The water swallowed them whole, barely splitting apart as the three of them plunged into the deceitful stillness.
The current surrounded them, dragging them under its icy depth. Enid's scream died in her throat at the shock.
She scrambled in the dark void, powerless. Her legs moved listlessly in the water, useless as she remained at the whim of the waves.
Her skin burned at the cold, eyes on fire as her hands waved through the depths for something, someone, anyone!
Enid almost screamed out loud in relief as a warm hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her through the emptiness towards a warmer body. She wrapped her arms around the anchor, eyes screwed shut.
She could feel the violent pull of the water, but the steel arms didn't relent as they wrapped her in its embrace, pulling her in tighter as they flowed together.
The mind-numbing terror that had taken over her lessened. She knew they were still in danger, but at least she was not alone.
But suddenly the person was moving.
She could feel the person pull away, shifting to hold her arms as their hand loosened from around her waist. The terror, which had barely left her came back in full force. No! No!
Her hands scartched at him, latching onto his back. She pulled him closer again.
NO!!!
She opened her eyes, looking fearfully at Thorien, at the water around them. The darkness closing in around them…closer…closer…
Thorien took her face in his hands, making her look back at him. But her eyes kept betraying her, kept looking around at the dark shadows, at the water that was to be her grave.
Hands on her face moved her face back to the man in front of her. Thorien shook his head at her, bringing his face closer to her until all she could see was him. His eyes looking into hers, patiently.
Even with the dark and violent water around him, he was still.
She paused.
Her lungs were still burning for air. Her nails were leaving indents on his biceps.
But for now, even in the current, they were relatively stable.
Thorien looked away from her first, pushing himself away just enough to be able to move his feet, looking back down at her for a spare second starting pulling them both up.
Enid was still latched onto his arms as they broke the surface of the flowing river.
Gasp!
She took in her first breaths of air greedily, the wind harsh and cold against her face.
The water moved around them
"Shh, shh." A hand caressed her hair. Enid clung to Thorien as her breathing eventually evened out. "You're safe, you're safe."
Raising her head from his shoulder, she spied the rock that he was holding onto behind her.
She moved back, met his eyes, and nodded her head.
"Thorien!" A voice called out from behind Thorien. "Thorien!"
She looked behind Thorien to Kaelith reaching out towards them. He braced the waves pushing him away, as he swam against the current the best he could. Thankfully, the waves were broken here by the rocks, the water waving the obstacles.
He eventually reached them, resting his arm on the rock near her own as he looked over her desperately.
"Are you alright?"
His eyes strained in the darkness, aided by his wolf genes, as he checked her for injuries.
"I'm okay." Enid opened her mouth to respond, her voice coming out rougher than she expected, "I'm okay."
Kaelith breathed a sigh of relief, as he spared a quick glance to his brother, nodding his head at him and looking back at the woman in his arms.
It was only because Enid had turned to face Thorien that she caught his jaw tightening. His eyes caught on hers as he looked away.
"We should find a way out." Saying he pushed Enid towards Kaelith, who immediately wrapped his arms around her, as he swam towards the shore, careful to keep in the milder currents of the water.
She stared at him as he made his way slowly to the shore.
"Come." Kaelith tugged at Enid's arm, pulling her with him as he too made his way to the grass.
Enid let herslef be dragged along. She was useless when it came to water.
When she could finally feel the sturdy ground beneath her feet, she collapsed in relief. Laying down on the grass with the blood red moon above her, she fisted her hands in the grass, grounding her body.
She took deep breaths, forcing the blood rushing in her veins to calm down. Enid could hear the brothers around her, probably worried, but she closed her eyes.
She needed the time.
Her limbs thudded painfully as she forced herself to ease up, spotting the anxious faced staring back at her. Faces that she would not be seeing again.
"Thanks for saving me." She folded her legs in front of her, sitting up to meet the gaze of the two men. One blue and one hazel eye gazed back at her. "This looks safe enough..."
She got up, dusting herslef off with shaking hands as her audience still stayed rooted in their stances, staring up at her.
"I believe I can find my way home now. The forest near the palace, so my home should be..."
She pointed in the direction that the moon was going. The palace sat in the east, and she saw the Sun rising daily from behind the large walls of the haloed palace, as she sat in her little cottage in the west.
"...there. I'll get going first."
She nodded her head at them, pursing her lips in an imitation of a smile. For how did one greet her rescuers, who might have killed her themselves if not for the rogue wolves?
Still, Enid made sure to meet the eyes of Kaelith, and somewhat reluctantly Thorien's as she turned around. They had saved her, yes, but she was not stupid enough to think they were any less dangerous.
A scoff from behind her paused her in her tracks.
"You think you can go? After tonight?" Thorien got up as she turned around to look at him.
"Thorien..." Kaelith tried to stop him, but he took a step away, closer to Enid.
"You are the prey that escaped. Do you think you can go back to a normal life now?"
She swallowed as he reached her in a few strides, towering over her.
Her eyes fluttered as she looked away, around her, before bringing her eyes back to him.
"What do you mean? I was never meant to be a part of this. I came uninvited, and now I will leave."
He laughed out loud at this, ignoring the woman in front of him as he stared back at his brother behind him.
"Are you listening to this, Kaelith?"
She looked towards Kaelith was, stadning still at the same place he was. He looked away from her, unanswering.
Annoyed, Enid walked the last step towards the laughing man, closing the remaining distance as she got in his face. He stopped laughing immediately.
Good.
"Now that you are done, listen here," She began, her eyes blazing, "I. Am. Going. Back. And I'd like to see anyone stop me."
She turned around, stomping away.
"They have your smell now, little lamb."
Her legs faltered. She stood still, her eyes looking at the direction her house was in, but still strangely unseeing.
"Every wolf in the realm will smell you now," Thorien continued, his tone clipped, almost harsh. He went through more swings than she could count. "You lived what should have killed you. They'll come for you just to prove they can end what others couldn't." His eyes softened-barely. "You'd last one night in that little house of yours. Maybe less."
Enid's throat worked as the panic rose. She grit her teeth as she swirled around. Derailed, again.
"So what then? I'm just supposed to stay with you? With-whatever you are?"
This time it was Kaelith who answered, "Not just with us. In our world."