The Eternal Winter by J L Trepanier

Author:J L Trepanier [Trepanier, J L]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-03-06T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen: Keeping Secrets

Elaro felt as if he had been shot point blank in the chest with a cannon. As air squeezed out of his lungs, he clamped his lips shut to keep from exhaling all his oxygen and inhaling any more liquid. The icy water burned like fire before the cold began to settle in and started numbing his fingers and toes.

Swimming in the river on the Aenoan forests was nothing like this; that water had been a pleasantly warm greenish-blue. Thank the gods Ronin had taught him how to swim a little. If he hadn’t, neither he nor Cirra would have any chance of getting out alive. Ronin’s words that day came back to him in a rush:

If you get yourself into trouble again, ditch your sword, and your cloak, and your boots if you can.

Elaro obeyed, ripping his cloak off and letting the thick fabric sink to the bottom of the pond. Holding tightly onto Cirra’s arm, he swam toward the surface.

They both broke through the surface of the frigid water, coughing and gasping. The cold made it so hard to breathe. The snowy wind blowing across his wet skin was somehow even worse than under the water.

Where was Kindle? He struggled to spin around in the water and look, but he couldn’t see much beyond the surface of the ice.

Cirra sputtered and choked as her mouth dipped below the surface of the water. Elaro pulled on the clasp of Cirra’s cloak and jerked it off her shoulders. He would have to worry about Kindle later. Right now, he had to get them out before they both drowned.

Cirra tried to speak, but the freezing water stole the air from her lungs.

“T-Take your skates off,” Elaro said, his teeth chattering as he pulled his feet up and tore at the laces with his free hand. Looked like he owed Tarron a new set of skates.

Cirra did the same, then tossed her arms over the edge of the ice. She tried to scramble out but kept sliding, her face a pale snow white and her lips turning blue.

“B-breathe,” he said. “Keep breathing. It’ll k-k-keep you warm.”

What do I do? He screamed in his head. Loud enough, apparently for someone to hear, because in that moment, the voices flooded back into his head like rushing water.

Get climbin’, boy.

“Climbing?” Elaro said out loud.

Climb, Elaro.

How? How was he supposed to climb out when the ice was so slippery? Also, how could he trust them? Kindle had just tried to kill him!

Get a grip, Captain.

A grip! That was it! If there was no way to grip the ice, he’d have to make a way.

“C-Cirra.” Elaro held his hand out, fingers spread wide. “I-I-I’m going to give you a boost. Melt the ice under your hand, enough to make a groove.”

“Is that e-even going to w-work?” Cirra’s teeth shook.

“J-Just try it!” Elaro pushed away from the edge of the ice to Cirra’s side. The last thing he wanted to do was put his head under the icy water again, but he had to do it.

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