Water Under The Bridge, Chapter 2
Yes, it's a really short chapter. But I liked the break point, so I'll be posting this and Chapter 3 in quick succession.
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Richard gave a roar of anger and defiance, slicing through one soldier after another. But a part of him was trying to regain control. She did that for a reason. She wanted you on the other side. That's where she's headed. If she can make it, she'll need help. Go to her!
He cut through another soldier, but there was still at least a score of them left. He hacked once at the upper part of the rope bridge to his right, edging back as he did. He gave it another blow, and the top rope parted. The bridge shook, and the down-river side dipped dangerously into the water. The soldier closest to him lost his balance, grabbed wildly for the other support, missed, and fell screaming into the water. He disappeared frighteningly fast. Richard grabbed hard onto the remaining support, and hacked at it with the sword before another soldier could move up to stop him. It parted in one blow this time, and the base of the bridge ripped slowly apart under the onslaught of the river. Richard held tightly as the bridge swung downstream, his feet swept from under him, hoping the ropes on the far side held.
They did. Barely. The bridge lurched violently toward the far bank, and Richard grabbed for a low-hanging tree branch as it hit. He pulled himself to shore just as the bridge ripped free of its remaining support and swept downstream. He stopped for an instant to catch his breath, looking downstream, hoping to catch sight of Kahlan on the shore, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Richard set off downstream at a run, ignoring the remaining few arrows shot at him by the soldiers. He broke away from the river when a rock outcropping blocked his way, cursing under his breath as he scrambled desperately up the hill. When he rounded the outcropping and could see the river again, he thought he saw a flash of white far below and downstream, caught up in a battered tree wedged precariously against two rocks in the river. But it disappeared as the tree broke in two and was swept away. No! He sprinted downhill, desperately trying to catch up with whatever it was he'd seen, hoping against hope it was her. And that he could get to her in time.
He ran for what seemed an eternity, his lungs bursting, but couldn't catch sight of her again. He finally tripped over a tree root, tumbling head over heels, and came to rest on his back, half-sobbing, gasping for air. You lost her, he thought sickly. She's gone.
No, he told himself. No. Not like this. She's too strong—she'll find a way to survive this. Keep going. She needs you.
He struggled to his feet and set off again, half-stumbling as he ran through the rain, but determined to find her, knowing if he didn't, he'd probably go insane.