Chapter 2
-Outside, in the river-
Once outside, Sidney realized it was bitterly cold. He let the horse guide him, he didn't care where. He needed distance and time, as much time as possible to compose himself before he saw his family again. Right now he couldn't face them and pretend everything was ok.
He began to hear children laughing and playing in the frozen river. He envied them for the innocence. He used to go there when he was a child with his brothers to build snowmen. They could be playing for hours with the fresh-fallen snow remembered with a sad smile.
"Timmy, noooo!" he heard a girl crying suddenly.
Without thinking he jumped off his horse and ran towards the voice.
The girl was about to rushed out towards the frozen river when Sidney held her arm. "No, don't!" he shouted, seeing the girl taking determined steps towards the river. "Stay there, the ice won't hold!" as he was putting his coat off.
"My brother... he-he just have disappeared through the ice" cried the girl pointing with her finger a spot in the river.
Suddenly a kid broke through to the surface taking a large gasp, his lungs begging for air, only to be pulled back under again.
Sidney slowly got himself to his belly and began to crawl along the frozen river. He felt the cold, wet ice chilling him to the bone but he ignored it. His arms went under the water until he managed to grab the back of the boy's coat and pulled him to the surface, where he began to splutter out all the water.
Sidney helped the boy get closer to his sister who hold his brother's hand and pulled him into the snowy grass on the edge of the river.
"God, you really scare me Timmy! Never do that again! Are you ok?" asked the girl.
Timmy blinked dazedly; unable to move a muscle, but he managed to answer her. "Yes! Don't plan to repeat it never ever".
Sidney smiled in relief. As he started to approach to the solid land too, there was a crack that ran all the way through to where Sydney was. Suddenly all he could feel was an intense cold. For a few seconds he thought giving up, let the river take him down forever but he shook his head. No, first he should make sure the kids were out of danger. He couldn't let them on their own now. So he kept swimming and managed to get a solid where he got out of the river.
"We need to take his soaking wet clothes from him" Sidney said to the girl while he looked at Timmy. As the girl started undressing his brother, Sidney got up and reached for his jacket from off of the ground and gently placed it around Timmy's shoulders, covering him up and sliding his hands up and down.
Sidney noticed he was soaking and his teeth were chattering as the boy. But he tried as best as he could to hide his discomfort to the kids. He clutched Timmy up into his arms and they began to walk back to his horse.
"Where do you live?" asked Sidney.
"A few miles from here, next to the Miller farm" replied the girl.
Sydney shood his head, it wouldn't be wise to let the kids come back home in this state. Sanditon was closer and with his horse they would arrive in half an hour.
"Listen to me. You must ride to Sandinton and go directly to Trafalgar House. Do you know where it is?" asked Sidney to the girl.
"Yes sir" answered the girl.
"Good" nodded Sidney. "First you should get yourselves warm. Mary will provide Timmy dry clothes. Once he is completely recovered you can go back home, but it would be dangerous to go back home in Timmy state, he might get sick if he does not get warm soon".
He first lifted the girl on the horse and later the boy. "You'll go faster just riding the two of us. Run as fast as you can to the house, ok?".
She nodded.
Sidney saw Timmy shivering and closing his eyes. "Timmy, hey buddy do you hear me? Don't close your eyes ok, you must keep awake. I suspect you would like a hot cup of chocolate, huh? Once you arrive there make sure they give you a big cup". Timmy smiled and nodded as he heard the word chocolate.
"But, what about you?" the girl asked with concern.
Slowly, painfully, he exhaled, the breath shattered and aching against his lungs but he tried the best he could to smile and reassure the kids he was fine. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'll meet you there later" he lied.
"Thank you sir" said the girl and then left ridding Sidney's horse as fast as she could.
