2nd day of fall, 513
Iff stood on the beach, looking out to sea. The day was clear and calm but it was no longer summer and the air held just a faint trace of chill that would grow into the blossom of winter. Iff was not born to cold, a creature of the hot jungles of the south, but nevertheless her hand came up to her neck and began, as if a creature with its own will, to undo the fastenings of her jacket.
A minute later Iff stood in her underthings, clothing neatly folded and placed on a rock. The cool air made her shiver suddenly, and as if spurred by this she went down to the shore and waded out into the water.
It was Iff's plan to join the Wave Guard, which would require a certain amount of swimming, a skill which she lacked. It was best to see what she was up against. She fell forward reluctantly into the cold water and began to splash around in the way that she supposed swimmers do, but she did not seem to be going anywhere and then the water closed suddenly over her head.