Nymirni's Beach

Tidemist smiled to see Stormcloud's excitement over her tail. She bit back a small giggle. She could even see the slight impatience on the girls face. “I suppose she'll have to catch up or come again another day. Come! You need to get the hang of your tail, it's not at all like walking. At least you don't have to worry about drowning.” She teased Stormcloud, swimming out a bit into the deeper water with a few flicks of her tail. She swam to where the water was deep enough to allow her to be fully up right, her tail lazily flowing back and forth to keep her head and shoulders above the water as she looked towards Stormcloud with a patient but welcoming smile.

After a long while of swimming a new emotion over took Serpent Fang. He directed himself to shallower water where he sank down to the seafloor, finding a sandy clearing among the seaweed. He sat on a mossy rock that lay half buried in the sand and pressed his face into his hands.

He took a deep slow breath, the water rushing through his gills. He raised his head and looked up at the beams of light filtering through the water. What was he doing and what had he done? He reached down and picked up a sharp stone, holding it in the palm of his hand.

He had no weapon, no home, and only one possible place to go. If only… He shook his head, his hair swirling around his face in a black cloud. He still couldn’t go back, but he couldn’t go forward either.

Kai smiled and waved as the girls took to the sea. *Send for me when you're ready to back back ashore!* She told them. *Be safe out there!* She let her hand drop to her side. Kai sighed and started back to her hut. The roof wasn't going to fix itself.

The walk back was a slow one as Kai thought over all her options for her current situation. She wondered if she should turn around and wait in Tern's cave for him, or maybe he was there already. But he had taken after Lace so he may not be in his home.

"Im too old for this." Kai muttered as she approached her hut.

Tidemist waved cheerfully to the retreating High One, then turned her focus on the WolfFolk maiden. She tried not to laugh at her efforts to swim, and was only half successful, raising a hand to cover the smile on her face. She was mildly surprised when Stormcloud sent rather than spoke, but realized she might not have the ability to speak underwater like her tribe did. Perhaps Kaimeta had forgotten in her distraction.

She smiled and could only shrug a bit, a flick of the tail bringing her over to Stormcloud as she helped right the girl. “I've been doing it since birth. I suppose it's a lot like learning how to walk. Once you know, you just know how to do it without thinking.”

She smiled as Stormcloud attempted speaking through the water, and the delight she could see in her face at her success.“I can try. I...I've never really had to chance to teach anyone. Usually only pips need to learn how to swim, and their parents will do it. But maybe if I try locksending...” She giggled at Stormcloud's twirling around before she extended her senses, locking her mind telepathically with Stormcloud's, allowing the other maiden to feel the same physical sensations she did.

She let herself float in the water, and began slowly flexing her tail from fluke end to her hips, trying to help Stormcloud to feel what muscles did which motion. She hoped it would be enough. Though she didn't mind the idea of having to tow Stormcloud around if she had to.

Tidemist smiled, watching as Stormcloud was able to swim in a straight line. But then suddenly she was swimming at her, and nearly bumped into her. Tidemist swam backward a few short strokes in surprise, then laughed despite herself. “It's alright! Let's try underwater maybe? The wind might be pushing you a bit.” With a welcoming gesture of the hand, she dove under the water, swimming down a few feet towards the bottom of the ocean, then turned upside down, looking up towards the surface and Stormcloud.