Wyrda: Father of Dragons (Eragon Book 5)

Chapter 5: Carvahall

         Roran Stronghammer, Lord of Carvahall, brother of Eragon Shadeslayer, stood outside the great city, on the mountain called the Spine. The ground was covered with snow, and everywhere he looked, he could see the snow falling from the sky, covering the trees, and forming a thick layer on the roofs of the houses of Carvahall. From where he stood, he could see the great city below him, and he was surprised as he remembered the small village it had been before. The town had been rebuilt from the ruins it had been only a few years ago, because of the refusal of the villagers to obey to the rule of the oath breaker king, Galbatorix. 

            Carvahall was now the center of trade and the biggest city in the area. The people had built a strong stone wall around the city, with the help of the dwarves, and there were strong watchtowers in the four corners of the city, in order to be able to spot any danger from a few miles away. The city was built in the style of Teirm, where the poor houses were on the lower level, and as the level of the ground increased, so did the quality of the houses. A large market place occupied a large area of the city, as it had become a center for trade in the area, and one could hear the shout of merchants shouting for the quality of their products to whoever passed near their stand. There was everything a person could ever need, from sweets to fruits, to meat and clothing and even in some cases jewelry and strange artifacts. In the center of the city, there were many government buildings, such as the meeting hall and also, a large castle with thick surrounding walls, and great towers. It gave the city a sense of impenetrability, as it was bigger than any other building in the city and it looked strong and hard to conquer.

"Daddy, daddy!" he heard a girl shout and he quickly turned around to see his daughter Ismira running towards him. He looked at her as if he was looking at her for the first time, and he remembered the little baby she had been a few years ago. Now, in front of him, was a small girl of eight years old, with long brown-red hair, and brown eyes. She had a wide mischievous grin as she ran towards him chased by her brother Garrow. She wore a nice green dress and she ran behind Roran with as scream.

"Save me" she shouted as Garrow came running behind her angry. He was two years younger than Ismira, at only 6 years old, but he already looked like his father and he had the attitude of his grandfather. He had brown hair and brown eyes like Roran, and he had a red face at a barely contained anger. He wore nice rich red clothes, and brown trousers. At his hands, he carried some snow and he was ready to throw it at his sister at the first opportunity.

"Give me back my toy!" he shouted at Ismira trying to chase her but his father was blocking the way.

"Easy now, little fella" Roran said catching him." Ismira, give back his toy". he told her with a sigh.

"I don't have it!" she said. It was true, she didn't have it with her at the moment. But she knew where it was, or better where she had hid it she thought as she tried to contain a smile.

"Liar!" Garrow shouted. "You took it from me when I was talking to Hope." he said with a shout. Tears came to his eyes as he ran away, ashamed. Hope was Horst's and Elain's daughter

        Roran sighed again. His two kids were always fighting about something. In a way, he felt as if he was still in a war, only this time, he had to try to make peace between the two sides. He thought of his wife Katrina as his heart started beating faster. He wondered how she managed to always remain calm, at these situations. He knew that Ismira was jealous of Garrow, and she tried her best to make his life a misery by hiding his toys or taking them or even breaking them once. He would have to find a way to comfort his son later in the day. He had an idea, that involved Snowfire, the horse Eragon had given him. He wondered what Eragon was doing at the moment. He had talked to him only a few times since the dragon city started getting built and all he had heard were vague rumors in the Carvahall inn.