Eldest

I am twenty-one now and, to my continual astonishment, have already published two novels.

“You’re lying!” cried Eragon. He could not bear the thought of being Morzan’s son. Did Brom know? Does Oromis know?…Why didn’t they tell me? He remembered, then, Angela predicting that someone in his family would betray him. She was right.

to the Blood-oath Celebration. Unless your creations require magic to make or to function, I suggest that you avoid using gramarye. No one wil respect your work if it’s the product of a spel and not of your own hands.

I thought that he would be the mate I never expected to have and that together we could rebuild our race. She snorted, and a burst of flame escaped her nostrils. I was mistaken. He does not want me.

Oromis shook his head. “Foolish,” he said, “very foolish. If I had committed more to maintaining my spel , that would have kil ed you. Never use absolutes.”

“You do the Varden a disservice if you insist on overworking yourself. No one can function properly without occasional peace and quiet. They don’t have to be long breaks, just five or ten minutes. You could even practice your archery, and then you would stil serve your goals, albeit in a different manner…. That’s why I had this laboratory constructed in the first place. That’s why I blow smoke and play with

quicksilver, as you put it—so that I don’t scream with frustration throughout the rest of the day.”

“What,” asked Eragon, keeping his voice low so as to not disturb anyone, “do most elves do for a living or profession?”

Arya answered just as quietly. “Our strength with magic grants us as much leisure as we desire. We neither hunt nor farm, and, as a result, we spend our days working to master our interests, whatever they might be. Very little exists that we must strive for.”

“Our strength with magic grants us as much leisure as we desire. We neither hunt nor farm, and, as a result, we spend our days working to master our interests, whatever they might be. Very little exists that we must strive for.”

“Everything that we need or want we sing from the plants, including our food. It would be barbaric to make animals suffer that we might have additional courses on the table…. Our choice wil make greater sense to you before long.”

“I live here, on the brink of the Crags of Tel’naeír, because it provides me the opportunity to think and study in peace. My mind works better away from El esméra and the distractions of other people.”