Switched ~ a Fractured Fairytale

Chapter Twenty-One ~ Matters of the Head and of the Heart

By mid-morning, Killian's wounds had healed enough for us to resume our travelling, though I kept a close eye on him that day. I told myself I was monitoring his condition, making sure his wounds did not reopen, but even I knew that was not the whole reason. Once or twice, he caught me watching him and grinned, each time sending that same rush of bubbly excitement surging through me. All that day, an internal battle raged. I kept having to remind myself that I was engaged to Alastair, the prince who would save my kingdom and my people. There was so much at stake, what I felt didn't matter, I knew my priority had to be Alastair and the alliance.

But if that was true, why did my thoughts keep drifting to Killian? 

The snow from the previous day had mostly melted, leaving behind muddy sludge. Luckily, we didn't encounter any more snow leopards, and we made good progress, navigating through the mountains. Around midday, we came across a river, flowing right across our path. The river had not frozen over and the current was not strong, but the sight of it ahead made my stomach drop. Killian reigned in his horse and dug in his pockets for the map.

'The quickest way is across this river,' he said.

My heart almost stopped. 'Are you sure?' I choked.

'If we circle around this mountain, it'll add a week to our journey,' Killian said. He swung down off his horse and looked up at me. 'You want to go first?'

I didn't answer, my eyes fixed on the coursing water in front of me. Two of my most hated things, cold and running water. There was an old ford, nothing more than a narrow bar of sand where the water was a little shallower, but it was wide, too wide for the horses to jump safely, and the sandy river bed looked too dangerous to cross on horseback. There was only one thing for it, I would have to wade across it.

Killian went first, wading through the water, leading his horse. Bear splashed in after him, yelping at the cold water. He made it the other side and took off his boots, emptying out the water that had filled them.

'Come on, El,' he called across the river.

Taking a deep breath and trying to stay calm, I walked slowly forward. The water was so cold, my legs felt like I was stepping into a bonfire rather than an icy river. It was not deep but as the water rose to my mid-thigh, I began to panic. I tried to take deep breaths, but it was like an iron fist had clamped around my throat, squeezing the air from my lungs. All I could hear was the roar of blood thundering through my ears, drowning out everything else. As the surface of the water came rushing towards me, I felt strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me from the water. I collapsed on the opposite bank, gasping for breath. Killian knelt beside me as he pulled off his heavy cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders, hugging me tightly.

'It's alright,' he murmured soothingly. 'You're safe now, Ellie. I've got you.'

I could feel myself shaking like a leaf, the world spinning around me as I clung to Killian.

'I'm fine,' I said shakily, but Killian didn't move, he simply held me, gently stroking my hair, as my breathing steadied and the world stopped spinning.

I breathed in deeply, my face buried in Killian's chest. He smelled of leather and pine needles. It was strangely comforting. I took a last breath and looked up at him, his arms still around me.

'Thank you,' I whispered.

'Of course,' he said, brushing a strand of hair off my face.

I don't know how long we knelt there, simply looking at each other, it felt like an eternity in the space of a heartbeat. Bear must have gotten bored, because he barked impatiently at us, making me jump. Killian chuckled, reaching out to scratch his head.