Echo • Six Of Crows - Kaz Brekker

25

The harsh pull of the river tossed them back and forth the very second they plunged deep below the surface, the icy temperature tearing the breath from her lungs as she fought as hard as she could to hold out until the very last second before she bit down.

There was a harsh pressure on her left wrist that she clung to, or tried to as the waves threw them against the bottom, sharp rocks scraping her legs, her arms, her back. She tried to focus on his hand clutching her like a lifeline, tried so hard to reach out with her hand to fight against the current to grab onto his arm - but as they were shoved endlessly in a cycle that made it impossible to see which way was up, she felt his hand slip away.

Her head barely breached the surface of the water and she didn't know what possessed her to do it - she was a child again, afraid of the one person she cared about being ripped away from her, that hollow feeling in her chest crying out in desperation, a cry she couldn't shake - instead of doing the logical thing and taking in a breath to give her more time, all logical thoughts washed away from her in panic.

As her head just barely breached the surface of the ferocious waters, she called out his name.

When she was submerged once more, only then did she bite down in panic.

The water blinded her, stung her eyes, her exposed skin, too much of it, like needles digging deeper and deeper the longer she fought to gain control through the current.

But the icy fjerdan waters were unforgiving.

The soft skin of her hands raked across the sides of the river, raking her skin along the rocks for a semblance of something to hold onto, to stop her from being thrown about like a broken doll. But she was dragged away again by the current that bruised and cut her body and crushed her lungs inside her ribcage.

For a brief moment her eyes caught moonlight, her hand breached the surface. But a split second later she was pulled under as if by hands, lost souls wanting to keep her with them to save them from being lonely.

She could feel the edges of the baleen in her mouth beginning to dig into her gums with how hard she was clenching her teeth, copper on her tongue, along with bitter water that began to seep in.

As the river spilled out into the gorge, the currents threw her across rocks and stones that tore and dug in, her hands still clawing to clutch onto something, her chest feeling as though it was being crushed with the pressure.

Just as her head managed to breach the surface once more and her arms grappled to keep her afloat, she took in a desperate breath before she was pulled down again.

But something had caught onto her wrist, dragged her against the flow of water. She grappled for it, held onto it, knees and shins scraping across the shallower waters before her body fell against another onto the rocky shore with a choked gasp.

Mavka coughed and spluttered, a pair of arms adjusting to grab her around the middle, to pull her further away from the waters edge.

Her eyes landed on the familiarity of Nina's torn dress beneath her and she closed her eyes, on her hands and knees as the woman let out a breath of relief.

The two of them were drenched, hair clinging to their faces and necks.

Her hand went to Mavka's back as she coughed and fought to get air into her lungs, closing her eyes tightly when a crimson liquid mingled with the wet stones beneath her hands.

As the fog in her brain cleared, she pushed Nina's hand from her back, shrinking away at the touch on her bare skin and half falling against the stones. She glanced down and realised her skirt was falling in frayed tatters across her knees. One of the straps over her shoulder had split and left the fabric dangerously low across the left side of her chest. She shakily held that part back in place, eyes raking desperately across the stony shore in search of one person.

Bo Yul-Bayur was to her left looking far too youthful and scrambling to a stand, but her mind was struggling to come to terms with why in her state.

She spied Matthias by the waters edge, reaching in for something, a dark sleeve that he latched onto and began dragging out. Her heart hammered in her chest as she recognised the limp, pale figure he pulled out onto dry land.

Mavka's eyes fell on the leather gloves, a sliver of white skin peeking through a single tear in the thick, dark fabric. Her heart leapt into her throat.

"Saints, is he breathing?" Asked Nina.

"Kaz?"