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"Ummm," Vayne said uneasily. "Fuck?"
The river started to spread out to either side of the wall, threatening to flood the forest around us. Creatures I couldn't see, shrieked and scuttled away in terror.
"Yes, fuck is right." Vayne nodded.
"Close enough." Ryze shouted, "Run!" He leapt down the bank, landed with a squelch, and started to bolt across the riverbed.
I had the fleeting thought he might be completely insane, but then Tavian and Vayne darted after him. I glanced at Zared for half a second and then we too were running.
The riverbed was slippery and slick with mud. My boots stuck every few steps. Once or twice, deep enough I had to stop and pull them free, the mud popping and squelching as I drew free from the suction. I don’t know how I didn’t lose a boot. The mud showed no mercy at all.
After a few moments, the wall of ice started to shake. Cracks appeared in the centre. The pressure of the water pushed against it, insisting it be allowed to run its course. It roared, almost deafening with its anger, a giant with fists beating against its prison, trying to break out.
I swallowed down my fear and went on running.
“Come on!” Ryze shouted. “Hurry!”
What the fuck did he think I was doing? He could make the bridge himself next time.
Halfway across, I slipped on rocks and almost fell. I windmilled my arms and managed to keep my balance before I landed face first in the mud.
“Shit.”
The wall shook harder. It slanted inward, toward me, slowly losing its struggle to resist the push of the river.
Just a moment or two longer…
Tavian crouched to scoop up something, before he grabbed my hand and yanked me toward the opposite bank.
"Fish," he explained briefly before giving me a shove and climbing up behind me
“Right.” Of course. I stood, palms on my thighs, trying to catch my breath. The ground was wonderfully solid under my feet.
“Zared?”
I turned to see him still running. He was tall for a human, his legs long, but he wasn’t as fast as a Fae. Without realising, I left him behind about halfway across the river bed. I didn't realise I could run so fast. I suppressed the flash of guilt that wouldn’t help anyone right now. I could wallow in that later.
"Khala, help me hold up the wall," Ryze said urgently. "Vayne, Tavian, grab him the moment he's close enough."
The wall cracked. Hairline at first. Water trickled through holes here and there. A heartbeat later, they were twice the size with twice the flow. At this rate, Zared would be swept away.
If there are any gods listening, please keep him safe, I pleaded silently. Right now, he needed all the help he could get. I wasn't sure me and my magic were up to it.
I gritted my teeth and pushed the water back as hard as I could. The pressure was enormous. Much more than before. The water backed up, insisting on shoving everything out of its path. I'd never felt anything like it. I could no more stop it than I could stop the sun from setting. But I could delay it. I had to.
I tried again to freeze the wall. The result was flimsy at best. The river was resisting being blocked a second time. The flood on either side of the narrow wall grew, heading towards us. Threatening to wash over us all.
If it reached us, we'd all be screwed. Nothing would stop us from being caught up in the torrent. We would die here.
"Faster!" Tavian urged Zared. He sounded desperate, scared. His tone exactly mirrored my thoughts. We had seconds to do this. If we couldn't…
I didn't bother to shake my head, I pushed my doubt away and threw everything into keeping the water from reaching Zared. Every single drop of concentration went it this. We couldn’t fail.
Zared glanced at the wall that shook and quivered right beside him. He put down his head and ran as fast, palms flat to help him move faster.
"I can't hold it." The pressure pushed back at me, shoving. The water was alive and fighting back. It lapped around my ankles. I was about to belong to the river.
Ryze groaned. "Yes, you can. Another minute more." His voice was as strained as my attempt to hold the magic in place. He wasn't finding this any easier than I was. If he couldn't do it then…
