The night was restless. Thoughts about the future tormented me. Even though I had decided not to be guided by a predetermined fate, the fear did not disappear.
My mind kept returning to the same place. What if...
Dawn took a long time to arrive, but at the same time, it passed far too quickly. Even though I was standing, I felt unprepared. I wanted more time — something I simply didn't have — because the longer I delayed, the greater the chances that something would go wrong.
As I left the house, I took a deep breath and felt the cold morning air. A chill that announced the arrival of winter, but also of changes. Whether they would be good or bad… we still didn't know.
I arrived at Brom's cabin with a heavy mind. I let out a long sigh and steeled my determination.
I knocked on the door and waited. Almost a full minute passed before it finally opened.
I noticed the sleep still etched on his face, but the usual vigilance remained in his eyes.
"We need to talk."
Something in my tone immediately alerted him. He straightened up, cast a quick glance around the surroundings as if checking whether anyone had followed me, and then stepped aside.
I entered and sat down, even without being invited. I decided to be as direct as possible.
"Carvahall is in danger."
The words seemed to weigh heavily inside the small cabin.
I didn't let him respond. I began recounting everything I had seen, recreating the images with magic in front of him. I hid nothing… except the part where I had tried to locate an elf carrying a dragon egg. Instead, I simply said I had been trying to find the elves from the stories.
Brom remained silent. He slowly leaned back in his chair and fixed his gaze on the ceiling for several minutes. The fireplace crackled in the background, the only sound in the cabin.
I stayed quiet as well.
It was better to let him organize everything he had just heard and filter through his questions. That way, the conversation would be more rational.
A deep sigh finally broke the silence.
It seemed the questions were about to begin.
"Are you sure Eragon has the egg?" he asked.
I saw a brief flash of hope appear in his eyes, but I also noticed an anguish he almost immediately tried to hide.
"Yes. When I visualized the elf without the egg, I immediately searched for it. That's when I found Eragon in the clearing. Then I followed the route he would probably take back and confirmed he was carrying the egg."
He slowly closed his eyes.
Before that, however, I managed to see worry and fear cross his gaze for a brief moment.
"First of all, how did you manage to see A… I mean, the elf? To scry someone with magic, you need to have seen that person, as well as the place."
I gave a half-smile. I had been expecting that question.
"I don't use magic the same way you do. This is a new development. I was creating something to help with another spell."
"But magic doesn't work that way! You have no idea what you're playing with," he burst out, leaning forward.
"I think I understand it very well," I replied simply, although I had the impression he interpreted my words as arrogance.
"What words did you use?" he asked. I saw no anger on his face, only the frustration of an adult watching a child swing a red-hot iron in front of their own face.
"Words? I know that in the stories magic is only used with the Ancient Language, but I ask you: what is magic? Is it words… or something more?"
"Boy, the Ancient Language is the most stable way to use magic. Using it without the language is a very effective way to get yourself killed," he practically growled the last sentence.
"I agree. It must be a very stable method, but I also believe it is limiting. What I've discovered makes me think that using words to interpret magic is like trying to catch water with a cloth. It's possible… but not very effective."
"And you think you understand more than those who have spent years studying it?"
"Who understands the world better? A wise man who studied only one rock his entire life… or someone who studied the rock, the earth, the grass, and everything around it?"
He remained silent and stared at me fixedly for a few moments.
Better to return to the main subject before we start another discussion.
"Alright, let's leave that conversation for a more pleasant moment. Right now we need to focus on the problem."
Brom took a deep breath and gave a brief nod. He also knew that the priority now was something else.
"From what I understand, there is already a way to scry. So it's quite possible that the Empire is using it to locate the egg?" I asked. I already knew the answer, but I couldn't explain how I knew.
"Possibly. It's very likely they've already done so."
"Is there any way to block… or deceive this scrying?"
"Blocking is possible, but not easy. It requires a constant supply of energy. Deceiving… is impossible."
I stood up and walked slowly over to the fireplace. I observed the flames for a few seconds before speaking.
"Let's assume the Empire has already located the egg and plan from that hypothesis. It's better to prepare for the worst than to be optimistic and get caught off guard."
I paused briefly.
"How would they ask people about the egg? I don't think they would go around asking about a dragon egg."
Brom crossed his arms and thought for a few moments.
"Probably ask about a blue jewel… or a stone. But where are you going with this?"
A mischievous smile appeared on my face.
"What if we make the Empire believe the egg was taken out of Carvahall?"
"That would be ideal… but I don't see how that would be possible. And even then, it wouldn't guarantee the village's safety." His answer came dry, but not disinterested.
"But what if we block the scrying and make a blue jewel appear briefly in Therinsford? Some merchants could see a suspicious stranger passing through there."
Brom froze.
His gaze lost focus for a few moments, as if he were piecing together every part of the plan.
Then, a sly smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"We have to be quick. If we delay, the diversion might not work and the village will remain in danger. We need to create a convincing bait… even if they check memories."
"Leave the bait to me. It's better that way, since we don't know if the mage responsible for the scrying knows you."
He agreed with a discreet nod.
I'll also set up some surveillance there.
Brom paced back and forth in the simple room of his house, the faint light of the lamp dancing on the dark wooden walls. The smell of dried herbs and old smoke hung in the air.
"We need to have a plan in case the Empire's investigators come here," Brom said, still pacing. "Like you said: it's better to prepare for the worst."
"Fortunately, Eragon hasn't shown the egg to anyone, so there's no immediate risk of someone talking. Still, it's better to make him aware of the situation. I think the egg chose him."
Brom frowned, his sharp eyes fixed on me.
"What do you mean?" he asked brusquely.
"The elf was probably sending the egg to a safe place. Somehow, it ended up right in front of Eragon. I don't believe a random clearing in the forest was the destination she had in mind. The only thing left is interference… and I think it came from the egg itself. That makes me think it senses that Eragon is safe. I'm not sure, but the possibility is high."
Brom held my gaze for long seconds, his face marked by deep wrinkles. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders dropping slightly.
"I understand… This changes everything," he murmured.
"You said that to block scrying you only need energy. I have a way to harness the energy that overflows from plants and accumulate it in a crystal. If you can anchor the spell to the crystal, we can create a permanent blocking area."
Brom crossed his arms, a sarcastic smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"I can also draw energy. Don't think you're that special."
"Yes, but my method makes the crystal itself absorb the energy without anyone having to transfer it constantly. As long as there is life around, the block will be maintained. We just need to check the energy consumption so we don't leave an entire area completely dead."
He stared at me open-mouthed for a moment, his eyebrows raised in genuine surprise, before quickly composing himself.
"How?" he asked, his voice low.
"I'll only tell you the necessary context. I won't reveal my secrets or go into detail," I replied, raising one hand. "Just enough so you stop bothering me about it."
I crossed my arms and continued:
"First, do you know why the Ancient Language is used to channel magic?"
"Yes. The Grey Folk performed a ritual that linked the language to magic itself."
"Interesting. My hypothesis, when I started researching, was that the language was a way to communicate with magic. The ritual you mentioned didn't 'link' the language to magic… it taught this language to magic."
Brom tilted his head, clearly interested. His eyes shone with that sharp curiosity I rarely saw in him.
"What makes you think that?"
"If the language were directly linked to magic, any sentence spoken in it would automatically evoke it. Since that doesn't happen, they are not innately linked. That's when I tried something different: teaching magic another way to communicate."
I spoke with growing enthusiasm, gesturing with my hands as memories of my discoveries returned.
"But magic requires the caster's intent, not just words," Brom interrupted.
"Exactly. But if I have a cable attached to a broom, can I move the broom without moving the cable?"
He fell silent, thoughtful.
"That's when I started the tests. Not with words, but with symbols."
I picked up a piece of wood from the table and, with the knife I always carried, quickly carved the levitation rune. I transferred a thread of magic into it and released the piece into the air.
The wood floated for a few seconds before falling with a dull thud onto the wooden floor.
Brom stared fixedly at the object, unblinking, his body completely still.
"You can test it," I encouraged. "Just transfer a bit of magic, without intent. The intent is already in the rune."
He hesitated for a moment, then picked up the piece of wood. His calloused fingers traced the lines of the rune as he frowned in concentration. When he released it, the wood floated longer than it had with me. His eyes widened in surprise — he had clearly thought I was sustaining the spell the whole time.
After several minutes of testing, Brom finally looked at me.
"You mean that if I carve this symbol into something… it will float?" he asked, with an almost childlike tone of curiosity.
"Well, energy is still required. It depends on the weight. Magic still has rules," I replied with a half-smile.
"But let's leave that for another day," I continued, returning to the main focus. "Now that you understand a little, can we execute the plan? If we start discussing magic, we'll spend years in here."
Brom nodded, although his expression clearly showed the subject was not closed.
"Yes, right. But later we'll have a long conversation about this."
"The first step is to talk to Eragon. I think it's better to be direct. He's still young; trying to hide too much might frustrate him… and, as the old people say, make him prone to doing stupid things," I said with an ironic half-smile.
"And you, as his relative, have that responsibility," I added, already heading toward the door.
I stopped with my hand on the doorknob and looked back.
"When you're ready to set up the protection, come find me. I'll prepare the crystal and the bait."
I left the house, leaving Brom behind — frustrated, worried, and, at the same time, clearly intrigued.