Her Ice

Chapter Sixteen

Elisheva was the first to wake up. She sat up, yawned, and stretched. She looked down at Metcalf still asleep and smiled. She leaned down to give him a kiss on his forehead when she heard someone clear their throat beside them. Sitting up straight, she created an ice shard in her hand and looked for the person who interrupted her.

She finally found the interrupter sitting a little ways beside them. He sat there leaning against a large rock with his hands and feet tied. His smile was one of malice and trickery.

He cocked his head to one side and asked her, "What do you think you're going to do with that?" He motioned towards the ice shard still sitting in her hand.

Elisheva raised the shard up higher. "Whatever I have to do with it to make sure you don't get any nearer."

Aden chuckled and shook his head. "Dear Princess, do you really believe that you have me trapped?" He leaned forward. "If I really wanted to kill you I would have broken these ropes already and killed you in your sleep."

Elisheva, confused, asked him, "What are you talking about?"

Aden sighed impatiently before he broke the restraints off his hands and feet and stood up. He spread his arms out to the side. "See? I could have done that easily during the night."

Elisheva, now alarmed, stood up quickly and raised the shard even higher ready to strike.

Aden raised his hands up and chuckled again. "I'm not going to hurt you. So, please, be a nice Princess and put the shard down."

Elisheva, reluctantly, put the shard down by her side, but kept a tight hold on it. She looked over at Metcalf still asleep. Walking over, she knelt down beside him and checked his wound.

"He'll be fine," Aden said half heartily.

Elisheva shot a glare towards him before feeling a hand on one of her hands. She looked down and smiled at Metcalf now awake. "How are you feeling?"

Metcalf shrugged his shoulders and winced. "Not too bad." He struggled to sit up, but with Elisheva's help, succeeded.

"Liar."

Metcalf quickly grabbed a dagger and pointed it at Aden. Elisheva placed a hand on the dagger and gently pushed it down to the ground.

"It's okay, Metcalf," she tried to calm him.

Metcalf looked at her like she had grown two heads. "What do you mean it's okay? He tried to kill you and I!"

"I know," she sighed. "But, I have a feeling that he doesn't want to kill us."

Metcalf shook his head. "What are you talking about, Eva? He's a huntsman. He was sent here by your sister to kill you. How can you think that he doesn't want to kill you?"

"He's hiding something, Metcalf," she whispered to him. "Come on. He's your brother. Give him a chance."

Metcalf looked at her for a while until, finally, sighing, "Alright, but I still don't trust him." He turned to look at Aden. "You do exactly as we tell you. You got it?"

Aden smiled. "Of course, brother. I understand. I am your captive after all." He walked back to the rock and sat down on it. "What's for breakfast?"

Metcalf sighed while Elisheva stood up and walked over to the horse. She took some vegetables out and the canteen of water.

"Aden, since Metcalf is injured, why don't you come over and start making a fire," Elisheva ordered him.

Aden stood up and walked over to where Elisheva stood next to the small makeshift pit. She handed him two stones and pointed to the pit. He knelt down and rubbed the two stones together until he created a spark. He then gently blew on the sparks until the fire grew to the appropriate size. Sitting back he waited until Elisheva finished making the food.

She handed him his bowl and whispered to him, "I promise you this: if you do exactly what we tell you, nothing will happen to you. I promise." She then walked away before he could say anything and sat next to Metcalf. Metcalf took the bowl that she was offering her, but never took his eyes off of his brother.

"I don't trust him, Eva," Metcalf murmured.

Elisheva nodded as she shrugged her shoulders. "I know, but he's hiding something. If he wasn't we'd be dead."