The Moon's Faithful Promise - Secret of Moonacre

Breathe

The chilly water stung and prickled against her skin, stealing away the warmth from her body. Her dress had been heavy before from the ocean mist it had sopped up, but, now, the cloth was drenched, dragging her down as it tangled around her legs.

Maria kicked her legs, slowly edging forward. The water was dark, making it difficult to see. Reaching out, she felt vegetation brush past her fingertips. Reaching once more, she firmly grasped onto it and attempted to follow it the short distance to the bottom.

The pearls let off a shimmering glow through the thick mass of vegetation that appeared to be surrounding them. Protecting them. The more she pulled at the plants, the more of a tangled mess they became. Pulling Robin's dagger from her boot, Maria swung at the plants. As she struggled to cut through the mass, the plants surrounding it swayed in the current, almost as if they were batting at her in an effort to make her stop.

Her lungs burned, begging her for breath. Dropping Robin's dagger, she kicked off the sandy floor with all her might as she furiously made her way to the surface. Breaking through the surface, she gasped, sucking in lungfuls of air. The sky had turned an overcast with dull to angry grey clouds. The waves that had lapped carefully at her boots moments earlier had turned larger, tossing her about as she bobbed up and down.

On the rocks, Ira held his arm up, bracing himself against the wind that whipped around them. A large wave crashed against the side of the boulders, washing over them and leaving them drenched. Nature was angry. The Moon was angry. Maria could feel it as panic and fear wrapped themselves around her heart.

Another wave began rolling in, threatening to swallow Maria in its wake. Diving down towards the pearls, she narrowly escaped its fury. She scrambled, attempting to locate where she had dropped Robin's dagger. Her slender fingers wrapped around the handle, and she made her way back to the pearls.

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The waves came crashing down on the rocks, sending Ira's goons and Robin toppling over. The knife flew out of his captor's hand, clanging to the stone like a great thunderous clap. With all his fury, Robin scrambled to his feet and retrieved the knife. One of his captors latched onto his shoulders, threatening to wrestle the weapon away from Robin.

The uneven and slippery terrain caused Robin and the man to lose their footing, sending Robin slamming into one of the boulders. The man's leather gloves did little to help him hold onto Robin's damp jacket, sending him toppling over both Robin and the boulder and plunging into the dark waters. 

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As she raised her arm in an attempt to continue her assault on the vegetation, she was thrown back by an immense force to her sternum, knocking the breath out of her lungs. Desperately, Maria fought to get back to the glow of the pearls. Without them, she couldn't save Robin. Without them, Robin would be killed. She couldn't lose the man she had just begun to fall in love with.

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Regaining his footing, he turned to face the Fra Mauro and the man who had been the source of so much loss and destruction in his life. The reason his sister was banished. The man behind his father's fury and wrath that he suffered through for years. The man solely responsible for putting Maria in danger. Robin's grip tightened as Ira opened his mouth to speak.

Before any words passed his lips, the air was cut by a deep, rolling roar as Wrolf, the great black lion, stalked the scene, tail swishing as his eyes gleamed a dangerous red. A visible shutter of fear climbed up the men's spines, many recoiling and slipping, turning them into tumbling heaps on the uneven terrain. Ira took the moment and rushed at Robin, sword raised