Chapter 36

Eragon cursed each time he hit his wounded hand on anything. Brom had wrapped it the best he could but that did not stop the pain that seared through his arm each time it was bumped. It was morning and they had just woken up. While Brom mended Eragon's hand, Gwen started making breakfast. When she had finished, she handed Eragon the first serving. He was still quite mad at her and made no effort to hide his feelings.

Gwen did her best to abstain from crying as she served Brom and sat down to eat her food. She stared at the stew in her and as she stared she started to feel sick and dizzy. The stew whirled around and around and she heard manic laughter fill her head. Gwen dropped the bowl and covered her ears, but nothing could block out the evil laugh.

Then, the laughter stopped and she saw a red dragon with a rider on his back. The rider's face was obscured, but she could tell that he was young. In the distance, she saw another dragon approach. As it neared, she noticed that it was blue, but the rider did not look like Eragon, even though she knew it was him. She saw them engage into a fierce battle. It felt as if hours had gone by, but it was only several minutes, before the rider of the red dragon had his sword at Eragon's throat. Before the fatal blow could be struck, Gwen heard a blood curdling scream, saw a garish yellow light, and then sudden silence and darkness.

Gwen suddenly sat upright, sweat beading down her forehead and her heart pounding wildly causing her to pant. Brom and Eragon moved out of the way when she bolted upright. "Gwen! Gwen! Look at me! Gwen!" Eragon was screaming at her, but she only heard muffled sounds that slowly became clearer and clearer. "Gwen!" Finally, Gwen turned her head towards the sound and saw Eragon's panicked face that turned horrified as soon as he saw her eyes. "Brom! Her eyes!" When he finished he barely was able to catch Gwen as she collapsed unconscious.

"Brom! She's moving!" Eragon had been trying to wake her for nearly an hour. She lay stock still in his arms the entire time and he almost thought she was dead if it weren't for her slow breathing. Finally, her head began moving from side to side as she battled with herself to wake up. The battle raged on and on until a warm touch separated her from the world of dreams. Her eyes slowly fluttered open allowing her to see Eragon. "Gwen!" Before she knew it a familiar touch made her close her eyes and her body awakened with vigor. When Eragon's lips left hers she was conscious enough to realize that she was lying in his arms. "Gwen you're awake."

"What happened?" She asked, slowly getting up.

"You were thrown into a violent rage where you were screaming, raving on and on about Eragon and Saphira, and clutching your ears as if to block out some irritating noise." Brom said. She was sitting up and saw that they were in the camp. The sun had risen and cast a warm glow upon the world below.

"What was I saying? I can't remember anything. I only remember looking at my stew and then complete darkness."

"It was about Saphira and I fighting another rider on a red dragon. You said that we were in grave danger and then you started to scream. After that you passed out." Eragon said.

Gwen looked at Saphira. The dragon nodded. "If I didn't pass out until after my ravings, then how come I can't remember any of that?"

"It looked like you were in some sort of trance. I have seen a few who have had outbursts like that, but nothing that lasted as long as yours or as horrifying…I guess that is the only term that can describe what we saw."

"How long?"

"What, about fifteen minutes?" Eragon nodded in agreement.

"You passed out twice actually. When you passed out the first time you suddenly sat upright and we thought you were conscious, but you weren't. You turned and looked at me after I was yelling your name numerous times and your eyes, they…" Eragon became speechless.

"They were gold." Brom finished Eragon's sentence.

Directly after, she stood and ran to a nearby tree. The other's stayed behind to give her some room to breathe. "I don't know what is happening to me. Ever since yesterday I feel completely different; I feel like a monster. I don't know what to do." She fell to her knees. "I wish my mother were here. She'd know how to comfort me."

Eragon looked at Brom, who nodded for him to talk to Gwen. He knelt down in front of her and took her hands. "I thought you hated me. Only a few hours ago you wouldn't even look at me."

"Gwen, I never hated you. I was scared, confused, and angry. You know that I would have gotten over it soon enough. We have been through so much recently and it has really taken a toll on us, especially you by the looks of it. You are still sick, Gwen, that's the bottom line."

"More like mental sickness. I am insane, Eragon, how else can you explain my outburst? I am completely mad."

"You have always been strange, Gwen, but that is what I love about you. You are not like most girls."

"No, I'm not, and I never will."

"Gwen, you are going to be alright." He held her in his arms.

"How are you so sure?" She whispered into his chest.

"Because Brom says so and he seems to know everything." Gwen had to laugh at that. "See he was right!" Gwen pulled away so that she could look up at him. She saw him smile and that warmed her heart. Soon she was smiling and felt more like herself. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. He kissed back and held her close. When they parted he said, "Now this is the Gwen that I fell in love with." Gwen giggled and he kissed her again before they got up and left the camp.