eragon pt. twenty four

[kippurbird]

Chapters A Warrior and a Healer, Water from Sand


Summary

So, Murtagh, Eragon and Elf Sue (who will remained named as such even when we discover her proper name because this is such a more fitting name) escape on Saphira. They get to a Safe Place and Eragon heals Saphira of her wounds. Then they continue to flee from from the people at Gil'ead until they pratically fall over. Then they stop to rest at dusk. Elf Sue is still unconscious. Elf Sue apparently is going to stay that way for a while. This is mysterious.

The Urgals, we learn, are working for the Empire. I predicted this way back... in the beginning of the book. Back when I said, that there couldn't be a third party because that would be too clever for Paolini and he's thinking of these things in terms of black and white. The Urgals are evil and Galby is Evil so therefor they must work together. There can't be a third party because there's no room in the dual system set up here for a third party. Eragon is shocked at this. Then we get this lovely bit of exchange between Saphira and Eragon:

"The Urgals were under Galbatorix's orders! Why would he commit such an atrocity on his own subjects?"

"Because he is evil, stated Saphira flatly. "(313)

Yes. This is the only reason why Galby would do something. Because he is evil. No other motivation is needed. He's just evil. That's it. No deep motivators or plans or thoughts or anything. He's just evil. Evil people -at least evil people in GOOD fiction- generally don't think of themselves as evil. One would assume that Galby is the same and he's doing this for some reason beyond the fact that he's evil.

"I think I'll kill a puppy today."

"Why Master?"

"Because I'm evil."

See, normal good villains don't think like that. It would be something more like:

"I think I have to kill a puppy today."

"Why Master?"

"Because I need a sacrifice to talk to my gods about my master plan to take over the world from those stupid hypocrites down in the lowlands."

But this could just be me.

Murtagh actually makes some sense in saying that no one would believe Eragon and even if they did, what would the people be able to do about it.

They finally get to checking out Elf Sue and apparently her back and arms are all bruised and horrible. And for some reason her shirt laces in the back. I don't know the praticallity of that one. In any case, it doesn't matter, Elf Sue gets healed by Eragon and she doesn't even have to worry about any nasty scars remaining because Eragon's magical healing doesn't leave any. God forbid she have scars and not be perfect looking any more. Once healed, Eragon doesn't sleep but says that he can sleep in the saddle.

Eragon and Murtagh have another slashy moment at the end of the day when Eragon says that he's not going to abandon Murtagh to the Empire and Murtagh is heartened by his response.

Saphira continues to know things as she says that the Varden would welcome them, despite the fact that the last dragon riders around were EVIL and under Galby's rule. But of course since Eragon is the Hero they'll automatically welcome him. Saphria just knows this. Of course. No explanation why or anything. She just does.

They decided to leave the Empire by going to the Hadarac desert towards the Beor mountains. It's apparently the same distance from where Murtagh and Eragon met to Gil'ead, which took them about a month to travel. Eragon says that it'll take them much less time because they won't be hampered by his injuries. This timing is important as we'll later see.

Then comes the problem of water. After all desert = very little to no water. How does Eragon propose to solve this? He's going to turn sand into water. Brilliant. This, of course, doesn't work.

Then we get this lovely bit of information from Saphira: She doesn't know how she does things. She just can do them sometimes by feel. They just happen whether she wills them or not. Basically saying that Paolini has made her one big Dues Ex Machina. If they need an out, well Saphira can do it! How can she do it? Mysterious unknown dragonic abilities that not even she knows about! She's the wonderful plot fix-it device now.

The water problem is solved when Eragon realizes that he can bring moisture up from the earth. Water problems are solved. They can go into the desert now no problem!

Comments

[pandoras-closet.livejournal.com]

Can I metaqoute you?

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Yes! Of course you can metaquote me!

[beccaforever.livejournal.com]

Eragon = Nike (I don't know how to put an accent on a E)

Well, they share a slogan anyway "[They] Just Do It!"

Here through metaquotes, btw.

This is by far the best way to read Eragon. Less likely to make me cringe.

You realise it won't matter about the elf's shirt lacing in the back, right? Because she could totally use her Magic Powers to do the laces up.

"I think I'll kill a puppy today."

"Why Master?"

"Because I'm evil."

But everyone knows that's a perfectly legitimate reason. Right up there with "Because I said so."

So yeah, this is awesome.

[alexseanchai]

Hold down the Alt key and push 130 on the numeric keypad to get é. If you're after any other accent, I don't know the code offhand, but odds are if you go to Start Menu, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, you find something called Character Map, and you can go find your properly accented e and it'll tell you the code to get it.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

No, I get to do all the cringing for you. :D

Welcome, welcome, welcome! Glad you're enjoying it.

[searchingstars.livejournal.com]

Hi. :)

I found you through metaquotes, and I have to admit, I'm really intrigued. I hope you don't mind, but I've friended you so I can keep up with your Eragon postings.

Personally, I'm actually quite fond of the series, but your comments are intriguing and often giggle-worthy.

[searchingstars.livejournal.com]

Gah. *stabs self in the eye*

Just realised I wrote intriguing twice. Forgive me, and substitute your word of choice?

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Hi! Welcome, welcome! You're always welcome to dispute what I say, as a fan, of course. I'm glad you are enjoying this nonetheless. And you're welcome to friend me!

[lccorp2.livejournal.com]

Urge...to...club...rising...

*Groan*

[karma-kalisutah.livejournal.com]

And not on the back, please. IN THE FACE.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

*offers clue by oar*

[karma-kalisutah.livejournal.com]

Mm, I don't know. I think there are some good villains who do evil things for no good reason. They're called psycopaths.

"I think I'll kill a puppy today."

"Why?"

"Because I am bored out of my mind."

Notice I left out the "master." That's because this sort of villain doesn't usually last too long as an Evil Emperor.

And if you'll allow me to nitpick the nitpick for a moment, the Elf Sue's dress lacing in the back might make sense if she's a noblewoman who's used to her servants dressing her. And given her extreme levels of Sueishness, I'd say that's almost a certainty.

[gjohnsonkoehn.livejournal.com]

I was just going to point out the high-born explanation. A lot of corsets, for instance, laced up in the back. Of course, anyone sufficiently high born as that in a feudal system wouldn't have ended up in some rinky-dink village's little jail, especially not if she were going to be tortured. That's the kind of thing you leave to royal/imperial jails and torturers, probably in the capitol city.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

It was a shirt that was laced up in the back. Not a dress. A shirt.

Well, yes, but again that's because said psychopath is bored As opposed to doing because he is evil.

[(Anonymous)]

On that note, have you seen the Fifth Epistle (http://www.anti-shurtugal.com/epistle5.htm) on Anti-Shur'Tugal? It makes an excellent case, point by point and using examples, of how Eragon is not only an extraordinarily bad 'Stu, but also a sociopath and a narcissist.

*giggles*

[oceans-heart.livejournal.com]

Yet another person finding you through metaquotes. Mind if I friend? This snarking is immensely enjoyable.

Re: *giggles*

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Hi! Welcome! Please stay often and enjoy the snarkage!

[-youngblood-.livejournal.com]

The water problem is solved when Eragon realizes that he can bring moisture up from the earth. Water problems are solved. They can go into the desert now no problem!

And thereby destroy the desert ecosystem by draining what little water the desert had. Good job, Eragon.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

What? Are you expecting Eragon to think about the consequences of his actions? What book are you reading?

[gjohnsonkoehn.livejournal.com]

apparently her back and arms are all bruised and horrible

Wait, I thought she was perfect but for a tiny scrape along her jawline? If you've been beaten to the point of brusing, I don't care how well you cover it up, it's going to show through your clothes in the way you move.

As for the 'he's evil', it would seem to be the flip side of Eragon's own 'He Just Does' statement. Nobody gets explanations or deeper motivations in Eragon-land; what you see on the surface is all there is.

[karma-kalisutah.livejournal.com]

And what wonderfully sentimental torturers to take such pains not to ruin her face.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Elf Sue has been unconscious the entire time. She hasn't been moving a bit. Except to moan some. It's more dramatic that way.

[ladyphoenixia.livejournal.com]

Also here form metaquotes, and I like the way you write. I'm friending you, partially so I don't have to actually READ eragon. Which sounds like a good idea to me.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Hi! Thank you! You're welcome to friend. This is why a lot of people have friended me, so they don't have to read the book.

[spoofmaster]

Someone mentioned in a reply to one of your earlier posts (can't remember which) that they thought Saphira was a biblical name. As luck would have it, today I ran across a reference to the biblical Sapphira (the second p is intentional) in Dante's Purgatorio, where she was mentioned as an example of avarice. See, in Acts 5: 1-11, she and her husband tried to cheat the apostles out of some money and died for it. Guess that's what Paolini gets for naming his character after a color with an "a" tacked on the end to make it more namelike.

[karma-kalisutah.livejournal.com]

Would have been even better if he'd named her Sappho. Which is what I always think of, regardless.

[behyper.livejournal.com]

You didn't spend nearly enough time on the Sue-examination as you should have. I cackled over it, partially because it was the first sign that Eragon is NOT gay, and partially because it sounded so much like the beginning of a wet dream. xD