I did say that I would warn my light friends before I jumped off any cliffs. However, I think this situation is a worthy exception. After all, it might get old warning them every time I fall into the sky.

Landing silently in a rock outcropping close to Bec, I wait until her back is turned before stepping out. My goal is only to help her as she's clearly hurt. Frightening her will move me further from my goal of establishing trust between us.

Bec is actively searching the bushes and shore. I'm guessing she is thinking her boat is hidden within them. Hopefully, my wife will not be mad when she learns I purposefully wrecked it in the rapids. I rub my sore head. Or maybe we are even for the knock she gave me.

The air holds the silver smell of her blood. It winds around me and I snort to clear the smell from my nose. With a jump, Bec turns around and screams. She falls to the sand, her arms frail to the sides as she searches for something to grab. Too bad for her there are no rocks here on this sandy spit. I'm done with rocks. Bec gets up and takes a step away closer to the river. She holds her hands up.

"How-how did you get here so fast?"

This is obvious, so I don't respond. Her sent takes on a metallic tint and a vein in her neck is throbbing. I have, despite intentions, scared Bec badly.

"I won't go back there. You can't make me go back." She is shaking and inching her way towards the river.

Good news, I understand her words better.

I wonder if I just needed a good blow to my head. I won't thank Bec, she might get the impression I liked getting hit. Keeping my distance, I try to circle around her, showing her my hands and lack of a weapon. Hoping I can gain her trust. Also, maybe convince her I'm less insane. I bite at my arm.

Oops, that was kind of crazy—right?

Bec turns and with a run, jumps into the river. I find her move unexpected. I thought she might try and communicate with me first. Her willingness to jump into a raging river is kind of insane—and this from me who has very much explored that mental condition. No, I've never jumped into that river. It wouldn't kill me, I'd only get wet and more broken in the act.

The lights buzz me once, then in a line follow Bec as the river sweeps her away. I take a few steps to the water's shore. Shacking my head, I remove my shirt and pants. There are nasty rapids down the next bend. I've only one set of clothing, and it doesn't need to get more shredded. One would think, after her spending all summer on this river, Bec would know—er, I mean I guess I don't know about her summer because that would mean I watched her and—never mind. I dive into the rolling water, the shock of the cold jars me and my teeth clench.

Could Bec have dived in because risking the white water, and drowning, is a better option than the cage? This idea pierces me and my chest wound throbs in response. Ahead, I see my light friends circling around her bobbing head. They blink twice.

Good, they are keeping track of her.

In the time before being placed in the box, I was considered good at many skills and excellent at a far many more. Songs were sung about my ability with the sword, the way I fought, danced and loved the ladies. I was renowned for my military tactics. I was, to be humble, only okay at swimming—nah, I suck at it. In a land of snow and ice, there are few opportunities to practice the art of swimming. Seems that for me, nothing has changed, my water prowess did not improve with time spent underground.

Even with my long legs and wide reach, I don't manage to catch Bec until we are almost at the rough water. She keeps seeing me and swimming harder downstream. This makes my helping her a challenge. We are both pushed into the froth of the current. She is swept far from me, sucked down into the rapids. Her head bobs up, then smacks against a rock and I lose her in the spray.

"No," I yell.

My heart is thudding within my chest. I gasp breaths only when I can push my head above the churning of the current. I follow my lights and dive down as the current slams me against a boulder. My arms and hands are numb with the cold, but I feel her. The warmth that radiates from her skin, I grasp her arm and pull. Her body is limp against mine. With one arm, I wrap her torso to me, with my other I grasp a boulder and lift her head above the current.

The lights are circling around us in a dizzying arch.

"Help us," I command them. With my remaining strength, I siphon off pieces of the light's power to pull Bec and myself into the air. I land with a thud on a large flat rock perched on the side of the canyon.

Bec isn't breathing. 

I shake her and her head flops to the side of my arms. I lay her down carefully onto the stone ledge. Balancing as I do upon the shallow edge.

"Sky." I open my palm and the blue light swirls to my hand. "Remove the water."

Sky blinks twice and disappears into Bec's throat. I wait, holding my own breath. Then Bec hurls and I barely move her onto her side quick enough. Sky buzzes out with the water.

"Topaz" The little yellow light is hiding behind a distant boulder. Of all my lights, I know her the least as she is kind of an untrained knit. She has never listened to me, or respected me, or really given a shit about anything that involves me. Still, she radiates power in a way that courses through my bones whenever she is near. "Fix Bec," I command in a deep low voice and compel the little light to follow.

Topaz blinks once and flies in a drunken pattern farther down the canyon. Frinken light. I never ask anything of her. She is a very ungrateful psychotic illusion.

"Emerald," I say. The light sparks in my palm. Emerald is of the earth, thus he is less suited for this job. "Bring her back to me," I whisper to him the words of power.

He winks twice and I roll him into Bec's open palm. There he glows brighter pulsing against her skin.

Bec shutter and gasps for breath.

There you are. I cradle her head in my arms, hugging her close. My heart is beating faster than the water that churns around us. I hold a woman next to me. She is alive, so am I. Together we are out in the light of day. For the first time in a very, very long time I feel a sensation besides great pain. 

I close my eyes soaking it in. I'm filled with the cocktail mixture of adrenaline and fear, provoking a hum of euphoria. All this, and I haven't even purposefully hurt myself. I must be getting better?

Bec's skin is cold, her clothing hangs damply against her thin frame. This is dangerous. Water and freezing temperatures are both killers of mortals, combine the two and she's in deep jeopardy. Cradling her frozen body in my arms, I pick Bec back up. She is light, nothing in my arms. I glide over to the opposite bank where there is more room for me to lay her down. It is dark down here in the deepest part of the canyon. High above me and through a wall of rock, is my cave. I hang my head. Once, it would be easy for me to reach such heights, even being drenched and carrying a woman.

There is wood deposited on the banks and a few shrub oaks grow between the cracks in the rock. Good enough, I click my fingers for the lights to gather what they can into a pile. While the three lights work, Topaz returns to make slow circles above us.

"Flicker." The red light flies to me. "Fire." I point to the wood and a flame erupts on the still damp wood. My light friends may have divulged from my insanity, still, they have good tavern tricks.

A cold wind rattles down the canyon with the onset of dusk. This time of year the red rock desert's temperature drops dramatically at night. I pull Bec closer, moving as I do so my back can shelter her from the worst of the wind.

Her eyelids flutter, her skin is clammy, and her breath is uneven. Fear is thick inside me. There is little more to do. Remove the water from inside her body, heal her hurts, build a fire, and hope it gives off enough warmth. I glance over to Topaz, as if on cue she wedges herself in-between a crack in the stone. Bah.

Should I ever get out of this canyon I swear to:

- Teach Topaz to be less complete, thoroughly and absolutely useless

- Should I fail to do this I swear I will catch her and grind her down into little yellow light-up dust

There should be more things on my list. I brace myself as a strong gale sweeps the canyon. Trying to focus, I find my conscious mind keeps skipping away. Bec's still body is sheltered in my arms, this after I failed her. A simple beer seller on the river, then she met me and becomes partially drowned, with a smashed head and is freezing to death. My ability to protect has rendered me a disgrace.

Again.

The fire's coals burn low into red ambers as the fuel is exhausted. My light friends are dancing about the river, their ability to only bring small twigs short distances means they have run out of available supplies and are helpless to offer further assistance.

With a sigh, I stand. This is as dry as I'm going to get. From here on, the growing cold will only continue to seep into my bones rending me further useless. Reaching out, I test the canyons air currents. With the setting of the sun, the warm breeze of the desert is filling the cold spaces of the canyon. The air is crushing down upon the water creating the canyon wind that is chilling us both. I don't have time to wait out this night within the canyon. Come morning, I would be too cold to move and Bec might be dead.

I gently pick Bec up and again marvel at her weightless and how she folds easily within my arms. If only.... In her fitful sleep, her head rocks over to rest against my chest. Even with it being so cold, her body warms my own. I grip Bec tighter and taking a deep breath, begin the climb to my cave.