The buck, the smell of the human creatures still strong in its nostrils, plunged on through the foliage, terrified half out of its simple mind. Bursting out of the thicket onto the riverbank, it shied in alarm. Another human creature knelt on the bank, its scent carried across the water, away from him. A crashing in the bushes behind heralded the approach of more creatures. Desperate with fear, the young stag leapt for its life across the swift-flowing river, and pounded up the bank and into the trees beyond.

The girl on the riverbank turned at the unexpected noise behind her, and was confronted with a confused blur of hide and hooves. Everything happened so fast she did not see the hoof of the deer when it struck her full on the forehead and sent her, unconscious, toppling backwards into the river.

The tranquil Great Rose Pool mirrored the huge granite outcropping, which jutted from the forest floor and ended in a sheer drop to the water. The Forest River fed the pool at one end, and underground streams carried the flow away again, so the water stayed fresh. Water carved the opposite bank into a series of gentle curving bays that resembled the petals of a flower. Local legend said that the pool was bottomless; the overhang where Valery and Alex now halted was a favourite diving spot for the young and reckless. It was also a superb spot for hunting, as deer would often come down to the opposite bank to drink.

As they rode up the slope, Alex's mare laboured beneath him. He dismounted and ran his nimble hands down her silky forelegs. She pulled away at the pressure of his touch. He cursed softly, and Valery glanced up from where he tended his own mount. 'What's wrong?'

'Ishbel is a touch lame in her foreleg. I don't think it's serious, but I also don't think I should ride her any more today. I don't want to make it worse.'

'Fine with me!' Valery grinned. 'I wasn't planning to go much further today anyway. There's a waystation not far from here; we can stop there overnight. We should be home by tomorrow moonsrise. Did you have any plans?'

'Nothing important.' Alex, feeling drowsy, stretched out on the smooth, sun-warmed rock. 'There's nothing I'd rather do than snooze in the sun, really.' Valery joined him in sprawling on the rock, and it wasn't long before the warmth of the sun and the sound of the water lulled Alex to nap. He was almost in deep slumber when he was startled awake by a nudge from Valery.

'What is it?'

'There's something over there, tangled up in those bushes on the edge of the pool. It may be a deer.'

Alex squinted. 'It looks more like some kind of sacking, possibly a bag. Maybe someone's been having puppies they don't want. Shall we go and take a look? We could always use more dogs.'

They rushed along the bank to get to the object in the water, fearing all the puppies would drown before they arrived. As they got closer, Alex realised what they were looking at. It wasn't a bag at all, but a bundle of clothes, caught up on and partially draped over a stout branch, half in, half out of the water. He wondered why anyone would wish to throw clothes into the river. Valery gave a yell, and splashed out into the water. 'Come here, quick!' Alex scurried after him.

By the time he waded out to chest-depth, Alex saw that the thing that looked like a bag had arms and legs tangled up in the overhanging roots and branches. Valery struggled to free the twisted limbs and Alex swam over to help him. The girl's limp form draped over the branch, and her head and legs dangled in the water. Alex raised her head, and gasped at the sight of the ugly gaping split in her forehead. The skin around the wound was purple and swollen, and her lips were blue. She didn't seem to be breathing.

Valery, slipping and stumbling in the water, managed to get a grip on the girl's waist and pulled hard. There was the sound of wet cloth tearing, then something gave. Valery, burdened by the sudden extra weight, staggered backwards and disappeared under the surface of the pool. There followed a moment of confusion, and then Alex found himself dragging the girl up the bank. Valery, spitting water, waded after him.

Alex carefully laid the girl out on the springy turf and felt for a heartbeat. It was there, faint but regular, but there was no reassuring rise and fall of her chest. He sat back on his heels, not knowing what to do.

'Get out of the way,' Valery said. 'I saw a little girl rescued from the sea once, at Northpoint. You're supposed to put air back into her chest.'

'How?'

'Like this.' He knelt beside the girl and holding her nose began to puff life-giving air into her lungs. 'You Midlanders,' he complained between breaths, 'you don't know anything, do you?'