Magic Is the Simplest Thing Summary

Eragon and Brom are traveling through a spot with a small area of trees near a river. Eragon wonders where the Ra'zac have fled and whether there are any more Urgals in the area. Eragon asks Brom how the Urgal wounded him, and Brom blames his wound on bad luck and an error by Snowfire.

Brom tells Eragon that there used to be formal training for Dragon Riders, but Brom will have to teach the young man as they go. Students were given tasks that seemed impossible but were solvable with magic. Brom informs him that no rider so young has ever used magic before. He tells Eragon that the correct word must be summoned at the correct time, or there will be no magic. The power to do magic is innate, Brom goes on...