had a bad moment driving his ill-fated carriage over it.Swollen yet further by the recent rains, it rushed with white curls of foam mere inches below the humble log bridge that spanned it.The bridge was hardly wider than the wheels of an average carriage, so in normal circumstances the dainty pony cart should have no issue crossing—
The speeding wheels hit the planks of the bridge with a sound like rolling thunder.Bliss stood in the driver’s seat, fighting to keep the pony centered on the narrow span.It wasn’t a wide river, and the bridge was no longer than six or seven yards.Aaron raised himself in the stirrups, holding his breath even as Lard-Arse gained on the cart, unable to tear his gaze away from the prettily lacquered wheels of the cart, so damned close to the rough edge of the bridge.
Then a thick branch hit the side of the bridge, carried on the strength of the storm-swollen current.The pony shied, just a bit, but it was enough.The left wheel flew over empty space and the cart flipped hard into the downstream side of the roiling water.
“No!”Aaron didn’t bother to dismount.He pulled his feet from the stirrups and dived from the saddle directly into the water.
He came up quickly to find himself bobbing along in the current alongside the cart.It had flipped fully until now it swept sideways before him, pulling a frantically swimming pony along with it.Aaron grabbed the side bar and pulled himself higher, casting his gaze frantically around him.In the cart, Bliss’s fetching bonnet swirled lazily in the circling water that sloshed inside.
There!A fair head rising from the froth!The sun shone from the soaked blond strands, and Aaron breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Elektra strike out for the bank with a strong swimmer’s stroke.But where was Bliss?
The river narrowed here, between high banks, and rushed fast and deep.Up ahead, Aaron spotted a hand flailing from the rapids.Then a dainty booted foot.Bliss was being tossed hem-over-teakettle by the rushing water, unskilled or unable to free herself from the pull of the current!
Aaron clambered over the bucking cart and dived forward into the river.Swimming hard, he reached the last place where he’d spotted the struggling Bliss.The current was fierce and unstable.It was all he could do to remain upright, yet he tried to kick himself higher, the better to see ahead.Where was she?
“There!”came a cry like a bird over the roar of the river.“She’s there!”
Aaron looked up at the bank to see Elektra running alongside, slipping in the muddy grass, pulling herself around saplings, running hard like a boy.She was pointing ahead, her gaze locked on something in front of them both.Aaron struck out, as powerfully as he could, trusting her to direct him.
“Left!”he heard, and pulled hard to the left.
“Faster!”He put his face into the water and pulled mighty strokes from his aching arms and thrashing legs.
“Just there!Just ahead!”
Aaron reached out and felt the drag of waterlogged fabric in his fingers.He twisted it hard into his fist, knowing that he had little time left, and followed it up with his other hand, letting the current pull him and his limp burden along as it would.If he could just reach her head, get her face above the water—
He pulled a dripping blond head from the current and raised it to his shoulder, holding Bliss close as he swept the dripping hair from her face.“Breathe!”he ordered, and she did.
Never had he heard so sweet a sound.
This girl would not die.
He continued to hold Bliss up with one arm about her waist while stroking the other through the water, slowly pulling them to the bank where Elektra still ran, following them in the current’s grasp.
Then Elektra’s strong hands were pulling at her cousin’s shoulders and Aaron dragged himself onto the bank on his knees.The current still dragged at his sodden boots and he had the random, exhausted thought that he hadn’t been truly dry in
The speeding wheels hit the planks of the bridge with a sound like rolling thunder.Bliss stood in the driver’s seat, fighting to keep the pony centered on the narrow span.It wasn’t a wide river, and the bridge was no longer than six or seven yards.Aaron raised himself in the stirrups, holding his breath even as Lard-Arse gained on the cart, unable to tear his gaze away from the prettily lacquered wheels of the cart, so damned close to the rough edge of the bridge.
Then a thick branch hit the side of the bridge, carried on the strength of the storm-swollen current.The pony shied, just a bit, but it was enough.The left wheel flew over empty space and the cart flipped hard into the downstream side of the roiling water.
“No!”Aaron didn’t bother to dismount.He pulled his feet from the stirrups and dived from the saddle directly into the water.
He came up quickly to find himself bobbing along in the current alongside the cart.It had flipped fully until now it swept sideways before him, pulling a frantically swimming pony along with it.Aaron grabbed the side bar and pulled himself higher, casting his gaze frantically around him.In the cart, Bliss’s fetching bonnet swirled lazily in the circling water that sloshed inside.
There!A fair head rising from the froth!The sun shone from the soaked blond strands, and Aaron breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Elektra strike out for the bank with a strong swimmer’s stroke.But where was Bliss?
The river narrowed here, between high banks, and rushed fast and deep.Up ahead, Aaron spotted a hand flailing from the rapids.Then a dainty booted foot.Bliss was being tossed hem-over-teakettle by the rushing water, unskilled or unable to free herself from the pull of the current!
Aaron clambered over the bucking cart and dived forward into the river.Swimming hard, he reached the last place where he’d spotted the struggling Bliss.The current was fierce and unstable.It was all he could do to remain upright, yet he tried to kick himself higher, the better to see ahead.Where was she?
“There!”came a cry like a bird over the roar of the river.“She’s there!”
Aaron looked up at the bank to see Elektra running alongside, slipping in the muddy grass, pulling herself around saplings, running hard like a boy.She was pointing ahead, her gaze locked on something in front of them both.Aaron struck out, as powerfully as he could, trusting her to direct him.
“Left!”he heard, and pulled hard to the left.
“Faster!”He put his face into the water and pulled mighty strokes from his aching arms and thrashing legs.
“Just there!Just ahead!”
Aaron reached out and felt the drag of waterlogged fabric in his fingers.He twisted it hard into his fist, knowing that he had little time left, and followed it up with his other hand, letting the current pull him and his limp burden along as it would.If he could just reach her head, get her face above the water—
He pulled a dripping blond head from the current and raised it to his shoulder, holding Bliss close as he swept the dripping hair from her face.“Breathe!”he ordered, and she did.
Never had he heard so sweet a sound.
This girl would not die.
He continued to hold Bliss up with one arm about her waist while stroking the other through the water, slowly pulling them to the bank where Elektra still ran, following them in the current’s grasp.
Then Elektra’s strong hands were pulling at her cousin’s shoulders and Aaron dragged himself onto the bank on his knees.The current still dragged at his sodden boots and he had the random, exhausted thought that he hadn’t been truly dry in
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