Eragon Chapter 14 Summary

A Rider's Blade

• Eragon wakes up, but he's totally depressed. Duh.
• Saphira comes into his mind to give him a pep talk. 
• At first, Eragon doesn't want to hear it, but then Saphira suggests that they take revenge on those dark strangers who killed Garrow. After all, he's a Rider, and she's a dragon. It's kind of their destiny to be a powerful force of good.
• At first Eragon is skeptical, but soon he's convinced. The thought of vengeance, and the fear of getting caught with Saphira, are enough to get him out of bed and moving.
• As he does, he overhears Elain and Horst talking. Horst is not convinced that he's heard the full truth from Eragon about what went down. 
• Time to go, E!
• Eragon sneaks out of the house and heads out of Carvahall. On his way, he makes a quick stop at Gedric the tanner's to pick up three leather ox-hides. Natch. (He needs to make a saddle for Saphira.)
• Don't worry—Eragon's a good kid. He makes a note to himself to repay Gedric for these hides he's about to swipe, and repay Horst for his hospitality… someday.
• Then he heads over to Sloan's to steal meat for his upcoming trip. No notes to repay Sloan the jerk.
• As he's stealing meat, he hears his name being called out. He ducks and sees Horst pass by, looking for him. 
• When he heads outside to grab his freshly stolen hides, Eragon runs into Brom.
• Brom tells Eragon that he (Brom) knows about Saphira, and he knows that Eragon is a Rider. It's pretty obvious, really. 
• Eragon mentally reaches out to Saphira, but Brom has already communicated with her and told her to hang back. 
• Eragon finally fesses up to Brom, and Brom offers to come along for the ride and help. 
• Eragon agrees, but wants to leave a message for his cousin. Brom says he's already taken care of it, and he's left notes for the other villagers to help cover their tracks. Well how about that, Helpy Helperton!
• Eragon takes off with Brom back to the farm. When they arrive, Saphira lands in front of them. Rather than freaking out (as one might expect when one sees a dragon), Brom just says, "So… it starts again" (14.73). We get the feeling that this ain't his first dragon rodeo.
• Brom and Saphira are formally introduced to each other, and then Eragon goes rummaging through the wreckage to recover his bow.
• It's just about time to camp, now. They all head to a secluded clearing in the woods and set up shop. After a dinner of meat-chunk and salt-lump stew (yum!), Eragon and Brom talk further.
• Eragon wants to know why Brom wants to tag along. Brom says the trip would be good story-telling material. When Eragon asks how Brom can talk to Saphira, Brom says that he'll fess up, but that Eragon might not like his answers.
• He goes to his pack and pulls out a finely wrought red sword with a black symbol inscribed on it. Eragon senses power in it. (Whatever that means…)
• Brom explains that the sword, called Zar'roc, used to belong to a Rider. Now, says Brom, it belongs to Eragon. 
• Nice!
• Eragon wants to know more about how Brom got the sword, but Brom deflects the question. He tells Eragon instead that anyone with the right training can talk to a dragon. He offers to teach Eragon everything he knows. Just how he knows what he knows, though, will have to remain a mystery.
• Eragon seems cool with this. He asks about those strangers, and Brom tells him that they are called the Ra'zac, creatures in the service of King Galbatorix. Also, "they aren't human. When [Brom] glimpsed one's head, it appeared to have something resembling a beak and black eyes as large as [his] fist" (14.103). Ew.
• They are also incredibly powerful, even if they have an aversion to sunlight. Eragon shouldn't underestimate them. The king uses them to investigate sightings of dragons.
• Now it's Brom's turn to ask questions: How did Eragon get Saphira's egg?
• Eragon gives him the full back story, and Brom is impressed.
• Now it's Eragon's turn again: How did Brom get that nasty bump on his head?
• Brom says basically, "Oh this? I was single-handedly fighting the Ra'zac and they gave me this as I was driving them away."
• "Who are you?" Eragon asks (14.120). Yeah, we're curious, too.
• But Brom's not giving up that info. "I've a complicated past," is about all he'll really say (14.125).
• Eragon, miffed, just goes to sleep.