Caught in the violent swirls of the lower part of the raging river, Thorik and Avanda rolled head over heels in different directions until they both were jolted to a stop. The twine that connected them together had become snagged around a rock at the base of the river.
Like two kites on a windy day, the Nums flapped around in the rushing waters. The pitch-blackness of the cavern prevented them from seeing each other, but Thorik knew Avanda would be panicking by now. He had promised to hold onto her, and he currently wasn’t. The jolt had pulled them apart.
Thorik fought off the natural instinct to panic and fight his way free. Instead, he reached for the twine and began to climb it. After a few very difficult pulls upstream, he reached the area where the twine had been lodged. Reaching around the sharp rock, he attempted to lift the twine over, but the twine’s pressure against the rock was far too much for him to overcome.
Thorik then pulled himself against the river to climb around the far side of the rock. But once there, the water pressure forced his chest firmly against the rock, preventing him from easily getting his hands in place to remove the twine. After working his fingers down along the twine to locate the point of the snag, he realized that the twine was wedged far too deep into a crack for him to jar it loose. It was stuck.
His air was starting to deplete and he knew Avanda may have already lost hers. His actions needed to be swift.
Reaching past the rock, he grabbed the taut twine, which held Avanda. Kicking off, he allowed himself to be taken by the river straight toward her. He tumbled forward.
Thorik’s body slammed into Avanda. They both flopped about at the base of the river. Immediately unbuckling his leather belt, Thorik fed the leather through her belt, and then buckled it back up. Then, he removed his hunting dagger and cut both twines which held them captive.
The two Nums flew like a cork popping off a bottle. They spun and rolled and twisted until they finally reached the surface.
Thorik gasped for air, not knowing how long it would last. Fortunately, they were now riding along the surface of the river.
“Avanda!” Thorik yelled, realizing she hadn’t taken a breath as of yet.
Her head was limp on her neck and she showed no signs of life.
Moving her into a position to ensure her head was above water, he began working his way to the side of the river. He hoped to find a ledge at some point to pull her to safety.
It was then that an unseen rock from the low ceiling cracked against Thorik’s head. Lights flashed in Thorik’s eyes and he felt himself pass out.
Essence of Gluic Page 6