Eragon: Chapter Four: It's a Dragon! (Duh)

[pangolin20]

Chapter Three (Part IV) | Table of Contents | Chapter Five (Part I)

Last time, we heard stories and we were granted the “exclusive history” of Galbatorix’s rise to power. This time, Saphira hatches!

Chapter Four: Fate’s Gift

The title refers to Saphira. I wouldn’t say “fate” has anything to do with her; Umaroth was the one who delivered her to Eragon. Then again, Umaroth seems to be synonymous with fate later on, so…

The chapter opens on “the evening after their return from Carvahall”. I guess that that’s the evening of November 1^st. The wording could be clearer, though, as I believed for the longest time that this was right after they’d heard Brom’s story.

Eragon decides to test “the stone”—

Dead Herrings: 42

like Morlock did. While he’s alone in his room, he puts the egg on his bed and lays three tools next to it. First, he uses a “wooden mallet” and taps “the stone” with it.

Dead Herrings: 43 (yep, there’ll be one final run of them)

This produces a “subtle ringing”. Still wonder how the egg can make such sounds when it’s not hollow. Eh, I’ll throw it on magic. Eragon’s satisfied with this, and picks up the next tool, “a heavy leather hammer.” When it hits, it produces a “mournful peal”. Finally, he uses a “small chisel”. The chisel doesn’t damage “the stone”—

Dead Herrings: 44

but it produces a very clear sound. As it dies away, Eragon thinks he hears “a faint squeak.” Well, folks, what could the “stone” possibly be?? I also note that Eragon doesn’t react to this in the slightest. I’d expect him to give the stone another look, at the very least.

Reaction, Please: 13

Now, we get a paragraph of thoughts. Eragon says that Morlock said “the stone” is hollow, and there could be something valuable inside.

Dead Herrings: 45

He says he doesn’t know how to open it. He tells us there “must have been a good reason” for someone to make it (protecting the hatchling falls in that category, probably), but whoever’s sent “the stone” to the Spine hasn’t bothered to retrieve it or doesn’t know where it is.

Dead Herrings: 46

Well, good thinks, Eragon! He now says he doesn’t believe that someone with “enough power” to send “the stone” wouldn’t be able to find it again.

Dead Herrings: 47

Well, I do believe that that’s possible. For example, the person who sent the egg might have done so in an uncontrolled burst of magic, and they might not know any spell to locate it. And anyway, power is not a great indicator of whether they’d retrieve the egg; skill is a much better one.

So Eragon wonders if he was “meant to have it.” I can see where he’s coming from, but only because his thoughts have been shown before. What reason does he have to think it’s meant for him? As far as he knows, he’s no one remarkable, and he’s had nothing to do with magic stuff before. Okay, he’s partly “meant to have it”, but he doesn’t know that yet. It would make more sense for him to assume that whoever sent the egg made a mistake and might either be dead/incapacitated, or might still be looking for the egg.

Land of Incompetents: 138

Well, Eragon can’t answer the question, so he just pick up the tools and puts “the stone” back on the shelf, “resigned to an unsolvable mystery.” Don’t worry, it will be solved soon enough.

Dead Herrings: 48

Time skip!

Cut to that night, as Eragon is abruptly woken up. He listens for a bit, but all is quiet. He’s “uneasy”. Let’s see how long this will last. He slides his hand under his “mattress” and grabs “his knife”. Well, first time we heard about that. Why does he keep a knife beneath his mattress? And why does he grab it now? After all, he’s noticed nothing unusual yet, and his first reaction is to grab a knife for safety? That’s concerning.

Missing Puzzle Pieces: 91

He waits for a few minutes, and then begins to sink back into sleep. Suddenly, there’s a “squeak”, and Eragon shoots awake. He rolls out of bed and pulls the knife out. He fumbles for a bit with a tinderbox and manages to light a candle. I guess he’s put the knife down? It’s not clear.

PPP: 81

We’re told the door to his room is closed. The squeak was too loud for “a mouse or rat”, we’re told, but Eragon still checks under the bed. There’s predictably nothing. Equally predictable, there’s no sign of any emotion from Eragon.

Reaction, Please: 14

He sits down on the edge of his bed and rubs the sleep from his eyes. There’s another squeak, and Eragon “start[s] violently.” Well, good to see he’s got some kind of reaction.

Next paragraph, there’s this: “Where was the noise was coming from?” Yep, there’s two “was” in that sentence. So much for good editing.

PPP: 82 (how did no one pick up on this?)

And, well, Eragon, where could the noise possibly could come from? Could it be from the magical “stone”? That’s the new object in your room, after all. Eragon doesn’t think of that, of course. He says that nothing can be in the walls or in the floor, because they’re “solid wood”. That’s also true for his bed, and he would have noticed if something’s crawled into his “straw mattress”. Then, he looks at “the stone”.

Dead Herrings: 49

He takes it off the shelf and holds it in his hands as he looks around the room. There’s another squeak, which “[rings] in his ears and reverberate[s] through his fingers”. It comes from “the stone”.

Dead Herrings: 50

No shit. Where could it have come from otherwise?? And how does Eragon react to the squeaking stone? Does he freak out and decide to throw the egg out? Nope, he doesn’t do any of that.

Land of Incompetents: 139

Reaction, Please: 15

Instead, he says that “[t]he stone ha[s] given him nothing but frustration and anger, and now it [will] not even let him sleep!”

Dead Herrings: 51

Yes, he’s only angry at the egg. He’s not scared or anything; he’s just pissed at it. It’s just such a weird reaction.

Straight From Left Field: 15

The egg ignores his “furious glare” (no duh), and keeps lying there, squeaking from time to time. It then gives a very loud squeak and fall silent. Eragon “warily” puts the egg away again. No, don’t throw it out or anything sensible like that.

Land of Incompetents: 144

He also goes back into bed. According to him: “Whatever secret the stone [holds], it [will] have to wait until morning.”

Dead Herrings: 52

I absolutely don’t get this. He can just fall asleep with a squeaking “stone” in his room?? He doesn’t try to throw it out the window, or get otherwise rid of it?? He doesn’t even think that he can sleep better if he doesn’t hear squeaks constantly?? It’s so weird and also OOC for him. Okay, he does underreact often, but not to this level.

Land of Incompetents: 154

PPP: 92

Reaction, Please: 25

Straight From Left Field: 16

Thinking on it, I do have an explanation. After all, if Eragon threw out the egg, he wouldn’t have a chance to bond with Saphira and attacking Galbatorix would be considerably harder. On top of that, Umaroth, as we’ll see later, isn’t exactly hesitant to mess with people’s minds; that was involved in how Arya got Saphira’s egg. Combining these things, it seems quite likely to me that Umaroth might be pushing Eragon not to do anything about the egg, so it can hatch for him. I know it’s very likely not what Paolini meant, but it very much makes sense.

Look Away: 65

The Story Behind the Story: 6

Next paragraph, Eragon wakes up again. This time the moon shines through the window. “The stone” is rapidly rocking on the shelf, and knocks against the wall.

Dead Herrings: 53

It’s bathed in “cool moonlight” for dramatic effect. Eragon jumps out of bed, “knife in hand.” So he took the knife along when he went to sleep? That seems very dangerous to me.

Land of Incompetents: 155

The egg stops, but Eragon remains tense. Then, “the stone” begins squeaking and rocking even faster than before.

Dead Herrings: 54

Eragon curses, and begins dressing. So I guess he was naked when he first got out of bed? Well, do with that information what you will, I guess. He tells us that he doesn’t care how valuable “the stone” may be, because he’ll take it far away and bury it.

Dead Herrings: 55

Well, good to see that he’s finally having an appropriate reaction to the egg. Still, I would think it would be better to smash the “stone”, instead of leaving it intact where other people could still find it. Also, won’t the ground be quite hard for that? It’s November, after all. And lastly, though I don’t hold it against him, this would mean burying Saphira alive.

Now, “the stone” stops rocking and becomes quiet.

Dead Herrings: 56

It quivers a bit, and then rolls forward and drops on the floor “with a loud thump.” Eragon backs away to the door as “the stone” “wobble[s]” towards him.

Dead Herrings: 57

I’m almost laughing at the sheer absurdity of the situation. Eragon’s being threatened by a wobbling stone, y’all! Anyway, there “suddenly” appears a crack on “the stone.”

Dead Herrings: 58

What could that mean, people?? Could this be an… egg? No, of course not. What are you even thinking?? Ahem.

More cracks appear. Eragon is fascinated by this and leans forward, still holding the knife. At the top of “the stone”—

Dead Herrings: 59

—where all the cracks meet, a small piece “wobble[s], as if it [is] balanced on something” (gee, what could that possibly be?!), and then rises and drops to the floor. Some more squeaking, and a “small dark head” pokes out of the hole, followed by a “weirdly angled body.” Hi, Saphira! Eragon grips the knife tighter and keeps very still. Soon, Saphira’s all the way out of “the stone.”

Dead Herrings: 60

It stays there for a moment, and then skitters into the moonlight, for a dramatic reveal.

“Eragon recoiled in shock. Standing in front of him, licking off the membrane that encased it, was a dragon.”

Well, there she finally is! What a twist! And now the book will finally begin in earnest.

And the chapter cuts off. This is where I’d like to introduce another type of ending, namely the Cliffhanger Chop, as named by snarkbotanya. With this ending, the chapter ends on a very obvious cliffhanger. Not that that is a problem in itself, but the chapter often is quite short, and might as well have been merged with either the previous or the following chapter. This chapter is a shining example of this, as it literally exists to allow the reveal of Saphira, while being extremely short (705 words; a quarter of the average chapter length).

Cliffhanger Chop: 1

Anyway, next chapter, we’ll get to see how Eragon will deal with her. That will be with Kerlois; I will be back for chapter 6. Until then!

Content:

A Better Commando Name: 2

Bullyay: 13
-----Murdered by the Convocation: 4

-----Perfection is Pure: 3

CARS (Clumsy Attempt at Racism Subplot): 0

Hell-Bound Partners: 0

Just Drink the Poison: 0

Land of Incompetents: 155

Look Away: 65

No-Wave Feminism: 28

Petty Ain’t the Word For You: 43

RVMP (Racism Very Much Present): 25

Some Parent You Are: 0

Some Teacher You Are: 0

Straight From Left Field: 16

That’s Not How Any of This Works: 21

The Perfect Sparkly Ways of Elfdom: 0

The Story Behind the Story: 6

This Is Fine: 8

What Dragons?: 14

Writing/Style:

Dead Herrings: 60

Drop It Like It’s Hot: 2

Evidence, Please: 105

Forgot the Narrator: 6

Just Gonna Stand There: 2

Missing Puzzle Pieces: 91

PPP: 92

-----Continuity Fluidity: 57

Reaction, Please: 25

Shine Bright Like A Diamond: 3

Cliffhanger Chop: 0

Mid-Scene Break: 0

Other Ending: 2

Protagonist Unconsciousness: 2