Soh took the line that Tal offered and tied it around her own waist, tugging gently on it to ensure it was tied tightly. She then took the rest of the line and tied it to a tree on the riverbank. Holding up the length of rope, she said, [say]"So we can find our way back."[/say] She would slowly let out the line as they swam; that way, they would have a clear path out of the caverns and back to the surface.
She smiled sweetly up at Tal. She could tell that he was nervous - and who wouldn't be? Swallowing her own discomfort, she patted his shoulder awkwardly, hoping that the gesture would calm him much as he'd calmed her earlier. [say]"It's my pleasure! I've never helped someone with a quest before. It's going to be fun!"[/say] She waded into the water, leading her friend into their newdance with death adventure. She took one last look at the shore, her gaze flickering along the Peregrine, Boreal, and finally, Tal. Then she turned and led him out into the Symphony.
She took things slowly, giving him a moment to adjust to the feel of the current sweeping around his waist as they waded into deeper water. She gave him a few last-minute instructions - including a reminder to just tug on the rope if he needed help - and reminded him that they were looking for large bubbles floating along the bed of the river. Then, with a deep breath to steady her own nerves, she dove into the deeper water.
Fortunately, the water was crystal clear, and she had no trouble navigating to the riverbed. From there, it was but a moment's swim before she found what she was looking for, and she turned gracefully in the water to catch Tal's eye, pointing toward the bubbles she saw a few feet away. She swam closer, hesitated, then stuck her head inside, half expecting it to pop and dissipate - but it held, enclosing her head in a sphere of oxygen. She wouldn't be able to talk to Tal, but they would be able to breathe. And, she realized with a smile, the bubbles were fairly clear, with only the faintest green tinge to their exterior to color the waters around them.
The only downside was the ringing, but they'd expected that. With a mental shrug, Soh waited until she could see that Tal had found a bubble of his own and then continued her swim. It was strange, being able to breathe underwater, but it was a lot of fun, too. She watched with interest as a school of fish swam by, eyeing her much in the same way as she regarded them. It drew a giggle from the young woman, and she swam on.
Before long, they had found an entrance to the caverns. Soh paused in front of the darkness of the cave, treading water and holding herself in place. She turned to face Tal and pointed into the cavern; she had just realized that while Tal would be able to see in there, she would be entirely reliant on him to lead the way from there.
She smiled sweetly up at Tal. She could tell that he was nervous - and who wouldn't be? Swallowing her own discomfort, she patted his shoulder awkwardly, hoping that the gesture would calm him much as he'd calmed her earlier. [say]"It's my pleasure! I've never helped someone with a quest before. It's going to be fun!"[/say] She waded into the water, leading her friend into their new
She took things slowly, giving him a moment to adjust to the feel of the current sweeping around his waist as they waded into deeper water. She gave him a few last-minute instructions - including a reminder to just tug on the rope if he needed help - and reminded him that they were looking for large bubbles floating along the bed of the river. Then, with a deep breath to steady her own nerves, she dove into the deeper water.
Fortunately, the water was crystal clear, and she had no trouble navigating to the riverbed. From there, it was but a moment's swim before she found what she was looking for, and she turned gracefully in the water to catch Tal's eye, pointing toward the bubbles she saw a few feet away. She swam closer, hesitated, then stuck her head inside, half expecting it to pop and dissipate - but it held, enclosing her head in a sphere of oxygen. She wouldn't be able to talk to Tal, but they would be able to breathe. And, she realized with a smile, the bubbles were fairly clear, with only the faintest green tinge to their exterior to color the waters around them.
The only downside was the ringing, but they'd expected that. With a mental shrug, Soh waited until she could see that Tal had found a bubble of his own and then continued her swim. It was strange, being able to breathe underwater, but it was a lot of fun, too. She watched with interest as a school of fish swam by, eyeing her much in the same way as she regarded them. It drew a giggle from the young woman, and she swam on.
Before long, they had found an entrance to the caverns. Soh paused in front of the darkness of the cave, treading water and holding herself in place. She turned to face Tal and pointed into the cavern; she had just realized that while Tal would be able to see in there, she would be entirely reliant on him to lead the way from there.
