The rain poured down in torrents and sheets, sufficiently drenching Caden and me in seconds. Thunder cracked and lighting peeled across the darkening sky. The weather matched my tried nerves: we were no closer to finding the pirates than we were two hours ago.
"Tell me again why I allowed you to come with me," I growled rudely to Caden. He just grinned at me—it was the fifth time I had asked him this question and I knew his answer even before he said it.
"Because I'm a good tracker and you could use the extra hand, sweetheart."
And, like every time before, I punched him in the arm and snarled, "don't call me sweetheart." You'd think he would have gotten smarter in the last few hours and known to dodge my strike.
"Awww, Kel, you're just like this 'cuz of the weather. Don't worry, I'll get you to those pirates if it's the last thing I do."
After we walked through more muck and forests, we reached the fork in the river. The only problem was that we were on this side of the seabed and the left fork turned and flowed down the other side.
Caden, seeing my morose frustration hastily reassured me. "Lady knight, there's no more we can do tonight. We're both wet and tired—and miserable," he added. "Let's just get some sleep. We'll pick up in the morning."
I could see the logic in his suggestion, so I agreed. There was no use building a fire, so I resigned myself for a cold, wet night. We found a large pine whose wide branches sheltered us from the worst of the downpour. I found a large collection of dried pine leaves and needles, so we covered ourselves with them and I fell into a troubled stupor.
My dreams were filled with waking nightmares were the children were brutally slaughtered and then their remains scattered to the four corners of the world. I tossed and turned all night. In the early hours of the morning, I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Caden woke me at dawn and said it best to carry on. I was up in seconds, following him to the rushing river.
We had to get to the other side, but the current was too strong to just swim across and the floor was too deep to walk across. After frowning at the thing for some time, I had an idea. I walked back to the forest looking for a strong and sturdy vine and brought it back to Caden.
"Tie this the largest tree you can find." Caden, catching my drift, nodded thoughtfully and then proceeded to find a strong enough tree.
He tied the rope securely and I tied the other end to his waist. He was about to protest and say that I should go first, but I stopped him and said sweetly, "If you drown, I'll know I need a different way across. Trust me, I'm safer than you are."
Caden just laughed and waved bye to me, then he jumped into the river.
I could tell it was a struggle to swim across because the current kept pushing him downstream. However, Caden persisted.
I should have known my plan wasn't perfect. The rope went taut and I saw Caden struggle to continue foreword. I didn't understand what was wrong, until I glanced at the vine.
I had chosen a vine that was too short, and Caden now had to struggle back to shore and find a new longer vine.
He dragged himself, dripping onto the shore and I hurried over to him to help him untie the useless vine. "See, it's a good thing you went first," I said innocently.
He glared daggers at me and then howled, "Next time, you go first and I'll watch."
We both went back into the forest to look for a longer vine, and after a few minutes, Caden found one that suited our purposes. After a short scuffle, Caden "agreed" to be the one to try it out again.
We tied one end to the same tree and the other around his waist. Before he jumped into the river he shouted back to me, "It's a really good thing I decided to come along." And then he was gone, battling the current until he emerged victorious on the other side.
"Easy," he shouted back to me, "No problem."
I reeled the vine back in and proceeded to tie it around my waist. Then I followed Caden's lead and jumped into the river.
Caden made it look so easy, cutting across the surface with little trouble. From the second that I entered the frigid water, I was in the river's mighty hands. It was near impossible to struggle across the water's force, but I thought of the kidnapped children and the horrors that they must be going through.
I struggled on.
When I neared the other side, I almost laughed in relief. It had been one tiring journey across the river, and I was almost done.
Just as I was about to reach my arm out and grab Caden's outstretched hand, the vine snapped and I was swept down the river.
I tried fighting the current and swimming to the side of the river, but I wasn't strong enough. I heard a splash somewhere behind me and I knew Caden had jumped in to save me.
"KEL!" he bellowed, but I couldn't reply. All my concentration was bent on staying alive.
My head slammed into a jagged rock and I felt pain scream through my forehead. I knew I was bleeding copiously, bu I had no way to staunch the flow. My hands raked across another jagged rock and I felt my wrist being sliced open.
I felt myself losing consciousness and I fought to stay awake. I knew it was a loosing battle, so with my last grain of will I latched myself onto a rock and fought to keep my hold.
I felt my fingers slipping and I doubled my iron hold on the rock. I felt Caden's fingers brush mine and I tried to tell him to leave me alone and save the children by himself, but it came out more like a croak.
"Kel," he whispered, "It's okay, I'm here. Stay with me, okay. Everything's going to be alright." I wanted to nod my head and tell him I understood, but I felt dizzy and wet and cold and…
I knew no more…
When I awoke, I felt the warmth of a fire drying my dripping clothes and strengthening my battered body. I was ravenous, so I tried to sit up.
"Whoa, Lady Knight. Lay back down."
"Caden," I managed to croak between parched lips.
"That's right." He poured water down my throat and then slowly propped me against a nearby rock. Then he handed me some meat and I wolfed it down without even thinking. Caden handed me another one and I chewed it more slowly, savoring every wonderful bight.
"What happened?" I asked as soon as I had eaten my fill and drank to my heart's content.
"How much do you remember?" Caden inquired.
"Well I remember the vine snapped and I was swept away…and then…you jumped into the river…I…I was bleeding." I felt my forehead and wrists. There wasn't even a scar.
I gasped in understanding, "You have the gift!" He shrugged modestly. "You healed me." I continued.
"Why is it I always have to do the saving?" was all he said in return.
I laughed, more out of relief: I was alive, healed, and well enough to continue my journey.
"How did you get me out of the river?"
"Well, you had grabbed onto a rock that was close to shore and I grabbed onto your hand. And then I swam with you draped across my back until we reached shore. I'm a stronger swimmer than you because I grew up near the river."
I nodded and thanked him once again. Then we doused the fire and slowly I stood, stretching my muscles until I was limber.
Caden was eyeing me with awe, "Can you teach me to sword fight?"
"Don't you know how? I mean you are a guard for Isolda."
Caden blushed and mumbled something about only knowing how to use the bow and throw a knife. I looked him up and down: he had muscles and strength (key qualities in a knight) and he showed clear-headedness.
"Alright," I agreed, "but not with real swords. Find some sticks of equal length and then I'll teach you the basics."
Caden ran deeper into the woods to find the necessary sticks and I checked my pocket for my knife. It was still there, along with the coins, but I had lost the bow. Hopefully Caden had some sort of weapon.
Caden returned with two sticks I helped him position his feet. Then I showed him how to block an overhand strike, an underhand strike, and a middle thrust. He practiced, while I scouted ahead. When I returned, Caden was still hard at work, but I insisted we leave, so he grabbed the sticks and followed me through the forest.
As we stopped for the night, I asked Caden if he had a bow. He replied that he didn't, but he knew how to make one. He set about making one that very night, directing me to collect certain sticks for arrows.
We went to sleep that night, drier than we had the night before, exhausted beyond expression, but I felt happier than I had in a long time.
A/N: So far this story hasn't been prewritten, but I finally came up with an idea of where I'm going with this story.
R&R everbody.