Chapter 25
Gwen had been asleep for about a good 20 minutes before Eragon carried her to the guest room and laid her down upon the warm, soft, feathered bed. He covered her with numerous blankets to ensure that she would be warm and comfortable. When he finished, he leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you," he whispered before he got up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Garrow was still sitting on the couch in the living room when Eragon reappeared. The old man turned his head to face his nephew causing Eragon to stop moving for a quick second. Eragon resumed his walking when Garrow sighed and looked into the fire. "What is on your mind?" asked Eragon, as he settled on the opposite his uncle.
"I was just think about you and your relationship with Gwen."
Eragon's visage paled and he became very uncomfortable as a pit formed in his stomach. Romance was not a subject that was broached much and he knew that his uncle was only bringing it up because of how close Gwen and him had been earlier that night. "What is it that fascinates you?" he finally asked, choosing how words cautiously.
"Well," he began, " I have seen the way that the two of you interact and can see how deep your love is for one another. I have not seen devotion like that between two people your age in my entire life. It's amazing that you are willing to perform such commitment towards a woman and you are not even considered a man among our society. I admire that; you are a man in my opinion."
A blush spread across Eragon's face as his uncles words penetrated his ears. "Thank you, but I have a feeling that you have more to say about our relationship."
"I do. Actually, I have a question. I do not mean this as a lecture, because like I said, you are a man and can make your own decisions, but I am very curious as to how far you have gotten with Gwen?"
Typically he would have turned scarlet at the mention of sex, but at that particular moment Eragon was not phased by his uncles question. "Ah, I see. Well I am very proud to say that we are still virgins and do not plan on changing that status anytime soon. Even so, I do have plans of asking for her hand in marriage, but obviously due to recent events, that will have to be on hold." He heaved a heavy sigh emphasizing his heavy heart.
"I understand. Gwen has faced numerous hardships before, but none of this caliber. She needs you now more than ever as a friend, a lover, and due to her illness, her doctor. The poor thing, it breaks my heart to see her in such despair. I know that it is significantly worse for you because your love runs deep, but I love her like a daughter, so I do feel doleful like you."
"Believe me, uncle, I know that you grieve, and I know Roran would as well if he were here to witness the situation. It's not fair. I just hope that I will have the strength to help her through all of this."
"Try not to worry about that, I am right along side with you."
"I know." He yawned.
"You are exhausted, you should go get some sleep. I can keep watch for the remainder of the night. Dawn is approaching and I am sure that as soon as the sun shines through the darkness, there will be a more, pleasant atmosphere in this house. There is something about a new day that cheers up a man. Anyways, Gwen would want you to sleep."
"If you insist. Besides, there is no possible way I will be able to sleep soundly, any abnormal disruption is bound to wake me up."
"Possibly. Now go to bed."
Eragon paced over to his bedroom and laid down on the bed. He stared at the ceiling as sleep drifted across his mind. Soon his eyes closed as he succumbed to sleep and the world of dreams.