The Discovery

Prologue

Sherlock jumped taking Moriarty with him. He continued to hold on to Moriarty as they plummeted toward the Reichenbach refusing to let him escape even if it meant his own life. He would not let this monster destroy the few that meant more to him than the game. This time he would end the game for good.

The water of the falls crushed upon them as they fell throwing them against the sharp outcrops of rock. Sherlock watched with pleasure as Moriartiy's head smashed into a rock with a sickening crack. A smile formed on him lips seconds before the freezing water of the river engulfed him. "This is the end. The Game is won." Sherlock thought as he sunk into the icy river.

He struggled to reach the surface trying in vain to gain a breath of air. He crashed into something hard and grabbed onto it as he passed into unconsciousness.

Chapter 1

Saranna leaned against the wind as she trudged to the boat house. She needed to get the extra propane tanks from the outbuilding in case the broadcasts of ice storm coming were correct. She wanted the extra tanks on hand just in case.

It was nights like this that she missed living in civilization and not the god forsaken Swiss wilderness fifteen kilometers from the nearest closest town with no neighbors to speak of . Safety and security came first however, especially when one had secrets like she did.

She continued to mutter into the wind until she slipped on an icy patch and sprawled into an undignified heap. Cursing her luck Saranna carefully got to her feet and gingerly went to pick up her lantern that had went flying when she did. As she picked it up the light fell on the last thing she expected to see; a crumpled mess of cloths and limbs lying on the bank of the river.

"Oh shit" Saranna yelled as she raced as fast as the icy paths would let her, scrambling over limbs and rocks until she reached the figure on the ground.

Reaching her destination she could see that the person was male. Pale as the snow that surrounded him, and he did not seem to be breathing. With a shaking hand she felt for a pulse. Just as she was telling herself that no one could survive a dip in the Reichenbach in winter she felt a barely there flutter against her fingers.

"Shit, what do I do? Think Saranna THINK!" She screamed to herself. What did she remember from her days being nursed back to health after she had taken a similar plunge on an icy night? "Dry and warm, I need to get him dry and warm, but not too much at once or I will send him into shock if he is not there the hell am I going to get him into the house? "

"Stay calm. Focus, One problem at a time. First, what can I do immediately for him?" With this thought Saranna jumped into action, she pulled the stranger up and began removing his outer garments. A sodden overcoat, a woolen scarf that was half chocking him, and a single wet leather glove, quickly she replaced his missing garments with her own rubbing his arms and hands as she went.

When she finished she moved on. "Okay, now to get him to the house. There is no way I can carry him that far. Can I drag him, no, the rocks and limbs, the wheelbarrow!" She exclaimed as she started running toward the boathouse. She kept one in there for transporting items to and from the house.

When she reached the boat house she grabbed the wheelbarrow and raced back to the man as fast as she could. She prayed the entire time she could save him. "Please God, I have made mistakes, and I have paid for them dearly, Please help me save this man, let me do one good deed in my life."

The man was lying just as she left him. She held her breath as she checked for a pulse and once again felt slight flutter against her fingertips. As fast as she could she pulled and pushed him into the wheelbarrow and made her way back to her house. Finally, what seemed like hours later she managed to get him into the house and onto the couch.

Saranna stripped the man of all her coat and gloves as well as his remaining cloths and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch onto him before running into the bathroom and turning on the tap in the rub. She remembered hearing that you could raise or lower a person's temperature easier in water. Making sure that the water was luke warm she snatched a handful of towels and headed back to the man.

As she waited for the tub to fill Saranna rubbed and chaffed at his delicate skin trying to bring warmth and circulation to his body. His entire body was a white as a sheet and his lips tinged blue. Saranna rubbed until she thought her hands would fall off.

She could tell by the sound that the tub was getting close to full and half dragged and half carried the man to the bathroom and into the water and continued to do what she could for the stranger.

A few agonizing hours later Saranna emptied the tub for the last time. She had drained and added new water slowly getting it warmer each time until finally the man had gained some color. Once again she half carried and half dragged him to her bedroom where she covered him with blankets. As she tucked in the last blanket she whispered out loud. "I wonder what you were doing in the river? What should I call you ice man?

Leaning over him to tuck in one last corner she jumped when she heard the man whisper "Sherlock".

***All Credit to Sherlock, Moriarty, and other Sherlock Characters goes to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and BBC creators of Sherlock. ***