Momentum (Completed)

Chapter Thirty Six: Brink

(Nephele) 

She fell. Oh god, she fell. 

Pained shouts erupted around me and I didn't know what was going on. One moment she was on the edge. She was coming back, but then the tree... it, it weakened and, although it didn't fall, it shook and she did. 

"Lyra!" 

Was it Felix or Lexio that shouted her name? I didn't know, but nobody was doing anything; no one was moving. Why? Why?! Before my mind registered it, I was running and I reached the log, peering over the edge. Relief flooded through me; she was clinging on, but it wouldn't be enough. Even though she had fallen out of the main water flow, it was still smacking into her as it cascaded over the edge and every second, her grip loosened. 

"Lyra!" I shouted over the roar of the waterfall, "hold on! I'm coming." 

Felix was now by my side. "What do we do?" he was saying, "what do we do, Nephele? We have to save her!"

Lexio joined him and made a horrified gasp when he saw just how Lyra was hanging on with her fingertips. "We're coming, Lyra - stay strong for me," he said, "we're coming." I noticed how Elanor and Angus, now eerily calm, watched this whole scene play out without saying a word. I didn't have time to worry about them right now. 

Think, Nephele, think!

'The rope,' Imara's voice said, 'You'll have to go out and get her.' 

I could tell he didn't like that idea, but we had no other choice so I took the rope that I'd thrown over Imara's shoulders and tied it around my waist. I gathered my confidence and handed the end to Felix and Lexio, who were looking at me like I'd gone mad. "I'm going to walk out there," I said, pointing to the now-swaying fallen tree, "and get Lyra. You two are going to stop us from dying. Got it?"

"You're not going out there, Nephele," said Dimitri, who had up till this point been silent. 

"And you don't get to tell me what to do," I snapped. "Now help me or get out of my way." 

Dimitri looked deeply at me, once again willing me to change my mind, but I didn't have time for this so I threw rope at the three men and turned around. Although they looked reserved, I felt them all take hold of the rope. 

As I took my first step onto the tree, my whole body was shaking with nerves. I hadn't accounted for the voilence of the rushing water, or the speed of the wind this high up or even my weight on the water-rotted log. Before I'd even taken a second step the water loosened the tree a little more and we swung around with the tide. I could hear Lyra screaming. I had no idea what, but it didn't sound good.

Slowly and carefully, I teetered on the edge, rushing water on one side and a fall to oblivion on the other. I could feel my heart hammering against my chest and I could hear Imara's worried whimpers echoing around my head. I took a few more steps and I neared the thinner part of the tree - it was shaking a lot harder now - and it was like walking on jelly. 

I reached the end of the log and very carefully began to lower myself to my knees. If I could just get one leg on either side of the tree, I could lean down and - 

Snap!

The tree decided it had enough and split in two. I lost my footing and fell backwards into the water. The rope around my waist tightened as the men struggled against the torrent of water to keep me afloat; as the water pulled me under, the men pulled me up and it felt as though my ribs were being squeezed tighter and tighter... 

Liquid rushed up my nose and down my throat and into my eyes, making my whole face sting but that didn't matter. I couldn't get out yet. Scrambling around in the violent waves, my feet managed to find purchase on a rock and as soon as I felt it, I kicked against it with all I had, propelling myself closer to the edge...but it wasn't enough; the rope wasn't long enough.