The pool had looked deceptively shallow from above, but before I knew it I
was in over my head and still sinking. The water was freezing cold and
uninviting. I had never been a good swimmer, and my lungs were bursting
with the need for oxygen. I kicked and struggled for the surface to no
avail. My long hair was tangling around my arms. My head felt light and
dizzy. My chest felt fit to explode. My muscles ached.
Then something strange happened to me, and all of a sudden I just stopped trying. All my muscles went limp and I just gently sank down, down, looking up through layers of shimmering water to the faraway bright circle of the Sun. Now, instead of feeling cold and unfriendly, the pool felt warm, inviting...the water was a soft pillow, and I was almost tempted to close my eyes and sleep.
But then something plunged into the water from above, momentarily blocking the Sun. Now all the muscle cramps returned and I thought I would faint from the pain. The shape was swimming towards me, though, and I felt strong arms around me, pulling me back up to ground level.
We broke the surface of the water and I felt the cold air sting my face. I took a great gulping gasp of air.
My rescuer dragged me out of the water. I still felt faint, but I was vaguely aware of many people standing around, watching me. I closed my eyes and laid my head down on the gravel of the path beneath me. I took more steadying breaths and felt my consciousness returning.
I heard voices talking in harsh tones in some language I could not understand, and then more people yelling and seeming to be sending the crowd away, because soon the area was quiet and all I could hear was the whistling of wind in the trees.
I opened my eyes and found I was inches away from the face of an elf - Legolas. I looked deep into his eyes. They were blue - searing blue; azure; crystalline; all the beautiful, romantic names you can think of for blue, that was the colour of those eyes. However, they were half-hidden under a deep frown. I hoped I wasn't the cause of it.
But then my eyes travelled downwards and focused on the tip of an arrow millimetres from my neck.
Then something strange happened to me, and all of a sudden I just stopped trying. All my muscles went limp and I just gently sank down, down, looking up through layers of shimmering water to the faraway bright circle of the Sun. Now, instead of feeling cold and unfriendly, the pool felt warm, inviting...the water was a soft pillow, and I was almost tempted to close my eyes and sleep.
But then something plunged into the water from above, momentarily blocking the Sun. Now all the muscle cramps returned and I thought I would faint from the pain. The shape was swimming towards me, though, and I felt strong arms around me, pulling me back up to ground level.
We broke the surface of the water and I felt the cold air sting my face. I took a great gulping gasp of air.
My rescuer dragged me out of the water. I still felt faint, but I was vaguely aware of many people standing around, watching me. I closed my eyes and laid my head down on the gravel of the path beneath me. I took more steadying breaths and felt my consciousness returning.
I heard voices talking in harsh tones in some language I could not understand, and then more people yelling and seeming to be sending the crowd away, because soon the area was quiet and all I could hear was the whistling of wind in the trees.
I opened my eyes and found I was inches away from the face of an elf - Legolas. I looked deep into his eyes. They were blue - searing blue; azure; crystalline; all the beautiful, romantic names you can think of for blue, that was the colour of those eyes. However, they were half-hidden under a deep frown. I hoped I wasn't the cause of it.
But then my eyes travelled downwards and focused on the tip of an arrow millimetres from my neck.