kippurbird | And the HHAAAAAANDS of a warrior....

Hands of a Warrior

This chapter opens up with Eragon eating a strawberry and then pushing the stem into just the right spot on the tray. I'm not sure exactly what the right spot on the tray is and for what is it the right spot for, but apparently it is the right spot, for the strawberry stem. If a strawberry stem needs a right spot on a tray. To put it shortly, this paragraph makes no sense whatsoever. There's an idea there of Eragon placing the strawberry stem in a place that he likes, but it's presented incorrectly. We need to know more information beyond 'the right spot' to make that phrase make sense.

Not that it matters. Instead we get to learn how much more awesome Angela is. See, Eragon tells Oromis about his side trip to Angela's shop and the fortune she told him. Oriomis says that he's been hearing a lot about her and how she shows up at all these significant places. That and she reminds him of another woman who he describes as having, among other things, " A wit that is as sharp as it is odd". So, Angela has been around long enough that Arya doesn't remember her, even though she looks the same as she did when she came in what must have been many years ago. So perhaps she is not a human spell caster at all? And Oromis doesn't seem to be at all interested in knowing more about her, dismissing her with a flick of his hand and saying that Eragon shouldn't worry about her prophecies because either they will or they won't come true "and without knowing more, none of us can influence the outcome".

Isn't that the point of prophecy, that you can't influence the outcome? Or that trying to influence the outcome may or may not work and so why bother? Or that you should seize your destiny given in the prophecy and try to fulfill it. It's seems to be one of those sorts of things that continue to reoccur in the books, the idea that fate is undecidable or uncontrollable so why bother trying to do anything about the future. Why bother trying to figure out what it means?

Meanwhile Serious Ass's words are more important to considered. Oromis doesn't know what the Vault of Souls is and he vaguely remembers hearing about Rock of Kuthian, but he doesn't remember from where. He also doesn't think there is a weapon under the Menoa tree. But he'll ask around to the few other elves that know more than he does in regards to the forest. However in regards to sharp pointy dragon rider swords, there are two others in the elf kingdom. If Eragon asks really nicely the elf in Ellesmera might let him have it.

If not then he should go to Rhunon and see what advice she will give him. Also if for some reason he does get the sword it will need to be "refurbished" since it hasn't been used in a hundred years.

It needs new upholstery?

I have this image now of a carpet covered sword. o_O The carpet is plaid and there's a little tassel hanging off of one end.

I don't know the exact word he's looking for, I can't think of it off the top of my head, but I do believe that he's looking for a word that means "make sure it's in good working condition and fix it if it's not".

Of course this being one of the famous Dragon Rider sword of magic that never need sharpening and stuff, I can't figure out why it would need to be refurbished and how not using it for a hundred years would require it to be fixed in anyway. Especially since the elf who owned the sword certainly should keep it in good condition if it is so awesome and special.

Uh-hum.

Eragon then wants to know what he and Oriomis should do between now and tomorrow.

Yes. My brain did wander down to dirty places, now shut up.

However, it's interesting to note that Eragon appears to have forgotten about the fact that he just learned that Brom was his father. I would think that he'd want to know more and more about Brom, like what was he like as a child, who was he friends with, what was his Saphira like, was he in love with anyone (besides Morzan), when was he chosen to be a rider, where was he from, did he have any family, any siblings, what about his parents. There are a hundred and one million questions that should be brimming through Eragon's head right now, he shouldn't be asking, "So, now what?" He should be interrogating the hell out of Oromis and his dragon to find out this information.

Instead he gets to ask Oromis to teach him any use of magic he wishes in the time that they're there.

First try: Spirit summoning. Oromis vetoes it. Well, he says he'll teach Eragon it, but will he please not make him.
Second try: Teach him his true name. Oromis says that while he may be able to guess Eragon's true name (Gary Stu) it's not actually a spell and so he doesn't have to. So there. neh.
Third try: how to teleport things, like Arya did with Saphira's egg. This is acceptable.

Then we learn that Sloan is here! Poor Sloan, he has a nice hut by a stream, but he can't leave the woods. He's tried twice but Eragon's compulsion makes him stay. The elves feed, clothe and read to him, but they haven't fixed his eyes. Why? The weeping man is broken inside," Glaedr said. He cannot see clearly enough for his eyes to be of any use

Um... he can't see because you won't fix his eyes. His ability to see "reason" has nothing to do with his ability to physically see. If they want to be kind and generous like the elves should be they should - you know - fix his eyes. This is kinda like Eragon fixing scars but not healing seriously injured.

Eragon wants to know if he should go see him, Oromis says its up to him, but whatever he does, he shouldn't forget Sloan's existence.

Fiiiinnnnaaaaalllly we get to the bit about why this chapter is called "Hands of a Warrior". Oromis wants to see Eragon's hands before he goes to sleep. He looks at them and declares that they are hands of a warrior but he should be careful that, "they do not become the hands of a man who revels in the carnage of war". That took four paragraphs of the entire chapter and have absolutely no impact on anything else we've read in the chapter.

Where's me cutting knife, eh?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

smurasaki.livejournal.com

I think Oromis's warning about Eragon's hands is far, far too late. He's already a wee bit too fond of the carnage of war, or at least of killing.

Every time I try to tell myself that Paolini can't have meant Eragon and the other "heroes" to be such lousy people, they do or say something lousy. Really? They can't fix his eyes until he's not broken inside? Are they doing anything, anything at all to fix that? And, no, feeding, clothing, and reading to him aren't good enough. But then Eragon's not even capable of interest in his own father, so why should we be surprised.

And what's the point of even having a character who can prophesy if no one in the book cares? Normally, one introduces prophesy so that the characters will try to follow it or try to fight it. It's like the confused religious stuff. Too many conflicting ideas in desperate need of an editor.

From:

ravenswept.livejournal.com

There's a prophesy in the book, because that's what happens in these kinds of books. Paolini follows his "archtypes" so closely that he inserts elements into the story regardless of whether or not he knows why, he only knows that the stories he's ~~copying~~ referencing have those elements, then so should his.

Writings of a deranged Autistic Novelist

And the HHAAAAAANDS of a warrior....

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags