ELDEST (book 2)

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The first events in this book are the attack on Ajihad's life, his death and funeral, the disappearance of Murtagh and The Twins, who are captured by Urgals and assumed dead, and the election of a new leader of the Varden - Nasuada, Ajihad's daughter, to whom Eragon swears fealty following some internal politics among the Varden's Council of Elders.
Meanwhile, in Carvahall, Roran is being pursued by Galbatorix, who has sent the Ra'zac and a unit of Imperial soldiers to capture him and thus lure Eragon out. After repelling many attacks, the town manages to drive the army away, but Katrina, Roran's fiancée, is captured by the Ra'zac. They decide to leave Carvahall and travel to Surda. Roran earns the name "Stronghammer" because he defended Carvahall with a hammer given to him by Horst.
By that time, Eragon has decided to go to Du Weldenvarden to further pursue his training. After many adventures on the way, Eragon comes to his destination and meets Islanzadí, the elven queen. It is revealed that Arya is Islanzadí's daughter. Eragon is introduced to another Dragon Rider, Oromis; the Mourning Sage or Osthato Chetowa: The Cripple Who Is Whole, Togira Ikonoka; who shielded Eragon in the first book. Eragon and Saphira begin their training with Oromis and his dragon Glaedr. Eragon learns how to read and fluently speak the Ancient Language, as well to use various magic skills. While Eragon's feelings for Arya increase, he continues to train under Oromis' wing and suffers repeated bouts of pain from the scar on his back Durza, the Shade formerly known as Carsaib, gave him. Nevertheless, he and Saphira grow steadily more powerful, but he is held back immensely by the pain from his scar. On a traditional elvish celebration day of the pact with the dragons, called the Blood-Oath Celebration, or Agaetí Blödhren in the ancient language, Eragon is healed of his wound and, as an unprecedented gift from the dragons, gains elvish qualities that enhance his strength and agility.
Nasuada has made a momentous decision and moved the Varden to Surda. Here, she learns that the blessing Eragon bestowed on the child in Eragon was worded wrongly due to his lack of basic knowledge of the Ancient Language at the time, becoming a curse of sorts. Eragon too is horrified when he hears of this, and promises to try and nullify it. In the meantime the girl, Elva, serves as a sort of bodyguard to Nasuada against Galbatorix's assassins, the Black Hand, who are discovered in the Varden.
Because Nasuada moved the Varden, the threat of war with Galbatorix seems imminent. Upon hearing of this, Eragon immediately leaves for the battle in Surda and finds the situation poised on the edge of battle. The armies of the Varden, together with the army of Surda, camp on a plain opposite the vast armies of Galbatorix. Meanwhile, Roran and his men take command of the new Empire ship, the Dragon Wing, and arrive in time in Surda.
The battle begins, and Eragon is able to repel the opposing armies for some time with his new training, but the tide soon turns. During the fighting, Roran arrives at Surda, and his group of villagers join themselves to the forces of the Varden. Then, with the appearance of the dwarves from the east, the situation changes again, until an unknown Dragon Rider appears and kills Hrothgar, the dwarf king. Also at the same time, Eragon feels two new, powerful spell casters arrive on the field of battle and recognizes them for the Twins, thought dead. The Twins systematically start killing off the Varden's group of magicians and sorcerers.
Eragon faces off with the unknown rider in both aerial and ground fights and ultimately unmasks his opponent, revealing Murtagh. Murtagh tells Eragon that the Twins had betrayed the Varden and taken him to Galbatorix. Galbatorix made Murtagh and Thorn, his red dragon, swear fealty in the ancient language. Galbatorix knows the true names of both Murtagh and his dragon, and thus is able to control them. One of the two remaining dragon eggs has finally hatched which was eagerly awaited by Galbatorix for a long time. Murtagh also reveals that Galbatorix is working to save the dragon race by capturing Saphira and having her mate with one of the two remaining dragon,one still lying dormant in its egg, and the other having hatched for Murtagh. Murtagh says that Saphira holds the key to a new era, because she is the only female dragon left. He and Thorn prove to be more powerful than the battle-weary Eragon and Saphira, while Murtagh displays the great and terrible potency of his magic powers, using spells that would have killed a normal human. Together, they watch Eragon's cousin, Roran, kill the Twins. Murtagh decides to have mercy on Eragon and Saphira, but before leaving them, he reveals that Eragon was the youngest son of Morzan and Selena, and that therefore Murtagh is Eragon's elder brother. Murtagh takes Zar'roc, Eragon's sword, away from Eragon, saying it should rightfully have been his, as he is the eldest son of Morzan. Eragon decides that even though Morzan may be his parent, Garrow was his father and Roran is more of a brother than Murtagh. In the meantime, Galbatorix's army is forced to retreat after the arrival of the Dwarves, the death of the Twins, and the leaving of Murtagh. In the end, Eragon and Roran decide that they will seek out Katrina together.