Eragon and Saphira bury Brom. They decide to go to the Varden to fight Galbatorix, with Murtagh who does not want to go, but will help them until they reach the Varden, but they do not know where the Varden are. They go to Gilead, another city, to find someone who knows where the Varden are. While Murtagh is in the city, he comes back and the next morning, Eragon is captured when the three are ambushed by more Urgals. His food and water is drugged to make him forget magic so he can not escape. He realizes he is being given drugs in his food and stops eating the food. Finally, the drugs wear off and Eragon can use magic to escape. He breaks out, only to find Murtagh breaking in. The two rescue an elf that is also in the prison. Her name is Arya. They are attacked by a Shade (a sorcerer controlled by evil spirits), but escape. Arya is unconscious, but Eragon can talk to her in her mind and she tells him where the Varden are. They must go across a desert to get there, and Arya is dying from a poison, so they must hurry. They finally make it to the Varden (who are hiding in the Beor Mountains with the dwarves), but on the way Murtagh tells Eragon that Murtagh is the son of Morzan, a Rider who helped Galbatorix kill the other Riders. When they get to the Varden, Murtagh is captured because he is Morzan's son, but Arya is healed. Then the Varden and their leader (named Ajihad) find out Galbatorix is attacking them with Urgals. Murtagh is released to help the Varden, which he does. There is a big battle. In it, the Shade appears. Eragon fights the Shade and, with the help of Arya and Saphira, he kills the Shade, but his back is hit with a sword by the Shade. While Eragon is unconscious, he is rescued from death by a mysterious elf, who touched his mind and blocked the pain. Eragon promises to go to the elves with Arya for more training. Eragon wakes up and finds he is scarred by Durza's strike. The book ends with Eragon promising again to himself that he will go to the elves.