>>5322177You all left him behind, as the Instructor had insisted. After all it was better one of you died than all of you. Your strict upbringing had paid off, shifting from foot to foot you kept pace. Running through the ancient and usual landscape. Doing your best to avoid any slick outcropping stone or ankle eating crevices. Your visibility was pushing the limits around ten feet, but you recognize the well trodden muddy path as your unit began to turn down a meandering slope.
Next the river came into view, the calmly flowing waters carrying a procession of small ice blankets. At that moment you begin to hate yourself even more, admonishment taking root in your mind. <span class="mu-i">'I should have chosen joint exercises.'</span> Taking a slither of a moment only to shift the heavy rucksack from your back, using the same momentum to toss it into the stream of liquid ice before diving in head first after it without any hesitation. The Instructors had warned you all over breakfast, a team had been out here while you were eating, smashing up the frozen banks for your crossing. The icy water guts you, chasing any breath from your lungs like a stiletto. Resurfacing with the grace of a dying cat your arms and legs spasm, muscles fighting against the commands of your brain.
"Fuck!" You scream, teeth about to break as they chatter against one another, deafening you. Fingers ready to snap off find their way around your bag as you begin to ford the small gap. Kicking like a fiend, you feel the contact of a few minute icebergs the numb limbs barely acknowledge anything. Still you faintly make out the cries of the other pilots as they join you. Sucking in air hard, you kick stronger. Wishing to kick yourself right out of the water and to take flight into the warm sunlight above. The vibrant warmth on your face. It took you a moment to notice the new glow that surrounded the rushing waves. At first you assumed it was a hallucination from hypothermia readying to kill you, but another flare shot into the fog high above. painting the canvas a second richer sapphire sun. Looks like Four was dead.
