Chapter 35

Eragon coughed and wiped the water out of his eyes. "What is going on?" When he was finally able to open his eyes, he saw Gwen staring down at him. "Gwen? What happened?"

"Slowly. An urgal knocked you out." She helped him sit up.

"My head, it hurts." He placed his hands on his head and rubbed his temples.

"Anything else hurt?" Gwen asked, concerned.

"I don't think so." With Gwen's help he stood up and began observing his surroundings. He saw the urgals on the ground and looked and Brom and Saphira who were still staring at Gwen. He noticed their gazes at her and looked at Gwen again, confused. "What happened while I was unconscious?"

Brom snapped out of his reverie and focused his attention on Eragon. "Saphira and I finally managed to fight them off barely saving you and Gwen. Now, let us be off, we have lingered her for too long."

Eragon tried to process what Brom had said, but something didn't add up. Saphira, I feel like I am missing something, what really happened?

Come now, Little One. You are still disoriented. What Brom says is true.

When their connection was severed, he sighed and looked at Gwen who had a very baffled visage. "Gwen, are you alright?"

"Huh?" She looked at him blankly, and then remembered what he asked. "Oh, yeah. I am fine." She cracked a small smile and then walked away towards her horse.

Eragon stood there utterly confused, but after a moment, he shook his head and mounted his horse and away they went.

Dinner that night was silent and awkward. When they finished clearing their plates, Eragon declared that he will keep first watch. Gwen was busy making her bed when Eragon told her that they needed to talk. She looked at Brom and Saphira quickly, and they both gave her the don't-tell-him-anything look. Eragon led her out of the camp and stopped just when they were out of sight and hearing range. He turned to look at Gwen and said softly, "You look much better."

"Looks are deceiving because I don't feel much better." She stared at the ground to avoid his gaze.

He lifted up her chin to have her look at him, but she recoiled from his touch and turned away. "Gwen, please, what is wrong?"

She shook her head and said, "It's nothing. I'll be fine."

Eragon scoffed, "Gwen I know when you are lying."

"Then you should also know when to leave me alone." She said.

Eragon was taken aback and could not find any words to say to her. After a few moments, he shook his head and began to walk away.

Before he got too far, she told him to wait, and to her relief, he stopped. "This isn't something you can help me with."

Eragon didn't turn around; he just stood there listening to her. As she spoke, he heard her walking towards him. "I wish there were some way for you to understand."

"I can try to understand if you would only tell me what is bothering you."

"I can't" she hung her head and stared at the ground.

"Can't or won't?" When she remained silent, he started walking again.

Gwen knelt to her knee's and began to cry. "Eragon please, don't leave."

"I never left you Gwen, you left me. If you can't trust me then how can we have a relationship? I have never kept anything from you. Why can't you try to explain to me what is bothering you?"

"I can't explain something that even I do not understand." She wiped the tears from her face and stood up.

"Gwen, do you hear yourself, you are making no sense! It's like you want me to stay confused."

"No, I think you are still confused because your head has not fully cleared from when the urgal hit you; the Eragon I know is not this stupid."

Eragon's jaw dropped at the insult. When he finally recollected himself he found himself angry. "What happened to you, Gwen? You are not the same."

"Exactly my point! I will never be the Gwen you knew again. Something has happened and no matter what, I can't be who I once was. But just because I have changed does not mean that my feelings have changed for you; I love you."

"I can't listen to this. Goodbye Gwen. Don't bother talking to me until you start talking sense." He left her in the woods and when he returned to camp, he punched a tree, breaking a few of his fingers and sobbed.