I wake up in spluttering terror to find my lungs are on fire and I’m spinning through something thicker than air now, but I think it’s the stabbing, needle-sharp pain of freezing cold that’s brought me howling back to my senses. I open my mouth before I realise what I’m doing and I choke instantly as it fills with water so cold it hurts my teeth, and for what may be several moments I just start thrashing blindly, unable to focus in the fluid, swimming madness around me. I’m drowning, there’s a small part of me that realises this, but most of me is just beyond control now, scrabbling about with nothing to gain purchase on. I’m being tossed about through furious fast waters and while there’s wild light coming from somewhere there’s not enough of it to convince me I’m near the surface, whichever direction that’s even in. All I have a sense of is myself, and that’s desperately finite right now.

Something suddenly comes rushing at me fast and hard from one side and I’m smashed across a big rock that would beat all the air out of me if I actually had any left. I think my chaotic limpness might be the only thing that saves me from getting pulverised by the impact, but it still hurts like hell, and for the bare moments I’m dragged across it and then swept out the other side all I can do is curl up into myself from the pain. It seems to get darker now and I’m spinning madly, then suddenly everything brightens and my head breaks surface.

Opening my mouth the moment I reach the air I take the deepest breath I can before I’m dragged down, and I start clawing upwards fast now that I finally know which direction I’m actually facing, holding onto what air I was able to snatch while I fight to right myself. There’s something screaming in the back of my mind that Gael was with me when we were falling and now I don’t know where they are, but I can’t quite keep that square in my mind right now as I’m finding it hard enough just keeping myself alive. The current’s ferocious and it keeps dragging me down, but I’m determined now, and after several frustrating moments I finally pull myself up and breach the surface again, gasping out the bad air and gulping all the good stuff I can as I battle to stay up.

“ART!!!”

It’s barely there, I don’t know if I’m actually hearing it or simply imagining it, but as I fight to keep my head above water while I’m tossed over a small but savage drop and barely manage to claw myself back up I swear I hear it again. A voice … their voice, I’m sure of it. I cast about as well I can considering I’m being battered about all over the place, and then I catch a glimpse of … well, there’s something getting tossed around several feet ahead of me. It’s hard to tell when I keep getting splashed in the face and my eyes are swimming from it, while the foaming white waters create a constantly shifting landscape of chop around me. Then I find myself dragged across a string of rocks on the right and I’ve got more immediate concerns.

For a few moments I’m ploughed under again, but with such swift savagery I don’t quite have enough time to catch a breath for it, and I’m out of air before I can even start trying to pull myself out of it. That voice in my head is shouting more urgent instructions at me now because it knows as well as the rest of me that I’m not gonna be able to survive very long like this. I thrash about helplessly for several more moments while my lungs start to burn again, and the urge to open my mouth to breath is terribly strong, my survival instinct the only thing that’s keeping me from doing it. Suddenly I’m at the bottom and I find myself getting dragged, and now all I can see is a swirling cloud of disturbed river mud swimming around me and again I have no idea which way is up. I don’t even bother trying to swim now, terrified that I might just pull myself deeper if I choose the wrong direction.

Then a new surge in the current yanks me around hard and I’m swept so close to another massive boulder in the path of the flow that a small part of me is amazed I’m not crushed to splinters in an instant. Instead I rush round it close enough my nose barely whispers across its smoothed side, then I’m flung upwards and break out again, and I cough and splutter as I’m able to drag in breath again. I get bare moments of peace before the river drops away ahead of me, and this time I manage to catch the sudden drop before it can surprise me, scrabbling with my arms enough that I’m able to turn myself around and get my feet up enough. This time when I go over the eddy I’m able to plunge almost upright and the moment I hit the deep white water I start pulling myself upwards and surface in seconds.

As I gasp in fresh air I hear that call again, and this time there’s enough visibility for me to see that movement ahead of me again. It’s Gael all right, I can see them waving as they’re battered about like me, although they seem to be doing it one-handed because they’re stubbornly clinging to their staff. I don’t know if I’m proud of them or simply concerned about that, but I’m not willing to put much thought into the distinction right now. Right now I just need to get to ‘em. I start fighting again, this time making the best effort I can under the circumstances to try and reach them as we’re tossed about like the rest of the flotsam, but it’s a bastard hard prospect while the raging waters continue to surge around us.

We drop over two more eddies before I can get close enough, and the second time there are several heart-stopping moments after I surface when I can’t see them, and I spend them thrashing about desperately trying to search my surroundings. All the while I’m terrified they’re trapped below under a rock or getting pummelled below by a current that I’ve somehow just managed to miss. I don‘t know what to do, or if there’s even anything I can do about it. Then they pop up again just three feet from me and start coughing and spluttering as they struggle to stay up, and my relief is almost overwhelming, but I maintain enough control at least to crawl across the tiny but almost insurmountable distance between us.

Gael reaches out just as desperate as I reach them and the moment her hand grasps my arm they pull me in, wrapping their other arm round me and dragging me into a hug. I can still barely hear them, even as they’re panting madly in my ear, but I can catch enough to tell they’re sobbing a little with each beath. I squeeze them tight as I can with one arm but I’m desperately battling the current with the other, barely managing to keep our combined weight above the surface enough in the insane flow to keep from submerging again. “Hold on, just hold on, I’m gonna have to let go! Trust me, please!”

They don’t answer, but I feel a little tickle through the soaked fur on my cheek as they nod, and that’s enough for me as I let go of her with my other arm and start desperately paddling again, while, after some crazy flailing, they wrap their long legs around me again. Thankfully, while they’re relatively tall, there’s not such a disparate height difference between us that I can’t still use my own legs.

I am really not in my element. I grew up in Untermer, it’s a port city and I spent a lot of time down by the harbour which made it extremely advantageous to learn to swim, but this was in quite a gentled stretch of water. I’m doing the best I can here but strong a swimmer as I might be this is proving to be a punishing test. I’m not convinced I can keep it up much longer.

Then the whole horizon just empties out ahead of us and the edge is approaching fast, and I know what that means. “Oh shit … HOLD ON!!! FUCKING TIGHT!!!”

Again, not a word, they just squeeze me for all I’m worth, and I stop swimming too and just wrap my own arms around them again, returning the embrace as much as I can. As we’re whipped over the edge I close my eyes and start screaming inside my own head, even as I start gasping in the deepest breathes I can.

We fall for longer than I would’ve expected, but in trade-off the landing is softer than I expected. Even so, we plunge deep, and when I open my eyes all I can see is a swirling grey and white wash of bubbles and churning water, while we’re spun madly about and I haven’t got the first clue which direction is up now. Finally we’re spat out of the worst of it and suddenly the current is significantly less than we’ve been enduring until now, and as I start looking round I realise we’re starting to sink, and finally I can recognise where the surface is again. I pat Gael on the shoulder and for a moment they don’t react, they just keep holding on, but after I start to insist they seem to come back to themselves, and they must realise we’re now in relative safety because they’re finally able to start relaxing again. They let go and I can just about see them in the somewhat cloudy murk, so I point upwards and they must see it because they give a nod and start pulling for the surface. Satisfied, I do the same.

When we breach this time and are able to catch our breath again we’re still moving fast, but the river here is a bit less savage than it was, and we ain’t getting tossed about with near so much violence now. I cast about as best I can in the rush, and after a few minutes of getting bounced around again but not getting dragged this time I spot a possible spot coming up on the right, and wave my arm that way. “Gael! Try and grab it!”

Gael sees the downed tree wedged halfway into the flow ahead and nods back at me before they start swimming with more determination, and I follow, trying to work the angles of my approach the best I can under the circumstances. This is still a pretty fast flow and I don’t have a huge amount of control, but I’m willing to try this now before we hit more proper rapids and it gets potentially lethal for us again. Thankfully Gael’s with me on this right now.

The tree’s clearly come from somewhere far upriver, from what little I’ve noticed of the geography of the river itself I haven’t seen any other trees growing down here, and as we get close I can see how battered and broken and splintered it’s became in its journey to this final resting place. We hit it hard and the whole thing shifts for a moment but doesn’t shake loose, and I don’t even think about what I’m doing now, I just extend the claws in my right paw and jam them into the wood as hard as I can. There’s a horrible moment where my movement stops dead and it wrenches my shoulder some, but I fight through the pain and whip my free arm fast as I can, grabbing for Gael anywhere I can, ultimately grasping their hood and giving it a good yank. Thank the gods for that high quality Bavat craftsmanship, the robe’s built to last, but they gasp all the same as the collar rides up and almost chokes them. Thankfully it’s enough to give them their own hard stop and they make the best use of it they can in kind, and with the assistance of their staff wedged into a convenient knothole they’re able to anchor themselves too.

We both hang here for several minutes, still being pulled at by the water but no longer moving, Gael wrapping both arms tightly around their staff but otherwise resting now while I simply hang here with my claws sunk deep and hooked fast in the wood. Slowly but surely, we’re able to get our breathing under control, and while I can still feel the ache and strain in my limbs I’m no longer being tortured to exhaustion in my battle to try and fight for progress. Eventually I raise my head and look to Gael to find them just watching me, much calmer now. “Are you all right?”

I almost start laughing at that. “Am I okay? You’re taking the piss, right? That’s just what I was gonna ask you.”

“Yes, I … I did kind of freak out a little bit there. I’ve never really been in that kind of situation before.”

“Really? Well that makes two of us then. I can swim, don’t mean I particularly like to swim. I definitely don’t go paddling in deadly killer rapids either, if I can help it.”

They give me a hard stare for a moment, but soon enough they can’t help the grin that’s forming underneath it. “You arse.”

“That I am, yes.” I grin back. “I jumped off a cliff over a two-hundred foot gorge into the deadliest river in Rundao. That certainly qualifies me as a solid gold arse.”

That sets them off chuckling, and I join them. It’s nice to see them cheered up again, especially in light of what we’re currently still facing. Finally they lean their forehead against the staff and take a deep breath, let go a long sigh, but it’s an easy one. They look back at me again, a bit more solemn. “Thank you.”

Blinking, I just stare at them for a moment. “Thank … seriously? You wouldn’t have done that for me if the situation was reversed?”

“Well I don’t …” They pause, thoughtful for several moments, then they smile again, a little more rueful now, still kind of playful. “No, you’re right. I would have. I’d probably have killed myself doing it, but I would have all the same. But thank you anyway.” Then she fixes me with a colder glare which is completely unconvincing, they’re really having to fight the smile. “Just don’t do it again.”

“Oh, I won’t, you can trust me on that. Lesson very much learned, thank you very much. Hand on heart an’ everything.” I pry my left paw loose and attempt to lay it over my heart but I damn near take a spill face-first back into the foam again, so I have to snag back onto the tree again fast and clumsy. A look of concern flashes across their face as it happens, but there’s definitely some clear amusement behind it, and they start laughing.

“Idiot.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s me.” I pull myself up a little more onto the main bulk of the trunk and look around now. This thing ain’t wedged tight as I’d like, but for now it seems to be supporting our weight. Hopefully it’s secure enough for what we need. “You all right enough to try moving?”

“I took a few knocks back there but nothing seems to be broken. I’ll likely be sore for a week or two but I can still move. What do you have in mind?”

“If we can get on top of this thing maybe we can scuttle over it onto the rocks, then we can get out the water and think about our next move. We can’t just stay here like this until we get too cold an’ fall asleep, we’re dead for sure if we take another spill.”

“True.” They look at the tree, give it a thorough examination. “Maybe if you get on top you can pull me up? I don’t know if I can climb this, but with your claws you’re far better suited for this kind of venture.”

“You got a point there.” I look at the trunk above and it looks like it should be firm enough. Maybe it’ll be more solid up top if it’s managed to stay a fraction drier, I don’t know. “Okay, here goes nothing.”

With an almighty heave on both my paws, I pull my body up sharp out the water as I bend my arms at the elbows, straining hard but thankfully managing not to pull anything as I go, and then I take a supreme chance and yank my claws free on my right. For a moment I’m dangling over the water on a single set of claws and I feel the strain this is putting on my grip, but somehow they don’t slip as I swing my free paw up and bring it down on the top of the log. Hard, but not too hard, carefully deferential in case the whole thing’s just rotten and I push my fingers right through it. Thankfully the claws jam in and stick fast and I slump in place, allowing myself to relax again. “Phew.”

“All good up there?” Gael calls from below, reminding me that I can’t just hang around all day. Thankfully there’s a much lower chance of taking a plunge right off again this time, so I just wrestle my left-hand claws free and plant them next to my right, and this gives me leverage enough to drag myself on top of the trunk so I can swing my leg over. Straddling the tree, I let out a deep, relieved sigh and finally work my claws free for what I hope will be the last time.

“Oh yeah,” I sigh “It’s all peachy.” I lay down over the top of the log and brace myself with my right hand while I lean back down over the side and reach down to Gael with my left. “If I may?”

“Thank you again.” They smile up at me as they brace their right arm round the staff before letting go with the left, and for a moment my heart’s in my mouth as they swing out a little bit again but I grab their outstretched hand with ease and start pulling. They’re taller than I am but they’re slender and lightly built and I’m stronger than I look, and I’m easily able to take their weight as I brace and pull them up after me. There’s another fraught moment as they work to wrestle their staff free from the knothole but when it pops free I give one last yank and grip the trunk tight with my knees while letting go with my other hand and seize the staff in my right. It’s awkward but I’m able to pull them up the rest of the way easily enough, and soon they’re facing me astride the trunk.

We just sit there for several more minutes, breathing heavy again and nursing several more fresh aches, and I’m starting to become aware that maybe I did get a little more battered by the rocks on the way down than I’d like. My ribs are starting to grumble on my right and what was just a dull ache in that shoulder is starting to turn into an increasingly angry, red hot pain. Gael’s rubbing at their left arm somewhat and for a moment I wonder if I just wrenched it when I was pulling the up, but I suspect they might have taken a beating too.

“Ow.” they mutter under their breath after a few moments, wincing some now. “I’ll tell you what, I don’t feel up to any climbing right now, and I can’t see a way out of here without it. What do you think we should do?”

“Well let’s get off this bloody thing at least. Just cuz it’s held so far don’t mean we can trust it to hold forever.” I give our surroundings a proper inspection for the first time, and I begin to see her point – the sides of the gorge are pretty sheer, a deep, narrow channel long-since cut deep into the hard granite by the furious inexorable force of the river over hundreds of thousands of years, probably. There are cracks and buttresses and a few ledges and platforms and depressions here and there, but definitely nothing even remotely resembling a bank on either side, and certainly no way of climbing up out of this place.

“Yeah, this does look pretty tough. Best we can do is maybe get over onto the rocks over there, it might be able to give us some more solid ground to rest on. Think you can at least manage that much?”

“Gods, I hope so. It’s not like we have much choice.”

“Okay. I’d better go first. Like a cat, an’ all that.” I draw my legs up and carefully plant my feet in front of me, one a little in front of the other, and push forward with my knees still bent until I can stand up straight, and thankfully my footing doesn’t give away as I’m able to reach my full height. I balance there easily enough, it’s no harder than walking along guttering on the edge of a slanted roof for someone like me, and I take a cautious step forward, right up to Gael, who looks up at me a little uncertain, than takes their own careful grip on the trunk. They duck sideways out of my way as I raise my foot high and step over them, again planting my foot as careful as I can behind them, and bring my other leg over fast, then my path is clear to the end of the tree that’s wedged tight into the rocks. At least I hope it’s as tight as it looks …

Yeah … best if I do this fast and light as I can be. “Just hold on, okay?”

“To what, exactly?” When I look back over my shoulder they’re sat up again and doing the same, glaring daggers at me now, and this time there’s not much amusement to be found.

“Just … I dunno. Figure of speech, I guess.” I wave my paw vaguely. “In case … I dunno. This doesn’t work, maybe?”

“And what would you suggest I do if you shake this thing loose and I’m borne away on the back of the river?”

“Well, then … like I said … hold on, maybe?” I try a grin and I know it’s a downright sheepish thing. Certainly the look they return is suitably cold.

Letting the grin fade, I turn back to the task at hand, looking over the remainder of the distance I have to cross with due caution. Seems firm enough, but I still take a deep breath before I take a few quick, spry steps down the remainder of the trunk and onto the firmer rocks beyond. Nothing shifts any more than expected, and as I turn back I can see Gael is breathing a deep sigh of relief which I gratefully indulge in myself. Okay, then …

“Now, carefully, to me. Okay?”

Gael nods, but while they’re facing away from me now as they consider what they have to do I can clearly sense some much deserved trepidation in them now. They’re slow and hesitant and overly cautious as they bring their legs up and carefully work them under until they’ve got good, firm footing, then they pause and take another deep breath before trying to stand up. They teeter for a moment but only that much, their natural elven grace quickly saving them from losing balance, and after another sharp capture of breath they turn around with a few deft little steps. Another long sigh of relief as they look back at me.

“Perfect. You’re doing great. Now just take your time, take it easy. You’re just fine.”

I expect them to scowl at me for talking down to them, but they just give me an understandably nervous little smile and then hold their staff out in front of them like an acrobat on a balance wire. One last breath and they begin walking towards me.

Nothing shifts, the tree staying stuck fast where it is, and as they get close to me I lean out as best I can, offering my paw. They’re starting to relax now, and I’ll admit so am I. This went way better than I was expecting.

Then the whole thing suddenly pitches under them and one of their feet slips out from under them, and they begin to wheel their arms as they fight for balance while the whole damn thing starts to break loose. I throw my arm out and grab their closest arm as it swings by and I don’t even bother trying to balance myself first before I pull. I stumble backwards and very nearly go down, and then with a great rending and splintering of wood the crushed trunk splits free of the rocks and almost flips right over as it’s quickly yanked away by the fast current. Gael tumbles into my arms and we spin round in something almost like a dance as we fight to keep our footing, then crash unceremoniously into the solid, essentially vertical wall of right directly behind us.

We stand there for a long time, both breathing heavy, hugging each other tightly, and in spite of the loudness of the river all I can really hear is their hard, fast panting in my ear. I get my own under control and wait for theirs to join me, then I finally start extricating my arms while they pull away and look down around them to make sure they’re on solid ground now. Finally we’re able to relax again.

“Well, that was …” I really don’t know how to finish that sentence.

“Yeah.” they sigh back “It was.”

I stay where I am, sagging back into the rockface behind me, and after a few moments Gael moves up beside me and does the same, propping her staff up on her side and letting it settle. We take a few deep breaths and finally the giggles come as the tension we’ve been labouring under finally breaks. At least it’s not tears this time, I guess.

“All right then,” Gael ventures once the fit’s subsided. “What do we do now, then?”

“Well, for a start, you’re right about trying to climb outta here. Don’t reckon I could pull that off any better’n you could, even if I wasn’t starting to feel the beating I just took. We’re stuck where we are, looks like.”

Gael frowns at that, looks around again. Their frown deepens and they realise how right they really are, and maybe there’s a little extra nervousness in them now. They push themselves away from the wall, clutching their staff tight in both hands now. “Well we can’t … we can’t just stand here.” Their voice is starting to falter a little now, a little bit of a quiver to it, but it’s not fear, even if I can see their bottom lip wobbling now. No, they’re starting to shiver now, and now I realise I’m starting to feel the cold too. Damn, that’s it, ain’t it. We’ve been so pumped full of adrenaline we probably didn’t even realise how bastard cold that water actually was, but now we’re crashing it’s starting to hit us. “Oh shit … Art …” They let go with their right hand, hold it up in front of them, and it’s shaking badly now.

“Fuck …” I rush to them now, seize their arms tight, then loosen my grip a little as I start rubbing up and down vigorously. “Come on, calm down, don’t panic. A little cold never killed anyone.”

The look they give me is truly venomous. “You bloody idiot, that’s not even remotely true. Oh gods … we’re going to freeze to … death down … here.”

“Then light a fire. Warm us up a bit.” I give up on their arms and just pull them into a tight hug, start rubbing enthusiastically up and down their back. “I seen you blow guys up with fireballs, a little campfire shouldn’t be any trouble.”

“It doesn’t … work … like that … Art.” They’re having to fight to get each word out now, their teeth are chattering like crazy now, and they’re shaking up a storm.

I’m doing a little better but not much, I’m a soggy excuse for a cat right now and the cold’s starting to bite me too. “Sure it does.”

“No it doesn’t. What the hell am I … going to set fire to … down here? Everything’s bloody … soaked. There’s nothing to … catch a flame.”

Shit … they got a point, now I think about it. There’s no viable fuel down here, and we can’t climb out, but obviously there’s no way we can stay either. We gotta get outta here right now, or we’ll be dead in a matter of hours. Hypothermia’s gonna set in scary fast and we’ll just drowse on out, an’ that’ll be the story of Art of Shadows and Gael Foxtail of the Creeping Bam, one pathetic, tragic little anticlimax. I don’t wanna go out like that, and there’s no way I’m gonna let Gael go out like that. They deserve way better.

“Okay, okay …” I’m having to hold them up now, their legs are starting to buckle. “Gael, look, we gotta move, right? So you gotta do that thing again, like back with the avalanche, yeah? Zap us outta here, get us someplace warm an’ dry. Can you send us both to Untermer, maybe?”

“I can’t … never been … doesn’t work that way anyway … too far …” Their voice is starting to slur now, that’s really not a good sign. Their eyelids are drooping now, they’ll be passing out soon. I pull them into a tighter hug and squeeze tight as I start rubbing more vigorously.

“Well shit, Gael … c’mon, just get us out, at least. How far can you go?”

“A few miles … but I don’t know where … can’t think …”

“You can’t just zap us on instinct, maybe? Y’know, just work the spell, not bother to think about where we’re going?”

“Could ‘port us into a … wall … or a rock … or halfway up a cliff …”

“But you did it before, didn’t you? With Kesla.”

“Got lucky … million to one chance … no way I get that … lucky again …”

“Really?” I almost start laughing at that, but at best it would probably be more like cracked, broken barking right now, the way I’m feeling. “Reckon it’s either die like that or die like this, then. Which d’you prefer?”

They shove me back hard now, glaring at me, suddenly angry, and it seems to cut through the chills and shaking a bit. Just enough. “How the fuck is that a choice, Art?”

“It ain’t. That’s kinda the point.”

Their frown deepens, and they think about it for a moment, and as they do the shivers come back hard. They’re getting me now, too. Doubt I could keep this up much longer myself. Finally they pull me back into the embrace themselves, growling: “Fuck it.” in my ear before uttering a word under their breath, and the way I feel it means it’s definitely magic.

Oh dear fucking gods … this is a horrible feeling, like I’m being unmade and my stomach is begging to empty itself in all sorts of directions as we seem to go somewhere while at the same time definitely not. Gael’s already collapsing as our feet seem to touch down on noticeably softer ground all on their own, and my knees give way in sympathy, though I suspect it’s as much from my own body starting to give in to the cold too.

Reckon I understand how Kesla felt now, my stomach doesn’t even bother asking for permission first before emptying itself, and it’s a miracle I have enough time and presence of mind to let go of Gael and throw myself aside in time. I vomit onto what turns out to be a crisp bed of dead leaves, and once I’m able to focus again the light’s decidedly diminished even compared to what we were getting down in the ravine. It's not quite so cold either, but then the air’s a whole lot drier, and it’s still pretty brisk.

Looking up I find trees in all directions, but the largely bald canopy lets light through from the red dusk sky. There are firs in the mix too though, and through the mixed treeline to the left I see a towering peak rising above us, another one lower on the right. We’re lower now, maybe below the frostline, and I venture we’re on the other side of the Viper now. Wow … Gael did it.

“Gods, you’re a bloody wonder.” I half whisper it, but when I turn back to them as I wipe the last little smear of puke from my mouth I find them already curling up on the ground beside me, shivering viciously now, eyes closed and face tight. They’re considerably paler than usual, and their lips are starting to turn blue. “Oh shit!”

Grabbing hold quick, I pull them into my lap and start rubbing them again. “God, Gael, don’t do this. I can’t do magic any magic, this is not the time for you to be a difficult little pest and die on me. C’mon!”

They give a low grunt and start squirming in my arms almost immediately, seeming more pissed off at me than anything else right now, but it’s a good thing. Their eyes barely open as they look up at me, but there’s still a little strength left in them as they try to push me away. “Get off, you great fuzzy lump. I’m not dying yet.”

That makes me grin, but it’s unsteady because my teeth are starting to chatter now too. I manage my best to prop them up but it’s hard, my paws are starting to go numb too now, I’m finding it increasingly hard to get my fingers to do what I want them to. “Fire … get a fire going …”

They start to fumble at their components bag while I start trying to scrape some kindling together, although by now I’m in such a state it’s more a case of just grabbing what sticks are close to hand and mounding them up with some of the drier leaves. It’s gotta be the worst campfire I ever made, but I doubt it’ll matter much.

“Art, I can’t … I can’t do this …” Looking back, I see they’re finding it all but impossible to even open the buckle on the satchel, their hands are shaking so bad. “My … fingers …”

I push their hands away and start at it myself, and while I’m losing touch too I somehow manage to work the flap open. Inside it’s dry as a bone, in any other circumstances it would be the craziest thing, but since Gael’s a wizard it makes perfect sense for them to put an enchantment like that on their gear. “Okay, what am I …”

“Blue … blue box … green bottle … red ribbon …”

These are impossibly vague instructions but after a few moments of rummaging I get what they’re talking about, finding a little tin box about three inches square and a glass phial with a cork stopper and a little silk ribbon tied around the neck. I don’t bother with ceremony, simply flicking the cork free with a thumb and then dumping a little trickle of the contents into one of Gael’s shaking hands, then a pinch from the tin into the other.

Likely there’s more finesse and ceremony to it most of the time, but Gael just claps their hands together and rubs them back and forth a few times before throwing their palms out while saying another of those weird sensory words of theirs. For a moment nothing really happens, just a lot sparks crackling in empty air, and they frown deep as they try to grit their teeth and simply set them to chattering, but then they rub their hands together and thrust them forward again, repeating the spell. Another beat and I think there’s no hope for it …

… before the whole wretched pile of sub-standard kindling immolates in an instant and I’m almost forced back through pure instinct by the sheer forceful heat of it. Instead I start throwing more sticks and leaves onto it and within a few minutes we’ve got a fair-sized but pretty shoddy little bonfire burning. It’s a mess, but for now it’ll serve.

“Okay, okay, that’s more like it.” I try to sit them up again but they’re just limp now, that spell seems to have taken the last of it out of them, and for a moment I’m terrified they’ve slipped away already, but they’re still breathing, and there’s just enough warmth in them. I pull their pack off and start rummaging immediately, and the proximity of the fire’s already starting to work wonders for my fingers. After a little fruitless searching through the similarly bone-dry pack I find a particularly warm little square inside, and when I pull it free I find it’s a very rich bearskin cloak that’s been very tightly folded, seeming to unfurl all on its own the moment I free it. It’s massive and very cosy. “Oh wow … Gael, you bloody genius. This is perfect.”

Setting the cloak aside, I shake free of my own pack and start unstrapping my harnesses, and it suddenly hits me that I’m about to undress someone I’ve started having … thoughts and feelings about, without their consent. Sure, my intention is to get them out of their wet clothes and use my own body heat to keep them from freezing to death, but still, it feels all kinds of complicated all on its own. Doesn’t stop me from plunging forward regardless.

Except that in the midst of it my ears are still working well enough, or maybe it’s just my own discomfort that’s making me painfully aware of everything again, but I hear a cracking of dry leaves underfoot to the left and freeze in an instant. Suddenly the cold’s forgotten and I don’t even think about it, I reach for my harness and pull two of my mid-size daggers free in one quick move before wheeling on the source of the sound.

Yeslee’s stood a dozen paces away, an arrow knocked to her bow but not drawn since she’s already recognized me. I catch movement, less stealthy but still practiced, another dozen paces to her left, Krakka starting to straighten up out of his ready crouch as he too realises it’s only friends here. The look of relief on his face is clear, but there’s a subtle flicker of something very similar on Yeslee’s too, well-hidden as it might be while she starts breathing out again.

“Oh, thank fuck …” I let the blades dangle as I sag, falling to my knees.

“Are you all right?” To my very great surprise it’s Yeslee who asks this question.

“No. I lost my favourite knives.”