10 Chapter 10

After a grueling month and a half of trekking through the snowy countryside they finally lay eyes upon the coastal city of Teirm. Eragon reluctantly has Saphira stay in the wilderness by herself while they enter the town. But not before he makes her a small shelter by using magic to shape the ground into a small cave and filling it with spare blankets so that she can rest inside comfortably. They are questioned by some guards at the gate but after finding nothing suspicious about them, they are ushered into the city. They walk through the snow covered streets towards a tall building near the center of the residential district. Brom proceeds to knock on the door and a butler answers the door. Brom tells the butler that he has business with Jeod and to tell him that Brom is waiting at the door. The butler nods before shutting the door in their face. They wait for only a few minutes before the door swings open once more and they find themselves being ushered through the hallways of an expensive looking manor. They are led to an office where an older man with wispy grey hair sits behind his desk that is covered in books and papers smiles upon seeing Brom. 

"Brom, I thought you were dead. It's so good to see you." Jeod stands up and wraps Brom in a hug. 

"It's good to see you too, my old friend. How is business these days?" 

"Ah, you do not want to know. My shipments keep getting raided before they make it to their destinations and my wallet is starting to run dry. The kings work most likely, it wouldn't be hard to find out that I support the Varden. I will be bankrupt soon if something doesn't change. But that's enough about me, have a seat and introduce me to this young man behind you." 

Eragon walks up to Jeod with a smile and shakes his hand. "I'm Eragon, sir. Eragon Bromson." 

Jeod who was smiling all of a sudden has a look of shock on his face. "Bromson!!! As in this old coot? My god, I never thought I would see the day. You're telling me this old grizzled fool actually managed to conceive? To be completely frank with you most that know him think him sterile." 

Brom had just sat down in a comfy chair after many grueling weeks of travel through the harsh wilderness and was not prepared in the slightest for such a hurtful remark. He clutches his chest as if he was stabbed. "You know I am right here don't you? And besides, there was never a woman who could capture my heart like Selena." 

Jeod has a look of understanding. "Ah, Selena. Never met the lass but Brom was completely smitten with her from the first time they locked eyes. Truly romantic." 

Brom raises an eyebrow at him. "How would you know? You weren't there." 

"Why, that is how all love is. Well… except for arranged marriages like my own. Though I won't complain, I love my wife dearly. I'm sorry we got off topic. It's a pleasure to meet you Eragon, I am Jeod Longshanks. Scholar by trade, merchant in my spare time. If you need knowledge on secrets long lost to time you come to me. Now come, sit down and have some tea. I'm sure we have much to discuss." 

Brom explains to Jeod what happened after they attempted to steal Saphira's egg. How he chased the thief and killed Morzan then gave the egg to the Varden. He then went on a rampage, killing two of the Forsworn, Galbatorix's accomplices in his rise to power, and arranging the deaths of another five. He left Eragon in the care of his uncle Garrow in Carvahall and eventually decided to settle down there and keep an eye on him. 

This is where Eragon takes the lead in the story and explains how he found out that Brom was his father and how he discovered he was a magician and forced Brom to teach him. Jeod has a hearty laugh at the thought of anyone being able to force Brom to do anything. Eragon explains how Saphira's egg appeared out of nowhere while he was hunting and immediately brought it to Brom. It then hatched and they decided to head towards the Varden for protection from Galbatorix until such time as Eragon is ready to face him. 

"What a remarkable journey lies before you young Eragon. Once you remove that betrayer from his golden throne I would like to write your story, immortalizing your journey for the future generations." 

Eragon holds his head high and speaks in a condescending tone. "I guess I can allow you the honor of writing about my future deeds. That fool of a king shall meet his end by my blade." 

Brom face-palms and sighs loudly. "Don't let this go to your head boy. It will be years before you have even the slightest chance to defeat him. And to prepare you for when that day arrives, I will train you into the greatest rider to ever exist. Now, there are still a few hours of daylight left. Go and explore the town for a while, I need to talk to Jeod alone." 

"Of course Brom. I will return by nightfall." 

Jeod turns to him. "Don't leave the city. The guards close the gates at dusk and don't allow anyone entrance until the morning." 

The butler ushers Eragon out of the house then he starts wandering the streets looking at the shops and watching the citizens going about their business. The streets are mostly vacant as the cold tends to keep people in their homes. The few shops that have a lot of business are either food related or selling winter essentials. As he is strolling through the town, Eragon does find an apothecary that is in a state of disrepair. The windows are coated with a black substance that hinders his sight into the shop. He smiles to himself for a moment before entering the shop and closing the door behind him. 

Inside the shop, Eragon sees a room filled with miscellaneous herbs and plants. On the wooden counter where he expects someone to be manning the store he only sees a very large black cat. The room has a narrow path that meanders through the plants up to the counter. With a closer look, the massive cat appears to be sleeping peacefully until he gets close and its body starts to shift slightly, revealing glowing yellow eyes staring at him. Eragon walks up and does a respectful bow. 

"Greetings hunter. Is the alchemist home?"

The cat starts to yawn and stretch its massive muscles before jumping down from the counter and walking up a flight of stairs in the back. Eragon waits for a good twenty minutes before an older woman descends the stairs and walks up to the counter. 

"Welcome to Angela's apothecary. What can I get for you young man? Suffering from some unidentifiable malady? Maybe your spouse finds you insufficient in the bedroom?" 

A light chuckle escapes Eragon's lips. "I am not here for any potions or herbal remedies. I have heard that you do fortune telling and would like to request one if you don't mind.

Angela tilts her head and has a quizzical look on her face. "Now who could have told you that I wonder?"

Eragon shrugs. "A grizzled old man that had only one thing go right for him in his entire life." 

Angela's facial expression changes to one of comprehension. "Ah, I know of whom you speak. I'm surprised he told anyone else his fortune." 

Eragon smirks. "His son was able to pry it out of that old noggin of his."

Angela's eyes widened slightly. "Son aye? Now you have me curious. Come, follow me to the table over there and I shall read your fortune." 

Eragon is led to a small table with two chairs hidden out of sight of the front door. They sit down and Angela procures a pouch that she grabbed from behind the counter and empties its contents into her hand. 

"These are the knuckle bones of a dragon. There is no other form of divination that comes close to the accuracy of these. Now what about your future do you want to know the most?" 

"I have quite a large task in front of me but I would much rather know what lies beyond it."

Angela nods then throws the knucklebones down on the table. All Eragon can see is a jumbled up pile of bones but from Angela's expression he can tell that she is contemplating the reading. 

"This is a very difficult fortune. There are a lot of overlapping signs and they are quite complex. Give me just a moment dear. Let's see… You will encounter a wide assortment of… Performers? Actors? Throughout your journey. These people will be from various walks of life. You will have the choice to shape their future as you see fit. My, this is very strange… Any of this make sense so far?"

Eragon shrugs his shoulders and has a contemplative look. "Somewhat? If you continue, maybe it will make more sense." 

Angela looks back down at the bones. "Your path is filled with danger as well as love and friendship. The friends and love interests you meet along your path will aid you in defeating great evils. I have never seen such a strange future in my life. It's like you are a protagonist in a novel or something."

Hearing this, Eragon thinks that she might be right. In his previous life, this world was just a story, not an actual real world. But now he is living in this world. The thought that some demented god threw his soul into Eragon's body just to make a new story for his own twisted entertainment sends a shiver running down his spine. While there is nothing he can do about it at the moment, maybe he can become strong enough in the future to find this god and find out why he was sent here. 

Angela straightens up and looks directly at Eragon. "The last bit says that you will cross the ocean to the west where you will face a trial to start the next leg of your journey. That's all I have for you dear, I hope it's enough to satisfy you."

Eragon stands up and gives her a respectful bow. "Don't worry Angela, that was enough for me to get a picture of what the future holds in store for me. It was a pleasure meeting you. Say goodbye to the hunter for me."

Eragon meanders through the shop towards the front door and tries to leave but the large cat he saw earlier is there blocking his path. 

"Wait there young one. I have something to say to you." 

Eragon pretends to be startled that a cat just talked to him. What was… are you a talking cat? 

The hairs on his back rise up. "I am no mere house cat. I am a werecat, and you will listen when spoken too." 

Eragon is taken aback by the assertiveness of this creature and decides to abide by its commands for the moment. 

"Good. Now when you are in need of a weapon, look under the roots of the Menoa tree, and when you find your power is insufficient, head to the rock of Kuthian and speak your name to open the vault of souls. Now be off with you."

Eragon hurriedly leaves the shop as Angela walks behind the counter and stores the dragon bones away while Solembum returned to his perch on the counter. The cat looks at her with a fierce gaze. 

"He knew that I was a werecat even before he arrived. His acting skills need work."

"Yes Solembum, I noticed. That boy knows more than he lets on. His future was strange and it seemed to rattle him quite a lot. The future is looking interesting. The winds of change are finally starting to blow over this stagnating continent. I think it is time we leave for Farthen Dur." 

"Lead the way soothsayer." 

While Angela and Solembum prepare for their journey, Eragon returns to Jeod's abode and promptly falls asleep in the guest bedroom that was prepared for them.