Roh urged his bear forward. He dismounted and ran to the river’s edge. The crack opened up from the riverside to the gash where Luna and his mount had disappeared.

Roh slid out onto the ice on his belly. He reached the edge of the hole as Luna’s hands lost their grip on the ice.

Luna was carried under.

Kihin screamed, in Dhai, “He’s gone under! He’s gone under!”

Roh looked at the great sheet of dark ice. He saw nothing of Luna. He edged closer to the riverbank and stood up. He began sliding along the surface.

“The current has him,” Kihin said. Roh heard despair in his voice.

Roh slid farther along the ice. A face pressed up at him from beneath the ice. A bubble of air had formed between the ice and the river. Luna clutched the underside of the depression.

“Here!” Roh said.

He pounded at the ice.

Kihin slid next to him. He hit at the ice. Flakes splintered away.

Roh saw Luna’s fingers slipping. His face disappeared back under the water.

Roh yanked off his gloves and spread out his fingers. He concentrated on the ice, and the air beneath it. He murmured the litany for an explosive air burst. Blue mist suffused his fingers.

He ruptured the ice with a great exhale.

The circle of ice blew apart, revealing Luna’s face to the sky.

Kihin caught Luna by the collar. Roh pressed and pounded out the ice until Kihin could pull Luna’s limp form from the hole. Roh was dizzy and his breath came hard, as if he had run a great distance.

They grabbed hold of Luna and pulled him back onto the bank, into the snow. He lay limp.

Kihin turned Luna onto his side. They pounded his chest and tried to push the water from him.

“He’s too cold, it’s not–” Roh started.

Luna vomited water.

“Luna!” Kihin said.

Luna began to shiver. His eyes rolled.

“Make a fire,” Roh said.

“With what?” Kihin said.

Roh gazed toward Kuonrada. The darkness was deep now.

“I’ll go for help,” Roh said.

“Ze’s going to freeze,” Kihin said, in Saiduan. He cradled Luna in his arms.

Roh looked back at Luna, then again at Kuonrada. He said, in Saiduan, “Here, get hir feet dry, wrap hir in blankets. I’ll take hir up on my bear and carry hir back. I can try to keep hir warm.”

Kihin pulled off Luna’s boots. He rubbed Luna’s feet dry and put his own dry boots onto Luna’s feet. He kept Luna’s stockings on.

“Be quick,” Kihin said. “I’ll freeze out here.”

“I’ll come back,” Roh said.

With Kihin’s help, Roh pulled Luna up onto the bear with him. He put his arms around Luna and took the reins.

“Will the ice hold?” Kihin asked.