Water and Wind

Chapter 35

Arian

Arian isn't really thinking as he hurries past guard after guard, throwing out one hand, then another to halt them in their paths with a gust of wind that he summons up without the slightest effort. He's saving his strength for the forest, and its monsters. One of whom may well be Nimue now. And this thought stabs him in the throat as he falls to his knees, breathing heavily. Right on the forest boundary.

Nimue (hours earlier)

She knows where to go instinctively, like it's ingrained in her very being. She's travelled this route before, only minutes ago, in fact, and there's no hesitation in her steps, except for the first slight faltering. If this is what the fates say, then so be it.

When the guards and the old lady argue over the paths she is taking, she spares them no glance or explanation as she hurries along the winding path she knows is right. She knows full well that they won't leave her, that they don't trust her, that whatever path she takes, they are forced to take too.

So that's exactly what she does. When she trailblazes straight through thick fauna and itchy leaves, they follow. When she gingerly steps in the patch of thorns, they complain, but follow. She takes the path that's uncut physically, but perfectly cut out in her mind. The air comes in through her nostrils and out of her mouth steadily as she makes her way to the heart of the forest, each step bringing her a few inches closer to the old cabin.

Arian

His feet strike the dirt purposefully. He has sharp eyes, and they guide him. A cluster of broken leaves here, a footprint there, several snapped branches lying on the ground, indents in the dirt. Truly, though, they are just formalities. He knows Nimue, and he's seen where she is. He'd follow her to the ends of the earth, and know every step of the way.

The journey goes on and on, and as it goes, he fears more and more for his friend's life. The longer this takes him, the less time she has, yet he's afraid to sprint should his ankle catch on the too many vines and bring him down. He keeps his pace at a steady trot, eyes hurriedly scanning the surroundings in the briefest of seconds before taking the step.

At one point, he comes to a raging river, and the markers of their paths end. Of course. They had to get across the river somehow. He curses it silently. It's the one thing standing between him and Nimue, and it's swollen from the river's rains and rushing fast.

Nimue (hours earlier)

The woods end here, and they exit onto a sandy bank, to which she removes her woven sandals. The others hang back, unsure of what she's about to do, and a bit apprehensive. They whisper among themselves, and think that she can't hear them, but unbeknownst to them, her hearing is impeccable, and she multi-tasks listening to them and assessing the current situation and what to do.

"Are we trusting her?" A guard asks, out of the corner of his mouth. Nimue is too preoccupied to scowl, or she would have.

The other guards continued to debate about the merits of crossing the river downstream, where the current might have slowed. Nimue hears something about a waterfall, and tries to focus her attention on measuring the water's speed. Does she have it in her to manipulate a whole river?

"What on earth does she think she's doing?" The old lady hisses, and she spins around, pure ice in her voice.

"Trying to find a way across, but if you think you have a better way, than you can go ahead." She answers, very calmly. The lady looks stunned, like she's just been slapped across the face extremely hard.