The biting wind that swept down from the jagged mountain peaks carried a brutal, unforgiving chill. It whipped across the open clearing, sending a violent shiver racing across my bare skin.
Stepping off the muddy bank, I lowered myself deeper into the currents. I went down inch by inch until the numbing water reached my waist, then my chest, and finally my collarbones, leaving only my head breaking the surface.
Once completely submerged, I closed my eyes and let out a long, shuddering breath through my nose. The sharp, aching sting of the cold gradually gave way to a blessed relief. I sank into the sensation, grateful to feel the water washing away the thick crust of dried mud and caked that sweat occupied my body.
But as the water swirled lazily around my shoulders, an intrusive, deep
