The further they went, the darker the waters became.
She could only see a hazy form writhing ahead, and the harder she swam, the further away it seemed to get. She was running out of air with the effort of trying to both keep up and grab hold of one of his violently flailing limbs, and she thought she'd managed to grip his tail, but it jerked away before her jaws could close.
'Дерьмо! — Shit! she thought, frustrated and frightened. Gods forgive her if he drowned during his first week in their care; she would never be able to live with herself.
Her lungs burned (she could only imagine how Akira felt) and she made one last push forward to try and grab hold of him, but he slipped away once again. Valeska had to go up for air soon, but she couldn't leave him behind either - and as she struggled with this decision, something else suddenly plunged into the water above them, a dark wolf-shape swimming with all the ease and efficiency of a natural-born fish. It could only be Harper, and if she had any oxygen left to spare, she would have sighed in relief; but now that a more competent savior had arrived, the pale wolf thought it safe to rise back to the surface.
She broke through, gasping and sucking in the warm spring air as she shook the water from her eyes. Paddling back to shore, she waited anxiously in the shallows, her normally luxurious coat hanging limp and long like a sagging dress from her frame - but she didn't care. Her eyes were wide, frantically searching the surface, hoping and praying Harper would emerge victorious with their charge.
"Всематушка, услышь мольбу мою - верни их," — All-Mother, hear my prayer - bring them back, she prayed aloud, unblinking and unmoving. If she tore her eyes away, she feared they might not return at all. "Пожалуйста - не дайте им утонуть - Хоуту, Сильванусу, Рису, Эфиру, Нивии - я буду поститься неделю, если вы их спасете!" — Please - do not let them drown - Houtu, Sylvanus, Rhys, Aether, Nivia - I will fast for a week if you save them!
The Five had to be listening - they had to.
Harper would not fail. She couldn't. She was invincible, and she would save Akira.
“Sacred Wolf Mother,” Valeska whispered.
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