PM to join Splish splash club

[Iff]

13th day of fall, 513

Iff came once again to the shore of the sea, seeking to learn how to swim. Today she had gotten what she considered a more useful bathing costume, a simple loincloth and a second band of cloth to tie about her bust. She wore a coat over this outfit, but nothing else, and went down the edge of the surf to watch the water coming in and going out.

A Charoda woman she had met had agreed to teach her the art of swimming, and they were to meet here for a lesson. Considering a moment, Iff went back to the dry sand and gathered beachwood for a fire. She expected to get very cold this day.

[Phyolea]

Phyolea rose to the surface of the bay and swam to shore. She let the tide wash her inland, then she stood upon her legs and stretched. She was starting to get the hang of her frequent trips to land. Her bipedal motions had improved since she arrived in Zeltiva. Now she would use them to find the Myrian whom she met upon arriving in the city.

The search didn't take long. Phyolea spotted a woman gathering wood. "Iff!" she called. She tried for a smile. "I hope you are well? Are you ready to get started? There are some things I need to tell you before we go into the water." Phyolea unconsciously placed her webbed hand up to her mouth, feeling her lip while she spoke.

[Iff]

Iff had not expected the Charoda to come out of the sea and jumped slightly at the sound of her voice, although now that it had happened she felt a bit foolish.

"I am well. Any drowning is yet to come. I am building a fire so that when I freeze in the icy sea perhaps I will thaw later. I will do this as you tell me the things you have to say, but nevertheless I shall pay good attention."

Iff's first foray with swimming had not gone well and she was not entirely optimistic, but yet she was determined to make a go of it. Why was it necessary for the Wave Guard to swim anyway? The city stood on dry land.

"I tried to swim before," she said. "I thrashed my arms and legs in all directions but none of them propelled me forward, and the waves came to drag me down."

[Phyolea]

Phyolea had always found it interesting how land dwellers functioned so much differently from herself. Phyolea watched as Iff continued to gather wood. Phyolea acknowledged Iff's words with a nod.

"It is best to do these lessons when the tide has ebbed, such as it has done now. You will already have a great challenge with learning to swim in this cold. If you can manage to swim without your muscles seizing up on you, the swimming will be much easier when you try in warmer waters." Phyolea shrugged almost apologetically.

"If you can avoid swimming at high tide, do so. There are more shore breaks and currents during that time. It can get very dangerous. I will show you what to do if you get caught in a rip current." Phyolea started to shiver a bit. She was convinced that it wasn't the water that was cold... it was the air. She normally felt fine once she jumped back into the water. "We will need to establish a way for you to signal me for help if you need it. If you see a ship, do not swim near it. Look for still waters for swimming. Never swim during a storm. Even if you are experienced, the water conditions are much too dangerous... at least, if you need air to breathe anyway."

Phyolea looked out toward the water. She seemed to be content with her quick assessment. "Are you ready? Do you have questions for me?"