have to do. They made a run for it, just as an arrow zipped through the air, narrowly missing Sebastian’s ear. He felt the air move as it whizzed by.
“Go!” he shouted.
They dashed the last few yards to the river’s edge. The dock was merely five planks of wood hammered together. It looked barely able to hold a person’s weight. As he stepped on it, it cracked. He had to make a dive for the barge before the wood broke under his weight. He barely made it, but turned immediately to catch Drea, who was right on his heels.
She leaped just as he had, but wasn’t as lucky. He saw it happen in his mind seconds before it happened. One foot reached the boat, but the other didn’t. She fell backward into the water.
Sebastian reached over the edge to grab her. He managed to snag her arm before she went under. The river wasn’t that deep but with the storm and the waves the wind was making, a person would definitely get pulled under the swells and not come up. He dragged her up onto the ship. She was shivering violently. But there was nothing he could do about that now. They had to get downstream before the elves caught up to them.
The pole the barge was tied to leaned to the side, breaking under the strain of the wind and rain. Sebastian grabbed the rope and yanked on it. It didn’t take much for the wood to break and they were free from the dock. The water eagerly swept them along, as if ecstatic to finally have a toy to play with.
As they rolled along the river, he watched the shore. It wasn’t long before arrows sailed through the air toward them. Thankfully the wind made it difficult for the elves to find their marks, but he had to duck to avoid one well-aimed missile fired at his head. A wave knocked the barge toward the rocks. Sebastian pushed them away with the pole. It was going to be difficult to steer and dodge arrows.
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Drea on her side, shivering. She was in no shape to be dodging arrows. Still holding onto the pole, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into the wheelhouse. The elves’ arrows wouldn’t be able to get her there. At least the roof and three walls prevented most of the rain from pelting her as well. He rubbed at her arms.
“We’re going to be all right.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, her teeth chattering.
“Yes,” he said, although he wasn’t too sure. The arrows were still coming. One had nearly speared him in the foot. He had to pilot them farther down the river and away from the shore. He also had to do something for her or she was going to get sick. There was a heat spell he could perform, but he wasn’t sure how effective it would be in the rain. But first he had to deter the elves from firing at them.
Sebastian came out of the wheelhouse and stood in the center of the vessel, positioning the pole in the water to steer them down the river. Another arrow flew over his head, just missing him. He closed his eyes and pictured the rocky shore, shaping a large boulder in his mind. When he opened his eyes again, the rock was floating in front of him. With all his energy he tossed the boulder toward the elves. His aim was better than theirs and it landed right in front of them, scattering them, and the elves fell back. He suspected they’d be off to get their horses and find a road that led them along the river. For now, they were safe.
He checked on Drea again. Her shivers were more pronounced, and he could hear her teeth chattering even over the rush of water all around them. He had to warm her.
Concentrating on her, on the air around her, Sebastian pushed and slammed the particles together. Over and over he did this. Until finally he could feel a warmth spreading through the air around Drea. Pushing on his magic even harder, the temperature increased. While he knelt beside her he could feel it getting hotter and hotter. Steam wafted off her wet clothing.
She stopped shivered and her teeth were no longer chattering together. Blinking back the
“Go!” he shouted.
They dashed the last few yards to the river’s edge. The dock was merely five planks of wood hammered together. It looked barely able to hold a person’s weight. As he stepped on it, it cracked. He had to make a dive for the barge before the wood broke under his weight. He barely made it, but turned immediately to catch Drea, who was right on his heels.
She leaped just as he had, but wasn’t as lucky. He saw it happen in his mind seconds before it happened. One foot reached the boat, but the other didn’t. She fell backward into the water.
Sebastian reached over the edge to grab her. He managed to snag her arm before she went under. The river wasn’t that deep but with the storm and the waves the wind was making, a person would definitely get pulled under the swells and not come up. He dragged her up onto the ship. She was shivering violently. But there was nothing he could do about that now. They had to get downstream before the elves caught up to them.
The pole the barge was tied to leaned to the side, breaking under the strain of the wind and rain. Sebastian grabbed the rope and yanked on it. It didn’t take much for the wood to break and they were free from the dock. The water eagerly swept them along, as if ecstatic to finally have a toy to play with.
As they rolled along the river, he watched the shore. It wasn’t long before arrows sailed through the air toward them. Thankfully the wind made it difficult for the elves to find their marks, but he had to duck to avoid one well-aimed missile fired at his head. A wave knocked the barge toward the rocks. Sebastian pushed them away with the pole. It was going to be difficult to steer and dodge arrows.
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Drea on her side, shivering. She was in no shape to be dodging arrows. Still holding onto the pole, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into the wheelhouse. The elves’ arrows wouldn’t be able to get her there. At least the roof and three walls prevented most of the rain from pelting her as well. He rubbed at her arms.
“We’re going to be all right.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, her teeth chattering.
“Yes,” he said, although he wasn’t too sure. The arrows were still coming. One had nearly speared him in the foot. He had to pilot them farther down the river and away from the shore. He also had to do something for her or she was going to get sick. There was a heat spell he could perform, but he wasn’t sure how effective it would be in the rain. But first he had to deter the elves from firing at them.
Sebastian came out of the wheelhouse and stood in the center of the vessel, positioning the pole in the water to steer them down the river. Another arrow flew over his head, just missing him. He closed his eyes and pictured the rocky shore, shaping a large boulder in his mind. When he opened his eyes again, the rock was floating in front of him. With all his energy he tossed the boulder toward the elves. His aim was better than theirs and it landed right in front of them, scattering them, and the elves fell back. He suspected they’d be off to get their horses and find a road that led them along the river. For now, they were safe.
He checked on Drea again. Her shivers were more pronounced, and he could hear her teeth chattering even over the rush of water all around them. He had to warm her.
Concentrating on her, on the air around her, Sebastian pushed and slammed the particles together. Over and over he did this. Until finally he could feel a warmth spreading through the air around Drea. Pushing on his magic even harder, the temperature increased. While he knelt beside her he could feel it getting hotter and hotter. Steam wafted off her wet clothing.
She stopped shivered and her teeth were no longer chattering together. Blinking back the
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