Eragon rose hotly in protest. “I feel as though I’ve been thrust into a world with strange rules that no one will explain.”

“I understand,” said Brom. He fiddled with a piece of grass. “It’s late and we should sleep, but I will tell you a few things now, to stop your badgering. This magic—for it is magic—has rules like the rest of the world. If you break the rules, the penalty is death, without exception. Your deeds are limited by your strength, the words you know, and your imagination.”

“What do you mean by words?” asked Eragon.

“More questions!” cried Brom. “For a moment I had hoped you were empty of them. But you are quite right in asking. When you shot the Urgals, didn’t you say something?”

“Yes,brisingr. ” The fire flared, and a shiver ran through Eragon. Something about the word made him feel incredibly alive.

“I thought so.Brisingr is from an ancient language that all living things used to speak. However, it was forgotten over time and went unspoken for eons in Alagaësia, until the elves brought it back over the sea. They taught it to the other races, who used it for making and doing powerful things. The language has a name for everything, if you can find it.”

“But what does that have to do with magic?” interrupted Eragon.

“Everything! It is the basis for all power. The language describes the true nature of things, not the superficial aspects that everyone sees. For example, fire is calledbrisingr . Not only is thata name for fire, it isthe name for fire. If you are strong enough, you can usebrisingr to direct fire to do whatever you will. And that is what happened today.”

Eragon thought about it for a moment. “Why was the fire blue? How come it did exactly what I wanted, if all I said wasfire ?”

“The color varies from person to person. It depends on who says the word. As to why the fire did what you wanted, that’s a matter of practice. Most beginners have to spell out exactly what they want to happen. As they gain more experience, it isn’t as necessary. A true master could just saywater and create something totally unrelated, like a gemstone. You wouldn’t be able to understand how he had done it, but the master would have seen the connection betweenwater and the gem and would have used that as the focal point for his power. The practice is more of an art than anything else. What you did was extremely difficult.”

Saphira interrupted Eragon’s thoughts.Brom is a magician! That’s how he was able to light the fire on the plains. He doesn’t just know about magic; he can use it himself!

Eragon’s eyes widened.You’re right!

Ask him about this power, but be careful of what you say. It is unwise to trifle with those who have such abilities. If he is a wizard or sorcerer, who knows what his motives might have been for settling in Carvahall?

Eragon kept that in mind as he said carefully, “Saphira and I just realized something. You can use this magic, can’t you? That’s how you started the fire our first day on the plains.”

Brom inclined his head slightly. “I am proficient to some degree.”

“Then why didn’t you fight the Urgals with it? In fact, I can think of many times when it would have been useful—you could have shielded us from the storm and kept the dirt out of our eyes.”

After refilling his pipe, Brom said, “Some simple reasons, really. I am not a Rider, which means that, even at your weakest moment, you are stronger than I. And I have outlived my youth; I’m not as strong as I used to be. Every time I reach for magic, it gets a little harder.”

Eragon dropped his eyes, abashed. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” said Brom as he shifted his arm. “It happens to everyone.”

“Where did you learn to use magic?”

“That is one fact I’ll keep to myself. . . . Suffice it to say, it was in a remote area and from a very good teacher. I can, at the very least, pass on his lessons.” Brom snuffed his pipe with a small rock. “I know that you have more questions, and I will answer them, but they must wait until morning.”

He leaned forward, eyes gleaming. “Until then, I will say this to discourage any experiments: magic takes just as much energy as if you used your arms and back. That is why you felt tired after destroying the Urgals. And that is why I was angry. It was a dreadful risk on your part. If the magic had used more energy than was in your body, it would have killed you. You should use magic only for tasks that can’t be accomplished the mundane way.”

“How do you know if a spell will use all your energy?” asked Eragon, frightened.

Brom raised his hands. “Most of the time you don’t. That’s why magicians have to know their limits well, and even then they are cautious. Once you commit to a task and release the magic, you can’t pull it back, even if it’s going to kill you. I mean this as a warning: don’t try anything until you’ve learned more. Now, enough of this for tonight.”

As they spread out their blankets, Saphira commented with satisfaction,We are becoming more powerful, Eragon, both of us. Soon no one will be able to stand in our way.

Yes, but which way shall we choose?

Whichever one we want,she said smugly, settling down for the night.

M AGICIS THE

SIMPLESTTHING

“Why do you think those two Urgals were still in Yazuac?” asked Eragon, after they had been on the trail for a while. “There doesn’t seem to be any reason for them to have stayed behind.”