He’s beginning to lose strength when a hand grabs his arm and pulls him up to the surface. He clings tightly to the barrel, thankfully - and not Lord Cao. Breathing hard, he blinks the water from his stinging eyes, not feeling quite safe enough to take a hand away and wipe them dry.
He looks over at Cao Cao, able to manage only an appreciative nod in his state. This was far from the place to give his heartfelt thanks. However, he is ashamed that his Lord was the one saving him. If he got out of here alive, the first thing he was doing was learning how to swim.
First things first: they had to get out of here.
He looks around, heart leaping into his throat when the barrel turns in the water and he almost slips. He controls his breathing with some effort, teeth gritted - a task made more difficult with the crushing cold - but he manages to keep his head. The river was in complete chaos. The burning ships above beginning to fill with enemies, and the black river below starting to fill with the bodies of Wei soldiers. He only hopes none from Wu or Shu would decide to look down.
There. At the front end of the ship he had just jumped from, there was a gap between it and the next, the path in the water relatively free of debris. He gestures toward it with a jerk of his chin, yelling so he can be heard over the noise.
“The shore should be that way!”
Blood pounding fast in his ears, Cao Cao could barely understand what Yu Jin said. Yet, the gesture was clear enough. He nodded, quickly ridding himself of all armor. As they were now, it was only dead weight. They could worry about the arrows and swords later, when they escaped this first round of hell.
“There should be enough debris to prevent them from noticing us.” He furrowed his brows, eyeing the gap. “Can the barrel fit the space?”
The water’s chill slowed his tongue, and he strove to keep the stutter under control with deep breaths. They would have to move now, or risk losing even the strength to make it all the way to the shore.
He held Yu Jin’s gaze, a weary grimace on his lips. It might have been a smile, but the river’s cold silenced even that.
“When we make it back, I’m having all of the soldiers learn how to swim.”
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