Heart Over Sword-Chapter 249: [Bonus - ]Between Friends (1)

The group seemed better rested than before though they still remained quite quiet, even as the ever-ongoing ascension of the hill finally revealed the top. The path led back down a rocky landscape, though slippery with ice; it was safer than the thick, crumbling snow to the side.

Evanna stopped for a moment, clutching at the hood of her cloak to look at the view before them. Pine trees surrounded a huge icy lake, mountains behind it and there in the distance was the back of a palace. It almost seemed to float in the sky with the clouds surrounding it.

By standing back and letting the others walk ahead, she watched with mild fascination and amusement that Garrett and Fiza walked close together. Either one preferred space. Axel kept fussing over Ronan like he was his child or younger brother, making sure his cloak was tight enough. And Arawn followed, glancing behind his shoulder, eyebrow arching at her before he looked behind her shoulder and continued to descend.

That was when Evanna realised someone was missing from the group. She looked behind her and saw Ger. He was also slowing his walk to look at the view.

"Did you ever think you’d see something so beautiful?" She asked.

They’d only communicated when it was absolutely necessary. Evanna disliked it and the awkwardness. But after Arawn’s comment, she realised he was right, and Ger did ask for space.

It would be hard to travel with someone who didn’t reciprocate their feelings.

Evanna didn’t hold her breath for Ger to reply. She turned away from him and dropped her gaze to the slippery surface.

"I never expected to venture to Lyvaria."

Evanna stopped. Ger didn’t sound angry; he didn’t sound sad. He responded like normal.

"Do you dislike me for it?" Evanna questioned, keeping her back to him as her gaze lingered on the lake again. A lake Balin said was the only way to cross over to the paths leading into the tunnels below the palace on the side of the mountain.

"How could I?"

"It is awfully cold," Evanna replied with a slight huff. She could already feel the chill creep up her feet again after remaining static for so long.

"That is no means for me to hate you." Ger stepped up beside her. "You should keep moving. The cold bites."

He could say that again. Evanna and Ger walked side by side, the silence for once not awkward after their brief conversation. "What are your plans once we make it back to Dunhurst?" IF we make it back to Dunhurst, Evanna thought.

Ger caught the top of his hood from blowing back at the sudden gust of wind as he looked at her. A sad smile tugged at his lips. "I might travel some more. Mother does not need me now, and there is more to this world than I have seen."

He swept his hand across, showcasing the lake as an example. "I might not be welcome anywhere.. But it is not like I am not used to it," Ger chuckled, raising Evanna’s eyebrows.

It was nice to hear him laugh again and seemingly so light-hearted. Though, Evanna knew why he was travelling again. Ger always said once he was done on his monster-killing quest, he would settle down with his noble title returned to him.

It saddened her that he would be leaving, but she didn’t want to see him in any pain.

"Is that what you truly want?" Evanna asked, looking down at the ground, focusing on the slippery surface than Ger’s expression.

"It is what is best. Until things.. calm down," Ger finally replied after sighing loudly.

Evanna nodded, then reacted swiftly to Ger slipping. She caught his wrist, steadying him before continuing. The path was growing icier here, and she noticed Axel had slipped a few times ahead, falling onto his backside, and Ronan made minor slips.

Of course, the elves and night fae had no trouble. Their balance, including Garrett with his large form, was spectacular.

Evanna cleared her throat. "I understand." She stopped and faced him; now they were on the relatively stable, balanced ground. "You will always be welcome at my table."

Wherever that may be. Evanna was not sure yet. Before this quest, she always believed they’d be in Dunhurst together, even if she was married. How naïve.

Evanna always thought she would have to look out for Ger as he re-entered high society. She knew how much those vipers attacked the jugular on a regular basis. Ger would be the perfect ’lamb’ to the feast, as it were. Her friend wasn’t a lamb, though.

Ger was his own man. Evanna could see that now. He did not need someone to hold his hand. He surely didn’t need her to hold his hand. On this quest, whether they liked it or not, they’d both grown and, in some ways, grown a little apart. It saddened her, but now she was utterly in love with Arawn; it couldn’t be any other way.

She could not share her time between the man- no- elf she loved and another man. It wasn’t fair on either of them. Maybe in the future, when Ger found someone else, they could sit down and look back at these times and laugh over their stupidity.

Sensing the change in Evanna’s behaviour, Ger nodded. His princess was always wise, if not a little innocent and naïve at times. He realised she’d come to the same conclusion he had. They’d always been close, but they couldn’t continue to be that way.

Evanna was going to marry Prince Arawn. Ger knew that for certain. He didn’t want to see it, and although they’d made themselves scarce and tried refraining from being close to one another, he’d noticed them together. His heart hurt seeing it, but he couldn’t deny the attraction, the shared looks, the looks of wholly understanding one another.

Ger thought Arawn was an icy prick, but when he was around Evanna, the only time he acted thorny to others was all to protect her. He really didn’t anticipate this couple. Arawn and Evanna fought, he’d captured her, and now he and his right hand were helping them.

It hurt to know Arawn was the one to take her from him, not that Evanna was ever his, to begin with, but he’d rather it be Arawn than any other. Say, someone like Prince Conrad. Until he was no longer needed, or it might become awkward between the three of them, he would help Evanna on her quest and protect her. ƒгeewebnovёl_com

Clearing his throat, Ger lightly, and like how he used to be with Evanna, bumped his shoulder into hers, urging her forwards and said, "We should catch up with the others. It is not safe to wander separately from the group. We don’t know what might lurk in these hills and mountains."

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