<div class="floatright">(http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb117/hopefox17/Marano1.png)</div>Katul narrowed his gaze at the lantern in his hand, becoming more and more trepidous with each step into the inky blackness. He was just about to move back when the ground gave way underneath him, and he started to slide forwards on the sandy slope. He felt Rose grab his arm as he fell, and he threw his sword away from his body, not wanting to risk being impaled on it when they hit the ground. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Rose and twisted his body, trying to ensure that he took the brunt of whatever impact was coming.<br/><br/>He hit the water with a painful smack, but it was better than the alternative. The impact drove the air from his lungs, and he felt his grip on Rose slipping away as the rushing current drove him under the water. His vision went black for a few moments.<br/><br/>When Katul regained his senses, Rose was dragging his head out of the water. He stared up at her blearily and coughed up a tiny amount of water. "Urgh..." he groaned, cursing his own recklessness. "I'm alive. I..."<br/><br/>He slowly hauled himself up into a sitting position and looked around at the muddy bank. "We're separated from the others, and I dragged you down here. It was my duty to protect you, and I failed." Sighing heavily, he staggered to his feet, unslung his soaked backpack, and started stripping out of his waterlogged armour. "How can there be a river this far underground, anyway?"