After two days of traveling north toward the ocean, Saphira sighted Teirm. A heavy fog clung to the ground, obscuring Bromโs and Eragonโs sight until a breeze from the west blew the mist away. Eragon gaped as Teirm was suddenly revealed before them, nestled by the edge of the shimmering sea, where proud ships were docked with furled sails. The surfโs dull thunder could be heard in the distance.
The city was contained behind a white wallโa hundred feet tall and thirty feet thickโwith rows of rectangular arrow slits lining it and a walkway on top for soldiers and watchmen. The wallโs smooth surface was broken by two iron portcullises, one facing the western sea, the other opening south to the road. Above the wallโand set against its northeast sectionโrose a huge citadel built of giant stones and turrets. In the highest tower, a lighthouse lantern gleamed brilliantly. The castle was the only thing visible over the fortifications.
Soldiers guarded the southern gate but held their pikes carelessly. โThis is our first test,โ said Brom. โLetโs hope they havenโt received reports of us from the Empire and wonโt detain us. Whatever happens, donโt panic or act suspiciously.โ
Eragon told Saphira,You should land somewhere now and hide. Weโre going in.
Sticking your nose where it doesnโt belong. Again,she said sourly.
I know. But Brom and I do have some advantages most people donโt.Weโll be all right.
If anything happens, Iโm going to pin you to my back and never let you
off.
I love you too.
Then I will bind you all the tighter.
Eragon and Brom rode toward the gate, trying to appear casual. A yellow
pennant bearing the outline of a roaring lion and an arm holding a lily blossom waved over the entrance. As they neared the wall, Eragon asked in amazement, โHow big is this place?โ
โLarger than any city you have ever seen,โ said Brom.
At the entrance to Teirm, the guards stood straighter and blocked the gate with their pikes. โWhaโs yer name?โ asked one of them in a bored tone.
โIโm called Neal,โ said Brom in a wheezy voice, slouching to one side, an expression of happy idiocy on his face.
โAnd whoโs thโ other one?โ asked the guard.
โWell, I wus gettinโ to that. Thisโed be mโnephew Evan. Heโs mโsisterโs boy, not a . . .โ
The guard nodded impatiently. โYeah, yeah. And yer business here?โ โHeโs visitinโ an old friend,โ supplied Eragon, dropping his voice into a
thick accent. โIโm along tโ make sure he donโt get lost, if yโ get mโmeaning. He ainโt as young as he used to beโhad a bit too much sun when he was youngโr. Touch oโ the brain fever, yโ know.โ Brom bobbed his head pleasantly. โRight. Go on through,โ said the guard, waving his hand and dropping
the pike. โJust make sure he doesnโt cause any trouble.โ
โOh, he wonโt,โ promised Eragon. He urged Cadoc forward, and they rode into Teirm. The cobblestone street clacked under the horsesโ hooves.
Once they were away from the guards, Brom sat up and growled, โTouch of brain fever, eh?โ
โI couldnโt let you have all the fun,โ teased Eragon. Brom harrumphed and looked away.
The houses were grim and foreboding. Small, deep windows let in only sparse rays of light. Narrow doors were recessed into the buildings. The tops of the roofs were flatโexcept for metal railingsโand all were covered with slate shingles. Eragon noticed that the houses closest to Teirmโs outer wall were no more than one story, but the buildings got progressively higher as they went in. Those next to the citadel were tallest of all, though insignificant compared to the fortress.
โThis place looks ready for war,โ said Eragon.
Brom nodded. โTeirm has a history of being attacked by pirates, Urgals, and other enemies. It has long been a center of commerce. There will always be conflict where riches gather in such abundance. The people here have been forced to take extraordinary measures to keep themselves from being overrun. It also helps that Galbatorix gives them soldiers to defend their city.โ
โWhy are some houses higher than others?โ
โLook at the citadel,โ said Brom, pointing. โIt has an unobstructed view of Teirm. If the outer wall were breached, archers would be posted on all the roofs. Because the houses in the front, by the outer wall, are lower, the men farther back could shoot over them without fear of hitting their comrades. Also, if the enemy were to capture those houses and put their own archers on them, it would be an easy matter to shoot them down.โ
โIโve never seen a city planned like this,โ said Eragon in wonder.
โYes, but it was only done after Teirm was nearly burned down by a pirate raid,โ commented Brom. As they continued up the street, people gave them searching looks, but there was not an undue amount of interest.
Compared to our reception at Daret, weโve been welcomed with open arms. Perhaps Teirm has escaped notice by the Urgals,thought Eragon. He changed his opinion when a large man shouldered past them, a sword hanging from his waist. There were other, subtler signs of adverse times: no children played in the streets, people bore hard expressions, and many houses were deserted, with weeds growing from cracks in their stone-covered yards. โIt looks like theyโve had trouble,โ said Eragon.
โThe same as everywhere else,โ said Brom grimly. โWe have to find Jeod.โ They led their horses across the street to a tavern and tied them to the hitching post. โThe Green Chestnut . . . wonderful,โ muttered Brom, looking at the battered sign above them as he and Eragon entered the building.
The dingy room felt unsafe. A fire smoldered in the fireplace, yet no one bothered to throw more wood on it. A few lonely people in the corners nursed their drinks with sullen expressions. A man missing two fingers sat at a far table, eyeing his twitching stumps. The bartender had a cynical twist to his lips and held a glass in his hand that he kept polishing, even though it was broken.
Brom leaned against the bar and asked, โDo you know where we can find a man called Jeod?โ Eragon stood at his side, fiddling with the tip of his bow by his waist. It was slung across his back, but right then he wished that it were in his hands.
The bartender said in an overly loud voice, โNow, why would I know something like that? Do you think I keep track of the mangy louts in this forsaken place?โ Eragon winced as all eyes turned toward them.
Brom kept talking smoothly. โCould you be enticed to remember?โ He slid some coins onto the bar.
The man brightened and put his glass down. โCould be,โ he replied, lowering his voice, โbut my memory takes a great deal of prodding.โ Bromโs face soured, but he slid more coins onto the bar. The bartender sucked on one side of his cheek undecidedly. โAll right,โ he finally said, and reached for the coins.
Before he touched them, the man missing two fingers called out from his table, โGareth, what in thโ blazes do you think youโre doing? Anyone on the street could tell them where Jeod lives. What are you charging them for?โ
Brom swept the coins back into his purse. Gareth shot a venomous look at the man at the table, then turned his back on them and picked up the glass again. Brom went to the stranger and said, โThanks. The nameโs Neal. This is Evan.โ
The man raised his mug to them. โMartin, and of course you met Gareth.โ His voice was deep and rough. Martin gestured at some empty
chairs. โGo ahead and sit down. I donโt mind.โ Eragon took a chair and arranged it so his back was to the wall and he faced the door. Martin raised an eyebrow, but made no comment.
โYou just saved me a few crowns,โ said Brom.
โMy pleasure. Canโt blame Gareth, thoughโbusiness hasnโt been doing so well lately.โ Martin scratched his chin. โJeod lives on the west side of town, right next to Angela, the herbalist. Do you have business with him?โ
โOf a sort,โ said Brom.
โWell, he wonโt be interested in buying anything; he just lost another ship a few days ago.โ
Brom latched onto the news with interest. โWhat happened? It wasnโt Urgals, was it?โ
โNo,โ said Martin. โTheyโve left the area. No oneโs seen โem in almost a year. It seems theyโve all gone south and east. But they arenโt the problem. See, most of our business is through sea trade, as Iโm sure you know. Well,โ he stopped to drink from his mug, โstarting several months ago, someoneโs been attacking our ships. Itโs not the usual piracy, because only ships that carry the goods of certain merchants are attacked. Jeodโs one of โem. Itโs gotten so bad that no captain will accept those merchantsโ goods, which makes life difficult around here. Especially because some of โem run the largest shipping businesses in the Empire. Theyโre being forced to send goods by land. Itโs driven costs painfully high, and their caravans donโt always make it.โ
โDo you have any idea whoโs responsible? There must be witnesses,โ
said Brom.
Martin shook his head. โNo one survives the attacks. Ships go out, then disappear; theyโre never seen again.โ He leaned toward them and said in a confidential tone, โThe sailors are saying that itโs magic.โ He nodded and winked, then leaned back.
Brom seemed worried by his words. โWhat do you think?โ
Martin shrugged carelessly. โI donโt know. And I donโt think I will unless Iโm unfortunate enough to be on one of those captured ships.โ
โAre you a sailor?โ asked Eragon.
โNo,โ snorted Martin. โDo I look like one? The captains hire me to defend their ships against pirates. And those thieving scum havenโt been very active lately. Still, itโs a good job.โ
โBut a dangerous one,โ said Brom. Martin shrugged again and downed the last of his beer. Brom and Eragon took their leave and headed to the west side of the city, a nicer section of Teirm. The houses were clean, ornate, and large. The people in the streets wore expensive finery and walked with
authority. Eragon felt conspicuous and out of place.