Chapter 10
As the waterclosed over her head, an idle thought flitted through Robena’s mind.
Ye’ve done some dumb shite in yer life, but this is undoubtedly the dumbest.
Right.
Because she couldn’t swim.
But really, how hard could it be? Mayhap she just couldn’t swim because she hadn’t applied herself well enough.
Well, if there’s any time to apply yerself, ‘tis now.
This conversation happened in a moment, between the first icy touch of the loch and the realization ‘twas too late in the day to rely on any help from the sun, in terms of seeing farther than an arms-reach. Shite.
Did ye really just jump off a cliff to save a lassie, and have nae idea how to find her? Idiot.
Well, really, she just had to be logical about this. Robena had noted the location of Elspeth’s splash and she knew she’d landed practically in the same place. So, unless the girl had hit the water and started swimming away, she should be right around….
Since time had apparently decided to slow down a bit, Robena used this period to kick about randomly with her boots.
Sure enough, one of her feet connected solidly with something below her, and a stream of bubbles whooshed past her, as if expelled from a mouth of a lassie who’d just been booted in the head.
Huzzah!But also, oh dear because it meant Elspeth now had less air than planned.
How much air does a wee girl need if she’s planning on killing herself to avoid marrying Kester?
Spurred on by the chilling thought, Robena doubled over, waving her arms through the water in approximately the same place where she’d kicked Elspeth. Sure enough, her questing fingers snagged in what was either floating seaweed—Lochweed? Is that a thing?—or hair.
She tugged.
The angry squeal was audible even under water, and Robena knew she’d found Elspeth.
She pulled the girl toward her—hoping she wasn’t pulling them both deeper—and tried to ignore Elspeth’s squirming. Did the lassie really want to die? Was marriage to Kester such a horrible fate?
‘Twas about this time—time slowing down or not—that Robena realized her lungs were starting to burn. Double-shite. As she closed the fingers of her left hand around what she hoped was the neckline of the lassie’s gown, Robena tipped her chin upward.
Or in the direction she hoped was upward.
Was that…? Did the water become lighter up there? Sluggishly, she was able to glance below, where Elspeth fought her in the distant darkness. Aye, ‘twas darker down there, which meant….
What did it mean? Why wasn’t her brain working?
Air. Ye need air. Idiot.
Aye, and air was that way. Well, light was that way, so hopefully that way was up, and air would be up there.
Aye. Aye, that made sense.
Now, to figure out how to swim.
Well…how hard could it be? Just sort of…kick? And she had one hand free, didn’t she?
Her limbs seemed to be working as slowly as her mind. But she kicked her booted feet as fast as she could—which admittedly likely wasn’t all that fast—and clawed at the water.
There. Was she moving?
Below her, Elspeth fought, her hands grasping at Robena’s wrist, and Robena had the thought the lassie was trying to get them both killed.