The Hunter on Arena Read Free Page B

the rate of the flow was growing more swift and it became increasingly difficult to maintain
     his grip when he surfaced for air. Braldt grew worried and he wondered what new torment would be thrust upon him and how he
     would find the strength to fight it. Then, before his exhausted mind could conjure up any new horrors, the current suddenly
     plunged downward, wrapping him firmly in its grip and carrying him with it, helpless to resist.
    He felt as though the life was being sucked out ofhim. The pressure was intense, squeezing him on all sides, immobilizing the rise and fall of his chest. Blackness and pain
     were everywhere, shot through with lines of crimson. He wondered if he were dying and an image of Keri came to him. The thought
     of her gave him new strength, for he was unwilling to die now that he realized the depth of his love for her.
    The weight of the water was like a giant fist closing around his chest, holding him tightly, suffocating him. He yearned for
     the cold, sharp sting of air, and then, as though his prayers had been answered, he felt himself released, shooting upward,
     carried along by a great outwelling of water rushing toward the surface. He caroomed out of the water, sucking precious air
     down into his starved lungs, gasping and choking as he fell back into the water, limbs flailing, unwilling to be swallowed
     up again.
    Gradually his panic diminished as he realized that the water was calm and placid and no longer appeared to offer a threat.
     Floating atop the still waters, he saw by the dim light that filled the chamber that he was in the center of a large pool
     of water contained by naturally formed rock walls. He swam to the edge of the pool and hoisted himself out onto a rough ledge
     with the last of his strength and lay there, studying his surroundings while regaining his strength.
    There were no bright beams of light crisscrossing the chamber, nor was there any other sign of danger. Braldt was not fooled
     into relaxing his guard. Whatever this place was, it was no haven of safety.
    The water eddied gently as it lapped against theedge of the pool, then slowly slid along to the right. Following the current with his eyes, Braldt could see that there appeared
     to be a stream of water flowing out of the chamber; it was from this exit that the diffuse light emerged. Chilled by his long
     immersion in the water, Braldt could feel his muscles tightening, growing stiff, and he knew that despite his exhaustion,
     he had to move now or soon he would be unable to rise.
    Creeping along the edge of the chamber, he made his way toward the stream of water as it flowed out. Now he could see that
     the water ran between two steep banks and then passed through a narrow aperture. It was from this opening that the light came.
    It was a perfect trap. If there was danger waiting for him, it would be found on the other side of the narrow channel, but
     it appeared to be the only way out of the chamber other than the way he had arrived. From the ache in his muscles, Braldt
     realized that he did not have the necessary strength to fight the current, had he wished to do so. He could not stay in the
     cave; it would serve no purpose, and the longer he worried about what might be on the other side, the harder it would be to
     act.
    Braldt tested the stream and found that it flowed deep between the ledges that contained it. The ledges were broad, broad
     enough to walk along or cling to as one crawled through the opening out of the darkness of the chamber and into the bright
     light streaming from the other side. The light would be blinding after the darkness of the cave. Braldt had no way of knowing
     for certain that an enemy waited on the other side of the wall, but all his senses and his training told him that it was so.
    The only thing to do was the last thing that was expected. Taking a deep breath to fill his lungs with air, Braldt submerged
     and dove for the bottom, allowing the current to guide him as he