Her Ice

Chapter Five

Half an hour later, Elisheva and Metcalf were mounted and ready to go. Metcalf didn't have a horse for he usually walked everywhere he went, so he took control of Elisheva's horse Elisheva sat in front of him, not wanting to be a bigger target for whoever her sister had sent to find her. Metcalf had wrapped a blanket around her head in a way to keep her face hidden from anyone that they might pass.

Elisheva didn't know where they were going and when they were going to stop. All she knew was that Metcalf was going to get her somewhere safe. That is what he told her at least. Half an hour ago, she learned that she could truly trust him. She just hoped that she wasn't making a mistake by trusting him. Elisheva felt as if she didn't have a choice whether or not she could trust. She needed someone who knew this barren wasteland so she wouldn't die out here.

"Metcalf," she finally broke the silence between them, "how did you end up in Exilium?"

Metcalf sighed. "That's a story for another time."

"I told you mine," Elisheva argued. "Why not tell me yours?"

"Because," he said slowly, "it's long and complicated."

"We have a long ride."

"No, Elisheva!" he sternly told her, making her tense up against him. "When it is time I will tell you how I got here. Until then, please don't ask me about it anymore." He then became silent and stared off into the never ending snow.

Elisheva leaned away from him for a moment or two. What is he hiding that's so bad to tell me? I told him how I got here. I don't understand. Maybe she made the wrong decision in trusting him. He was going to kill her and take the award. What was he hiding?

A few hours later when the sun was at its highest peak, they stopped to eat and rest. Metcalf chose an ice form that gave them enough shade from the sun. The form was sticking up out of the ground and its tip loomed over them providing them with the shade. Elisheva could see her reflection in the ice on the underside of the ice form.

"How did this happen?" she asked Metcalf. She touched the ice with her hand and stared back at her reflection.

Metcalf huffed. "I don't know. It was here when I got here." He sat down and proceeded to make a fire for them to cook the food. Elisheva glared at him before rolling her eyes and sitting down beside the fire.

Once the food was cooked and eaten, they remounted and headed back in the direction they were heading. Elisheva, not getting enough sleep from the night before, leaned her head back against his shoulder and dozed off.

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"Elisheva," a voice called out to her in her dream. The voice was far away and barely audible. "Elisheva." It was closer this time. "Elisheva, wake up!" She opened her eyes to find Metcalf kneeling in front of her shaking her shoulder. She sat up. Looking around she noticed that she wasn't on the horse anymore but on the ground.

They were sitting underneath a tree. It's limbs falling down over them by the snow piled on top creating a canopy. An orb somehow was created and placed near the top of the canopy giving the tree an eerie glow.

"How long is it until we get to safety?" Elisheva asked Metcalf. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"About another day and a half," Metcalf answered her. He sat down beside her. "Why don't you take the first watch since you had a pretty long nap."

She nodded. "Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

Metcalf shrugged and turned his head away from her. "Didn't want to disturb you."

Elisheva smiled at the ground between her feet, grateful that he let her sleep after the attitude that he had been giving her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Elisheva." He stood to leave when she stopped him.

"Eva. Call me Eva."

He smiled and nodded. He laid down and before he closed his eyes, he said to her, "Make sure you watch everywhere alright? Don't fixate on one spot for so long that you miss something, or someone, sneaking up on you." He smiled at her before falling asleep.

Elisheva nodded as she stood up and walked over to the trunk of the tree. It was completely covered in ice from an ice storm a long time ago. She leaned against it and looked out into the darkness. She saw nothing for miles, only a faint white from the snow on the ground.

Three hours later Elisheva was sitting on the ground leaning against the trunk. A high pitch sound cut through the air making Elisheva stand up. She took a few steps forward and looked to the right then to the left. She didn't see anything, but still heard the sound. The sound sounded far away but was coming closer every second.

"Metcalf?" She turned and ran over to him. She gently shook him awake.

"What is it, Eva?" Metcalf asked sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Do you hear that?" she asked him quickly.

Metcalf sat there and listened. His eyes got wider as he realized what the sound was. "An ice storm," he whispered.

"A what?"

"An ice storm!" He stood up and walked over to the horse. He mumbled something to the horse and walked back over to Elisheva. "Do you know how to make a barrier?"

Elisheva nodded.

Metcalf sat down and motioned her over to him. "Then sit down next to me and make one." When she didn't move he grabbed her hand and pulled her down next to him. "Listen, either you make one now or we will both be frozen, understand?"

Elisheva nodded again and mumbled a few words before ending her spell. She reached out in front of her and, satisfied, felt an invisible barrier. She saw Metcalf do the same and saw his hand stop at the barrier.

"Good job," he sighed. "We're safe now."

Right after he finished a shard of ice aimed at Elisheva's head hit the barrier. She screamed and scooted closer to Metcalf. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer.

"It's okay," he whispered in her ear. "The barrier will keep the ice out."

"What about my horse?" she asked him.

Metcalf pointed over to where the horse was lying on the ground asleep. Shards of ice came towards it, but would bounce off the invisible barrier protecting it. "I put a barrier over Pulchra. Now, go to sleep I'll stay awake."

The tree groaned under the strength of the wind and shards hitting the trunk. The groaning served as an eerie lullaby for Elisheva and quickly put her to sleep. Her head fell against Metcalf's shoulder and her body relaxed beside him.

Metcalf looked down at her and smiled. "Goodnight, Eva. I hope I don't end up getting you in trouble, or worse."