Whispers in the night[]
I actually like this chapter. For starters Eragon isn't in it at all. It has nothing to do with Eragon whatsoever. It is, instead, about Roran and Katrina trying to decide what to do about the baby. It makes them human like and almost like real characters.
It begins with Roran waking up alone his tent Katrina has left apparently. Looking around he finds her sitting outside looking at the stars. This is described in great detail, but not as bad as it usually is.Roran goes over and sits next to her.
Dragging the blankets with him, he sat beside her. He placed an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned against him, her head and neck warm against his chest. He kissed her on the brow. For a long while, he contemplated the glimmering stars with her and listened to the regular pattern of her breathing, the only sound besides his own in the sleeping world.
This is nice. Perhaps 'regular pattern of her breathing' is a bit odd, but it shows them as a couple, affectionate and just enjoying each other's company. They don't really need to say anything to each other right away. They talk a bit about nothing and we get the first instance of Katrina showing. “Aye.” He shifted his arm, fitting it against the curve of her waist and feeling the slight bulge of her growing belly. Having never been pregnant I can't guess to the time line appropriateness of her bulging. I'm guessing she's about three months along; three or four months. I'm just going to guess she should be showing. I'm also going to guess thatPaolini knows about as much about being pregnant that I do and thus is kind of maybe wrong on this whole thing.
Anyone notice that Katrina hasn't had anything like morning sickness or any of those other fun things that happen when you're pregnant?
Anyway, she's been thinking about her future with Roran. She wants to know how he's going to provide for her and their child. HUZZAH! LOGIC!!!
- Treasures it and pets it and puts it in a jar where it will be safe from everything else* I will name it Blinky. *pets and snuggles the bit of logic*
So Blinky continues to exist as Katrina insists that the money isn't what she's worried about. Roran says that the Varden will always provide for her even if something happens to him. But that's not what it is. She wants to know what he intends to do.
Fight with the Varden to free the world of Galby.
Katrina is all, um.. I'm not going to raise my baby on the march. An army isn't the place for one. Roran insists that they can't leave because Galby is gunning for them. Katrina however says that once the baby is born she's going to leave.
She placed a finger over his lips. “You are my only love. No other man shall ever capture my heart. I will do everything I can to lighten your burden. I will cook your meals, mend your clothes, and clean your armor. . . . But once I give birth, I will leave this army.”
“Leave!” He went rigid. “That’s nonsense! Where would you go?”
“Dauth, perhaps. Remember, Lady Alarice offered us sanctuary, and some of our people are still there. I would not be alone.”
“If you think I’m going to let you and our newborn child go tramping across Alagaësia by yourselves, then—”
“You don’t need to shout.”
"I’m not—”
“Yes, you are.” Clasping his hand between hers and pressing it against her heart, she said, “It’s not safe here. If it were only the two of us, I could accept the danger, but not when it is our baby who might die. I love you,Roran, I love you so much, but our child has to come before anything we want for ourselves.
Otherwise, we do not deserve to be called parents.” Tears shone in her eyes, and he felt his own eyes dampen. “It was you, after all, who convinced me to leave Carvahall and hide in the Spine when the soldiers attacked. This is no different.”
Blinky is strong in this chapter. The two of them are having a reasonable discussion about their future. Both are worried about each other and the baby and both have different ways of trying to protect them. And Katrina makes a good point about being a parent.
It's like once Eragon is out of the equation all together, the two of them can act like normal human beings and have normal worries. They decide that once the baby is born she will leave the army. She wants to stay with the army becauseGertude is there and that's who she wants as her midwife, also there are magical healers, just in case. Because you know Eragon can cure CANCER.
No, I don't think I'll ever let that go.
There's a cute moment as Roran says where she will go once the baby is born.
“Nothing will go wrong,” he said. “As soon as our child is born, you will go to Aberon, not Dauth; it is less likely to be attacked. And if Aberon becomes too dangerous, then you will go to the Beor Mountains and live with the dwarves. And if Galbatorix strikes at the dwarves, then you will go to the elves in Du Weldenvarden.”
“And if Galbatorix attacks Du Weldenvarden, I will fly to the moon and raise our child among the spirits who inhabit the heavens.”
“And they will bow down to you and make you their queen, as you deserve.”
They say spirits, but I'm not sure what sort of spirits they mean. Still it is a pretty image and one that does work. It's also a nice way to introduce a bit of folklore into this world that is badly in need of it. It's not hamfisted in, but instead slipped in such a way that it makes you wonder what they are, but given the feeling that it's an old story.
Perhaps jokingly or perhaps not, Roran then says that he'll just have to kill all their enemies before she gives birth. It's one of those boasting statements given that are given when the person is saying they'll do anything for the other.
Unfortunately the chapter ends on a random note. Before they're about to go back to bed, that little ship that Arya made turns up again and then flies off. For no reason. I don't know what to make of it, really. It just Is.
- snuggles Blinky*
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