leonid was afraid of the lake. the thrashing water, the deep, dark emptiness of it all. the way it could swallow someone whole until it seemed as if they'd never existed. leonid was afraid of the lake. he had not told his wife. on those nights where a storm would cloud over them and the rain fell a little too hard, he would turn over, grip his pillow and close his eyes, trying not to drown in his memories. he had felt a coldness in his bones the night before it all happened. a dread ate at him, but he hadn't known why. not until river awoke them with her barking, alerting them to the storm. to the rushing currents, the way it headed to their home and their village like it was determined to swallow them all. it had taken mercy a second to get his attention, his fear threatening to incapacitate him, but they quickly snapped into action. he hadn't want to leave her. he almost didn't let her go, the memory of his sister scaring him to death. what if the water captured her too? but then she was gone, and the look in her eyes.. make sure they are safe. it moved him and he forced his feet to turn away from her towards the village. fortunately, the village was full of action when he arrived. it wasn't as hard as he thought to lead them to safety, to a higher area where the water wouldn't get to them. he paced back and forth as they all huddled together, dripping and cold. he used his charisma magic to help calm some of the more frightened ones, especially the children. his shirt was stuck to his skin, his teeth chattering, but he didn't let his fear show. not in front of them. "alfie!" a kid's cries had his head swiveling. a familiar young girl was sobbing in her mother's arms. had he missed someone? he headed over and the parents informed him that they hadn't been able to find their dog in time before having to evacuate. he imagined river being stuck, and his wife being distraught and immediately he dove into action, sprinting towards the village in the direction of their home. he had visited there once, to deliver food that mercy had made for them. he remembered the pup well, river had gotten along with him so well they'd been sad to part. "my lord!" he heard cries of panic as he turned away from the crowds of scared people. scared but safe. "i will be back!" he shouted from afar, his boots hitting muddy, wet ground. it took a few minutes to find the house. they all looked similar in that area, and the water rising around him made it hard to see, the wind heavy and the rain pelting down. he held an arm up to shield his eyes and his ears caught the sound of whining. he followed the faint sound until he found alfie in the shed behind the home, clearly having hidden there in fear. the door was damaged and a few blows with his shoulder knocked it down. the roof had caved in a bit, but the dog wasn't hurt. alfie barked upon seeing leo and he smiled. "come on, someone's waiting for you." he held open the door with his side and the dog ran out, in the direction of the crowds vaguely visible atop the hills near his home. and then the shed's roof buckled, and the whole thing came tumbling down.
She should never have let him out of her sight. This was the first storm he had faced at Windemere; he didn't know the dangers. Didn't know how hungry these floodwaters could get, how they could barrel you over and consume you like a pack of wild dogs. Mercy pushed Brooke harder along the road. Above them, the dark skies snarled with thunder. Cold rain pelted her form through the linen of her night gown, turning her fiery hair wine-dark. Her thighs ached from the exertion of riding without a saddle, though she could barely feel it through the chill of the wind. Brooke's strong legs carried them unfailingly through the knee-deep water as they entered the village. Mercy pulled on the reins, slowing the pace as she cast a desperate gaze around.
"Leo!" her voice disappeared into the howl of the storm. She couldn't see him, couldn't see anything in the rain and dim, early morning light. She spun Brooke, eyes searching windows and down alleys for any sign of her husband, but she found nothing but floodwater and silence.
Her heart was pounding in her throat, knuckles white with her vice grip on the reins. "LEO!" What if he were gone? What if the lake had swallowed him whole? What if she never saw him again? Her head was spinning, panicked darkness gathering at the edges of her vision. Then she heard it, barely audible over the rain and thunder, a dog barking. She spotted the rain-soaked hound atop the crumbled remains of a shed and urged Brooke forward. Each moment the waters rose, thrashing with debris and hidden currents, but Brooke’s footing remained steady. They reached the hound on the rubble and as Mercy carefully dismounted her mare she finally understood why the dog had refused to leave the spot.
Unconscious and half buried beneath the rubble was her husband. Her heart leapt into her throat, threatening to choke her as she stumbled to his side. He was so pale, she had almost thought him dead at first, before she’d noticed the shallow rise and fall of his chest. There was a nasty cut on his forehead, the rain washing the crimson blood through his hair and into the floodwaters. She had clear the rubble from his body, eyes scanning the remains of the shed. It was mostly wood, but she could see the remnants of metal supports and fixings. Enough for her to work with.
Despite her trembling hands and stuttering breath, her magic came when she called. Fingers spread across the rubble, the iron in her blood singing to the iron pieces of the shed. Nails and fittings melted away into pools of metal before crawling like the finest spiderweb across the wood and debris pinning her husband. The threads sunk in deep, stabilising the rubble before slowly peeling away the pieces on top of Leonid.
“Leo?” She carefully cradled his cheek, trying to gently wake him. When that failed she shook his shoulder, her voice hardening in her panic, “Leonid wake up!”