Chapter 21: Mission, Part 4

Damn the earth, where was he? Where was Yrian? Raffé's only chance of finding him again was heading back up river, but should he walk or try swimming?

He saw another flick of pale fin and realized that if he did swim, he was going to have more fighting on his hands. Walking it was, then. He turned toward the west bank and gauged the distance, then backed up to the east edge of the rocks, dragging the corpse with him to get it out of the way. He threw it into the water, then turned back and ran, leaping from the rocks as he hit the edge and arching over the water to land hard, tripping to his knees on the southern bank, just barely in the water.