Brisingr

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2008

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Chapters 7-9

Chapter 7 Summary: “The Trial of the Long Knives”

This chapter focuses on Nasuada, the leader of the Varden. She is constantly surrounded by a contingent of six guards, called the Nighthawks, made up of two humans, two dwarves, and two Urgals; this is because her father Ajihad and her oldest and most trusted commander, Jörmundur, believe there could be an assassination attempt made on her, following the death of King Hrothgar at the hands of Murtagh. Nasuada insisted on racial diversity amongst her guards to encourage less racism toward the Urgals. Nasuada is never left alone; even when the guards are not present, she has her handmaid, Farica, and now her “weapon,” the witch-child Elva, who can sense other’s feelings but does not yet have control over her reactions. Nasuada conceals Elva behind a curtain.

Presently, she is listening to the warlord Fadawar’s insistence that because of their shared blood (he is her mother’s cousin), he should be afforded a higher rank within the Varden. Nasuada disagrees, pledging her allegiance to her kingdom; he challenges her to a trial of the long knives, the winner of which will rule the Varden and take control of both armies.

Nasuada prepares by summoning Elva and stripping to her undergarments; as for witnesses, King Orrin and Jörmundur are sent for, and after some protestations from her advisors, the ceremony is completed, and the trial begins. The trial of the long knives is an exercise in self-harm rather than strength, as the two trade off slicing open their own forearms. After five cuts each, Nasuada begins to realize that loss of blood (rather than fear or pain) may determine the winner. After six cuts, they switch arms according to tradition, and Nasuada falters—but at the eighth, she finds the strength for two, leading Fadawar to submit. Rather than allow for any treatment of her wounds, Nasuada insists they must heal naturally in order for her to secure the win.

Chapter 8 Summary: “Winged Tidings”

When Nasuada wakes, she is visited by the herbalist, Angela, and werecat, Solembum; Angela heals her arms by hand rather than magic. Word of Saphira and Eragon’s approach reaches the camp, and a huge crowd assembles to greet them, including Arya. While waiting with Arya and Angela, Elva informs her that Eragon is not riding Saphira, but rather it is Roran and Katrina; she tells them to clear the field, but King Orrin, Narheim, and Garzhvog remain. Saphira reveals that Eragon elected to stay behind in the Empire, sharing her memories with the women for efficiency’s sake. They agree it’s important to find Eragon and bring him safely back to the Varden, though they can’t agree on how; Arya is the first to action, sprinting off on foot, as elves are incredibly fast.

Chapter 9 Summary: “Escape and Evasion”

Half elf himself, Eragon is running quickly toward the Varden and Arya. All around is desert, and there hasn’t been any rain for at least a month. While he has come far, his speed is hampered by Galbatorix’s soldiers, magicians, patrols, and even a sighting of the dragon Thorn low on the western horizon. He has found the need to hide, due to his decision to travel on the roads to exert less energy. Though he is on alert, he is also finding the experience of being alone quite peaceful. Eragon is almost seen by a group of foot soldiers, but he manages a warding spell and listens as the men theorize about Galbatorix’s plan for Murtagh and his dragon.

Eragon wakes feeling like he is back in battle; before dawn, he is back to running, focused on reaching the Varden. A flock of starlings reminds him of Palancar Valley. When he leaves the desert, he finds himself in a place with five hills and ruins—searching around, he finds a broken elven tower in the center of a large glade at the top of the central hill built long before Edur Ithindra (a bitter defeat known as “The Destruction of the Riders”). There he finds Tenga, an ancient man tending a vegetable garden; with the promise of a free meal, Eragon joins in. Inside Tenga’s home he finds seven rare compendiums. It becomes clear the spellcaster has lost his mind, and Eragon is able to escape while the man babbles about a woman who used to live with him.

Eragon is forced to spend a night in the town of Eastcroft; the town shuts for the night in expectation of a siege, and Eragon is questioned and sent to the wayfarers’ house. The message board contains posters for Roran and himself (but with his old human face). Mostly filled with locals and migrant families, plus a handful of Galbatorix’s soldiers, Eragon recognizes Arya in disguise and the two are able to move upstairs to Arya’s room. They sleep there and escape the town together in the morning, pausing to speak to Nasuada through a spell cast on the surface of still water, and then to Saphira by the same means. He assures them he is headed their way, and they begin running as soon as the call is ended.

Chapters 7-9 Analysis

Paolini leads with another example of racism in Alagaësia between Urgals and the other races in the Varden. This time, Nasuada, an authority figure, is working to bond the races and help them form points of commonality; part of her bargain with her father is that she is allowed to dictate who makes up her guard, which means she has the right to divide the task equally amongst the races who serve her. She reinforces her stance that one’s loyalty and ability are more cause for reward than blood ties when her cousin Fadawar makes his case; his belief that he should be treated with more respect and with a higher rank in her army because they are related to one another is swiftly dismissed by Nasuada. For him, family ranks much higher than kingdom; after the trial, Nasuada insists she did not do it for personal or tribal gain, but to help attain a sense of unity amongst all of her forces.

While Eragon is alone, he finds himself awakening to a rush of feelings, like he is back in battle. Eragon presents as if he were experiencing what the reader would recognize as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. As this book is the third in a series, some readers may recall that just days in advance of the events unfolding in Brisingr: Eragon was in the midst of a serious and bloody battle. He has seen friends and foes killed and taken others’ lives with his own hands. It is apt for Paolini to nod back to these events and acknowledge the toll they have taken on Eragon’s mental health. For him, even if his body has been restored, some mental wounds are still healing. Similarly, the reader may notice a pattern developing where elements of Eragon’s current life remind him of his early years in Palancar Valley; this time, it is a reference in Chapter 9 to a flock of starlings that initiates feelings of nostalgia in Eragon. This isn’t unusual, as Eragon is often driven by events in his past, both within Palancar and along his journey to becoming a Rider.