Her Ice

Chapter Four

They took turns keeping watch that night. Elisheva was nervous to sleep near a man whose name was the only thing she knew about him. If he was in Exilium, then he was a dangerous man. Someone who she should never have been around. Somehow throughout her worries she found sleep. In her sleep, she forgot everything that had happened to her and she forgot about Metcalf and how much he worried her. It wasn't until Metcalf gently shook her was when all her memories came flooding back.

She screamed and scooted away from Metcalf and hit her back on the wall. She curled into a ball, hugged her knees, and rocked back and forth. Visions flew in front of her eyes. Memories of her sister sitting on a black throne, her parents covered in blood, and her running from her sisters' powers. Tears started to run down her face, Elisheva tried to make them stop but could not.

Metcalf, confused by the sudden outburst, cautiously walked over and knelt down in front of her. He reached out to her but brought his hand back at the last second. "What's wrong?" he asked her. "What did I do?"

Elisheva shivered, not from the cold but from her fear. "Nothing you did." She turned her head away from Metcalf and moved away from him. "Just, please, it's your turn to go to sleep. I'll keep watch." She wiped her tears away with the back of her sleeve and walked over to the entrance of the cave. She leaned against the one of the ice pillars and sighed.

"You've got me curious," Metcalf said as he walked up beside her.

Without looking at him, she said back, "You shouldn't be. It's not of your concern."

"If I wasn't going to be your guide through Exilium it wouldn't be any of my concern, but since I am I need to know you." He stood closer to her. "Who are you really and why are you out here?"

"I told you my name," she strongly told him.

Metcalf sighed. "No, you told me a name, but not your name."

Elisheva looked at him. "And how would you know if I was lying about my name or not?"

"The way you act," he stated. He turned his head to look out into the night.

"Excuse me?"

"You act too proper, you're scared-" He hit his fingers as he continued to name off what was wrong with her.

"Of course I am," Elisheva interrupted, "I just got exiled!"

Metcalf held up his hands. "I know! I know! I'm just stating the facts! Anyway, you're too proper and you're too scared. Even look at the way you're dressed. This isn't the outfits that commoners wear." Metcalf smiled. "You said your name is Eva, but that has to be short for something? Am I correct?"

Elisheva looked away from him and stared out at the darkness. "No."

"I think I am. Now, listen, either you tell me who you are and why you are running or I will not be your guide." Metcalf started to walk away. "I doubt you will find anyone else who is so willing to become your guide through this barren land. There are horrible people in this land." Metcalf looked her up and down. "There will be people who would want to take advantage of you here."

"And I'm supposed to believe that you wouldn't take advantage of me?" Elisheva asked with her chin up. She tried to control her fear over what he had just said as she wrapped her arms around herself.

Metcalf chuckled as he started to walk away. "Actually, yes. That's not something that I would do."

Elisheva stared out into the darkness not knowing what to do. I could lose my one chance of surviving out here just because I won't tell him who I am. Wait, what if it's a trap? I'm not that far into Exilium. What if Greta's tracking me and he's a huntsman? She shook her head. No, he's not. He would have killed me by now. She turned to look at him. Metcalf was sitting against the wall a few feet away from her with his eyes closed.

"I'm waiting," he said without opening his eyes.

Elisheva sighed and slowly said to him, "Alright, I'll tell you, but you have to promise to keep this locked in your mind, understand? If we're meet anyone else while we're out here, you cannot breath a word about what I'm about to tell you."

Metcalf opened his eyes and nodded. "I understand."

Elisheva walked over and sat down in front of him. "My name," she hesitated, "is Elisheva. I am the princess of Adamantes."

Metcalf smiled. "I know."

"You know?" she echoed.

He nodded. "Yes, I know who you are by the you're dressed, act, and because you were hesitant to give your nickname in the first place. Now, what I really want to know is-" He stopped and looked outside the cave.

"Metcalf? What's wrong?" she asked him worriedly.

He placed a finger to his lips. "Shhh. Come here." He reached for her and pulled her over to him. He pinned her against the wall. "Stay here and diminish that orb."

"Where are you going?" All the worry in her voice made Metcalf look at her.

"I'm just going to see what's out there," he told her trying to reassure her. "I just think I heard something. Just, please, do what I asked."

Elisheva nodded her head and pointed her hand at the orb floating a little ways above them. The orb disappeared immediately. She lost sight of Metcalf in the dark cave. The only thing she could hear were the shuffling of feet, she only hoped it was him. She tried to calm her breathing by taking deep, slow breaths.

Suddenly, a hand clasped over her mouth avoiding her to scream. A deep voice whispered in her ear, "It's just me," Metcalf's voice told her. "Just stay here and keep your mouth shut." He took his hand from her mouth and she felt him sit beside her and become completely still, but not before he covered them both with a blanket.

The moonlight outside allowed them to see dark silhouettes standing outside the cave entrance. They couldn't see their faces, but Elisheva knew they were men.

"She has to be dead by now," one of them said with a gruff voice to his friend.

His friend grunted in return and walked into the cave. His feet shuffled closer to where Metcalf and Elisheva were sitting at. The shuffling stopped right in front of Elisheva making her hold her breath. Metcalf's arm reached out and gripped her hands.

"She's not here," the man in front of them called to the other. "We still need to bring her head to Queen Greta. Already dead or alive." The man's silhouette appeared in the opening of the cave. "Let's head out. She couldn't have gone too far." The two men disappeared from the opening and Elisheva heard horses galloping away.

Elisheva started to stand up when Metcalf grabbed her hand and pulled her back down. He placed a finger to his lips and shook his head. They sat there for another few minutes until Metcalf let go of her hand and stood up.

"Who were they?" Metcalf asked her.

Elisheva brought her knees up to her chin. "My sister's guards."

"Why do they want you dead?"

"Because I'm the rightful heir to the throne." She looked up at Metcalf. "My sister became jealous of me because my parents choose me to have the throne. She killed our parents for the throne and exiled me to this place." Her voice caught in her throat and she forced them out saying, "Now, she wants to kill me? Why? She exiled me. Shouldn't that be enough?"

Metcalf stood facing the entrance of the cave. Elisheva didn't know what he was thinking about. She didn't know what he now thought about her. All that she hoped was that he wouldn't throw her out because a queen that he doesn't serve wants her dead. She closed her eyes and awaited his response.

"We should keep moving," he flatly told her.

Elisheva opened her eyes and looked at him. "What? You still want to help me after what you just saw?"

Metcalf turned towards her and extended a hand to her. "Yes." She grabbed his hand and allowed him to help her up. "I understand that there is now a bounty for your head, but I'm going to take that chance of being killed myself by helping you."

Elisheva smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Metcalf. Thank you."

He smiled back and let go of her hand. "We leave in a three hours. Get some more rest."