“And why have you graced us with your presence now? You never deigned to visit us before, we who are more your brethren than any in the Varden.”

“I have come to take command of Du Vrangr Gata.” The assembled spellcasters muttered with surprise at his announcement, and Trianna stiffened. Eragon felt several magicians probe his consciousness in an attempt to divine his true intentions. Instead of guarding himself—which would blind him to impending attacks—Eragon retaliated by jabbing the minds of the would-be invaders hard enough that they retreated behind their own barriers. As he did, Eragon had the satisfaction of seeing two men and a woman flinch and avert their gazes.

“By whose order?” demanded Trianna.

“By Nasuada’s.”

“Ah,” said the sorceress with a triumphant smile, “but Nasuada has no direct authority over us. We help the Varden of our own free will.”

Her resistance puzzled Eragon. “I’m sure Nasuada would be surprised to hear that, after everything she, and her father, have done for Du Vrangr Gata. It might give her the impression that you no longer wanted the support and protection of the Varden.” He let the threat hang in the air for a moment. “Besides, I seem to remember you were willing to give me this post before. Why not now?”

Trianna lifted an eyebrow. “You refused my offer, Shadeslayer . . . or have you forgotten?” Composed as she was, a trace of defensiveness colored her response, and Eragon suspected she knew her position was untenable. She seemed more mature to him than when they last met, and he had to remind himself of the hardships she must have endured since: marching across Alagaësia to Surda, supervising the magicians of Du Vrangr Gata, and preparing for war.

“We could not accept then. It was the wrong time.”

Abruptly changing tack, she asked, “Why does Nasuada believe you should command us anyway? Surely you and Saphira would be more useful elsewhere.”

“Nasuada wants me to lead you, Du Vrangr Gata, in the coming battle, and so I shall.” Eragon thought it best not to mention that it was his idea.

A dark scowl gave Trianna a fierce appearance. She pointed at the cluster of spellcasters behind her. “We have devoted our lives to the study of our art. You have been casting spells for less than two years. What makes you more qualified for this task than any of us? . . . No matter. Tell me: What is your strategy? How do you plan to employ us?”

“My plan is simple,” he said. “The lot of you will join minds and search for enemy spellcasters. When you find one, I’ll add my strength to yours, and together we can crush the spellcaster’s resistance. Then we can slay the troops that previously were protected by his or her wards.”

“And what will you be doing the rest of the time?”

“Fighting alongside Saphira.”

After an awkward silence, one of the men behind Trianna said, “It’s a good plan.” He quailed as Trianna cast an angry glare at him.

She slowly faced Eragon again. “Ever since the Twins died, I have led Du Vrangr Gata. Under my guidance, they have provided the means to fund the Varden’s war effort, ferreted out the Black Hand—Galbatorix’s network of spies that tried to assassinate Nasuada—as well as performing innumerable other services. I do not boast when I say these are no mean accomplishments. And I’m certain I can continue to produce such results. . . . Why, then, does Nasuada want to depose me? How have I displeased her?”

Everything became clear to Eragon, then.She has grown accustomed to power and doesn’t want to surrender it. But more than that, she thinks that my replacing her is a criticism of her leadership .

You need to resolve this debate, and quickly too,said Saphira.Our time grows short .

Eragon racked his brain for a way to establish his authority in Du Vrangr Gata without further alienating Trianna. At last he said, “I didn’t come here to stir up trouble. I came to ask for your help.” He spoke to the entire congregation but looked only at the sorceress. “I am strong, yes. Saphira and I could probably defeat any number of Galbatorix’s pet magicians. But we cannot protect everyone in the Varden. We cannotbe everywhere. And if the Empire’s battle-mages join forces against us, then even we will be hard-pressed to survive. . . . We cannot fight this battle alone. You are quite right, Trianna—you have done well with Du Vrangr Gata, and I’m not here to usurp your authority. It’s only that—as a magician—I need to work with Du Vrangr Gata, and—as a Rider—I may also need to give you orders, orders that I have to know will be obeyed without question. The chain of command must be established. That said, you will retain the greater part of your autonomy. Most times I’ll be too busy to devote my attention to Du Vrangr Gata. Nor do I intend to ignore your counsel, for I’m aware that you have far more experience than I. . . . So I ask again, will you help us, for the good of the Varden?”

Trianna paused, then bowed. “Of course, Shadeslayer—for the good of the Varden. It will be an honor to have you lead Du Vrangr Gata.”

“Then let us begin.”

Over the next few hours, Eragon talked with every one of the assembled magicians, although a fair number were absent, being occupied with one task or another to help the Varden. He did his best to acquaint himself with their knowledge of magic. He learned that the majority of men and women in Du Vrangr Gata had been introduced to their craft by a relative, and usually in profound secrecy to avoid attracting attention from those who feared magic—and, of course, Galbatorix himself. Only a handful had received proper apprenticeships. As a result, most of the spellcasters knew little about the ancient language—none could truly speak it fluently—their beliefs about magic were often distorted by religious superstitions, and they were ignorant of numerous applications of gramarye.