4
We hit the water so hard that I lost my grip on the branches. The soldier quickly grabbed me by the armor before I fell and pulled me back onto the tree, now lying horizontally. I looked at him with a mixture of gratitude and hostility, and he shot me a taunting look in return.
The oddly strong water current started pulling us toward the cliff.
Through the tree branches, I saw my brother riding at full gallop on the other side of the Glawar, following us. The echo of his shouts was lost in the roar of the waters and the wind whistling in my ears.
Suddenly, the human and I found ourselves in the river, whose course had turned into a rapid-filled path. The tree began to spin. We tried to hold onto the strongest branches and helped each other multiple times to avoid falling into the water.
Water making the bark viscous.
Water bouncing us around.
Water entering our noses, mouths, and eyes.
Water demanding our lives.
Why wasn’t I just jumping off this damn tree to reach my kingdom’s shore? My kind’s strength and endurance should let me swim against the current.
Save myself.
Then why wasn’t I doing so? Why was I ignoring Araton’s screams? Why did I keep staying with the human?
Why couldn’t I leave him?
Maybe I didn’t want him to die alone, as all those poor wounded boys Lake Caran had just swept away without them being able to do anything. Maybe I wanted to show him compassion and let him see that elves weren’t selfish monsters, contrary to what his king likely depicted us as.
We were nearly at the waterfall when sharp rocks started to appear from the riverbed. The tree roots slammed against one, making the trunk spin. The branch the soldier was gripping broke, but I caught his hand just before a sudden slope caught us, and the water temporarily submerged us.
The rocks increased in number, and the rapids became more turbulent.
A salty scent drifted into my nostrils, and I realized we had reached the end of the river. The man looked at me, breathless, and when he saw the farewell in my eyes, he released my hand with a small smile.
The swollen Glawar River plunged from the cliff, and our tree fell off the tall and huge waterfall.
When we were young and reckless, Araton and I had jumped from the cliffs south of the Lands of the East many times. So, just like back then, I timed it right, took a deep breath, and prepared myself for the crash into the sea.
I felt a strange heat right before impact.
Then, the dark.