1st post- book 2:

"Unbidden, a series of memories overwhelmed Eragon: A sullen orange and crimson sky swirled around him as Saphira dove in pursuit of the red dragon and his Rider. Wind howled past his ears... His fingers went numb from the jolt of sword striking sword as he dueled that same Rider on the ground... Tearing off his foe's helm in the midst of combat reveal his once friend and traveling companion, Murtagh, whom he had thought dead... The sneer upon Murtagh's face as he took Zar'roc from Eragon, claiming the red sword by right of inheritance as Eragon's elder brother...
Eragon blinked, disoriented as the noise and fury of battle faded and the pleasant aroma of juniper wood replaced the stench of blood. He ran his tongue over his upper teeth, trying to eradicate the taste of bile that filled his mouth.
Murtagh.
The name alone generated a welter of confused emotions in Eragon. On one hand, he liked Murtagh. Murtagh had saved Eragon and Saphira from the Ra'zac after their first, ill-fated visit to Dras-Leona; risked his life to help extricated Eragon from Gil'ead; acquitted himself honorably in the Battle of Farthen Dur; and, despite the torments he no doubt endured as a result, had chosen to interpret his orders from Galbatorix in a way that allowed him to release Eragon and Saphira after the Battle of the Burning Plains instead of taking them captive. It was not Murtagh's fault that the Twins had abducted him; that the red dragon, Thorn, had hatched for him; or that Galbatorix had discovered their true names, with which he extracted oaths of fealty in the ancient language from both Murtagh and Thorn.
None of that could be blamed on Murtagh. He was a victim of fate, and had been since the day he was born.
And yet... Murtagh might serve Galbatorix against his will, and he might abhor the atrocities the king forced him to commit, but some part of him seemed to revel in wielding his newfound power. During the recent engagement between the Varden and the Empire on the Burning Plains, Murtagh had singled out the dwarf king, Hrothgar, and slain him, although Galbatorix had not ordered Murtagh to do so. He had let Eragon and Saphira go, yes, but only after defeating them in a brutal contest of strength and then listening to Eragon plead for their freedom.
And Murtagh had derived entirely too much pleasure from the anguish he inflicted upon Eragon by revealing they were both sons of Morzan- first and last of the thirteen Dragon Riders, the Forsworn, who had betrayed their compatriots to Galbatorix.
Now, four days after the battle, another explanation presented itself to Eragon: Perhaps what Murtagh enjoyed was watching another person shoulder the same terrible burden he had carried his whole life.
Whether or not that was true, Eragon suspected Murtagh had embraced his new role for the same reason that a dog who has been whipped without cause will someday turn and attack his master. Murtagh had been whipped and whipped, and now he had his chance to strike back at a world that had shown him little enough kindness.
Yet no matter what good might still flicker in Murtagh's breast, he and Eragon were doomed to be mortal enemies, for Murtagh's promises in the ancient language bound him to Galbatorix with unbreakable fetters and would forevermore.
If only he hadn't gone with Ajihad to hunt Urgals underneath Farthen Dur. Or if I had just been a little faster, the Twins-
Eragon, said Saphira.
He caught himself and nodded, grateful for her intervention. Eragon did his best to avoid brooding upon Murtagh or their shared parents, but such thoughts often waylaid him when he least expected it.
Drawing and releasing a slow breath to clear his head, Eragon tried to force his mind back to the present but could not (Paolini 11-13)."

I think this passage is an example of characterization of Eragon. Through hearing/listening to his thoughts, we learn more about Eragon as a person. Currently in the story, Eragon had just come back from a scouting mission- Eragon and his cousin Roran are planning to rescue Roran's fiancee, Katrina, who's being held captive in Helgrind (which is a tall black tower of stone) by the Ra'zac. "Unlike their parents, the Ra'zac were roughly the same size and shape as humans. An ebony exoskeleton encased them from top to bottom, although little of it showed, for even in Helgrind, the Ra'zac wore dark robes and cloaks. They advanced with startling swiftness, their movements sharp and jerky like those of an insect (Paolini 43)." The author also goes on to describe the Ra'zac as hissing creatures that have "hard, clacking jaws (Paolini 45)." The story is made even more interesting by the fact that when facing such horrible creatures, Eragon doesn't have much of chance to survive and that all of Alagaesia is depending on one of the last free Dragon Riders to free everyone from the reign of Galbatorix. Through a twist of fate, Eragon is related to one of his mortal enemies- Murtagh!

Note: This is the third book in a series- there are two books before this one called "Eragon" and "Eldest" by Christopher Paolini.

Questions: Why would Eragon risk so much to go to the den of one of his enemies to rescue someone from his family? Why go to so much trouble? How will being related to one of his mortal enemies affect him in future battles?
-katthegreat08