Another excerpt, since I'm rereading:
"Nathaniel?"
"I need you to help me, milady. I can't hold on much longer."
"We're not..." He felt her raise her head. Her grip loosened, but not enough to warrant panic. "We're not dead yet?"
"No. Not yet." He shoved his fingers into another crack and inched along the bank. The current tried to tear Amalea away from him, but she tightened her grip and kicked wildly. Nathaniel felt the sodden bulk of her skirts envelop his legs.
Another inch.
"I need you to grab onto the wall," he whispered, turning his head so he could be certain she heard him. "I need you to get in front of me and aim for that little pool."
"The cave," Amalea said.
"What?"
"I... used to p-play here when I was a ch-child. There's a cave."
A cave would work. "Grab hold of the wall."
Amalea slowly shifted her position until she stared into Nathaniel's eyes. She grabbed his arm and released his neck.
"Are we going to make it?" Her lips were blue, her eyes glazed with cold and exhaustion.
"We'll make it," Nathaniel said with more confidence than he felt.
"I c-can't feel my f-fingers," Amalea whispered.
Nathaniel helped her fit her fingers into a narrow crack. "Now move on to the next one."
Slowly, they made their way towards the pool. Nathaniel saw the cave now; a dark opening at the back of the ledge Stefan had stood on so long before. Inch by inch, it grew closer.
Amalea stopped twice, her head bent low over the water. Nathaniel woke her both times, but even a Hound's resources would not last forever. By the time they reached the sharp rocks around the pool, he could not feel his legs. And only the steady throb of pain from his torn fingers kept them from numbing as well.
With Nathaniel's help, Amalea pulled herself from the water and collapsed in the pool. Blood from minor cuts and scrapes stained the water red. Nathaniel summoned up the last of his strength to struggle out of the water. His arms shook with the effort.
And then, because he could not leave Amalea lying there, he dragged her into the cave.
Copyright 2002 Jennifer St. Clair
"Nathaniel?"
"I need you to help me, milady. I can't hold on much longer."
"We're not..." He felt her raise her head. Her grip loosened, but not enough to warrant panic. "We're not dead yet?"
"No. Not yet." He shoved his fingers into another crack and inched along the bank. The current tried to tear Amalea away from him, but she tightened her grip and kicked wildly. Nathaniel felt the sodden bulk of her skirts envelop his legs.
Another inch.
"I need you to grab onto the wall," he whispered, turning his head so he could be certain she heard him. "I need you to get in front of me and aim for that little pool."
"The cave," Amalea said.
"What?"
"I... used to p-play here when I was a ch-child. There's a cave."
A cave would work. "Grab hold of the wall."
Amalea slowly shifted her position until she stared into Nathaniel's eyes. She grabbed his arm and released his neck.
"Are we going to make it?" Her lips were blue, her eyes glazed with cold and exhaustion.
"We'll make it," Nathaniel said with more confidence than he felt.
"I c-can't feel my f-fingers," Amalea whispered.
Nathaniel helped her fit her fingers into a narrow crack. "Now move on to the next one."
Slowly, they made their way towards the pool. Nathaniel saw the cave now; a dark opening at the back of the ledge Stefan had stood on so long before. Inch by inch, it grew closer.
Amalea stopped twice, her head bent low over the water. Nathaniel woke her both times, but even a Hound's resources would not last forever. By the time they reached the sharp rocks around the pool, he could not feel his legs. And only the steady throb of pain from his torn fingers kept them from numbing as well.
With Nathaniel's help, Amalea pulled herself from the water and collapsed in the pool. Blood from minor cuts and scrapes stained the water red. Nathaniel summoned up the last of his strength to struggle out of the water. His arms shook with the effort.
And then, because he could not leave Amalea lying there, he dragged her into the cave.
Copyright 2002 Jennifer St. Clair
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