How It All Goes Down
The Mourning Sage
- Eragon's mind is a confused jumble of the Shade's memories and his own. It's as if they're still fighting, only inside Eragon's thoughts.
- Then, Eragon feels a new presence in his mind.
- This presence calls itself "Osthato Chetowä, the Mourning Sage. And Togira Ikonoka, the Cripple Who is Whole" (59.11). Right.
- Its voice says that, since Eragon is so far away, it can only protect his sanity from the pain. It also says that, if Eragon finds Osthato, then all of his questions will be answered and only then will he be safe. He should just follow Arya to Ellesméra.
- Then the voice says that Eragon has banished a great evil, that he is more powerful than he realizes, and that he should get some rest. Oh, and don't tell anyone about their conversation.
- Eragon drifts back to sleep, thinking that Brom would have been proud of him.
- The next thing he knows, Eragon's being woken up by Angela. She's still in her armor.
- Angela gives Eragon something to drink (cool mead), then he sits up and asks about Saphira and Arya.
- They're fine, says Angela. She opens the door and there they are, with Murtagh, too.
- Arya and Murtagh are bandaged, but Murtagh happily reports that they won.
- VICTORY!
- When the Shade's spirits fled, the Urgals turned on each other. They've since fled to the tunnels.
- Eragon asks why Murtagh's not back in jail, but now's not the time for that stuff. People are too busy rounding up Urgals or tending to the survivors.
- Also, Murtagh informs Eragon that he's a bona fide hero for having killed Durza.
- Eragon wants to know what happened to the Twins, but Murtagh shrugs it off. Eragon's not too sure, though.
- He also wants to know how Arya and Saphira managed not to crash into the floor. More magic, says Arya.
- Finally, Eragon asks how long he's been laid up.
- It's been a day and a half. If Angela hadn't been around, who knows if he would've lived? Luckily, though, she was able to heal his back. There's just a colossal scar there now… just like Murtagh's.
- Eragon is satisfied at the outcome.
- He resolves to go and see this Togira Ikonoka, the Cripple Who is Whole.
- Sequel, anyone? Yes, please.