Whisper by Christine Grey

it back, but he couldn’t carry them both. All he could do was to send thoughts of encouragement to the exhausted wolf, and hope for the best. The wind, rain, and waves were relentless as they lashed at him, simultaneously. Again, each minute seemed to drag on for an eternity as Darius fought to get them to safety, his muscles burning and screaming in protest with every stroke. The cold was not as intense as it had been the night of his birthday, but it was just as deadly, and it quickly sapped what was left of his strength. Royce was still conscious, as evidenced by his grip on Darius’s neck, but he could feel the boy’s hold weakening.
    Dearra, now! Tell the men, now! Brin urged.
    There was no way for any of them to see with the storm howling and in the dark of night; everyone relied on Dearra’s magical companion, Brin, to guide them closer to their friends in the water.
    “Daniel, William! Brin says, now!” Dearra called, and the two men went over the side of the ship, using ropes they had put in place for the rescue.
    Hugh stood at the rail trying to offer guidance and called out commands to those on deck to collect as much hot water and as many blankets as they could find. Hugh knew the danger would not be over until they had been warmed, and there was no sign of fever.
    “William! There!” Daniel yelled, pointing a few yards into the distance.
    Daniel and William swam to meet Darius, and as William started to break his son’s grip on Darius’s neck, the Breken struck out violently.
    “Peace, brother! It’s me, William!” he said.
    Darius shook his head to clear his muddled thoughts, and then, as quickly as his half frozen fingers would allow, assisted William with the transfer.
    Getting back aboard the ship was not as straight forward as it would seem. In the tempest, the ship crested high on the whitecaps only to crash down again, and the timing needed to be precise to avoid someone being crushed. The first to attempt boarding in the makeshift sling was Royce. When Hugh and the others pulled him from the frothing sea, his body was as limp as a rag doll.
    Daniel turned to wrap the sling around Darius only to see his friend sink below the waves. Daniel stretched out to grab hold of Darius before he slipped out of reach, pulled the young man to the surface, and shook him violently, in an attempt to rouse him.
    It seemed to work. Darius opened his eyes, but just as Daniel was about to put the sling around his friend once more, Darius stopped him. “Reo first!” Darius said.
    “We’ll get the wolf next, Darius,” Daniel said. “We need to get you up first!”
    “It wasn’t a request, Daniel. Reo first.”
    Knowing that by the time he’d won the argument with the strong willed Breken, another full season could pass, he gave in and put the sling around the wolf, who began to twist wildly at the strange sensation of being lifted through the air.
    Darius knew he needed to quiet the animal before he injured himself in his struggles, so he sent calming words in his thoughts in an attempt to convey a sense of peace to him.
    Soon Darius’s thoughts turned to Dearra’s lovely face, and he remembered the way her hair had felt like warm silk to the touch. He remembered that first, sweet kiss they had shared on the beach. He remembered the way her smile warmed his very soul. His whole body felt warm, and he took a deep breath, reveling in the sensation. When the sea water filled his lungs, he didn’t even feel any pain. In the absence of sound, light, and cold, Darius let himself slip further under, surrendering to his memories as he surrendered to the pull of the ocean.
    Daniel and William dove down a second time in the spot where they’d seen Darius only a moment ago, neither willing to face the possibility of losing him. William’s hand found the course fabric of Darius’s shirt first, and he struggled to pull the Breken upwards. Daniel followed directly behind William, gripping onto Darius’s belt the