Eragon is still training with the elves in the forest and is not making much progress. He also is developing feelings for a pretty female elf in which she does not have a mutual connection. He is now being invited to a special elven ceremony that celebrates dragon riders and is known to give riders more strength and magical powers. Eragon and Saphira then arrive at the ceremony and are surrounded by hundreds of elves and he is soon joined by the older dragon rider Galbatorix and his dragon Glaedr.

The ceremony begins and Saphira and Glaedr begin to do their dance. The festivities continue until at the end of the night when the dragons cast  a spell on Eragon. Before that point he had no idea the effects of the spell. He actually admits later that he would have had Galbatorix take his spot, given he is the oldest rider in existence and is well over 200 years old. The next morning eragon wakes up to find that his face is slightly slimmer and more defined as if he was becoming more of an elf. He also felt very much more energetic.