Arianna Selenasdaughter
Mystery
A month or two had gone by, and for the most part I’d managed to make it into Carvahall everyday for my lessons with Brom. When I couldn’t because of the snow, I practiced what I knew in my room.
Eragon had been acting strangely, though. We all noticed, and we all questioned him about it. He just shrugged it off, as if he suddenly had a profound love for his chores and the outdoors. Something was amiss, but I couldn’t figure out what it was, and I didn’t want to spend all my free time musing about it, so I let it dissipate from my mind.
When Roran needed to go into Carvahall to get his chisel fixed, Eragon eagerly volunteered to go with him. That wasn’t uncommon though. Everywhere our older cousin went, so too did Eragon. They were as close as brothers. Of course, we’d spent years as siblings. Eragon had never noticed the difference, but I remembered times when I’d doubted that they were my real parents.
What was strange about this occasion, however, was that Eragon sought out Brom. In fact, we walked there together. I’m sure I must’ve looked at him half a dozen times with the same incredulous look when I realized he was going with me, but if he noticed, he didn’t say anything. He seemed absorbed in his own thoughts somehow.
As Eragon raised his hand to know, Brom surprised us from behind. Eragon explained that he wanted to get information, so Brom invited him in.
While he bumbled around in the dark to try and find a light (an act for Eragon, no doubt), I stood beside my brother and tried to figure out what he could possibly be hiding. He didn’t look like any fugitive I’d ever seen, but then I had nothing to compare him to because I’d never seen one. Whatever it was, he had no intention of sharing it with the rest of us. If he had, he would’ve told us already.
Brom put tea on for us, which was new for Eragon, and routine for me, and Eragon told him he wanted to know more about the Dragons and the Dragon Riders. This was news to me. I didn’t realize that he’d taken such a keen interest after hearing Brom’s “story” when the traders were in town.
Garrow hadn’t been able to sell it, and I wasn’t sure what Eragon did with it after that, but it was of little concern to me.
So Brom began to tell him what he knew, with Eragon interrupting often to ask questions about things that weren’t relevant to his original question.
“Do you want your original questions answered or not? They won’t be if you want to explore every obscure piece of knowledge.” Brom said with a scowl on his face.
It made me smile. As I sat, listening to information I already knew, I looked at my brother and my father, searching for comparisons. There weren’t any obvious ones, unless you counted their never-ending curiosity.
What caught my attention, and Brom’s, was when Eragon said that a trader had been talking about Dragons. That was hard to imagine. I wasn’t paying too much attention, but I caught the end of Brom saying, “He was wrong. It isn’t in any of the stories, and I know them all. Did he say anything else?”
I wondered what Eragon had said to elicit such a flat response from Brom. Then, after that, Eragon was asking about Dragon names. Where did that come from? He had no reason that I knew of to need to remember a certain dragon name.
I was sure now he was hiding something big. Just how big remained to be seen. I exchanged a quick glance with Brom, and I knew that he was on to it too.
Eragon had been acting strangely, though. We all noticed, and we all questioned him about it. He just shrugged it off, as if he suddenly had a profound love for his chores and the outdoors. Something was amiss, but I couldn’t figure out what it was, and I didn’t want to spend all my free time musing about it, so I let it dissipate from my mind.
When Roran needed to go into Carvahall to get his chisel fixed, Eragon eagerly volunteered to go with him. That wasn’t uncommon though. Everywhere our older cousin went, so too did Eragon. They were as close as brothers. Of course, we’d spent years as siblings. Eragon had never noticed the difference, but I remembered times when I’d doubted that they were my real parents.
What was strange about this occasion, however, was that Eragon sought out Brom. In fact, we walked there together. I’m sure I must’ve looked at him half a dozen times with the same incredulous look when I realized he was going with me, but if he noticed, he didn’t say anything. He seemed absorbed in his own thoughts somehow.
As Eragon raised his hand to know, Brom surprised us from behind. Eragon explained that he wanted to get information, so Brom invited him in.
While he bumbled around in the dark to try and find a light (an act for Eragon, no doubt), I stood beside my brother and tried to figure out what he could possibly be hiding. He didn’t look like any fugitive I’d ever seen, but then I had nothing to compare him to because I’d never seen one. Whatever it was, he had no intention of sharing it with the rest of us. If he had, he would’ve told us already.
Brom put tea on for us, which was new for Eragon, and routine for me, and Eragon told him he wanted to know more about the Dragons and the Dragon Riders. This was news to me. I didn’t realize that he’d taken such a keen interest after hearing Brom’s “story” when the traders were in town.
Garrow hadn’t been able to sell it, and I wasn’t sure what Eragon did with it after that, but it was of little concern to me.
So Brom began to tell him what he knew, with Eragon interrupting often to ask questions about things that weren’t relevant to his original question.
“Do you want your original questions answered or not? They won’t be if you want to explore every obscure piece of knowledge.” Brom said with a scowl on his face.
It made me smile. As I sat, listening to information I already knew, I looked at my brother and my father, searching for comparisons. There weren’t any obvious ones, unless you counted their never-ending curiosity.
What caught my attention, and Brom’s, was when Eragon said that a trader had been talking about Dragons. That was hard to imagine. I wasn’t paying too much attention, but I caught the end of Brom saying, “He was wrong. It isn’t in any of the stories, and I know them all. Did he say anything else?”
I wondered what Eragon had said to elicit such a flat response from Brom. Then, after that, Eragon was asking about Dragon names. Where did that come from? He had no reason that I knew of to need to remember a certain dragon name.
I was sure now he was hiding something big. Just how big remained to be seen. I exchanged a quick glance with Brom, and I knew that he was on to it too.