Battle for Carvahall

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Battle for Carvahall

Map of Alagaësia, showing Carvahall. It is located in the unmarked northwestern Palancar Valley
Date The Battle lasted 2 weeks and 1 day from the time the Ra'zac came, to when the exodus of Carvahall occurred.
Location Carvahall, in the Palancar Valley in northern Alagaësia
Result Indecisive
Combatants
Villagers of Carvahall Ra'zac
Galbatorix's human soldiers
Commanders
Roran, Horst Two Ra'zac
Strength
300+ 30 men, two Ra'zac
Casualties
13 18

The Battle for Carvahall was a battle in Eldest, second book of the fictional Inheritance trilogy, written by Christopher Paolini.

In the first book Eragon, Eragon, a Dragon Rider leaves his village Carvahall to escape from the wrath of the king of the Empire, Galbatorix, another Dragon Rider. However, to cajole Eragon to join his side, Galbatorix decides to capture his cousin Roran, hold him hostage and thus force Eragon to serve Galbatorix. He sends a force of thirty men and two Ra'zac However, the village stands up for Roran and refuses to give him up. The soldiers, cause much trouble in Carvahall, and ultimately the people decide to remove them forcefully.

During the first assault, they drive off the soldiers after some retaliation, and then prepare fortifications around the village, as well as sending the children to safety. However, the Ra'zac attack again, along with the soldiers, though they are repulsed again. After this second assault, Roran convinces the villagers to flee with him to Surda, a rebel country, which was the only choice left to them apart from slavery or death. But, suddenly at night the Ra'zac stealthily get into the village to capture Roran, though, they ultimately get away with Katrina, Roran's love. The villagers then escape to Surda, where Roran plays an important part in the Battle of the Burning Plains.

During this battle, the people of Carvahall suffer 13 casualties whereas the soldiers lose 18 men.

Contents

[edit] Buildup and reasons

The reader first encounters Roran, in his village Carvahall, where he had returned after his father Garrow’s death, for which he blames his beloved cousin Eragon. He secretly desires to marry Katrina, whose father Sloan does not approve of Roran and his condition of poverty. He is residing with Horst, the village blacksmith. He encounters Katrina, who says that even though she loves him, she will not be able to stay unmarried for long with her father constantly pressing her. [1]

Roran is counseled by his friend Baldor, regarding him and Katrina, and Baldor’s counsel is mixed. They espy a gaggle of soldiers near the place where they were hunting along with the two Ra'zac who had killed his father Garrow, and they presume that they are after Roran. They return to their village, and inform Horst of the news. Roran takes some provisions and flees the village, and camps outside for some days.

Roran is informed of the grim view of things in Carvahall, and how much damage and fear the Ra'zac are causing. He also gets to know that the Ra’zac had been questioning Katrina about him.[2] Two soldiers get drunk the pub, and this ultimately leads to the death of a the farmer and part time brewer Quimby when they throw a pitcher at him. The Ra'zac stole his body at night, and when asked to return it, all they gave back were bones. "Each one of them was nibbled clean – you could see the bite marks- and most of them had been cracked open for the marrow" [3] A drunk soldier accidentally causes a fire which threatens to engulf Carvahall, when he drops a torch near the hay barn, and it spreads onto the thatched roofs of the houses. Roran is asked to return to help "remove the Ra’zac" [4] by force.

[edit] First assault

The population of Carvahall plan an attack to scare away the invaders, though not to kill them. Roran decides to use a hammer instead of a sword or blade.[5] Roran and three others ambush the sentries on guard. During the attack, Roran immobilizes a soldier, and breaks the bow of an archer, thus mananging to kill two. The Ra’zac, gathering their bearings rush to attack but are swept aside by two horses let loose by Baldor, Horst’s son, and then again when "the soldier’s morale broke and they ran." [6] Quimby’s son, Nolfavrell "was kneeling by the body of a soldier, methodically stabbing him in the chest as tears slid down his chin." [7] Upon returning to the village, the others accuse them of dooming them by their actions, though, ultimately, they decide to fortify their village against retaliation.

However, soon after, a Ra'zac tosses a glass vial containing an unknown liquid (presumably Seithr Oil), which immediately makes the fortifications catch fire.[8] and kills ten men[9]. Roran and the other are caught off guard as the Ra'zac and the soldiers pour through the gap, killing indiscriminately. However, the people of Carvahall rally and "with more than hundred men at his back, Roran slowly advanced".[10] During this assault, Roran manages to see two examples of the Ra'zac's supernatural speed. However, the Ra'zac retreat with the soldiers.

One Ra'zac, after the battle, from a distance, conveys their demands of wanting Roran for "information", and that all the villagers would be eaten if they refused to hand him over, though they would be enslaved of they did hand him over.

In this first assault, Carvahall suffers ten casualties[11], whereas Galbatorix's forces suffered three casualties, two killed by Roran, and one by Nolfavrell.

[edit] Preparations

Roran and the other villagers assemble in Horst the blacksmith's house to decide their next plan of action. They come to the decision of preparing for another attack, making spearheads, shields and other weapons. Roran is given the responsibility of looking after their defences. They also decide to send the children to safety, though not the women.[12] They soon recongregate to bury the ten men who had died, and also the three soldiers.[13]

Roran starts on building the defences by asking all the men to fell trees to barricade all entries to the village, sharpening their branches and draping brambles over them to make them impenetrable. He gets all the women to dig a trench inside the ring of trees to slow anyone who got through the trees, and even suggested putting pointed spikes at the bottom. He asks Birgit, wife of Quimby to supervise and lead this work, because he knew that she hated the Ra'zac as much as he did because of what they had done to her husband.[14] At the main entrance to Carvahall, which the Ra'zac had used to enter in the previous assault, he dug a thigh-deep ditch with some help from Baldor, Horst's son. Then "he had five logs from the stockpile of seasoned wood pulled by horses back to the main road. There Roran tipped the logs on end into the trench so that they formed an impenetrable barrier into Carvahall."[15] He then went to inspect the work of the diggers, among whom he saw Sloan, Katrina's father, who looked "as if he were attempting to tear open the earth's skin, to peel back its clay hide and expose the muscle beneath."[16]

He got news that the trees had been chopped down and were being pulled into place. He also got to know that the men had got inspired and "seemed determined to chop down the rest of the forest."[17] He also found a pile of brambles cut down by the villagers. Soon the trench grows longer and deeper and cups two-thirds of the village. The loose dirt "was piled on the inside edge of the trench in an attempt to prevent anyone from jumping over it...and to make it difficult to climb out."[18] The wall of trees was finished in the late afternoon and the trees were overlapped and interlocked as much as possible. The nets of brambles were affixed. Soon the fortifications were "stronger and more extensive than had dared hope".[19] The spears and shields were distributed.

Katrina, Roran's love, came to meet Roran and Roran informed her of his guilt in killing two men the previous day. Roran finally asks Katrina if she would marry him. She repies "Yes, Roran, I will".[20]

After his turn at watch, Roran witnesses an argument between two men. Upon inquiring, he learns that the cause was the fact that the Ra'zac had posted sentries on several hills, and it was virtually impossible to get the children to safety, without killing the soldiers.

[edit] Second assault

After a short interval, Roran spies an enemy scout, and alerts the entire village, who come out battle ready. Suddenly they are under attack as spears are thrown over the fortifications. Roran hears "the faint sound of shattering glass on the northern edge of Carvahall...then the bellow of an explosion and crashing timbers".[21] Roran and Sloan, Katrina's father rush there and see soldiers dragging away the remains of several trees, and also the Ra'zac. Roran kills one man, and Sloan fights with frantic and terrible glee, killing two.

Roran loses his spear to the next two men, but manages to use his hammer in the nick of time. He manages to catch a spear thrown at him, in mid-flight, and uses it to kill the man who had thrown it at him. Having dropped his hammer, he is left weaponless. He stumbles, injuring his calf, rolls to avoid a double-handed blow, and then uses a sword lying nearby in the mud, to first sever his opponent's thumb, and then his head.[22] The man Sloan was facing, flees towards the Ra'zac, who, instead of protecting him, strangle him, and take his corpse with them as they ride away.

When he returns to the villagers, wondering why none had come to his and Sloan's aid, he sees two soldiers hanging "lifelessly on the slick branches of the tree wall".[23] He also sees a crowd gathered around the lifeless body of Elmund, a ten year old boy, who had been struck in his side by a spear. This calamity makes Roran realize the necessity of getting the children to safety.

In this battle, the Ra'zac lose 8 men, three killed by Roran, two by Sloan, two who were caught in the wall of trees and one was killed by the Ra'zac. Meanwhile, the Carvahall population is reduced by one, because of the tragic death of Elmund.

[edit] Planning

The villagers debate on the previous day's battle and their next course of action "for three and a half days".[24] The Ra'zac meanwhile, having realized the futility of attacking with eleven men dead,[25] retreated a little way off and waited for reinforcements.

The villagers name Roran "Stronghammer" [26], and begin to regard him as their leader. By his time, Carvahall has lost 12 men, Quimby, Elmund, killed in the second assault, and ten men killed in the first assault.[27]

Roran makes an impassioned speech about the importance of protecting the children, and proposes to send them to the edge of the Spine, a range of mountains, which is regarded as haunted and off-limits by most of the villagers. He manages to convince them that the pros of this move far outweigh the cons, and after a vote, they all agree to do so, with the exception of Sloan, Katrina's father, who has been wary of the Spine ever since his wife plummeted to her death at the location. However, Roran, taking matters into his own hands, requests Katrina to accompany the children. Katrina is at first horrified that the man who would be her husband is sending her away; she reluctantly agrees, on the condition that he would never make such a request of her again, and that even if they "faced Galbatorix himself and only one of us could escape, [Roran] would not ask [Katrina] to leave".[28]

Amidst the planning for the children's departure, Sloan and Roran have a heated argument concerning whether Katrina should go with the children or stay with her father. He reveals to Sloan that that they are engaged, and this causes much consternation among the people witnessing the spectacle, and Sloan wholeheartedly disagrees with this. Ultimately Katrina makes the decision to stay behind with her lover. At this Sloan remarks "It is always so; those closest to the heart cause the most pain. Thou will have no dowry from me, snake, nor your mother's inheritance".[29]

The children are escorted to the top of the mountain, though Katrina stays behind for one day to recover from the ordeal. When they reach their destination, they begin building fortifications around the camp.

In Horst's house, Roran is admonished by the smith's wife Elain. Elain is very suspicious of Roran's integrity, fearing that if Katrina has no inheritance, Roran will abandon her. She lectures the demagogue at length, and is eventually satisfied by his replies.

[edit] Third assault

Suddenly, as Roran wakes up from sleeping with Katrina, he sees a jagged hole blasted through his door. Soldiers rushed in, and two Ra'zac pressing a sword to his neck.[30] He manages to subdue three men and wound another two through the use of his hammer, though the Ra'zac manage to capture Katrina. Roran pursues them through the house, and in his struggle with one Ra'zac near the windowsill, he manages to pull back his hood to reveal "a hideous, tortured face screamed at him. The skin was shiny black, like a beetle carapace. The head was bald. Each lidless eye was the size of his fist and gleamed like an orb of polished hematite; no iris or pupil existed. In place of a nose, mouth, and chin, a thick beak hooked to a sharp point that clacked over a barbed purple tongue".[31] Roran struggles against the Ra'zac, and is just about to succumb when Horst comes and catches him. The Ra'zac bites Roran on his shoulder. Despite the fact that he loses a lot of blood, Roran decides to pursue them for the sake of recovering Katrina, along with Horst and his sons Baldor and Albriech.

While they are making their stealthy way to the camp, they find the watchman dead, "stabbed from behind".[32] Soon the other watchmen join them, and from among these, five decide to join Roran. When they reach the soldiers' camp, they find that the leader of the soldiers is arguing with the Ra'zac, saying that is the Ra'zac's fault that over half their men had died. They demand a new commander, "one who's human".[33] He continues in his rant, with the soldiers egging him on. But suddenly "the largest Ra'zac jumped across the fire and landed on his shoulders, like a giant crow. Screaming, the soldier collapsed under the weight. He tried to draw his sword, but the Ra'zac pecked twice at his neck with its hidden beak, and he was still."[34] The Ra'zac announce that they agree to not remain any longer, and then they "threw back their heads and began to shriek at the sky, the wail becoming increasingly shrill until it passed from hearing".[35]

Two shadows appear and advance quickly. They were so large that they eclipsed half the sky. Their stench made all present, except the Ra'zac, gag. "Their bodies were naked and hairless- like newborn mice- with leathery gray skin pulled tight across their corded chests. In form they resembled starved dogs, except their hind legs bulged with enough muscle to crush a boulder. A narrow crest extended from the back of each of their attenuated heads, opposite a long, straight, ebony beak made for spearing prey, and cold, bulbous eyes identical to the Ra'zac's. From their shoulders and backs sprang huge wings that made the air moan under their weight".[36]

The appearance of these creatures makes Roran feel afraid. The Ra'zac, after bowing to these beasts, who are later revealed to be Lethrblaka, get Katrina from a tent, as well as Sloan. Realization strikes Roran that Sloan had betrayed the village, killed the watchman, just to prevent his daughter from going near the Spine. However, surprised at this new turn of events, and fearful, Sloan argues with the Ra'zac, who strike him and render him unconscious. They then fly away on their steeds with the final warning to the soldiers against killing Roran.

Roran is left emotionally destroyed, and feels that all that is left for him to do is to kill the soldiers. However, as he prepared to charge, "his head throbbed in unison with his wounded shoulder, the ground vanished in a burst of light and he toppled into oblivion".[37]

In this assault, the soldier of Galbatorix lose all six men who came to ambush Roran, three killed by Roran[38] and the rest three by Horst's sons Albriech and Baldor[39].

[edit] Escape

Main article: Eldest

After the third assault, Roran thinks about what he should do next. He feels that neither can he abandon his village, nor Katrina. Ultimately he is struck with the audacious idea of transporting the entire population to Surda, a state rebelling against Galbatorix secretly, and supportive of the Varden. He feels that through this move, he will be able to win the Varden's trust and thus, they would reveal the location of the Ra'zac thus facilitating Katrina's capture.[40]

He makes an impassioned speech to his fellow villagers[41], who agree with his proposal as their only chance at survival. The villagers leave Carvahall, and after a long journey and many adventures, reach Surda, where Roran plays a deciding part in the Battle of the Burning Plains.

See also: Eldest and Battle of the Burning Plains

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 37.
  2. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 84.
  3. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 86
  4. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 89
  5. ^ Roran.
  6. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 92
  7. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 93
  8. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 95
  9. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 96
  10. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 96
  11. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 96
  12. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 126
  13. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 127
  14. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 128-129
  15. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 129
  16. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 130
  17. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 130
  18. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 131
  19. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 131
  20. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 132
  21. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 137
  22. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 138
  23. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 139
  24. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 174
  25. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 174
  26. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 175
  27. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 175
  28. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 180
  29. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 185
  30. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 193-194
  31. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 195
  32. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 196
  33. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 197
  34. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 197
  35. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 198
  36. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 198
  37. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 199
  38. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 194
  39. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 195
  40. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 248
  41. ^ Paolini, Eldest, 249-251

[edit] References

 v • d • e Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Trilogy
Books Eragon | Eldest | Book 3
Films Eragon
Games Eragon
Main Characters Eragon | Brom | Arya | Galbatorix | Murtagh | Roran | Durza | Ajihad | Nasuada | Angela | Saphira | Oromis | more...
Places Alagaësia | Beor Mountains | Ellesméra | Farthen Dûr | Teirm | Inheritance Trilogy locations | more...
Events Blood-Oath Celebration | Battle of the Burning Plains | Battle for Carvahall | Battle under Farthen Dûr | Dagshelgr Invocation | The Fall
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