Glimpsed: Day 10

Word Total: 60,003

Year to Date: 270,010

Summary of Events:
Chapter 19:
Robert woke up from a nightmare about Christina and went to the saloon to forget about it. Samuel got up and discovered Robert gone, and found he wasn't even at the saloon, so he set out in search of him. Charlotte and her brother Peter said their farewells to Deborah and Holloway and set out before they noticed something strange on the lake's ice, Peter went out to investigate.

Excerpt of the Day:
"Shrill, feminine screaming was ringing off the mountains. Samuel urged California to pick up her pace, even though his mare was rather tired from moving quickly through nearly the entirety of Georgetown.
California slowly galloped up to where a wagon was stopped by the roadside. A woman sat on the wagon seat screaming. Samuel rode up and caught her gaze. She looked vaguely familiar and yet also somewhat unfamiliar.
"What's the matter?" Samuel asked.
"A drunk man and my brother, they're in the water, the ice broke," she replied.
Samuel stopped listening after that and turned his gaze toward the lake. There was a break in the ice, two heads bobbing in the water. There was little time. Those men could be dead in minutes.
"Go get Dr. Rowledge!" Samuel said — interrupting the woman.
Turning California, Samuel had her walk briskly onto the ice. He didn't dare ask her to go much faster lest she fall and they die too. Samuel heard hooves ringing behind him and hoped that it was the woman going to get the doctor.
Arriving at the break, Samuel stopped California just short and dropped her reins to the ice. She stood still her head lowered, breathing deeply and restoring her energy. Samuel peeled off his coat in spite of the biting air and seized the arm of the man who was trying to get out of the water. He had blonde hair like the woman.
Samuel pulled him out onto the surface and laid him down the ice, putting his coat over him. Turning back to the water, Samuel recognized the face that he saw gazing at him with an expression of pure rage. Robert.
A savage screaming roar came out of Robert's throat and he lunged forward with an energy that surprised Samuel. Suddenly Samuel's balance was lost and a blast of cold like he'd stepped through a portal into Alaska wrapped around him rapidly. He was floating.
Samuel was underwater, something was holding him down. He couldn't get out. He couldn't get air. He needed air. Samuel clawed and suddenly his head broke the surface, he gasped air into his lungs. Now he had to get both of them out of here.
Robert swung at Samuel and missed him. Samuel tried to grab Robert and get him out of the water. His clothes were weighing him down, he felt like his boots were falling off, he tried to grab Robert.
Ferociously Robert struggled with him. Samuel evaded the blows, he got a grip on Robert. Robert's feet flung furiously in the water, his toes striking Samuel in the shins, his hands grabbed Samuel and his fingers dug in.
Samuel desperately struggled to get Robert out of the water. Why Robert wasn't losing energy, or even already dead, was miraculous to Samuel, but he couldn't worry about that now. He had to get Robert out of this water. Now."

Chapter 20:
Samuel woke up and recovered at Dr. Rowledge's house with Peter and Robert. Charlotte went and told Deborah what had happened and Deborah brought soup to the men. Later Samuel asked Robert why he'd done what he did and Robert expressed regret of his actions when Christina and his children had been sick. Charlotte and Peter left again without any incidents and Charlotte got worrying about her relationship with Elisha again.

Check back for March Novel Essential Information on February 27.