Open Sink or swim

[Iff]

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.

[Lorelai Stormwatcher]

Lorelai could feel the tide pulling out. The ocean was calm. She slowly open herself up to the life around her in the sea and immediately felt something off. There was a human in the water, thrashing about. She could hear the splashing over the waves now, as she ran towards the source.
A glimpse of a head dragged beneath the waves was all that she need to know. She dove in, focusing her mental depth finder on the human being pulled away by the tide. Smooth strokes brought her to the victim, and without hesitation Lorelai dragged her up to the surface, but there was no way to swim against the tide. 'Calm down, stop thrashing' She said to the girl, she couldn't hold her up moving like that, she wasn't quite a strong enough swimmer. "Laviku, help us" At a command, a small bottlenose slipped up underneath Lorelai's arm, supporting her.

[Iff]

Iff had small experience of the ocean and did not really understand how much trouble she was in. The rip-tide pulled at her feet, urging her downward, and this caused her a spasm of anger. Arms caught hold of her then, and pulled her upwards, and a voice spoke into her ear.

Calm down, stop thrashing.

Iff opened her mouth to protest that she was swimming, not thrashing, but got a mouth full of sea water and managed only a fit of choking and coughing. She was very much bigger than Lorelai and her dense Myrian musculature was not inclined to float; it was with great difficulty that her rescuer was able to keep both their heads above water.

And then an animal arrived, thrusting itself at the two young women.

"A shark!" she managed to splutter, thrashing ever more wildly. Her fists smote the water ineffectively and in all directions, the sea draining her blows of useful strength.

[Lorelai Stormwatcher]

The girl was not from around here, She was... Harder... Than most of the other Zeltivan citizens. The girl tried to speak, but was greeted with another mouthful of saltwater. A call of 'Shark' made Lorelai jump, and the young woman began again thrashing about. It was all Lorelai could do to hold on.

"Stop it, don't be daft" She shouted above the splashing. "It's a dolphin, it will not hurt you, and without her, I can't swim you back to shore, Now put your arm over it, and grab the fin on top"

With that, Lorelai made to get her weight off the dolphin because it couldn't support them both. She sagged and almost went under as all of the weight of the giant female was now on her with no additional support. Oh petch. I wish she would stop moving. She silently prayed to Laviku that they could get out of this mess. They were quite far out.

[Iff]

The news that the creature was a Dawpin was not entirely reassuring to Iff, who did not know what that was. Were there helpful beasts roaming the seas who just popped up when needed? She had never seen the sea as such a friendly place.

There seemed little for it but to hug the Dawpin's rubbery body and see what happened. The other girl was far too small to be used for flotation, and so she did as she was asked, gripping the beast with an iron grip that only lessened somewhat when it became apparent that it wasn't trying to throw her off. Together the group began to move towards shore, Iff's long legs trailing behind her as they went. Before long they reached a point where Iff could stand in the surf, although the waves battered at her and threatened to knock her over, her instinct being to meet them with strength and rigidity rather than allowing them their sway and flowing along with them.

Iff scowled at the sea as the waves advanced on her in their teaming numbers.

"I give thanks. I would learn to swim, but it is not easy for me. I kick and wave my arms about as seems proper but I do not move along."

[Iff]

The two women spoke for a while, and after having the basics of swimming described to her, Iff went back to work practicing. She decided that from now on she would swim along the shoreline so as not to go out too far, and avoid the deep water which moved out along the floor of the sea with the crashing of the waves.