Eldest

“The songs of the dead are the lamentations of the living. So thought Eragon as he stepped over a twisted and hacked Urgal, listening to the keening of women who removed loved ones from the blood-muddied ground of Farthen Dûr. Behind him Saphira delicately skirted the corpse, her glittering blue scales the only color in the gloom that filled the hollow mountain.”

The opening of the novel picks up immediately after the ending of Eragon, the first book in Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle series. The protagonists, Eragon and Saphira, are portrayed in a moment that simultaneously indicates both reflection and action as they deal with the tragic aftermath of the last novel’s climactic battle. Notably, Eragon’s voice is established in the first sentence, as is his connection with Saphira, and his empathic, thoughtful tone adds an introspective element to the narrative.

“Fighting Durza and the dark spirits that controlled him had transformed Eragon, although for better or for worse he was still unsure. He felt fragile, as if a sudden shock would shatter his reconstructed body and consciousness.”

This passage establishes Eragon’s physical and emotional state at the very beginning of the novel, and the emphasis upon his “fragile” mindset and constitution foreshadows his upcoming struggles with The Emotional Impact of Injury and Disability. This scene therefore introduces the emotional stakes that he must overcome before he can take on the mantle of an epic hero.

“‘Listen to me, Eragon… I have one last command for you.’ Eragon leaned closer to catch the dying man’s words. ‘You must promise me something: promise that you… won’t let the Varden fall into chaos. They are the only hope for resisting the Empire… They must be kept strong. You must promise me.’”

Ajihad’s last words establish the primary conflicts of the novel and set Eragon on a firm course of action as he is tasked with ensuring peace among the Varden. This moment therefore adds to his existing responsibilities and strips away one of his more valuable allies, forcing him to face the threats of the world with one less support at his side.