Her Ice

Chapter Nine

Elisheva woke up the next morning and sat up slowly. She rubbed her sore neck and looked around at her surroundings. The fire was out, Pulchra was still asleep, and Metcalf slept a few feet away from her. She sighed as she stood up. She walked over to the saddle bags laying on the ground and looked through them. Finding what she was looking for, she sat down where she was and opened up the book. She had taken the book from the castle before she was forced to escape. The book contained thousands of easy to complicated spells, but nothing on fighting with them. Fighting was something she was going to have help to learn.

She heard something moving behind her. Looking behind her she saw the same men clothed in black riding towards them. She dropped the book and ran over to Metcalf.

"Metcalf!" she shook him trying to wake him up. "Metcalf wake up! They're back!"

Metcalf woke up and slowly sat up. "What are you talking about, Eva?" he asked rubbing his eyes. Once his vision was cleared, he looked in front of him and saw the riders.

"Can they see us?" Elisheva asked worriedly. "I thought that this spell was supposed to protect us from intruders? Are you sure it worked?" Her breathing was heavy as she watched the men ride closer and closer to them.

"Slow down, slow down!" Metcalf grabbed her shoulders and made her look at him. "We will be fine. Trust me, the spell worked and it's still working now. They won't get to us, I promise. Just sit still."

She did as he said and sat down next to him. She closed her eyes and placed her forehead on her knees. She felt Metcalf's arms wrap around her and pulling her closer to him.

"Don't make a sound," Metcalf whispered in her ear.

She looked up when the sound of the horses hooves came closer. The two riders slowed down. One of them looked around and motioned for the other to follow him. They walked around the camp until they came to where Elisheva and Metcalf sat.

"We found them, then we lost them!" one of them yelled. He turned to his friend. "I say that we turn around and head back to the Queen. The Princess isn't here."

Elisheva recognized that voice, but couldn't figure out who it was.

"Listen, Terrell," the other man started to say to his friend, "you and I know what the Queen will do to us if we return without the Princess's head."

"Yes, yes I know!" Terrell said annoyed. "But we dressed up as The Virtutum's, find her in that stupid village, and then lose her all over again! Now, since she has that guy with her, she will be able to go wherever she wants to and be able to get away from us!"

"We'll find her, Terrell," the man said as he walked past him. "Trust me, we will."

Terrell sighed and looked around one last time before following his friend.

Elisheva and Metcalf sat in silence until the sound of the horses feet died away. Elisheva then got up and walked around picking up their camp.

"What are you doing?" Metcalf asked her as he stood up.

Without looking at him, she continued, "I'm picking up camp so we can get a move on and get to your friend Stuart's house quicker." With the pot for the stew in her hands, she turned to Metcalf. "What does it look like I'm doing?" She turns and puts the pot into the saddle bag.

"Elisheva." Metcalf walked towards her. She ignored him calling her name. "Elisheva." He grabbed her arm and spun her around making her look at him.

"They were the same men from the cave, Metcalf," her voice caught in her throat. Tears started to swell in her eyes. "They still want me. My sister still wants me dead." She closed her eyes and leaned her head onto Metcalf's chest.