"It's okay! It's okay," Irene tried to reassure the man. "The ice is only settling."
However, that didn't mean she wasn't holding her breath until it was truly confirmed that the ice was just settling and he didn't fall into the water again.
The man could only pathetically nod as he caught his breath with his face down and practically squished against the ice, having little energy to hold his head up after spending it all struggling to escape.
"Just take a moment," Irene insisted. "I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I want you to roll until you're closer to the shore. It's better than falling into the ice again."
She sat back on her heels and watched over the man until he was able to press on and make it back to land safely. Then the knight ran in the opposite direction until she could meet him at the shore.
