In contrast to when Peter had gone to fetch their backpacks, it felt like no time at all had passed before he reappeared, crawling into their shelter for the night.

  ‘Everything all right here?’ he checked again, watching her face.

  She nodded. Seemingly happy with that, he reached for their microfire and extinguished it with a twist of its lid. ‘That’s all the heat we can safely use,’ he explained. ‘Otherwise we’re going to start getting into trouble with the snow in our shelter and it might affect the air in here as well.’

  That done, he once again reached into his backpack. He smiled at her apologetically as he rooted around, pulling out a few packages from under her leg that rested on it.

  ‘I’m afraid we ate all of your nice food last night. Tonight we’ll rough it with real rations.’

  ‘Whatever they are, they can’t possibly taste worse than what we’ve been through today.’

  ‘True enough,’ he said, spreading the rations out before them in the fading sunlight filtering in through their entrance hole. It was a simple fare, but still very edible after all the events of the day. They consisted of some honeyed oat bars, dried meat and fruit, and a small wrapped cheese.

  Picking up an oat bar, Lacey picked at it. ‘I thought you were dead,’ she told Peter, glancing at him before refocusing on the bar. ‘I saw the abominable snowman swinging his claws at you.’ She swallowed. ‘His arm flew down so fast, and then the avalanche fell on me.’

  He became very still, watching her. ‘I wasn’t sure if you’d survived either. I was ready to dive out from under him and run again. It would’ve been very close, but I’d hoped I would make it. Then the snow fell and swept me right out from underneath his claws. It happened so fast.

  ‘Luckily all our villagers are trained very well about these things, and it was more loose snow than a true slab avalanche. It naturally pushed me to the edge, while I kept myself close to the surface by swimming through the snow.’ He swung his arms in the swimming motion to demonstrate.

  Lacey cleared her throat, trying to loosen the tightening she felt as they spoke of the avalanche and the snowman.

  ‘It’s okay Lace, we came out all right.’

  She nodded and changed the subject. ‘You say all villagers learn these things. Was it your parents that taught you and Mathilda? Or did you learn from Eldrick?’

  ‘A little of both, and more.’ He leaned forward, unwrapping the cheese for them. ‘We all learn from our parents, and we also have lessons and drills at school. Eldrick filled in the grey spots, that a true guard needs to know.’

  ‘And your parents?’ Lacey asked, curious as she finally began eating too. ‘Are they still around?’

  ‘Yes, they are.’ He smiled mischievously. ‘Remember, elves live much longer than humans do,’ he said, hinting at her status as a Helper.

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  She couldn’t help laughing at that. ‘You don’t give up, do you.’

  His face grew more serious at those words. ‘No, I don’t,’ he said softly. ‘That’s how I found you yesterday. I followed your tracks, even though the snow had started. And when it began to fall so thick that I couldn’t see your tracks anymore, I kept going. I had to find you.’

  Lacey pushed the hand she was leaning on harder into the ground, trying to squash the fear his words ignited in her.

  ‘You shouldn’t have done that,’ she said. ‘You could’ve died.’

  ‘And you shouldn’t have come here alone, and so deep. You almost died,’ he responded.

  The flicker of the abominable snowman’s claw descending on Peter bloomed in her vision once more. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.

  ‘I guess we’re a lot a like,’ she ended up saying.

  ‘I guess so.’ He looked at her tenderly. ‘Eat something Lace. I know you don’t feel like it, but our bodies need the nourishment after all we’ve been through today.’

  She nodded, taking a small bite of cheese. He didn’t eat very fast himself. By the time the rations were gone, the light had dimmed to almost nothing.

  ‘Time for bed,’ he said, gathering their blankets.

  Uncertain, Lacey looked at the back of this hollow under the overhang. ‘How are we going to do it? Last night couldn’t have been comfortable for you.’

  There was just enough light left for her to see the deep smile on Peter’s face.

  ‘True. And yet there is nothing in the world I would trade it for.’

  She was glad he couldn’t see the blush on her cheeks, because she felt exactly the same.

  ‘This is what we’re going to do tonight,’ he continued. ‘Please hand me your coat.’

  He shrugged out of his as well, and then layered the two coats on the floor, placing a backpack at the top as a pillow.

  ‘This will be our mattress tonight. I’m going to lie on my back, and then you come lie against my side with your chest on mine. We’ll tuck the blankets over both of us again and we’ll be both warm and slightly more comfortable tonight.’

  Lacey hesitated. Last night, crawling into his arms had been easy. He’d found her freezing in the snow and survival had trumped all.

  Deliberately climbing into something that seemed very bed-like tonight, was different. Doing so meant she was consciously choosing him. And even though it was just as cold as the previous night, she felt shy.

  Peter lay down, then patted the space on their coats so close beside him. She wanted it, but a lifetime of social rules tugged at her.

  Reading her expression, worry crossed Peter’s face. ‘Come on, Lace, it’s too cold for us to sleep separately. I won’t do anything, I promise.’

  Fear was creeping in again, now. She’d be punished if she did this, she knew she would. But why? her rational mind asked, confused. We still need to survive tonight with all our fingers and toes.

  Why indeed? That was the question. She hesitantly probed the fear, feeling for what was hidden behind. And when she found it, the realisation made her knees weak.

  ‘Come to me Lace,’ Peter said from their makeshift bed, his voice gentle now. Somehow, he had seen right through her, as he always did. ‘I want you to lie beside me,’ he said. ‘I want to hold you in my arms.’

  And she went to him, settling close against him for warmth as she snuggled into position.

  ‘What do I do with my leg?’ she asked awkwardly.

  ‘You can rest it on my legs,’ he said. ‘That should be elevation enough.’

  He reached down and supported her leg carefully, lifting it into place over his own so she could keep it elevated.

  ‘Now relax.’ His hand settled lightly at her side, guiding her a little closer so they’d stay warm under the blankets.

  ‘You can rest on me,’ he said, reaching up to guide her head onto his chest, settling her shoulder in the warm curve beneath his shoulder.

  She rested her arm across him, drawing a steadying breath. Breathing out, she let go of everything that was once expected of her; and, finally, she relaxed.

  ‘There you go,’ he whispered folding his arms around her under the blankets and holding her close.

  His heart thudded, and she listened to it, counting the beats beneath her ear. And the rhythm it was beating matched hers.

  ??????