The journey (journey part 2)[open]

[kangaroo cry]

Despite recognized belief (aka what Josh said), Raine was not asleep. Not at all. Allow herself to be folded into the semi-safe contours of sleep right away? No, of course not. Especially not in a new area Raine had not treaded before. So instead of lying down to wait for sleep, she prepared for it as she always had- by sitting with her back against the tent and stretching her legs out in front of her. The reason was simple, the truth simpler still. Raine could not, had not, slept any other way. Where she had been brought up it was just common instinct not to sleep lying down. To expose oneself that way was foolish. Sleep with your back to the wall as to not get snuck up on or surprised. You couldn’t count on anyone to watch your back, you had to watch your own. People learned to look out for themselves, and themselves only, a trait that had followed Raine ferociously all her life like a homeless puppy looking for shelter in a storm. She hadn’t even thought of changing her ways, so she kept steadfast to them.

Come midnight Raine watched Gerand stumble to his bed, and River go out. A quietness had fallen over her that Gerand had broken by coming in. Raine kept her eyes open, escaping weariness, and waited for it to return.

The night was fresh; Raine could taste it, even behind the fabrics of the tent. The air was still and cold and unmarked by the terrors of the city. The percentage of freedom that it held was much higher than that of the city’s. And outside of the tiny tent that enclosed her the grass was greener; the trees bigger and stronger than any city could ever manage. The wildlife was more alive; the streams rushed and gurgled with more enthusiasm. And the quietness Raine was waiting for returned to her, as she had been waiting for. Now, as she sat and realized this, she knew she had part of that freedom she had wanted coming on this trip. Raine had it, now that Gerand was asleep and River was nowhere she could see. She was alone, if you didn’t care to get picky. Here, in the quietness her heart raced for, she was free. But Raine could feel that this would be short-lived. Come 4am, when it was her turn to go outside and protect these strangers, or when an animal called out to another in the blackness, or when Gerand moved in his slumber, this peace would be broken. Short, and weak. Just like any peace Raine would feel on this trip. So she relaxed her muscles and enjoyed it, not falling into sleep.

[forgottenxthreat]

Gerand took the first watch. No one objected and River doubted Gerand would listen if anyone did, judging by the boldness in his step and the seriousness of his tone. Without another word he strode out of the tent, leaving River and Raine alone. Sitting down on his ‘sheet’ (ooc; lmao, sheet), River grabbed one of the packs on the ground and took a sip of water from one of the canteens. His thirst strangely quenched, (ooc; ok, now I’m starting to feel like I’m writing a Gatorade commercial) he exhaled rather loudly and let his body go to rest as his mind started to think. River remembered the city in smoke. Burning, as if in hell, by the flame of the Government. The putrid ruins of the place flashed in his mind like a warning, an urgent warning. He tried desperately to make sense of it. We’ve got to complete this mission. He looked at Raine, hearing himself say ‘we’. But tell them? Could he trust them with that? Surely no; They’d think he was crazy. For all he knew Gerand was a spy for the Government and would recognize the mysterious case of a family of four who showed futuristic physic abilities, and turn him in immediately. No, no that wouldn’t work… But this mission, this dire mission. The situation was now critical. As thoughts flowed in and out of his mind, River involuntary put his hand to his forehead- where the intense pain had come from. Visions. He quickly caught himself, snapping his hand down and quickly glanced over at Raine to see if she had noticed. She was staring absentmindedly in his direction. (ooc; not meaning she’s looking at him, but facing the inside of the tent, where river is, across from her) He shifted his weight and turned his back to her, feeling watched, and retreated back inside his thoughts. He racked his brain, trying to remember when his parents had them. He remembered… something… A foggy day outside-windy… A storm was coming. His father was walking towards him, down the gravel road carrying bags of groceries. “What’re those for?” his brother asked. “The roads’ll be blocked; the town powerless for a couple of days.” His father knew… he had seen it. And the storm came, staying stubbornly for days, blocking all transportation and all forms of electricity. Something frightened River as he sat up, abruptly. How long did the visions see? Sometimes the visions were of the next month… and sometimes that very day. Had the city already burned? Was the war already lost? No. no, they would see the smoke. A city so big… they would see. River took in a deep breath tried to relax; it would be his shift soon. He needed to sleep. Lowering himself to the ground, he shut his eyes, putting all his trust in these two strangers… within a moment, his conscious mind was gone.

His shift came early as Gerand shook him awake at four AM. He wasn’t completely aware that he had fallen asleep, but his body sure did as it whined in protest about opening his weary eyes. He pulled himself up and walked outside. An instant gust of cold, rough air hit him as soon as the tent flap was open. If anything could wake him up, that could. River shivered as he rubbed his bare arms, trying to stop the frenzied spread of goose bumps than were running down his body. His mind now fully awake, he set his eyes to the silent camp site. The woods looked much different in the dark… heavier… thicker…. Like every inch was filled with something. Everything had a place. And if something wrong tried to take refuge in the forest, the forest would turn on it. The branches that once held the spy would recoil, leaving him standing alone; the moonlight would stretch over the clouds, like a spotlight revealing him; the forest worked together to keep its vicinity empty. River felt as though the woods were protecting them, just as the wind was keeping him awake with its soft, wispy song.

When his shift came to a close, his duty to watch and guard, over, he fumbled back inside the tent and went to Raine to wake her. Then he crumbled down, and fell to sleep, the forest and all its contents standing like a strong wall around him.

[kangaroo cry]

Ooc; I’ve been reading the Odyssey. It’s making my writing weird and all poetic and confusing. I'm not even sure myself it makes sense, lol. Beware.

IC:Raine sat herself down to let her eyes watch the night for any intruders to her thoughts. The wind took her senses and emotions, as she remained unresponsive. Cold, nor hunger, nor depression, nor happiness could reach her.

The open darkness was welcoming. Raine felt it take flight from the sky and envelop her. The silhouettes of the world crisscrossed all around. She was ready to wait with and enjoy the darkness and the cover it gave.

The light was revealing. It showed the flaws and imperfections unseen in the dark. In the dark Raine could pretend. Her mind could hide the defects of life and imagine that this version of life -–thoughtful, alone, alive-– was the only version. The light was horribly contradicting to this mind’s image.

And she stayed this way-– half-awake, partially ruined-– until morning when the sun came and stole her. Now she was wakeful. Feelings returned, a scowl set her features hard; her eyes lost their knowing. She crossed her arms and became stiff.

Inhaling deeply, she realized the air smelled heavily of smoke. The fire was burning strongly still, though Raine had not glanced at it once all her shift.

By the look of the sun in the sky it was past 8 o’clock. Raine turned her gaze to her pack. She wasn’t hungry. Thirst had yet to reach her as well. Dismissing nutritional needs, she started to pack up what little they had unpacked, preparing to leave immediately. When that was done and no one had yet stirred to her knowledge, she threw her pack at the tent, watching it pull down the walls and the whole thing collapse on her sleeping companions. “Get up. I’m leaving in 10 minutes. If you’re coming then be ready.” She said, her voice impassive but very loud. Turning her back on the tent she went on to destroying any evidence of their being there.

[jckwik]

Gerand was asleep again, blackness surrounding his brain. But inside he was surrounded by a wall of orange and red flames, rising around his body as once again he dreamed of things he knew could happen.

But this wasn't anyplace he'd been before. It seemed like a giant warehouse, but not like the warehouse that they had gotten their equipment from. It seemed more sinister. And it was on fire. And he couldn't do anything about it. He was tied up on the floor of the huge warehouse, listening to the screams of his companions, and the dark,evil laugh of an unknown source. He waited for the pain as the fire would tear through his body, igniting it and only leaving when he was a pile of ashes.

It never came. But that was pushed out of his mind as there was a crack, and the ceiling started coming down on him. He jumped and tried to move, and woke up as the tent came crashing down on his body along with the sound of Raine's voice.

“Get up. I’m leaving in 10 minutes. If you’re coming then be ready.”

Gerand groaned. His lack of sleep the night at the Rebellion headquarters combined with the lack of sleep that night (and the nightmares) were catching up to him. His head hurt like hell. It felt like someone was taking a sledgehammer to it. Being hit by the tent didn't help. He slipped out of the tent, and helped to take it down.

That done he moved to his pack, looking through the rations. There wasn't any coffee included in them, but there were other ways of getting a kick. Chamomile...He used a pot and filled it with water, leaving it over the fire, before walking away from camp with an "I'll be right back, don't leave without me."

He was looking for a certain type of plant called Chamomile. If harvested properly and soaked in water it creates a liquid passable as tea, with a small amount of caffeine to chase away some of his headache. A minute or two of looking and he found what he was looking for. He snapped off a few leaves, and walked back to camp.

Their rations included a thermos. "How useful," he muttered. "Give us a thermos and no coffee." He then took his boiling water off the fire, put the leaves into it, and covered it.

He waited a few minutes, continuing to help pack up around the site, and then went back. He transfered the liquid into his thermos, put the lid on, and packed up his backpack.

"Let's go!" he said, slinging the backpack over his shoulder.

[forgottenxthreat]

River awoke at the crack of a whip as the whole tent buckled on top of him. At first, alarmed he fought against the flimsy fabric, until he realized he was back in reality. Dreams has wound in and out of his head all night- dreams of the prison: both legs in shock, being dragged across the cold hollow floor, and then struggling with his brother to unchain the handcuffs they were bound in when left alone. As he blinked River saw the scene before his eyes; himself on his knees, head resting against the brick wall- bleeding from a gash above his eyebrow. “Is it almost free?” He asked in a tired whisper. His brother continued to work restlessly to fit the rusted key into the iron cuffs, “Almost,” he whispered back. River heard a loud click and his hands burst free from the bonds, panting, he stretched his arms and slumped back against the wall, his brother beside him. “Well, now we know the key works,” Revelin said rubbing his own wrists, burning blisters and aged rawness from the bindings cut deep into his skin. River nodded, picked up the little metal piece of wealth and tucked it away, hidden behind a loose brick in the corner. His eyes fluttered open; his body lay entangled in the tent. Beside him somewhere he heard Gerand struggling out. Without the energy, or maybe will, to bring forth anger from his body, he slowly stumbled to his feet, and looked out at the campsite. Raine bustled around destroying it as Gerand walked off into the trees. A deep frown crossed his face, the searing coals of an oncoming flame, as Raine became the only one at the campsite. His hands cringed into a fist at his side then relaxed. It wasn’t worth it. He felt the coals inside him simmer and die out.

Dawn woke to day, as day fell to dusk; the group hiked through the dense forest that seemed like it would never end. Each day opened with blinding sunlight and closed with the same familiar pressing darkness. Days went by, and on they traveled- over windy hilltops, through deserted valleys. The terrain got rougher; the ground dryer- more scattered with broken boulders and shattered pieces of dead trees. Yet for as many dead corpses of plants littered the ground, about 10 times more live ones entangled themselves like vines on every surface within reach. With each passing day, the less River recognized it as the world he lived in. They were charting into unknown soil, places that no human has been for centuries. It was beautifully unscathed. A world as untouched as this- pure as this- was something he respected, remembering the distant city they came from, drowned in poison reign.

It was a tiresome morning, one that had just barely crept above the horizon when the beaming light hit it; the first evidence of human civilization any of them had seen for miles. The weather-beaten wooden bridge hung supported by gnarled ropes from which loose threads tumbled on the ripping wind, falling down into nothing- for the canyon over which the bridge hung was endless. River looked over at his companions, at the stretch of inclining terrain they still had to descend before reaching the overpass, and then at the overpass itself which seemed like it would crumble if too swift a gust came. He wondered if they all would make it home alive.

[jckwik]

The fake coffee helped Gerand's aching head, and by the time they had really started to walk his headache was beginning to recede back into the depths of his head, waiting its time to reappear. The trees flowed past them as they walked through the forest.

As they walked, Gerand studied Raine, sizing her up as he had done earlier with River. She was very petite and short in stature, but Gerand knew that looks were deceiving. He knew she was strong for her size, for she had easily pushed Gerand off of her when he had tackled her back when they had first met. Gerand knew that he wasn't the strongest or heaviest of people, but to get him off of her shouldn't have been that easy a feat. Her hair was metallic purple, going almost halfway down her back. Gerand wasn't sure whether this was her natural color (which he doubted) or not, and if not what she did to get her hair to be that color. All he knew was that he wasn't sure why Raine hadn't been caught before, because her hair definitely stood out, both in a crowd and in the trees. Her eyes were an extremely dark brown, almost black. Gerand noted the amra's placed around her body in places not usually noticed, but yet easily accessible if needed. She, like River, most likely relied more on the amra's then her melee fighting, but she could hold her own if necessary. Her skin was very pale. She probably burned extremely easily. Gerand hadn't known Raine for long, but he had seen her fighting, and he was very glad that she was on his side, not the governments.

They hiked through the forest, the miles stretching out behind them. And then they came upon a bridge. A special bridge. As Gerand saw it he sharply in took breath into his lungs. It was a puny little bridge, with tiny plaques of wood stretching across a never-ending drop. It stretched down into blackness. Gerand fished around in his pocket for a one cent coin. Walking to the edge of the cliff he dropped it off, watching it fall away. He never heard a sound of it hitting the ground, thousands of feet below him.

Turning to the others, he said "I'll go first. If the bridge holds me, it should hold either of you."

And with that he turned toward the bridge, looked straight across, and stepped off onto the first piece of wood. It creaked, bent under his weight, but held. Very carefully, he began to make his way across the rest of the bridge, followed closely by the others.

[kangaroo cry]

Raine kept her pace and her scowl, all the time. She wouldn’t slow down; she wouldn’t smile. Raine was like a steamroller, plowing forward, marching forward, setting the speed, getting there. She didn’t care who was with her, that wasn’t her mission. Well, technically it was. She had to get there ‘with Gerand.’ But whatever, that was just a minor detail. (ooc; Lol, sorry J osh. That’s just the way she thinks.)

Their days fell into routine: Wake up, destroy signs of their humanity at the campsite, walk aimlessly for miles, Raine argues with River, make camp, take watches/sleep, and repeat. There was never much more than that, no variety. Strangely enough, it was nice. Routine was a nice change. Back at the base, everyday was absolute chaos. Raine would be shuffled about on end. There was no way to guess where or what she’d be doing the next day, the next minute. There was no way to tell what would happen in her mission, how someone else would screw up, what would go wrong, when Raine would have to step in and stop the mission from hitting the wall completely. She had grown familiar with it, learned to expect it and enjoy it even, or else she’d go insane.

The world became unidentifiable as they passed through it. There was nothing to say this space was different from that space. Each one had rocks and trees and dirt and terrain. Centuries of no human interference to this part of the world had allowed nature to recuperate and rise up from its decline, and now it was so strong and abundant and overpowering. It was everywhere. At night the sky was the blackest Raine had ever seen, than she ever thought possible, and during the day the sky so amazingly untainted. No smoke or fumes painted it. The air was freer, easier. Instead of pulling her down, it was lifting her up. Here animals could flourish. They actually had a chance. Maybe Raine actually had one, too, here in this emptiness.

Then there was ‘the bridge’. This stupid, forsaken, puny little bridge that contradicted everything around them. Everything else was so pure, and this bridge was so human.

"I'll go first. If the bridge holds me, it should hold either of you." Gerand said.

Sure, Raine thought, because we’ve just broughten you along as a trial dummy to test questionable situations for us. Besides, if you start across and the bridge falls, then that just places us with so many other alternative options to get across. Brilliant. Raine stated sarcastically in her mind, disapproving of Gerand’s thoughtless and unsatisfying idea to see if the bridge was stable or not by using himself as a tester.

“Bridge? Can you really call it that?” Raine mumbled out loud bitterly, staring at her map. “It must have come from BCE. Way before.” But she was ignored and Gerand stepped onto the bridge anyway and it held him.

River stepped on next. Raine took her time to fold the map that only her eyes had seen and tuck it safely away before stepping on to the rotted boards of the “bridge.” They weren’t exactly comforting, but Raine was neither careful, nor cautious. She was nonchalant, just eager to get moving. The first board held her fine, as well as the second. She continued to step along, plank to plank, switching her destiny along to each as she moved. The wind ripped at them wildly, beating at them. Raine’s hair was flying around her, thrashing about as if the wind had given it a life of its own. The bridge, previously unknowing of this present, swayed precariously with the sudden weight of this modern world, these current, mismatching companions. Raine’s mind flashed out a warning to her as she stepped from plank to plank. ‘This isn’t good.’ Her mind said. ‘Look at this insufficient, wretched excuse of a bridge wobble! Do something! If you fall, your mother isn’t here to save your life this time, now is she?’ Her mind mocked. (ooc: Yeah, her mind’s got an attitudeeee.) Raine smiled at her raging, untamed mind. She didn’t need to be saved this time, or ever again. She ignored her mind’s caution and continued to thoroughly cross the bridge.

Solid ground was drawing nearer. Raine sensed she was alone on the bridge, Gerand and River already finished. She was an odd step or two away from land. The wind roared around Raine, fighting her. It blew fire about, ripping at everything. Raine felt her heart pound, suddenly so loud. There was a snap as one of the ropes holding up one side of all the panels fizzled and collapsed. A sickening silence filled the air as Raine felt herself twisting, slipping, as the previously horizontal boards started to fall and become vertical, hanging, useless. And just like that, her destiny stopped jumping with her from panel to panel and began to plummet sharply downwards instead.

[forgottenxthreat]

The wind tore roughly at River’s very breath as he silently struggled against it, trying to pull in oxygen to his needing lungs. His heart was pounding wildly, fear ripping through him. He’d never been so conscious of his size. He was an averagely tall man, nothing abnormal about his height except that he was tall. But as he looked at that bridge… so wispy and frail, it seemed as though assurance left within him plummeted down the unfathomable crevice, like a fragment of dust falling from one of the withering old boards. His jacket felt heavy and his jeans felt weighted down. Did he need all this stuff he was carrying? He shifted on his legs uncomfortably as Gerand took the first step onto the bridge. The winds picked up almost immediately- like they could sense the great unbalance of their presence. Gerand strode on and after what felt like three tiresome years of restless waiting, the bridge became clear; it was his turn to cross. River lifted his head. He looked out over the rickety bridge to the other side where Gerand stood waiting. He briefly glanced behind him to where Raine waited impatiently, arms folded. The sky took a gentle turn of color as the climatic hour of sunset was approaching. Drafty clouds held red tint, mixed with swooping colors of purple and indigo blue, where night would soon creep from. Another gust of wind came lifting his black hair from his face, and pulling the breath right out of him. Squinting to face the oncoming breeze he tightly grasped the strap over his shoulder that held his gun, and took a step. The bridge, no surprise to him, was trembling with fragility. Or maybe it was River himself that was trembling. He couldn’t tell. His boots fell heavy upon the aged planks and every time he lifted a foot and replaced it on a new board, the entire overpass creaked with unhappy warning. River clearly wasn’t welcome. He tried without conviction to think about the bottomless depth that lay beneath him like a monster waiting for its next meal to fall into its draping walls. “Halfway across,” he told himself, “halfway across.” He thought he was shaking, but if it was noticeable, he didn’t know. And for the record he didn’t care. His hand alone reached out steady to the twine rope that held the bridge. Its fibers were prickly, each sliver threatening to launch itself deep into his skin if he held on too tight, bringing too much pressure to the line. River licked his lips, sweat beginning to dry off his face from the wind. His legs continued to step uncertainly, every second an external battle: energy, rush! Fill his legs! Make that muscle move! A step is taken, a step forward. The unsympathetic piece of rotting wood exerts its threatening groan. This endless war repeated. Once, River stumbled. One foot didn’t quite make it over the next without brushing unexpectedly against a hidden nail that stood tall, jutting out indifferently. River’s face twisted into a hateful scowl as he tightened his grip upon the line. He put a hand out in front of him, lest he fall, as the bridge shook with the falter. Gales of winds came angrily swarming him as the airy planks swung bustled in the wind, then the tormented sky ceased. And the overpass hung quietly again, yet River’s heart pulsed loudly. His steps fell to natural ground and his stature instantaneously calmed. His expression took up his usual loathing frown, and he stood arms folded back to the wind at the edge of the cliff. The grass felt so steady to him now; how grateful he was for this strong unyielding ground that did not shake, nor waver in the coming breeze. Raine made her way over now. Her tiny figure treaded softly across the hanging deception, a bridge that spoke loudly of its deceitful sham. For three minutes it seemed as though her voyage was easy, uneventful. Like she could do this effortlessly; a wispy bridge, a wispy girl. No setback. River for a moment curled his mouth in furious envy at that. She probably enjoyed accomplishing something that troubled all her other companions. He bet she liked to see their discomfort. But his expression of envy and outlook of Raine’s effort soon shattered before him. Raine took one unsettling step and the fixed board beneath her cracked with an earsplitting distorted howl. The wood seemed to disintegrate on the spot, the poisonous defection spread to one of the twine strings and snapped. All of the horizontal planks lost balance as one side of the bridge fell plummeting to the abyss that greedily rejoiced in echoed eeriness that the monster may in fact receive its prize. Beneath Raine stood nothing; the winds ripping with horror began to take her down. She would fall, fall lost into darkness, in a single whip of purple hair. Without a millisecond’s hesitation, River lunged out his hand and grasped her falling wrist. He himself knew not what had leapt inside him, reaching for her as if his life, too, depended on it. Their eyes met as the splinters of wood continued to fall in slow motion underneath her. He looked into them. Ocean of black, stand affixed. For a moment, that was all there was. Just that deep ocean. So unreadable, and yet he felt as though he could look and know everything. Her eyes held a gaze so powerful, River was taken aback, and his pulse froze solid in his veins. The gentle breeze pushed a black mane into his eyes (ooc; that’s his bangs, kinda hard to tell) and realization came back to him. River stood over the cliff, his companion dangling at his hand. River’s mind snapped back and he roughly threw her up onto the ground. Once her feet rested on the grass where Gerand and he stood, he shoved his hand away from hers. His eyes turned menacingly, absorbed in their dark emerald shade, “Thanks for that noble decision. Now it’ll take us years to get back!” He growled angrily at her and strode past them both, as the rosy light of sunset fell unnoticed on his face.

[kangaroo cry]

One second she was staring an unsure future in the face; what exactly would be waiting for Raine down that long spiraling chasm? The next second she was staring River in the face. It was a startling sight, seeing empty air that refused to hold her, a flash of face and a bit of black (ooc; hair), and then nothing. She didn’t remember much of that face, only his eyes. Those eyes, like emerald glass, reflective and clear. To Raine’s surprise, he was there acting as a hindrance to her falling. Raine wasn’t sure what exactly happened, she only remembered his eyes, but then her feet met solid ground and Falling’s plan of foiling her was foiled.

Raine blinked, a little slow to remember the world. She was a little confused and a little speechless. What was she suppoused to say in a situation like this?

“Thanks for that noble decision. Now it’ll take us years to get back!” A voice snarled at her.

Immediately Raine closed up, tensing. She didn’t even have to consciously make an effort to speak, as she was sure she didn’t exactly understand that she was being spoken to, her mind snapped back to River’s vicious accusation. “What are you talking about?” Raine said, scowling at River’s back as he walked off. She raised her voice to make sure he heard her. “It’s not my fault that f*cking 7 billion-year-old bridge decided to break! Maybe if you weren’t so huge then you wouldn’t have weakened the bridge in the first place! And don’t be stupid, I will find a way to get us back, no problem.” Raine scoffed, thinking she was finished yelling, but then she started up again. “And we’re suppoused to be going this way!” She shouted, stalking off to her right, her arms swinging angrily at her side. “Are you coming?” She shouted to Gerand, not looking back and really not caring so much whether he followed her or not.

The bridge hadn’t held Raine, way smaller and lighter than the other two. What the f*ck was wrong with that? That bridge obviously had it out for her. Raine grimaced, and then let the whole thing slip to the back of her mind, altogether not finding it that important. She had almost fallen, and then who knows what, but she hadn’t. There was no need to think about it, any of it, anymore.

[jckwik]

Gerand made it back onto solid ground, breathing a huge sigh of relief. Each step was another chance that the bridge would decide to not hold his weight anymore. He thought about kissing the ground, but instead turned around and watched the other two cross. He wasn't worried about anything happening to the bridge now. Unless his guess was wrong, the other two's weight shouldn't make a dent in the bridge. Unfortunately, it was wrong. Just as Raine was about to reach the end of the bridge her foot hit another plank as usual. The shock from the collision travelled through the plank. The plank bent, and the shock continued up to the ropes holding up the planks. They swayed, and the shock dwindled but still remained. The little bit of energy that was left moved through to the ropes holding up the entire bridge. These ropes were given no more stress then any of the other ropes anywhere, but they must have been the weakest. Before Gerand could react the rope snapped with a “twang!” and Raine was suddenly supported by nothing.

Time stood still. The bridge started to fall, but Raine was just floating there, defying gravity. Gerand stood, frozen to the spot as Raine began to fall. There was nothing that he could do. Raine was going to fall to her death, and there was nothing he could do. He watched uselessly as Raine started to go down toward the abyss.

Saving grace came from the most unexpected spot: River. He came forward, thrust out a hand, and grabbed Raine just before certain death. Raine's face turned from surprise to...even more surprised with a little bit of gratitude?

“Thanks for that noble decision. Now it’ll take us years to get back!”

'River, River, temper temper. You don't realize what you've just done?'

River helped Raine back up onto solid ground. As Raine found herself safe again Gerand realized that he had been holding his breath the entire time. He let it out, breathed normally, and followed Raine as she shouted at him to follow.