When does Eragon discover that Bromâs his father?
âHe said that Morzan is my father.â
The silence that filled the tent made Eragonâs chest ache more than any of the injuries that now littered his body. Saphira reached out to him, trying to comfort the hurt, but he recoiled. This was his burden to carry, and heâd carry it alone.Â
Nasuada stared with her lips parted, hanging on the edge of saying something but seeming unable to decide what would be the best response.Â
Roranâs face was frozen in shock, but a familiar flush was creeping up his neck that signaled he was about to explode to Eragonâs defense like he would when they were children and the other kids mocked his lack of parentage.Â
For once, Eragon just wanted his cousin to stay quiet as he turned his gaze to Arya, trying to gauge her reaction. He didnât know what he wanted to see. Disgust? Pity? Sympathy?Â
Her eyes were wide and a mix of gobsmacked surprise and...was that apprehension?...colored her expression.Â
But Arya wasnât looking at him.
The elf was looking at Brom.Â
And the tent exploded into noise once again.
Eragon staggered as Brom rushed him, a wild light in his eyes as he shoved Roran aside and seized the young Rider by his upper arms. âYou believed him?!â He could feel the manâs muscles trembling with rage even as he shook Eragon roughly. âHow could a monster like Morzan spawn a man like you?!â
Out the corner of his eye Eragon saw Roran already regaining his feet as Arya vaulted clear across the staging table to get to his side. The elf was millimeters away from yanking the enraged Rider off when Brom suddenly stopped shaking the young man and locked eyes with him.Â
âYouâre MY son, dammit!âÂ
Eragonâs hammering heart juddered to a stop.
âYouâve always been my son.â
Bromâs chest heaved as Arya pulled him away from the shellshocked Eragon. She was watching him now, looking for any hint as to how the younger Rider wanted to proceed. She released her grip on Brom and stepped back when Eragon gave her a shaky nod before turning to Nasuada.
Eragon bowed. He hoped that the stiffness of his stance hid the trembling of his limbs.Â
âIf youâll excuse us for a moment.â
With that he grabbed Brom by the shoulder of his armored coat and dragged him out of the tent, leaving a stumbled trail of burnt and broken soil crust in their wake.Â
Eragon didnât stop until he, Brom and Saphira were far enough from the command tent to cast deafening wards on their conversation. The moment they were in place the younger man rounded on the elder.
âWhy didnât you tell me?âÂ
Brom flinched. There was so much emotion in Eragonâs voice, a terrible mix of anger and betrayal that nearly masked the undercurrent of confusion and hurt. The sound made him want to throw his arms around the boy. He held back, knowing that right now, Eragon wasnât ready. He wanted answers, and Brom would do his best to give them.
So he took a deep breath. âI couldnât. If word reached the wrong ears that you were my son it would have put you in so much danger. I wanted you to grow up with a family that could give you a normal life, not force you to live every day in fear that the King would one day discover us.â Unable to stop himself, Brom reached out to put his hands on the furious young manâs shoulders. âEragon, I wanted to protect youââ
Eragon gnashed his teeth and shoved Bromâs hands away. âBut that was THEN! Did you ever stop to think maybe, once we all were already running from Galbatorix, to tell me who you were? The whole time we traveled, you never ONCE gave us an inklingââ
âHe told me, Little One.â Saphira lowered her head to her partner. Eragon stared at her with shock. âIâm sorry. I wanted so badly to tell you, but before he told me anything Brom made me swear oaths to keep it secret unless absolutely necessary.â She brushed her snout against his arm. âIâm sorry.â
Saphira could feel him wrestling with the revelation, the twinges of betrayal and questions of who he could trust if not her to share everything. Her own regret and shame at being locked in her promise seeped across their link, and with a pang of guilt Eragonâs thoughts came to clarity. She had wanted to tell him, and would have if she could. She was not to blame for this.
âThat was wrong of me.â Brom bowed his head. âI shouldnât have burdened you with this, Saphira, especially under such oaths. I...I wanted at least someone to be able to tell Eragon if Iââ He stopped. âIâm sorry.â
âThat doesnâtââ Eragon cut himself off, the cauldron of emotions inside him boiling over. All his life, he wondered who his father was. He loved his family, Garrow, Roran, Marian, but there was something inside that he always craved. And now, to know he had been denied it when it was right there, so close to him this whole timeâŠ.Â
âEven in EllesmĂ©ra, probably the safest place in all AlagaĂ«sia, you didnât tell me!â Eragon jabbed a finger into Bromâs chest, nearly staggering the older man with his new strength. âI canât believe you! Tell me, if Murtagh hadnât assumed I was Morzanâs blood too, were you ever going to claim me as your son?! What, were you too ashamed of me while Durzaâs scar made me an inââ
And suddenly arms were around him, squeezing tight. The familiar scent of sweet tobacco smoke, warm canvas, leather and sandalwood washed through Eragonâs senses. It evoked memories of their travels, of the nights spent at the campfire learning magic and swordplay.Â
But even deeper still, lost in the reaches of his oldest memories, the feeling of Bromâs arms around him recalled the days spent in the storytellerâs tiny home while Garrow and Marian worked the fields. His patience with Eragonâs neverending questions. How, without him knowing it, Brom made sure his son was fed, sparked his interest in the world around him, did his best to guide him on difficult choices. How the old man always made sure his door was open to him, for advice, stories, or simply someone to sit with in troubled times.
He realized, then, that Bromâs was shaking as he tightened his grip on his son. Hot tears splashed on the shoulders of his armor, beading up on the aramid polymer.Â
âStars above, Iâve never been ashamed of you.â Brom shuddered in a gasp, then let words pent up for years pour out of him. âYouâve always been my son, Eragon. I was so afraid that...that I would lose you too. I donât know a thing about being a father, and after all that Iâve done and all I lost I just...I couldnât. I couldnât let that touch you.Â
âI wanted more than anything to tell you. I was just too damn scared. Iâm so sorry. Thereâs nothing I can do to make up for the past, butââ
Eragon settled his arms around his father, and hugged him back.Â
He could feel his own throat tightening as he spoke, voice free from the conflict that it was filled with before. âYou dummy.â Eragon felt Brom break out into fresh tears of relief as he added, âYou realize youâre everything I wanted in a dad, right?â