Eternal ©

†Chapter 7†

 I wake up surrounded by thorns of ice in the Nie mountainous wilderness. Slowly, I get up and turn around looking for any sign of my cousin. I come up with nothing. “Where is he?” I whisper.

 “Where’s who?” asks Silvy as she approaches me with a basket full of clean snow for the snow cone harvest. “Emma, I haven’t seen you for ten sunrises! How have you been?” I try not to show the shock on my face when she tells me how long I haven’t been here. To me, it’s only been a few hours. Eternal time I tell you.

 Walking right next to her I say, “I’m not doing so well. I’ve lost my cousin Riley and he is nowhere to be found. Have you seen him?”

 Silvy shakes her head as she says, “No, I’m sorry Emma. I haven’t seen him. How does he look like?” Right after she says this the both of us freeze as we hear a groan from a cluster of trees a few feet away. I run towards the trees while Silvy runs after me.

 “Riley? Riley is that you?” When I enter the circle of trees, I find Riley right in the center of it all. He is shaking as he gets up from the snowy ground.

 “Figures there’d be more snow,” he grumbles as he turns to look at Silvy and me in awe of his surroundings. “Are we here?” he asks me. However, he looks at Silvy and says nothing more. “Are you from here?” he asks Silvy. Silvy nods and I gesture for Riley to come towards me.

 “Yes, she is from here and her name is Silvy. She is a friend of mine and comes from the snow maiden tribe.” I pointedly look at him and hope that my look convinces him to behave. Hopefully right?

 Standing right next to me Riley takes his hand for Silvy to take. “I’m Riley and it’s a pleasure to meet you Silvy.”

 Silvy blushes as she replies, “The pleasure’s all mine.” She glances at me before she takes her clean snow with her and starts walking towards the trail to the snow maiden encampment.

 Following her a few feet behind I whisper in Riley’s ear, “Silvy and the other snow maiden’s aren’t aware we are of the Eternal Royal Family. Only their Chief knows. You are to tell nothing to any of the other snow maidens of our true identities. Are you clear?”

 Riley scoffs as he whispers back, “I’m not even sure me being a part of the Eternal Royal Family is even true. To me it sounds like a made up fantasy cooked up by your dreams.”

 Punching him in the arm he cringes as he realizes I touched him. “Wait, if you are really dreaming then how can you touch me here?”

 “I’m not completely sure why. All I know is that I can,” I reply.

 “Not as comforting as it should be,” says Riley as the snow maidens’ home comes into view.

 I smile at Silvy as I say, “Silvy, thank you for bringing us here. My cousin and I must have a conference with your Chief once more.”

 Silvy gracefully walks towards the Chief’s doors and closes them behind her. “Why did she leave us out in the cold?” Riley asks with a hint of displeasure. Scratch that. A bunch of displeasure wrapped up in an upset sandwich.

 “She’s letting the Chief know we’re both here,” I reply with a shrug from my shoulders.

 “And this Chief; is he going to explain why I’m different?” I clear my throat in response. “I mean, why we’re both different?”

 “She kind of did for me.” The both of us look at the ice door for thirty seconds of awkward silence. Finally, I ask him, “So why didn’t you tell me strange stuff was happening to you?” A sideways glance at Riley and I see the guilt registering clearly on his face. That is, before he looks down at his boots and kicks the snow sending up sprinkles of white dust to be blown away from the mountain wind.