The CHAPTER IT BE DONE ... Finally.

[kippurbird]

Escape and evasion pt.3



Eragon? Still running. I've noticed something about the way Paolini starts new scenes or chapters. He has a very brief sentence and then he starts his paragraph with actual detail. He separating his hook from the rest of the story/chapter. It's an interesting stylistic choice. I, personally, find it jarring because my mind has to stop suddenly and then go to the next paragraph to actually get going. \~/

Back on the road he starts to act suspicious because there are guards and soldiers on the road. How does he act suspicious? Eragon avoided those he could and trudged along with his chin
tucked against his collar the rest of the time. This gives me the image of those people with their collars up as they walk past the guards trying not to get their face seen. The thing is, the likelihood of some solider noticing Eragon in a crowded road when they're not really looking for someone is pretty low. The best way to not to get noticed is to act like you're not trying to get noticed and you belong there. \~/ \~/

As he walks, Eragon finds himself being forced to go into a village for the evening. He rehearses the stories on why he's traveling. The village has a gate. If Eragon doesn't want to go into the village, all he has to do is go off the road, wait until the gate closes and then continue on his way. But his reasoning for having to go in is that he's in the company of three men at arms. So, he's trying to avoid being seen by soldiers by walking with three of them. Right. \~/ \~/

The village is called Eastcroft which is twenty miles north of Melian. The funny thing is, that means absolutely nothing to me. I don't know the world or the landmarks. If he said twenty miles north of Sudra (where the Varden is located) that would mean more. But Melian is nothing to me. I've never hear of it before. I don't care about its existence. I don't even want to bother to look it up on the map. \~/ \~/ \~/ It hasn't even been mentioned as a destination for Eragon. What it is, again, Paolini trying to create depth into his world. \~/ \~/

He goes inside and a watchman stops him, somehow realizing that Eragon hasn't been to the village before. Because he can recognize every person who has ever walked through the village. He wants to know where he's going, Eragon says to fetch his sister family. He's surprised when this doesn't provoke a reaction, because obviously some random stranger is obviously suspicious when there's been tons of travelers wandering through. After telling Eragon to go to the wayfarer's house, he asks Eragon his name -Eragon lies- and then goes on his way.

This again, is one of those situations which happens all the time in fantasy novels. The there is only one person with a particular name in the entire world. There is only one person named Eragon in the entire world. In fact! It was mentioned in Eragon that there have only been, I believe, three people named Eragon in their history because SOMEHOW \~/ Brom knows every single person ever born in every part of the world. So obviously Eragon has to lie. Instead of allowing the watchman saying "Just like that wanted guy, eh?" and then Eragon laughing and saying "Yes, I know." and then moving on his way. \~/ \~/

The point of this encounter was to create tension of Eragon almost getting discovered. Oh No! Will the watchman believe my story!? But the watchmen never gives any indication that he doesn't believe the story. So, again, there is no tension. \~/ \~/

When the watchman leaves, Eragon examines the message board with the criminal lists.

There, nailed over a half-dozen posters of various criminals, were two sheets of parchment almost three feet long. One depicted Eragon, one depicted Roran, and both labeled them traitors to the Crown. Eragon examined the posters with interest and marveled at the reward offered: an earldom apiece to whoever captured them. The drawing of Roran was a good likeness and even included the beard he had grown since fleeing Carvahall, but Eragon’s portrait showed him as he had been before the Blood-oath Celebration, when he still appeared fully human.

It's been maybe, six months, since Roran left Caverhall and he hasn't been seen by anyone who could give an accurate description of what he looks like, yet SOMEHOW \~/ they've managed to get an updated picture to some butt-fuck in the middle of nowhere village. There is no internet or cameras Paolini! There is no way to get an accurate drawing of someone unless the person is right there drawing Roran and Eragon. And then getting it to somewhere where it can get printed out (do they even have printing presses? I don't think so as far as I can tell) and then get them distributed to all these places in Empire by people who can only travel as fast as a person can on horseback. I don't think they'll be using Murtagh and Thorn do drop offs. This completely illogical and impossible. I mean, why didn't the same thing happen to Brom? He vanished in some hole in the wall village and no one knew who he was. The same thing should happen with Eragon. There isn't an internet here. There isn't a way to get information out so quickly as there is today. \~/ \~/ \~/

Perhaps the only reason for this little scene is so that Eragon could gaze upon his old visage and reflect on how things have changed. OR at least, how his looks have changed. Woo. \~/

Eragon goes into the wayfarer's house and his sensitive senses are assailed again. Apparently the road with all the travelers on it was quiet. Of course, I'm not sure how crowded the road was exactly, it's hard to tell how often he ran into people. Then again, traveling with three men at arms couldn't have been too quiet. It just feels like this is something Paolini suddenly remembered existed and put it back in.

The room is crowded with about sixty people. Eragon makes his way to the bar to speak with the serving woman to continue in his lovely stilted way of speaking.

“Have you a room to let, or a corner where I could spend the night?”

“I wouldn’t know. The mistress of the house is the one you should speak to about that. She’ll be down directly,” said the serving woman, and flicked a hand at a rank of gloomy stairs.

See, Eragon and the woman's speech don't match at all. His is formal and stilted, hers is not. Also, I'd like to know how the barkeep knows that the mistress will be down directly. Of course it could be that she said she would. Still. Sometimes I don't know if I'm being to harsh or not. \~/

Eragon looks out at the crowd.

While he waited, Eragon rested against the bar and studied the people in the room. They were a motley assortment. About half he guessed were villagers from Eastcroft come to enjoy a night of drinking. Of the rest, the majority were men and women—families often times—who were migrating to safer parts. It was easy for him to identify them by their frayed shirts and dirty pants and by how they huddled in their chairs and peered at anyone who came near. However, they studiously avoided looking at the last and smallest group of patrons in the wayfarers’ house: Galbatorix’s soldiers. The men in red tunics were louder than anyone else. They laughed and shouted and banged on tabletops with their armored fists while they quaffed beer and groped any maid foolish enough to walk by them.

Do they behave like that because they know no one dares oppose them and they enjoy
demonstrating their power? wondered Eragon. Or because they were forced to join Galbatorix’s army and seek to dull their sense of shame and fear with their revels?

Or they could just be a bunch of hormonal young men, like most soldiers are. Because recruiting old men generally isn't a good idea. And actually, I would think a lot of people would be willing to sign up for the glory of battle and getting the girls etc. But why would people willingly join up to fight for the evil Empire? \~/ I'm sure some of it is demonstrating their power but I think also they're doing what any other single young man would do with a pretty girl around. Also, I'm sure that some of the regulars would be teasing and groping the ladies, because they too are drunk and there are pretty girls. They can't be doing it, of course, because they are poor oppressed people in the Empire and therefor good. Villagers are always good and oppressed. \~/ \~/ \~/

In fact we get an interesting hypocrisy in the next couple of paragraphs. Eragon sees a woman sitting at a table by herself, with four drunken farmers.

The crowd shifted and granted Eragon a view of a table pushed against one wall. At it sat a lone woman, her face hidden by the drawn hood of her dark traveling cloak. Four men surrounded her, big, beefy farmers with leathery necks and cheeks flushed with the fever of alcohol. Two of them were leaning against the wall on either side of the woman, looming over her, while one sat grinning in a chair turned around backward and the fourth stood with his left foot on the edge of the table and was bent forward over his knee. The men spoke and gestured, their movements careless. Although Eragon could not hear or see what the woman said, it was obvious to him that her response angered the farmers, for they scowled and swelled their chests, puffing themselves up like roosters. One of them shook a finger at her.

To Eragon, they appeared decent, hardworking men who had lost their manners in the depths of their tankards, a mistake he had witnessed often enough on feast days in Carvahall. Garrow had had little respect for men who knew they could not hold their beer and yet insisted on embarrassing themselves in public. “It’s unseemly,” he had said. “What’s more, if you drink to forget your lot in life and not for pleasure, you ought to do it where you won’t disturb anyone.”

So, the farmers are decent and hardworking, but just forgotten their manners while the soldiers abusing their power or trying to drown away fear and shame. They're both doing the same thing, so why can't the soldiers be hardworking. Surely Eragon's seen the Varden's soldier's work hard as he's seen farmer's work hard. What's the difference then? One works for the Evil Empire and one doesn't. \~/ \~/ \~/ \~/

The woman turns out to be Arya. Eragon goes over to get rid of the ruffians. He keeps with the formal speech, making him sound like something from Shakespeare. We get things like the following:

“Sir, be reasonable. There’s no need for this unpleasantness. The night is young, and there’s drink and music aplenty. Let’s not quarrel about such a petty misunderstanding. It’s beneath us.”

His entire way of speaking has turned into this. It sounds ridiculous. There's also this horribly creepy stalkery line. \~/

The four men exchanged uneasy glances. Three of them began to edge away from Arya, but the largest planted himself a few inches in front of Eragon and, breathing upon his face, said, “I’m not sure I believe you,friend. You’re just trying to drive us away so you can be with her yourself.”

He’s not far off, thought Eragon.

I find that horribly creepy. Really, I do. \~/

The four farmers leave without incident and Arya and Eragon go up to her room and he explains to her what he did with Sloan. She too disapproves with what he did.

“I didn’t kill him because I thought it was wrong.” Eragon frowned with concentration as he searched for the words to explain himself. “I wasn’t afraid . . . not that. Not after going into battle. . . . It was something else. I will kill in war. But I won’t take it upon myself to decide who lives and who dies. I don’t have the experience or the wisdom. . . . Every man has a line he won’t cross, Arya, and I found mine when I looked upon Sloan. Even if I had Galbatorix as my captive, I would not kill him. I would take him to Nasuada and King Orrin, and if they condemned him to death, then I would happily lop off his head, but not before. Call it weakness if you will, but that is how I am made, and I won’t apologize for it.”

If you're going to kill people in a war, then you are deciding who lives and who dies. The entire point of this war is to get rid of Galby. Capturing him will give him a chance to escape and then where will you be? \~/ Also, what about those Ra'zac you killed, who were obviously intelligent? I guess it only counts towards humans and pretty races. \~/

Arya says then that he will be "a tool wielded by others" if he keeps acting like this and chides him for not putting the races of the Empire (minus the Ra'zac because they don't count) at risk when they depend on him. They agree to disagree and Eragon wants to know what she's doing there. I like how Eragon is never shown the error of his ways. \~/

Looking for you, duh. How did she find him? The whisperings of the land told her so.

No. Really.

“A Rider does not walk unnoticed in this world, Eragon. Those who have the ears to hear and the eyes to see can interpret the signs easily enough. The birds sing of your coming, the beasts of the earth heed your scent, and the very trees and grass remember your touch. The bond between Rider and dragon is so powerful that those who are sensitive to the forces of nature can feel it.”

Yay? But seriously what makes dragon riders so special that the land sings of their coming.... DAMN THAT PARAGRAPH IS ALL SORTS OF INNUENDO. \~/ \~/ \~/ \~/ \~/ \~/ \~/

Damn.

Where was I? Right. What was nature like when there were all sorts of dragons and riders? This is making it seem like Eragon is Just That Special \~/, but if you look into the context of his world, he's not, because there used to be hundreds of riders. Eragon isn't the second coming of Christ. There isn't only One Dragon Rider per century or anything like that. It sounds like they used to be pretty common, so the land really shouldn't be that impactive. \~/

Oh, Arya is wearing a dress, which is apparently something she doesn't like doing. *GASP* Rebellious Princess SUE! “Only for the duration of this trip. I’ve lived among the Varden
for more years than I care to recall, yet I still forget how humans insist upon separating their women from their men. She stole the dress by the way.

The noble elf princess stole the dress instead of paying for it. Because people have clothes just laying around in excess. Never mind that dress could have been the woman's only good clothes or other set of clothes, or anything like that. People obviously have clothes like the do nowadays with room to spare. \~/

Somewhere out there, there's a poor woman with no dress on. Thanks Paolini. \~/ Arya can't give it back to the woman either because she used magic to alter it.

They make plans: Sleep until just before sunrise and then sneak out. Because that wouldn't be suspicious at all. It's like they WANT to be caught. Eragon sleeps on the floor and Arya on the bed, becuase -not because Arya's a girl - but because it would look funny if a girl was sleeping on the floor if by some chance someone randomly decided to barge into their room. \~/

Eragon angsts about how she keeps on rejecting him and wondering what he can do to make her stop it. It could have been an effective bit of character building here except that Paolini waxes too much in the purple prose and not in any of Eragon's emotions. The prhase waking dreams gets used again. ...drifted into the waiting embrace of his waking dreams. You don't have dreams when you're awake DAMNIT. \~/ \~/ Unless you're hallucinating.

Which might explain a lot, actually...

In the wee hours of the morning, they sneak out the window, Eragon commenting that perhaps they shouldn't have. It would be suspicious. Arya says the inn keeper won't mind because they paid for the room and that's all that matters. I still think it would be better if they walked out the door at the appropriate time, with all sorts of other travelers thus making it hard to be noticed.

In fact if they did do that then they wouldn't have to worry about that watchman who nearly sees them when they're trying to scale the fence. The watchman, for some reason, has his sword drawn but then puts it away after a minute and starts to hum, with no indication that something aroused his suspicion. If there was tension that was supposed to be there, it didn't quite make it. \~/

And they're running! I'm not sure what they're evading because they haven't actively been being chased by anything, but they're running! In fact there's this bit, "When it became apparent that they were utterly alone and no one was trailing them" which makes no sense because no one HAS been following them! \~/ If you want people to be afraid they're being followed, put people following them, not just haphazard random encounters that don't lead anywhere.

ANYWAY, they stop off to report back in to Nasuada using a scrying spell. She's happy to see them and wants them to contact her once before nightfall and once before noon to make sure they haven't been captured. If they don't she'll send Saphira out with people to rescue them. OR she could send Saphira up now to pick them up and save them a lot of time and trouble. \~/ Nausada, at Eragon's request, goes to get Saphira so she can talk to Eragon.

While she's gone, Eragon stares at the back of Arya's neck, fascinated. This is in no way creepy. \~/

A single step carried Nasuada out of their field of view, leaving behind a static image of the table and chairs inside her red pavilion. For a good while, Eragon appraised the contents of the tent, but then restlessness overtook him and he allowed his eyes to drift from the pool of water to the back of Arya’s neck. Her thick black hair fell to one side, exposing a strip of smooth skin just above the collar of her dress. That transfixed him for the better part of a minute, and then he stirred and leaned against the charred stump.

I'm thinking vampire here, personally. \~/

Eragon and Saphira talk for a bit, with Nasuada playing Saphria's voice, never mind the fact that they could be seen or someone is supposedly following them! Let's chat about inconsequential things. (It actually says they talked about that). The spell is terminated and they start running.

Again.

Drinks: 51

Comments

[arial-vs-lotus.livejournal.com]

“It’s unseemly,” he had said. “What’s more, if you drink to forget your lot in life and not for pleasure, you ought to do it where you won’t disturb anyone.”

Does anyone else find it f-ing hilarious that the salt-of-the-earth farmer Garrow uses Victorian Nanny Parlour Language like "unseemly"? The only time I've ever had a character let slip an "unseemly" was my uppity drag-queen, and she was referring to her birthmark. Also I find the whole attitude to be callous, what the hell else are poor farmers supposed to do to forget their cares? It's not like Alageezer has grief counselors or therapists one can go to unload one's troubles. Also, drinking to forget is the number one reason people drink at all, the "I'm a social drinker" stuff is the time-honoured lie of a die-hard alkie. speaking from personal experience here. lol. And what right does Eragon have to sit and stare down his Puritanical nose at any of these men? They're drinking in a safe, monitored public environment, not at home raving drunk and beating their wives and children.

[attack-bunny.livejournal.com]

Eragon is looking down his nose at these men because Paolini doesn't approve of alcohol.

You could also argue that Eragon's looking down his nose at them because they're groping (is that an appropriate word? Sticks out like a sore thumb to me) the serving wenches and harassing Arya, but Paolini only stuck that in to show how evil alcohol makes you.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

While we're at it, Eragon drinks too! Perhaps not like these guys do, but he does.

As for what farmers are supposed to do to forget your cares? Well... they're farmers, they're jolly peasants. What cares do they have to forget?

[lccorp2.livejournal.com]

Sigh.

Then again, it would be too much to expect the book to make sense, would it?

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

I gave up on that a long time ago.

[smurasaki.livejournal.com]

Instead of allowing the watchman saying "Just like that wanted guy, eh?" and then Eragon laughing and saying "Yes, I know." and then moving on his way.

Another scene I'd love to see in something.

I swear I've seen or read at least one thing where the wanted posters looked nothing like the wanted heroes for exactly the reasons you mention. I guess Paolini missed whatever that work of fiction was.

What I really love, though, is how too stupid to live Eragon and Arya come off. They really are acting as suspiciously as possible. And there was no reason for Arya to steal a dress - she could have borrowed one back at the Varden or transformed her clothes into one. I mean, she can alter clothes with magic, why not just do that? Or cast a glamour so it looked like she was wearing a dress. Or something sensible.

But these books don't do sensible.

[torylltales.livejournal.com]

Instead of allowing the watchman saying "Just like that wanted guy, eh?" and then Eragon laughing and saying "Yes, I know." and then moving on his way.

Another scene I'd love to see in something.

There was a movie, with Tommy Lee Jones, about a man convicted wrongfully of murdering his wife. The man escaped from jail, gets a disguise, hair cut and colour and a shave so he doesn't look the same. A policeman comes up to him, and says "Have you seen a wanted convict? About yea high, in his 50s, big bushy beard?"

And because the description matchd him perfectly (of course), the guy laughs and says, "You're looking at him! Except for the, y'know, beard."

:D I love that scene.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Or something sensible.


Because it sounds cooler when she says she stole it.

[attack-bunny.livejournal.com]

>The drawing of Roran was a good likeness and even included the beard he had grown since fleeing Carvahall

That could be some civil servant making an educated guess. Medieval peasants don't shave much anyway, especially when on the run from evil empires (tm), and growing a beard is usually the first thing fugitives do to disguise themselves. (male ones, at least)

>So obviously Eragon has to lie. Instead of allowing the watchman saying "Just like that wanted guy, eh?" and then Eragon laughing and saying "Yes, I know." and then moving on his way. \~/ \~/
I wonder, because obviously Eragon doesn't want to do or say anything that would make him stick in the guard's memory. Admittedly, he's already been questioned, but that's just more reason to lie and be as average as possible. When in doubt, lie your ass off and all that.

>I don't think they'll be using Murtagh and Thorn do drop offs.

Thorn: Like, I can't believe that jerky king hat dude wants us to like deliver his mail for him! Like, that is totally like so gross and totally beneath my dignity! That is like, undignified to the max! Do I like look like a postman?! Murtagh do I look like like a postman to you?! Because I am totally not trying to look like a postman! That is like, oh your human gods, that is so tacky.
Murtagh: ...I don't understand a word you said, so I'm just going to brood and cut myself.
Thorn: You are like, so not awesome. I totally can't believe I hatched for you.

[araine.livejournal.com]

Thorn: Like, I can't believe that jerky king hat dude wants us to like deliver his mail for him! Like, that is totally like so gross and totally beneath my dignity! That is like, undignified to the max! Do I like look like a postman?! Murtagh do I look like like a postman to you?! Because I am totally not trying to look like a postman! That is like, oh your human gods, that is so tacky.
Murtagh: ...I don't understand a word you said, so I'm just going to brood and cut myself.
Thorn: You are like, so not awesome. I totally can't believe I hatched for you.

I loled.

Thorn as a whiny dragon and Murtagh as an emo kid = WIN.

[thelittlebudgie.livejournal.com]

Maybe Murtagh agreed with Thorn, and that's why Galby's (maybe) hunting them down.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

It could be, but the fact that it's a good likeness doesn't hold up, as by the time the description got to a civil servant it should be all out of whack anyway.


I wonder, because obviously Eragon doesn't want to do or say anything that would make him stick in the guard's memory. Admittedly, he's already been questioned, but that's just more reason to lie and be as average as possible. When in doubt, lie your ass off and all that.

Point, but then again, I don't think the watchman should have been questioning Eragon like that.

[the-norseman.livejournal.com]

Question: Did that accomplish anything for the story? I mean seriously could this entire chapter be cut out without impacting anything else in the story?

That's the really annoying bit, there's huge sections that don't do anything at all: They don't promote the story; they don't help characterization; they don't even help flesh out the world!

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Well, Eragon ran into Arya. But as a whole chapter? No, it did not.

[(Anonymous)]

They laughed and shouted and banged on tabletops with their armored fists while they quaffed beer...

This is like the mother of all cliches and it is incredibly inacurate. The last thing anyone would do is wear heavy mail armor everywhere they went. Contrary to the way it is portrayed in fantasy, knights did NOT wear their armor while feasting - and I highly doubt common soldiers (if they coule ever AFFORD armor) would wear it while they were out drinking.

[torylltales.livejournal.com]

Indeed! I was annoyed with this scene as well!

As if beer wouldn't damage or at least stain the armour. Dave Luckett's A Dark Winter actually has a scene where the main character's doublet is stained from an ill-advised night out. much lkerfuffle trying to hide the stain from the visiting King ensues. Good book, that.

[easol.livejournal.com]

"Quaffing?"
"It's like drinking, only you spill more."

[araine.livejournal.com]

Or they could just be a bunch of hormonal young men, like most soldiers are. Because recruiting old men generally isn't a good idea. And actually, I would think a lot of people would be willing to sign up for the glory of battle and getting the girls etc. But why would people willingly join up to fight for the evil Empire?

I think... I've forgotten what evil things the empire has actually done. Raised taxes, hired soldiers for an army, and... what else? Did they do the actual torturing of people?

I don't know. Either way, I am not feeling too sympathetic to Eragon or Arya right now.

And Nasuada on the scrying spell getting Saphira so that he can talk to her just... gives me telephone imagery.

[attack-bunny.livejournal.com]

Galby had Arya and probably Murtagh tortured. And he didn't object to slavery. Other than that, not much, and Oromis comes right out and admits that the majority of people in Alagaesia are living healthy, happy lives 'untouched by the King's madness.' So, considering the majority view, there's nothing evil about him.

With all the scrying Eragon does for people, I'm surprised he never catches them on the loo.

[torylltales.livejournal.com]

Brom? He vanished in some hole in the wall village and no one knew who he was. The same thing should happen with Eragon. There isn't an internet here. There isn't a way to get information out so quickly as there is today.

Maybe there is an internet. A steampunk internet, fuelled with magic and bits of string.

That would be so awesome.

Eragon makes his way to the bar to speak with the serving woman to continue in his lovely stilted way of speaking.

“Have you a room to let, or a corner where I could spend the night?”

I giggled, because I was instantly reminded of Twoflower:

"I wish for an accomodation, a room, lodgings, the lodging house, full board, are your rooms clean, a room with a view, what is your rate for one night?"

The bit about the trees singing about his coming... how more Stuy can you get?

In fact if they did do that then they wouldn't have to worry about that watchman who nearly sees them when they're trying to scale the fence. The watchman, for some reason, has his sword drawn but then puts it away after a minute and starts to hum, with no indication that something aroused his suspicion. If there was tension that was supposed to be there, it didn't quite make it.

Classic comptuter-RPG NPC behaviour. As soon as you're out of sight, the AI resets to "wander". Geez, Paolini, grow up!

The rest of your sporking was great, but something died inside me after Arya's Rebel Princess routine, what with the disliking of dresses... Ugh. Definitely one of the Top Ten Most Hideously Overused Characterisation-Cliches in the book so far.

[easol.livejournal.com]

"I'm such a tough and un-feminine girl, I could never wear or enjoy a dress!"

[veriun.livejournal.com]

I actually like Eragon's hypocrisy in the "drunk soldiers = bad, drunk farmers = okay" scene; it shows that he dislikes them so much that such comparisons come naturally to him, any other option be damned. (It would've been even better if someone actually called him on it, which, sadly, is not going to happen and thus screws the whole hypocrisy point up.) He acts like my main character, except he's supposed to be a jackass and I suspect that's not what Paolini was going for.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Of course it's not what Paolini is going for. Eragon -and by extension Paolini- is trying to show how evil the Empire is. He's not trying to show any hypocrisy because he doesn't think there is any. Which sadly makes his book less than it could be.

[sheherazahde.livejournal.com]

I don't think wanted posters would be impossible. You just need an artist, an eye witness to give a description, an engraver, and a printing press. Paper is the biggest problem. Paolini specifies "parchment", which is animal hide. That is a lot of dead sheep. But, forget the internet, this culture doesn't seem to be up to the printing press yet, or general literacy, so "Wanted" posters would really be a waste of energy and resources.

I do agree about the soldiers not wearing armor when they are out on the town. It's not just that armor needs to be kept clean, it is HEAVY! and if you grab a barmaid's ass with an armored hand you are likely to hurt her and feel nothing yourself. Soldiers are as likely to wear their armor while out at a bar as hockey players are to wear their helmets and pads.

"You don't have dreams when you're awake DAMNIT. \~/ \~/ Unless you're hallucinating."

Well, daydreams are waking dreams. Dreams can be "imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake" or an "ambition: a cherished desire".

[easol.livejournal.com]

Do generic medieval fantasylands ever have printing presses?

And that hamster's cuteness is breaking my heart. I love those little fuzzy faces and bulgy eyes.

[x-trickster-x.livejournal.com]

I can actually understand Eragon lying about his name. If someone was searching for you and they had your name, even if it was the most common name in the world, I think you'd still lie just as a reflex. At the time, you'd probably be too anxious to stop and go, "Okay, there are loads of people with my name, I don't need to lie."

He's a little harsh on those poor soldiers, though. I dislike that if you're one of Galby's soldiers, you suddenly stop being a person. It doesn't matter that you're just a young man who's had a little too much to drink surrounded by pretty barmaids. Nope. You're evil by extension of your boss.

I'm still mourning the Ra'zac. They could've been developed into this great, proud warrior race that were corrupted by Galby or something and Eragon could finally realise what he's done by killing them all. I just really hate the way they've been shoved aside and forgotten. =[

[araine.livejournal.com]

You're evil by extension of your boss.

It's one of those "all Nazi's are evil" mentalities. Which, if you've ever studied psychology, or history, or, y'know, were observant of people in general comes across as complete BS. I hate those broad stereotypes in fiction, so much - they just annoy me.

And when they overthrow Galbatorix, are they going to go on a mass slaughter of the army? Because they're just evil army guys, right?

I just really hate the way they've been shoved aside and forgotten.

Me too. It would have been a lovely way for Paolini to give his world culture. But no. Evil guys are obviously evil.

[wariena.livejournal.com]

I'll just point out the things that jumped out at me in this chapter that haven't already been mentioned by people here.

1. Eastcroft. Am I the only one who did a doubletake at that name? It just doesn't seem to mesh well in a universe where places have names like Sudra and Carvahall- heck, Eastcroft sounds like it could be just down the road from where I live, I live in SE England!

2. The tension, or lack of tension. I always find this incredibly irritating, especially since I love a good horror movie moment in any book. It's like Paolini's got the shell but left out the contents- like he doesn't want to put his 'heroes' in any actual danger. It just ends up as really cheap emotional manipulation, like an 'oh, it's just a cat' scare in a movie. He's put the scary, tense "omigodthey'redead" words in but they don't really have any meaning. He's just trying to provoke a reaction.

3. Eragon staring at the back of her neck. I found this creepy, but not because of the vampy-ness. Mostly because in some cultures, the back of the neck is seen as an extreme potent erogenous zone- that's why geisha makeup doesn't cover the nape of the neck. =)

[easol.livejournal.com]

I just sorta groaned. It isn't too surprising in a world where we get names like "Katrina" and "Sloan" next to "Eragon," "Galbatorix" and "Murtagh."

Heard that about No. 3 too. But I thought Eragon was supposed to be totally obsessed with Arya? Are we going to have some sort of shojo anime thing where Eragon shows interest in Nasuada and Arya suddenly gets all soul-searchy jealous but can't quite accept why?

[shmeiliarockie.livejournal.com]

Arya gets away with stealing a dress because she is the Designated Love Interest. And anyway, whoever owned that dress was not even a real person to Paolini. This is a good example of his philosophy of writing: his characters only exist to further the Cool Factor plot. Outside of their purpose they are nothing.

That paragraph about nature announcing Eragon's presence was extremely quasi-religious. I thought the author was an Atheist? Wouldn't he want to avoid using such a description? I'm beginning to think he worships his own creation (and therefore himself by extension).

Also, I'm sick of all the running and false tension! Just cut to them getting back to camp, plz. Oh, wait, but then we would miss Arya killing soldiers with her knees. Nevermind, I've got to see that! That is coming up soon, isn't it? Please say yes. I've been looking forward to that piece of hilarity for quite a while now.

[easol.livejournal.com]

"I'm beginning to think he worships his own creation (and therefore himself by extension)."

It gets worse later on, I'm afraid.

By the end of the fourth book, the Varden will probably found the Totally Secular Atheist Church of Eragon.

[lenka0602.livejournal.com]

must agree with torylltales. when reading all the negative views on alcohol i thought "the kid has obviously never drunk a drop in his life"
by the way - if you "drink to forget" you dont drink alone. when alcohol level in your blood rises, you will get all sorts of thoughts. you then drink either with an unfortunate friend, an unfortunate bartender or an unfortunate random guest of the pub to get it all out and complain about what it is you want to forget. drinking alone - very dangerous.
also - i wonder why smoking never gets the negative view in fantasy literature as alcohol does. i mean, they are both killing you slowly and are baaaad. but if somebody pulls out a pipe you dont have the hero musing about how bad it is, how the room will fill up with smoke that smells nasty and so on. double standard much?
he should definitely have gotten out more. heck, i thought i grew up sheltered (always a loner, never went out much, meh) in a way, but a first secret cigarette or a sip of alcohol is something that is essential to the process of becoming an adult - gaining experiences, the thrill and excitement of the forbidden and the eventual nausea:P