Through some miracle the Coulver River spread out in front of me. My journey was almost at an end, but the increasing sound of patrols kept me from taking a proper rest, the accumulated injuries of my body were taking their toll. Delirium was setting in, and it was taking all of my concentration to put one foot in front of the other. I debated building some sort of raft to take down river but my ever mounting paranoia crushed that idea as soon as it formed. With a soft sigh, I started off along the rivers bank towards Fishrun. Depending on where I was, the town shouldn’t be more than a day away. But with all the running and evading I’d done, there was no telling at what point I’d arrived, so an accurate estimate was impossible. Still, I was resolute to keep going until my task was complete; the Republic needed to be warned. Then, I could rest.

Such was my concentration (or lack thereof) that I tuned out the noises of pursuit at first. The snapping of branches were just background noise to me, and it wasn’t until the harsh shouts reached my ears that I began to realize they had caught up again. Run, I thought, but my legs were running on automatic and would not listen to me at this point, a lackluster hobble the best result they could accomplish. Overland was not going to cut it, I’d be caught quickly and my friends sacrifices would be for naught. My only choice was the river. But winter was near fully on us, and to spend too long 8n the crashing waters would be a death sentence itself.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

My brain was firing full force, ideas thought up and discarded almost instantly. I had to get this message out, had to make this all worth something. The only choice left settled instantly in my mind. A quick glance around showed I had a few moments at least, and I stopped in the next clearing. My hands scrambled to take out some scrap paper and a stick of charcoal, almost snapping the stick as they shakily wrote out all the information I could remember about what was coming. I shoved it into my leather pouch, the stamp of the Republic Mage Corps readily visible on the front. Praying the waterproofing was still good, I tied it tight to my body high on my chest.

Scouts burst through the trees, startling me. We stared at each other for a long moment, each side waiting to see who would make the first move. My time was up, I had to go now. The message had to make it, even if I didn’t. With a strangled shout I summoned all the energy I had remaining and sprinted for the riverbank. Surprise was evident in my pursuers as they made chase. I’m going to make it. A decent sized branch was snatched up in my run and held tightly to my body. I wish I could have my some epic leap into the rushing waters, but my tired legs barely gave me any push at all and I more half fell under the rapid waves. Chill instantly set into my bones, teeth chattering as I half heartedly kicked towards the surface. Laying on my back, branch helping to keep my pouch above water, I stared at my pursuers looks of disbelief. My message would make it there, even if I wasn’t alive to see it.