Before The Storm ~ Reader x Ralof

Chapter 7 ~ Freedom And The River

Ralof pauses next to me, grabbing my shoulder and pushing it down, forcing me into a crouch. He kneels down as well, putting his hand on his sword in preparation. "You see that? That's a bear. We have to be really quiet, and we can sneak by her. But, if you're feelin' lucky, here's a steel arrow. Hit her where it counts, and don't miss." he whispers, handing me a steel-tipped arrow.
          Now, for a hard decision...
          Sneak or shoot?
          I opt for the latter, and clip the arrow on the bowstring. Pulling back until my hand meets my cheek, I unfold my three calloused fingers --- I am a seasoned archer --- and send the arrow whizzing through the air. It hits the bear in the flank, or what I think is the flank; the bear is just one big mass in the dark of the cave. With an angry grunt, the bear stands up, turning to glare at Ralof and I. Ralof says one word to me as he holds up his sword.
          "Run."
          As soon as the word is out of his mouth, I am flying across the cave floor, whipping around the corner and through the narrow crack in the rocks, into the awaiting daylight.
          Freedom.
          I sigh in relief, but it catches in my throat when I hear the dragon's cry above me. I take a few steps to a boulder and crouch beside it. The dragon glides past, not taking any notice of me, and flies off over the mountains in the distance.
          There's heavy breathing behind me suddenly, and I stand up to turn towards it. There stands Ralof, four somewhat deep scratches in his right bicep and dirt dusting his face and clothing. He sheathes his bloodied sword as he approaches me. "Are you okay?" I ask, studying his wounds. He nods simply, but winces when I go to clean them with cloth I ripped from my shirt.
          "It's alright, (Y/N). My folks down in Riverwood can take care of it." he assures, brushing me off. I stop rubbing the blood and tie the cloth around the cuts, acting as a bandage until he can get proper treatment from the local mage.
          "Now, I'm assuming we're heading to Riverwood?" I question, swiping dirt from my clothing.
          "You've assumed correctly." Ralof confirms, starting down the path with a small limp. I trail after him naturally, slightly afraid of wandering off on my own; I could be found and arrested again.
          The walk is fairly calm, until I end up curled over in pain. I haven't eaten a morsel of food in a while, and the hunger pains are excruciating. I spot salmon hopping in the water nearby out of the corner of my eye; the trail runs alongside a river. Without thinking, I lunge toward the riverbank, sword in hand. I slash at the waves, spearing fish here and there. Eventually, I find myself in the middle of the river.
          And that's when I'm caught in the current.
          The forceful water rushes at my aching body, smashing into me and knocking me over. I tumble around in the waves of the current, barely catching my breath. All the while, Ralof calls out to me. I attempt to yell back, but salty water fills my mouth. Bubbles fly out in bursts as I force out muffled screams, suffocating myself in the river.
          My vision goes dark around the edges as I search underwater frantically. My energy quickly draining, I decide that the best thing to look for would be the light of the surface. But the problem is that I don't know which direction it's in.
          I can't possibly drown. I don't want to die yet. I just met a new and, frankly, amazing person --- so far --- and I don't want to lose him, or have him lose me.
          As the world around me grows darker, he's all I can think of.
          Ralof.
          I'm sorry.