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TRINITY AND HUGH FLEW through the forest on the back of Cack. The cool wind whipped through her hair as the sun beat down upon them. She clung to Cack’s neck and Hugh clung to her. His body, large and muscular, wrapped around hers. It was...different. She shifted her shoulders but he only tightened his arms around her waist. He was probably frightened. Cack was running wild. If the Grunt stumbled, they’d hit hard. She should be able to recover, but Hugh would probably break his neck. She leaned upward to whisper in Cack’s ear to calm him when Hugh pulled her back down.
“Stay put,” he said.
She elbowed him in the gut.
He grunted. “What was that for?” He tightened his hold, keeping his body wrapped around hers like a cage.
“Let me go. I need to talk to Cack. He’s going too fast.”
“What?” He yelled.
The wind must have blown her words right past him. She looked over her shoulder and froze. Her lips were almost against his cheek. If he turned his head a little...She shifted so her mouth was near his ear. “Let me go. We’re going too fast.”
“Exactly. Stay down.” He shoved her forward, covering her again as they raced into a copse of trees, his body flinching as the branches slapped against him.
Her stomach twisted. Not even Gaar protected her from minor scrapes like this. Still, his sense of chivalry was stupid, and it was going to get them killed. She elbowed him in the gut again and shifted so she could whisper in Cack’s ear. The Grunt threw his head backward, hitting her in the nose and increasing his speed. Her eyes watered as she clung to Cack’s neck, fighting the urge to dig her claws into him.
“Stay still.” Hugh’s arm tightened around her.
There was a sharp yelp behind them. She tipped her ears backward to catch the sounds. The Guards were close. They’d taken too long to break free from the carriage.
“Hold on!” She tucked herself closer to Cack’s neck and kicked him in the sides.
The Grunt burst forward, his breath coming out in great whooshes of air. He couldn’t keep up this pace for long. She had to lose the Guards before Cack dropped from exhaustion. She lifted her head to see the area. After five years of traveling with Gaar and sometimes Mirra, she knew the forest better than her old encampment. They were on the north side of the ravine. That meant the river was to the left. She pushed Cack in that direction. If they could make it to the water and then the rocks, they’d be okay.
“Just a little farther.” She whispered.
The Grunt’s ears perked at the sound of rushing water. She needed to get him into the river, but it wasn’t going to be easy. Grunts hated water.
“Sorry.” She slammed her feet into his sides at the same time that she dug her claws into his neck.
Cack leapt forward into the river. The icy water splashed her face and chest. The cold wind no longer a blessing as it raced across her body. Hugh shivered and pulled her closer.
“Cack, you need to swim.” She tugged on his neck. “Stop trying to get back to land. We need to lose the Guards.”
Cack shook his head and continued his attempts to veer back toward shore. Hugh moved his hands from around her waist to the Grunt’s neck, adding his strength to the struggle, but that only made Cack push harder toward land.
“Cack, stop it. Calm down and listen to me,” she said.
The Grunt snorted, shaking his head.
“He’s tiring.” Hugh leaned forward, smashing her between him and Cack, as he pushed on the Grunt’s neck. “It’ll be easy to swim with the current, Cack. You’ll never make it if you keep fighting.”
He was right. The current was pulling them away from shore. Cack must’ve realized that too because after a few more minutes of fighting, he gave up and began swimming with the current. They were making good time now that the river was doing most of the work, but they were still out in the open and the faint cry of Guards on scent echoed in the distance. Cack’s pace started to slow, the run and the cold water taking its toll on his strong body.
“You have to keep moving.” She kicked him in the sides.
“We need to let this guy rest.” Hugh leaned forward, squishing her again as he patted Cack’s neck.
“We don’t have time for a break.” She elbowed him in the gut, making him lean away from her. She hated treating Cack this way, but the Guards would tear all of them apart, including the Grunt. “Just a little farther. We’re almost there.”
A strong current flowed past dragging them in its wake.
“I don’t know that he has a little more in him,” said Hugh.
The large Grunt trembled under her, struggling to keep his head out of the water. “We have to keep going. We have no choice.” She pointed. “We need to get to those rocks up ahead and then we can rest.”
“It’s too far. He won’t make it.” He leaned forward again, placing his hands over hers. “Steer him toward shore.”
“We can’t go ashore here. The Guards will track us. I can still hear them.” She glanced back at him. “They’re close.”
“None of us are going to make it to the rocks, if we don’t let him rest.” His warm hands guided hers to push the Grunt toward land.
He was right. Cack was blowing hard through his mouth. The Grunt would drown soon if he didn’t get to land, but they’d never escape the Guards on shore. Cack was exhausted and Hugh didn’t have any forest skills. She relaxed her hold on the Grunt and let Hugh take over guiding Cack until she figured out their next move. She leaned against his chest, burrowing a bit closer to his warmth.
Cack found the energy to fight the current once he realized he was heading for land. As soon as his feet touched ground, he surged through the water toward shore. After a few minutes, Hugh slid off the Grunt, the water coming to his waist.
“Come on.” He kept his hand on the harness around the Grunt’s neck, struggling to keep Cack from going farther ashore.
She dropped into the water. She should’ve thought of this. They didn’t have to go all the way to land and without their weight Cack would have an easier time. She’d been too focused on getting to the rocks. Gaar always told her that situations were fluid and she needed to pay attention to her surroundings and adapt. She was still working on that.
She grabbed the other side of Cack’s harness and they fought to keep him away from shore and moving toward the rocks. Lucky for them, the Grunt was too exhausted to struggle much. The water was icy and the current strong, but they kept moving.
They needed to be inside the rock island before the Guards arrived. The fact that the Guards wouldn’t be able to track them by scent helped but they were still visible. “We’re almost there Cack, but we have to hurry.”
Cack shot her a dirty look and pulled hard toward shore, knocking her face into his neck and causing her to bite her lip.
“Ouch! Stop being a jerk.” She put both hands on the harness and yanked hard.
Cack hit her with his shoulder. She stumbled, losing her hold on the collar. Cack shot her a triumphant look and then his eyes widened as he slipped, falling face first into the water. He struggled to regain his feet but fell forward again. She grasped at him but her fingers were numb from the cold and she couldn’t get ahold of the harness. The current pulled Cack under, tugging him into the deeper water. Hugh flailed next to the Grunt, his hand still tangled in the collar.
“Let go,” she yelled as Hugh tried to pull Cack’s head out of the river. “He’ll drag you under.”
Hugh clung to the Grunt, continuing to shove Cack’s head up and out of the water. She dove for him, grasping at his shirt as a wave hit, pulling her under. She surfaced, coughing and treading water. Where were they? Hugh wasn’t strong enough to keep Cack above water and if he were tangled in the harness...
She took a deep breath and dove, searching. The water was cloudy and strong, tugging her farther and farther from shore. They had to be here somewhere. When her lungs were ready to burst she came up for air and scanned the river. Nothing but waves. Her stomach tightened in knots. This was not happening. She couldn’t lose them. Dad would kill her if something happened to Hugh and Cack’s mate was due any day. She couldn’t return to camp without him. If she let the river take her, she’d find them. She dove, swimming with the current. She surfaced again, her teeth chattering from the cold. She should head for the island before she froze but she refused to give up. Gaar would call her Little Fool, but she wasn’t losing anyone else. Something bobbed in the water a few yards ahead. She swam toward it. Please, please, Araldo let it be them. I’ll do anything. I’ll even settle on a mate like Mom and Dad want. Just don’t take them from me. It was Cack. Hugh had to be close unless he’d let go of the harness and had been pulled farther out. Please don’t let him be gone. She scanned the water again but there was nothing but Cack.
She swam toward the Grunt, her limbs heavy from the cold. They had to get out of the water or they’d both die. Die like Hugh. She shook that thought away. He might make it. Guilt ate at her insides. She should’ve left him in prison. At least there, he would’ve had one more day of life. Hugh had risked everything to save her dad and she’d screwed up and killed him. If only she’d thought to keep Cack in shallower water they would’ve made it.
“H...h...help. I...ca...n’t hold him m...much...longer.”
Grunts don’t talk. She stopped swimming a few feet from Cack. Hugh clung to the Grunt’s neck. Cack was struggling, barely keeping his head out of the water. She swam as fast as she could toward the two and grasped the other side of Cack.
“That way.” She pointed toward the rocks up ahead. They were close, but it wouldn’t be easy. The cold was biting into their limbs making every movement slow and cumbersome.
Hugh kept one arm wrapped under Cack’s front leg as he swam in the direction she’d indicated. She grabbed Cack’s other leg and the two of them half-dragged the Grunt along. She’d known Grunts were big, but she’d never realized how heavy they were and it didn’t help that Cack was almost unconscious. She pushed on. Her hands were numb and so were her legs. She lost her grip on the Grunt and her face hit the water. She came up coughing.
“Go to the rocks. I’ve got him.” Hugh’s words were a raspy whisper.
The rocks loomed ahead. She wanted to accept his offer, but he’d never make it alone. Cack was too heavy. “No.”
When he didn’t argue, she glanced at him. His face was grim and his teeth chattered, but he stared at the rock island like he hated it, blamed it for all the horrors of the world.
They continued on. Her fingers and arms grew heavy. She lost her grip on Cack again and the Grunt’s head slipped under the water. Hugh jerked him upward. Cack was barely breathing and his eyes were unfocused. They weren’t going to make it. Not all of them.
“I’m sorry, Cack.” She kissed the Grunt’s cheek as hot tears ran down her face.
Cack’s brown eyes focused on her for a moment and he let his head drop.
“Let him go.” She untangled her fingers from his harness. “He’s done and we’ll never make it dragging him.” She’d hate herself forever for doing this.
“No.” Hugh snarled at Cack. “Swim! You’re not giving up.” He punched the Grunt in the face, once, twice. His fist was back and ready to fly again when Cack’s eyes opened. They were wide with fear and the Grunt bumped into her, struggling to get away from Hugh. “I’ll hit you again if you don’t start swimming. I’ll beat you until we both drown.” He yanked on the Grunt’s harness. “Do you hear me?”
Cack’s fear overrode his exhaustion and he began to swim. She grabbed his harness, helping to keep his head up as the three of them began a slow crawl toward the rocks.
“I’m not losing anyone else. If you die, it won’t be because of me. Do you understand?” Hugh’s jaw was clenched as he forced them forward against the current.
As they swam, Cack’s face kept dipping into the water. The Grunt was beyond exhausted. Perhaps it’d be more merciful to let him slip away. Cack’s eyes locked with hers, seeming to read her traitorous thoughts.
“We’re almost there.” Her strength was gone too, but she wouldn’t give up on him, not again.
“I bet there’s some great vegetation on the rocks,” said Hugh. “Maybe even some apples.”
Cack’s head lifted and he moved a little faster toward the island. She glanced at Hugh. No one was supposed to know about these places but her, Gaar, Mirra and a few others. Perhaps, their secret hideouts weren’t as secret as they thought.
“I’ll bet the rocks are even warm. Warmth and food. That’s what we’ll find when we get there.” He winked at her and nodded at the Grunt. Cack’s head was a little higher and his ears were perked, listening to Hugh’s words.
Their secret was safe for the moment. Hugh had no idea about any of the rock oases. “I’m sure there are nuts and berries too,” she said.
Cack picked up his pace. Hugh continued fantasying out loud about all the food that was sure to be on the rocks. She almost laughed when he mentioned cookies. He was going to be disappointed if he expected that treat.
They were almost there, but the island was steep on three sides. They had to go into deeper water to get to a section where they could climb ashore. “We need to go that way.”
Cack shook his head, nudging her with his face. The current was stronger out there.
“Listen to me.” Hugh pulled the Grunt’s head toward him. “You can do this. You have to. I promise that once we get there you can eat all you want and rest. Araldo, yes, we’ll all rest, but you have to make it to the rocks.” He wrapped his hand more securely in the harness.
“Hold him tight.” She let go of the collar and moved down Cack’s back being careful not to get kicked. A hit like that, in her condition in this freezing water, would be the end.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“He’s going to need both of us to block the current.” Plus, Hugh was beat and the current was stronger on his side. There was no way he was going to be able to fight the water and help Cack.
“Stay where you are. We made it this far. Let’s not change anything.”
“This is better.” She sidled around Cack’s rump and over by Hugh. She needed to be close to grab him in case he went under. She wasn’t going to lose him not after working so hard to free him.
“Do you ever listen?”
She choked on a laugh. “Yes, to Gaar.” She grinned at him. “He knows what he’s doing.”
“Brat,” he said, but there was no venom in the word, only exhaustion.
They moved into deeper water. The current was strong and insistent. They pushed for the rocks. It was their only chance to keep from drowning. She could no longer feel her legs, but she was sure they were still moving.
“Only a little farther,” she mumbled to herself or the others she wasn’t sure anymore.
Cack’s pace picked up as he neared the refuge. She pushed on his side, giving him a shove toward the rocks when a fast-moving current wrapped around them, pulling her under.