Sand and Snow

Khaat woke with a slight startle. Brian's hand, like lightning, rested on her arm reassuringly.

"Get a grip. Take a breath. You're safe," he told her softly. She obeyed and realized she was back on the ship. It really was alright--for the moment.

"And the babies?"

"Still sleeping. You've only been asleep for a few minutes. Its fine," he replied.

"Good," she said. She had to chase the images out of her head. She stood up, took off the sarong and without saying another word, dove off the side of the ship to go for a swim.

"I guess that means that swimming is now open," Brian laughed. "Anybody going to join her?"

Khaat decided Steven was doing a good job with Cassidy teaching her to swim. It was something she did need to know. Especially because Khaat and Brian did enjoy being around the water so much. It was an environment that Cassidy needed to be familiar with.

Khaat swam quite a distance from the ship, enjoying the workout. She was accustomed to swimming daily, and it had been a long time since Brian had had her in the pool. She liked swimming, and she felt the pull against her damaged and now untoned muscles. The muscles were tight and objecting to being moved and worked. In a way, it felt good. It felt like it was what she needed. And it helped her burn off some of the tension she had built up.

The last thing she wanted anyone to know how many thousands of pounds worth of potion she had stolen from Rob. How she had hidden it where no one would ever, ever find it. And how she depended on the effects of the potion to numb her mind from all the crap that was in it that she just couldn't cope with. Rob knew now. She had been caught. But he hadn't gotten her stash. Rob was scared. He knew the long term side effects of the potion just as well as she did. But it was one she was willing to accept right now.

"Probably just sharks," Khaat shrugged as she came up for a breath of air. She took a breath of the warm sea air, letting it fill her lungs and embracing the freedom that seemed to be in it for her. She was relaxing. She dove deep into the waters of the sea and decided to see how much she could push herself. She wanted to see what her endurance was. How much she could put up with now, how long could she go before she just got too tired.

"Sharks?" Brian perked up out of his half sleep. "Who said anything about sharks?"

"Khaat did," One of Angus's brothers replied. "Out there," he pointed.

"Well, where the deuce is Khaat, then?" he was irked now.

"She went back swimming like all it was was a simple seagull."

"Damn her," he cursed. "Get out of the damned water! Everyone! Now! Thats an order!" he shouted at everyone. He stood up, tossed his sling on the lounge and leaped up on the side of the boatrail and leaped in after her, diving deeply after her.

Khaat had gone out farther and deeper than she had kept track of. Her mind just refused to wrap around much of anything. She didn't want it to. She just wanted to swim. But she was down far enough that it was dark. She was disoriented. She wasn't sure which way was up to the surface. And she was running out of air. She was getting confused. Stupid potion. She was feeling faint and sleepy. She began to feel herself...well, was she sinking or rising? She couldn't tell. Her vision faded.

A strong arm wrapped around her waist and locked onto her. She found herself instinctively fighting for some reason. A hand cuffed her hard in the head. She fell limp. The arm started dragging her off someplace. She blacked out.


Brian brought her to the surface. "Give me a hand!" Brian gasped, swimming for shore. He reached the side of the boat but not anywhere near the ladder. "Somebody take her!" He let out a sharp cry of pain. His ribs and his shoulder were excruciating. He wasn't ready for this kind of activity. Khaat had blacked out. Brian wasn't going to tell them he had to basically knock her out in order to keep her from fighting him off. "She's blacked out," he said, coughing and gasping for air himself.

Brian came back on board, breathing hard. "When she wants to go diving, she really dives," he said. "She makes me work too hard sometimes. Honestly. Where is she?"

"Your cabin below," Angus's brother said to Brian.

"Thank you. I'm not sure why she's out, but I probably need to check her," Brian said. "He was not going to explain himself. "Give me a moment. And get rid of those bloody sharks!"

"Weigh anchor," Angus's brother ordered. Sometimes the best thing to do was to just move. "Prepare to sail at once!"

Brian went downstairs and went to the cabin where Jack had laid her on the bed. "Let me see," Brian said.
He sat beside her on the bed and checked the spot where he himself had hit her. It was swelling up into a huge gooseegg. He drew his wand. "Rennervate!" he flicked his wand, casting the spell to bring her back from unconsciousness.

She woke slowly. She cried out in pain. Her head was splitting. She woke to find herself in a cabin below deck, and she was wearing a wet swimsuit.

"Sorry about that," Brian said softly. "I had no choice. You were half out of your head. You were fighting me. I had to stop you before you drowned."

"Why...you hit me?" she was confused.

"Yes. I did. I"m sorry. Here. Let me look." He checked her. "No concussion. Just the headache from hell." He laid both his hands on both sides of her head and drew off the pain. It took him longer than normal. "Boy, that was some headache. That took awhile."

"It did hurt," she admitted very softly. "Why...why would I fight you?"

"I have no idea. Oxygen deprivation maybe? Were you feeling alright?"

"Yeah. I was fine," she said. "And ...wait...why were you rescuing me? I was swimming, wasn't I?"

"Uh yeah. Sharks. Sorry about that. I was not in the mood for you to be eaten today."

"Oh yeah. Those," she said.

"Those? Those eat people. Including wizards. What's with you?"

"I'm sorry. I...guess I have a lot on my mind. I'm sorry. Maybe I"m not the best company."

"Why don't you rest up for a moment. I'll bring you a bit of coffee. That might help clear your head."

"Thank you," she said as he rose. He went to the door. "Brian? thank you. How's your shoulder?"

"Hurts like hell," he smiled. He went upstairs. She sighed heavily.

"What have I done, Jack?" she asked tiredly.