Inheritance Cycle question...Eldest.

I just finished reading Eldest from Chris Paolini's Inheritance Cycle, for yet, another time. As I continued to read, I started gathering more questions about Angela the Herbalist. I believe i read somewhere that Paolini is going to go into her history a little more in the 4th book, but I have questions about her now, and thought that a couple of you...josh and greg, could maybe give me your spin on the subject. I would put this on mine, but not enough people read it for me to gather decent opinions on the matter.

My question...Who or What exactly is Angela the Herbalist? The reason I ask this question is for one, she is supposedly quite old, almost as old as Brom was from what I gather, yet remains unblemished by time somewhat. She can speak with magical creatures such as dragons and werecats; has an incredible understanding of magic, herbs and from what i understand the ancient language; has shown incredible skill on the battle field in Further Dur in "Eragon" and again in "Eldest"; she's been described as incredibly agile, quick and full of guile during the description of her return from poisoning Galbatorix's troops before the battle on the burning plains as she crossed no-man's land and scaled the dwarves little wall they constructed; also, she's rather "touched" in the head a little.

I know it's highly unlikely, but what if Angela was a dragon rider of old...like around the first Eragon's time? Yet, like Galbatorix her dragon was killed rather quickly after her training and like Galbatorix, was not allowed a second dragon. Since it happened so long ago, perhaps she faded from the memories of the Elves of the time, and many of population more than likely did not know about her since in my prediction she actually lost her dragon before her position held any power of need from the populace. And, as it has been explained by oromis, the elves, and brom, any rider that loses its dragon a certain piece of them goes with it, if they survive the ordeal at all. Since Angela is slightly touched, very loose around the tongue as they say, and has all kinds of fanciful ideas, why couldn't this be a cause to her behavior?

It is not like dragons would not have picked a female to be a rider, as many people are predicting arya to the final choice for the green dragon egg. I think there is a subtle possibility.

My last predicted possibility of Angela: What if she is the last survivor with the blood of the Gray Folk? They were apparently better versed in magic and the like than the Elves, and I believe held the power of immortality like the elves do in the current story. It could also explain why Solumbum follows her around so much, as werecats are attracted to peoples and creatures of magic.

It was just a thought. I just wanted to hear your guys take on it.