

Nolfavrell — NOLL-fah-vrel (noll rhymes withtoll )

Oromis — OR-uh-miss

Ra’zac — RAA-zack

Saphira — suh-FEAR-uh

Shruikan — SHREW-kin

S& #237; lthrim — SEAL-thrim (s& #237; l is a hard sound to transcribe; it’s made by flicking the tip of the tongue off the roof of the mouth. )

Teirm — TEERM

Trianna — TREE-ah-nuh

Tronjheim — TRONJ-heem

Ur& #251; ’baen — OO-roo-bane

Vrael — VRAIL

Yazuac — YAA-zoo-ack

Zar’roc — ZAR-rock

THEANCIENTLANGUAGE:

adurna — water

Agaet& #237; Bl& #246; dhren — Blood-oath Celebration

Aiedail — The Morning Star

Argetlam — Silver Hand

Atra estern& #237; ono thelduin/Mor’ranr l& #237; fa unin hjarta onr/Un du evar& #237; nya ono varda. — May good fortune rule over you/Peace live in your heart/And the stars watch over you.

Atra guli& #228; un ilian tauthr ono un atra ono wa& #237; se sk& #246; lir fra rauthr. — May luck and happiness follow you and may you be a shield from misfortune.

Atra nosu wa& #237; se vardo fra eld h& #243; rnya. — Let us be warded from listeners.

Bjartskular — Brightscales

bl& #246; thr — halt; stop

Brakka du vanyal& #237; sem huildar Saphira un eka! — Reduce the magic that holds Saphira and me!

brisingr — fire

Dagshelgr — Hallowed Day

draumr k& #243; pa — dream stare

Du Fells N& #225; ngor& #246; th — The Blasted Mountains

Du Fyrn Skulblaka — The Dragon War

Du V& #246; llar Eldrvarya — The Burning Plains

Du Vrangr Gata — The Wandering Path

Du Weldenvarden — The Guarding Forest

dvergar — dwarves

ebrithil — master

edur — a tor or prominence

Eka fricai un Shur’tugal. — I am a Rider and friend.

elda — a gender-neutral honorific of great praise

Eyddr eyreya onr! — Empty your ears!

fairth — a picture taken by magical means

finiarel — an honorific for a young man of great promise

Fricai Andl& #225; t — death friend (a poisonous mushroom)

Gala O Wyrda brunhvitr/Abr Berundal vandr-f& #243; dhr/Burthro laufsbl& #228; dar ekar undir/Eom kona dauthleikr. . — Sing O white-browed Fate/Of ill-marked Berundal/Born under oaken leaves/To mortal woman. .

g& #225; nga aptr — to go backward

g& #225; nga fram — to go forward

Gath sem oro un lam iet. — Unite that arrow with my hand.

gedw& #235; y ignasia — shining palm

G& #235; uloth du kn& #237; fr. — Dull the knife.

haldthin — thornapple

Helgrind — The Gates of Death

hlaupa — run

hlj& #246; dhr — silent

jierda — break; hit

kodthr — catch

Kvetha Fricai. — Greetings, Friend.

lethrblaka — a bat; the Ra’zac’s mounts (literally, leather-flapper)

letta — stop

Letta orya thorna! — Stop those arrows!

Liduen Kvaedh& #237; —Poetic Script

Losna kalfya iet. — Release my calves.

malthinae — to bind or hold in place; confine

nalgask — a mixture of beeswax and hazelnut oil used to moisten the skin

Osthato Chetow& #228; —the Mourning Sage

Reisa du adurna. — Raise/Lift the water.

r& #239; sa — rise

S& #233; mor’ranr ono finna. — May you find peace.

S& #233; onr sverdar sitja hvass! — May your swords stay sharp!

S& #233; or& #250; m thornessa h& #225; vr sharjalv& #237; l& #237; fs. — May this serpent have life’s movement.

sk& #246; lir — shield

Sk& #246; lir nosu fra brisingr! — Shield us from fire!

sk& #246; liro — shielded

skulblaka — dragon (literally, scale-flapper)

Stydja unin mor’ranr, Hrothgar K& #246; nungr. — Rest in peace, King Hrothgar.

svit-kona — a formal honorific for an elf woman of great wisdom

thrysta — thrust; compress

Thrysta vindr. — Compress the air.

Togira Ikonoka — the Cripple Who Is Whole

the Varden — the Warders

Vel e& #239; nradhin iet ai Shur’tugal. — Upon my word as a Rider.

Vinr & #196; lfakyn — Elf Friend

vodhr — a male honorific of middling praise

vor — a male honorific for a close friend

Wa& #237; se heill. — Be healed.

Wiol ono. — For you.

wyrda — fate

Wyrdfell — elven name for the Forsworn

yaw& #235; —a bond of trust

zar’roc — misery

THEDWARFLANGUAGE:

Akh sartos oen d& #251; rgrimst! — For family and clan!

Asc& #251; dgamln — fists of steel

Astim Hefthyn — Sight Guard (inscription on a necklace given to Eragon)

Az Ragni — The River

Az Sweldn rak Anh& #251; in — The Tears of Anh& #251; in

Azt jok jordn rast. — Then you may pass.

barz& #251; l — to curse someone with ill fate

Barz& #251; l knurlar! — Curse them!

barz& #251; ln — to curse someone with multiple misfortunes

Beor — cave bear (elf word)

d& #251; rgrimst — clan (literally, our hall/home)

eta — no

Etzil nithgech! — Stop there!

Farthen D& #251; r — Our Father

Feld& #251; nost — frostbeard (a species of goat native to the Beor Mountains)

Formv Hrethcarach. . formv Jurgencarmeitder nos eta goroth bahst Tarnag, d& #251; r encesti rak kythn! Jok is warrev az barz& #251; leg& #251; r d& #251; r d& #251; rgrimst, Az Sweldn rak Anh& #251; in, m& #244; gh tor rak Jurgenvren? N& #233; & #251; dim etal os rast knurlag. Knurlag ana. . — This Shadeslayer. . this Dragon Rider has no place in Tarnag, our holiest of cities! Do you forget the curse our clan, The Tears of Anh& #251; in, bears from the Dragon War? We will not let him pass. He is. .

grimstborith — clan chief

grimstcarvlorss — arranger of the house

G& #251; ntera Ar& #251; na — G& #251; ntera Bless

Hert d& #251; rgrimst? Fild rastn? — What clan? Who passes?

h& #237; rna — likeness; statue

h& #251; thvir — double-bladed staff weapon used by D& #251; rgrimst Quan

Ignh az voth! — Bring the food!

IIf gauhnith. — A peculiar dwarf expression that means “It is safe and good. ” Commonly uttered by the host of a meal, it is a holdover from days when poisoning of guests was prevalent among the clans.

Ingeitum — fire workers; smiths

Isidar Mithrim — Star Rose

Jok is frekk d& #251; rgrimstvren? — Do you want a clan war?

knurl — stone; rock

knurla — dwarf (literally, one of stone)

Knurlag qana qir& #226; n& #251; D& #251; rgrimst Ingeitum! Qarz& #251; l ana Hrothgar oen volfild — He was made a member of Clan Ingeitum! Cursed is Hrothgar and all who—

knurlagn — men

Knurlhiem — Stonehead

Knurlnien — Heart of Stone

Nagra — giant boar, native to the Beor Mountains

oe& #237; —yes; affirmative

Orik Thrifkz menthiv oen Hrethcarach Eragon rak D& #251; rgrimst Ingeitum. Wharn, az vanyali-carhar& #251; g Arya. N& #233; oc & #219; ndinz grimstbelardn. — Orik, Thrifk’s son, and Shadeslayer Eragon of Clan Ingeitum. Also, the elf-courier Arya. We are & #219; ndin’s hall-guests.

Os il dom qir& #226; n& #251; carn d& #251; r thargen, zeitmen, oen grimst vor formv edaris rak skilfz. Narho is belgond. . — Let our flesh, honor, and hall be made as one by this blood of mine. I do pledge. .

otho — faith

Ragni Hefthyn — River Guard

Shrrg — giant wolf, native to the Beor Mountains

Smer voth. — Serve the food.

Tronjheim — Helm of Giants

Urzhad — cave bear

vanyali — elf (The dwarves borrowed this word from the ancient language, wherein it meansmagic. )

Vor Hrothgarz korda! — By Hrothgar’s hammer!

vrron — enough

werg — an exclamation of disgust (the dwarves’ equivalent ofugh )

THEURGALLANGUAGE:

Ahgrat ukmar. — It is done.

drajl — spawn of maggots

nar — a gender-neutral title of great respect

Synopsis ofEragon,

Book One of Inheritance

Eragon — a fifteen-year-old farmboy — is shocked when a polished blue stone appears before him in the range of mountains known as the Spine. Eragon takes the stone to the farm where he lives with his uncle, Garrow, and his cousin, Roran. Garrow and his late wife, Marian, have raised Eragon. Nothing is known of his father; his mother, Selena, was Garrow’s sister and has not been seen since Eragon’s birth.

Later, the stone cracks open and a baby dragon emerges. When Eragon touches her, a silvery mark appears on his palm, and an irrevocable bond is forged between their minds, making Eragon one of the legendary Dragon Riders.

The Dragon Riders were created thousands of years earlier in the aftermath of the elves’ great war with the dragons, in order to ensure that hostilities would never again afflict their two races. The Riders became peacekeepers, educators, healers, natural philosophers, and the greatest of spellweavers — since being joined with a dragon makes one a magician. Under their guidance and protection, the land enjoyed a golden age.

When humans arrived in Alaga& #235; sia, they too were added to this elite order. After many years of peace, the monstrous and warlike Urgals killed the dragon of a young human Rider named Galbatorix. Driven mad by the loss and by his elders’ refusal to provide him with another dragon, Galbatorix set out to topple the Riders.

He stole another dragon — whom he named Shruikan and forced to serve him through certain black spells — and gathered around himself a group of thirteen traitors: the Forsworn. With the help of those cruel disciples, Galbatorix threw down the Riders; killed their leader, Vrael; and declared himself king over Alaga& #235; sia. In this, Galbatorix was only partly successful, for the elves and dwarves remain autonomous in their secret haunts, and some humans have established an independent country, Surda, in the south of Alaga& #235; sia. A stalemate has existed between these factions for twenty years, preceded by eighty years of open conflict brought about by the destruction of the Riders.

It is into this fragile political situation, then, that Eragon is thrust. He fears he is in mortal danger — it is common knowledge that Galbatorix killed every Rider who would not swear loyalty to him — and so Eragon hides the dragon from his family as he raises her. During this time, Eragon names the creature Saphira, after a dragon mentioned by the village storyteller, Brom. Soon Roran leaves the farm for a job that will allow him to earn enough money to marry Katrina, the butcher’s daughter.

When Saphira stands taller than Eragon, two menacing, beetle-like strangers called the Ra’zac arrive in Carvahall, searching for the stone that was her egg. Frightened, Saphira kidnaps Eragon and flies into the Spine. Eragon manages to convince her to turn back, but by then his home has been obliterated by the Ra’zac. Eragon finds Garrow in the wreckage, tortured and badly wounded.

Garrow dies soon afterward, and Eragon vows to track down and kill the Ra’zac. Eragon is accosted by Brom, who knows of Saphira’s existence and asks to accompany Eragon for reasons of his own. After Eragon agrees, Brom gives him the sword Zar’roc, which was once a Rider’s blade, though he refuses to say how he acquired it.

Eragon learns much from Brom during their travels, including how to fight with swords and use magic. Eventually, they lose the Ra’zac’s trail and visit the city of Teirm, where Brom believes his old friend Jeod can help locate their lair.

In Teirm, the eccentric herbalist Angela tells Eragon’s fortune, predicting mighty powers struggling to control his destiny; an epic romance with one of noble birth; the fact that he will one day leave Alaga& #235; sia, never to return; and a betrayal from within his family. Her companion, the werecat Solembum, also gives him some words of advice. Then Eragon, Brom, and Saphira depart for Dras-Leona, where they hope to find the Ra’zac.

Brom finally reveals that he is an agent of the Varden — a rebel group dedicated to overthrowing Galbatorix — and that he had been hiding in Eragon’s village, waiting for a new Dragon Rider to appear. Brom also explains that twenty years ago, he and Jeod stole Saphira’s egg from Galbatorix. In the process, Brom killed Morzan, first and last of the Forsworn. Only two other dragon eggs still exist, both of which remain in Galbatorix’s possession.

Near Dras-Leona, the Ra’zac waylay Eragon and his companions, and Brom is mortally wounded while protecting Eragon. The Ra’zac are driven away by a mysterious young man named Murtagh, who says he’s been tracking the Ra’zac. Brom dies the following night. With his last breath, he confesses that he was once a Rider and his slain dragon was also named Saphira. Eragon buries Brom in a tomb of sandstone, which Saphira transmutes into pure diamond.

Without Brom, Eragon and Saphira decide to join the Varden. By ill chance, Eragon is captured at the city of Gil’ead and brought to the Shade Durza, Galbatorix’s right-hand man. With Murtagh’s help, Eragon escapes from prison, bringing along with him the unconscious elf Arya, another captive. By this point, Eragon and Murtagh have become great friends.

With her mind, Arya tells Eragon that she has been ferrying Saphira’s egg between the elves and the Varden, in the hopes that it might hatch for one of their children. However, during her last trip, she was ambushed by Durza and forced to send the egg elsewhere with magic, which is how it came to Eragon. Now Arya is seriously wounded and requires the Varden’s medical help. Using mental images, she shows Eragon how to find the rebels. An epic chase ensues. Eragon and his friends traverse almost four hundred miles in eight days. They are pursued by a contingent of Urgals, who trap them in the towering Beor Mountains. Murtagh, who had not wanted to go to the Varden, is forced to tell Eragon that he is the son of Morzan.

Murtagh, however, has denounced his father’s deeds and fled Galbatorix’s patronage to seek his own destiny. He shows Eragon a great scar across his back, inflicted when Morzan threw his sword, Zar’roc, at him when he was just a child. Thus, Eragon learns his sword once belonged to Murtagh’s father, he who betrayed the Riders to Galbatorix and slaughtered many of his former comrades.

Just before they are overwhelmed by the Urgals, Eragon and his friends are rescued by the Varden, who seem to appear out of the very stone. It turns out that the rebels are based in Farthen D& #251; r, a hollow mountain ten miles high and ten miles across. It is also home to the dwarves’ capital, Tronjheim. Once inside, Eragon is taken to Ajihad, leader of the Varden, while Murtagh is imprisoned because of his parentage. Ajihad explains many things to Eragon, including that the Varden, elves, and dwarves had agreed that when a new Rider appeared, he or she would initially be trained by Brom and then sent to the elves to complete the instruction. Eragon must now decide whether to follow this course.

Eragon meets with the dwarf king, Hrothgar, and Ajihad’s daughter, Nasuada; is tested by the Twins, two bald and rather nasty magicians who serve Ajihad; spars with Arya once she has recovered; and again encounters Angela and Solembum, who have joined the Varden. Eragon and Saphira also bless one of the Varden’s orphan babies.

Eragon’s stay is disrupted by news of an Urgal army approaching through the dwarves’ tunnels. In the battle that follows, Eragon is separated from Saphira and forced to fight Durza alone. Far stronger than any human, Durza easily defeats Eragon, slashing open his back from shoulder to hip. At that moment, Saphira and Arya break the roof of the chamber — a sixty-foot-wide star sapphire — distracting Durza long enough for Eragon to stab him through the heart. Freed from Durza’s spells, the Urgals are driven back into the tunnels.

While Eragon lies unconscious after the battle, he is telepathically contacted by a being who identifies himself as Togira Ikonoka — the Cripple Who Is Whole. He offers answers to all of Eragon’s questions and urges Eragon to seek him in Ellesm& #233; ra, where the elves live.

When Eragon wakes, he finds that, despite Angela’s best efforts, he has been left with a huge scar similar to Murtagh’s. Dismayed, he also realizes that he only slew Durza through sheer luck and that he desperately needs more training.

And at the end of Book One, Eragon decides that, yes, he will find this Togira Ikonoka and learn from him. For gray-eyed Destiny now weaves apace, the first resounding note of war echoes across the land, and the time fast approaches when Eragon shall have to step forth and confront his one, true enemy: King Galbatorix.

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