Heart Over Sword

Nightfall came when the group stopped again. Unlike before, when they stopped at the first sign of the sun drooping to the ground, they continued through the darkness. They had not been attacked by anything, and the land started to slope upwards once more, but the terrain remained grassy. The slope also revealed the first signs of snow in the distance. Evanna had stopped upon seeing it, but her fascination quickly faded as it was merely white scattered across the lands.

The drop in temperature, though, was concerning. The furs they retrieved would keep them warm during the night, but daytime, their lighter attire would expose them to frostbite. Evanna knew of such injuries through reading, though she had never met someone who had been inflicted by it.

"Arawn? Axe?" Evanna called them. The giant joined the pair at the front during the late afternoon. The conversation between the three had been surprisingly pleasant though occasionally, she caught Axel studying the prince with narrowed eyes. He was getting along with him, though, and they worked together, planning the next stage of the journey.

It surprised Evanna that Garrett was allowing such a thing, but when she turned to look for him, he was still walking by Fiza’s side. They did not speak. Garrett scowled at the dark fae while Fiza looked ahead, brimming with confidence and a twinkle in her eyes. Evanna decided to leave the pair to whatever was happening between them.

Now the group had built a quick shelter from tall fallen trees that had been uprooted. From the missing branches, it looked as though travellers used it for firewood. There were still some remains in a crevice between a few boulders and black soot where once a fire had been. The men carried the trees and placed them above the boulders, sheltering them from any changes in weather. It wasn’t much, and the space was smaller than what they had been used to, especially for the men that took a lot more space up, but it was better than being out in the open where the wind could shake their bones and chatter their teeth.

With Fiza’s blue fire burning, casting flickering shadows across their small camp, they sat closely together, furs beneath them ready. After feasting on the last of the meat from the day before, Ger was the first to go on watch. He announced it and left without glancing in their direction.

Evanna had been sitting with Ronan and Fiza after Ger refused to sit next to her and sat separately with Axel keeping him company. It had been quite hard to do in such a small space, but Evanna felt the growing distance in her heart, and it chilled her. She slipped away from the group quietly as their chatter and laughter echoed in the small rocky shelter, though they all knew she was leaving.

In the dark and cold, Evanna found Ger standing with his back to her. Without speaking a word, he knew who it was. "You should get some rest," he said quietly, dismissing her politely. But Evanna could read through his politeness for what it was.

"I know you do not trust him and not like him, but I’m asking you to give him a chance-" he scoffed, making Evanna pause and bite the inside of her cheek when she felt his glare directed at her. She continued. "Ger, I am not a fool. I would never let him close to me if I thought he was a danger or-"