The wave was as unexpected as it was sudden. Audric was swept in the same general direction as Leif, but their paths split as the water rushed to find the paths of least resistance. He bobbed to the surface near a tree, clinging to one of its lower branches for a moment before scaling the tree to try to get his bearings.
The branch he perched on creaked threateningly beneath his weight, but it held as he inched along its length. In the distance, he could see what had caused the sudden wave: the levee had broken beneath the weight of the water, and fresh water was flooding the palace grounds and city in greater volume, now. It was no longer a nuisance; if the levee continued to break down, the whole city would be swept away before long!
Damn.
With the current heavily against them and waters rising, he was going to have to make some compromises with his outfit. He undid his cloak pin and draped the thick, dark cloth over the limb of the tree. His sword belt was next; it would weigh him down too much. He caressed the hilt apologetically, then began to remove most of the rest of his weapons. He worked quickly. As he set the last of the weapons down, his eyes swept over the grounds, a bobbing black shape catching his eye for a moment before it was swept under the waves.
Double damn.
The smart thing to do would have been to clamber back down to splash into the water below, but Audric was in a hurry. Instead of wasting that precious time, he risked breaking his neck as he dove back beneath the waves and began to make his way towards where he had last seen Leif with long, powerful strokes. Reaching the location, he dove downwards, bobbing, momentarily, like a duck before vanishing beneath the waves as well.
Leif would feel a tug on his cape, then the sensation of a knife to his throat. Rather than cutting his flesh, however, the blade slid through the fabric of his cape. As the material fell away, supporting arms would go around Leif as his rescuer brought him back to the surface.
Audric barely gave Leif time to catch his breath before paddling towards the tower again. One arm was still around Leif below the armpits, pulling him along as he fought the current with the other arm and his legs. With his back towards his rescuer, Leif would not be able to see who had saved him until he had caught his breath and turned around...but he would certainly recognize the voice.
"You can play in the water later, Leif," Audric scolded playfully. "Right now, we have to get to that tower. We're out of time!"