She continued down the river, following it closely, but still keeping out of sight. The warg carcass was gone, and she was alone. The sun was shining brightly above the looming wall, which gradually sloped nearer to the ground as she walked. After a couple of hours, the river left the face of the cliff and curved southwards, so she was now walking on an open plain. The girl now walked along the southern bank; the sand felt good on her aching feet. She was in good spirits for the most part, but that rotting animal always came back to her thoughts. She wondered how he had gotten in the river, or we he had fallen. She knew very well where it had come from, and it's origin, but she still pitied the poor creature.
The girl continued on for hours, never stopping to rest. She passed the warg carcass, lying on the bank; the flies buzzing around it, the maggots already starting to feed on its' flesh. She casually walked around it, after she had finished collecting his teeth and claws, so she could make a necklace later that night.
She knew all to well that she would have to cross the river soon. She kept putting it off. She hated to swim. Soon enough, she came to her crossing point. The river was more shallow, the current less strong. She walked into the water up to her knees and stopped. It was icy cold. She took a deep breath as she prepared her self to swim. He pack was tied to her back so she cold use her arms freely. Her walking stick she had abandoned.
Her feet sank into the mud as she continued. The water was now up to her chest, and with a great effort, she plunged forward into the river, and was immediately carried off by the current. She tried to swim to the other side, but the water was pulling her under, and the current was stronger than she thought. When she thought she was going to die anyway, she rolled onto her back and floated on downstream, inhaling as much air as her lungs would allow her. She coughed out as much water as she could, as the dark, cold water took her down. She didn't know how long she had floated for, but as she opened her eyes she saw the northern edge of the river, getting closer to her. Suddenly, she felt wet sand scrape against her head as she stopped. Her body turned, wanting to follow the current, but her head was successfully embedded. She scrambled up onto shore with what strength she had left, and noticed a man that lay in a more critical position than she. He was asleep and wet, and he had many injuries. She pulled her self up into a sitting position to look at the man more closely. His back was facing her, and he wore all black, or so it seemed, since he was soaked. His hands we blue, and as she pulled him over, she saw that his lips we purple. His brown locks were caked with mud and sand. She checked his pulse. He was still alive! The girl lay back down, coughing up more water from her near-frozen lungs. She rolled over on the sand next to the man and fell unconcious.