[Orual]

"We were fortunate that Gond had not gone any further," Ravion said, trying to sound somber, but unable to keep the smile off his face, or the relief out of his voice. "We were tracking Gond's hoofprints. If he had kept going, we might never have found you."

"Your tracking senses do not extend to inside houses?" Aeron asked jovially. Ravion glanced at him sideways.

"I would be able to find you, so put whatever thoughts you have of running off out of your mind, and--"

He broke off abruptly as they neared the campsite. "Where is Gwyllion?" he asked, his voice tense and a terrible feeling of panic growing in him. "Mellonin? Gwyllion? Answer me!"

"Ravion!" Mellonin's cry carried over to where the men were standing, and Ravion, throwing Gond's lead to Aeron, raced over to her. There was Mellonin, but still no sign of Gwyllion...

"Where is Gwyllion?" Ravion asked, trying to keep his own panic in check. Mellonin was shaking, and if both of them were unable to do anything...

"There," Mellonin replied vaguely, waving her hand over the edge of the water that she was standing in front of. "I cannot see anything. I cannot find her."

Ravion looked at the water anxiously. "Raefindan! Aeron!" he bellowed, and heard them come running. He looked once more at the water, then turned to Mellonin. "When they come, tell Aeron to join me. Do not let Raefindan! He is not strong enough yet."

He took one deep breath, closed his eyes, and dove into the water.

The water felt icy as he started swimming, trying to open his eyes despite of the dirt and cold. He could not see anything. He surfaced for air, gasping. "Anything?" Mellonin called.

"Not yet," Ravion called back. He dove back under.

He could not see anything. A constricted feeling tightened his chest, born both of frustration and of his inexperience in swimming. He had started back up when something brushed his ankle.

He thrashed around for a moment in panic, then calmed down. He surfaced briefly, ignoring this time Mellonin's call, and went under. This time he forced himself to open his eyes, and saw...something. A large black shape, and a smaller shape. Vague, certainly, but at least it was something. He tried to tred the water for a moment, attempting to get a better picture. He squinted, trying to see...

...something caught his ankle. It wrapped itself around him, jerking him down suddenly. Fighting against it, Ravion managed to surface for a moment. "Aeron!" he cried, and only managed to take one deep breath before the creature pulled him under again.