Eldest Eleven

Chapters Wounds of the Past, Wounds of the Present Oooh symbolism.
==Summary==
First of all, for starters, because I'm just that bizarre I've been RPing Eragon on a multi-fandom RP site. I played him tonight, having him randomly faint. Someone wanted to know if he was related to a fainting goat. This amuses me greatly.
Icon: My fandom's hero is a fainting goat.
So, our next too chapters, so cleverly named, go back to Roran. The last time we saw him he actually got some character development. Watch it all go away in these two chapters.
It's three days later and everyone is talking about the big battle and how to get out of the situation. Everyone's trying to figure out a way to survive. Some say kill the Ra'zac others say surrender. No one really knows what to do. The Ra'zac have apparently retreated because they only have eleven men left.
Roran is listening to everything and keeping his own council, because of course, he's so brilliant and all. Roran also has a lot of authority with people, because apparently killing someone makes you a great leader. And here I thought leadership abilities were actually needed to be a great leader. Perhaps they're afraid that he'll kill them next? He also gets the spiffy nick name of Stronghammer! Sounds like a dwarf name.
It pleased Roran, that name.
There's more discussion on what to do and then Roran suggests that they should get the children and infirm out of the village and hide them in the Spine. No one came up with this suggestion earlier. It's been three days since the attacks and no one has come up with this suggestion. Oh there's shouting and Sloan of course says that he'd rather die than do that. But eventually the all come to realize that Roran is of course right. They argue about it some more, Sloan protesting a lot. And then Sloan leaves and everyone makes plans. Roran decides since Sloan doesn't agree with him, he's now the enemy. That's the way you want to look at your future father in law.
Roran leaves later and talks to Katrina. He wants her to go up into the Spine with the others. She says no, she wants to stay and be with him and her father. They argue about it and Katrina eventually gives in on the condition that if such a situation ever occurs again, she will not be asked to leave him. He reluctantly agrees. I think this is foreshadowing. No, I know this is foreshadowing and it's not very cleverly or subtly done. Especially after the two and a half page discussion Roran and Katrina have about it, and Katrina crying a single tear. I think that's three now. So some time later in this book or the next Katrina will not leave Roran's side and something horrible will happen to her because of it. Don't you just love it when you force your true love to make large generalizing statements that may sound good now but are actually idiotic when you think about it? But it's not very romantic, practically is.
And I just had the image of Paolini writing a Bodice Ripper. *scrubs brain*
So the next day arrives and people are getting ready. Paolini used circumnavigated instead of circled when talking about the trench that should have been outside the wall... which should have been built a long time ago. Never mind. Roran notices Sloan standing and watching the gathering of people getting ready to leave.
Sloan sees Katrina, and justifiably gets pissed off. After all his daughter is defying him. Roran tries to interfere. Sloan tells him he has no right. Roran says yes I do, we're engaged. Sloan actually has a human reaction!
"Surprise and a deep, inconsolable pain sprang onto Sloan's vulnerable face, along with a glimmer of tears. For a moment, Roran felt sympathy for him, then a series of contortions distorted Sloan's visage, each more extreme than the last, until his skin turned beet red. He cursed and said, "You two faced coward! How could you look me in the eye and speak to me like an honest man while at the same time, courting my daughter without permission! I dealt with you in good faith and here I find you plundering my house while my back is turned."
I like Sloan. A lot. He's upset, but he has a reason to be upset. He's been wronged, and is having a reasonable reaction. Of course he's wrong.
Roran, being the kind and loving forces Katrina to chose between him and her father. She chooses him. Sloan gets upset, of course, and Roran knocks him to the ground. Sloan then disinherits her. Katrina cries.
You know there's not really anything interesting happening here. I don't feel like I'm properly examining the text, but there's nothing really to examine. Nothing particularly bad happens. But nothing really of interest happens.
They go up into the Spine. They make camp. Roran talks to the kid who killed a soldier and asks him to protect Katrina when she shows up. Which is a brilliant move on his part. And he leaves.
The next chapter has Roran in it too. Joy.
Category:Eldest
Category:Inheritance Cycle