Ah... shit. Soh looked as upset as Tal felt and he grimaced as he tried to swallow his fear and discomfort and put on a brave face for his kindly friend. She was doing her best to teach him, and it wasn't her fault he was so scared of the water... and of this river in particular. He chewed his lip for a second and then reached out to tentatively pat her shoulder in return, trying to be comforting as he slowly recovered what little dignity he had.
Besides, hearing how long he'd been floating on his own cheered him up unexpectedly and he almost met her smile with one of his own, shocked into forgetting his embarrassment for a moment. "Hey, that's not bad!" He looked downright proud before she suggested trying again and his face fell. Her swift attempt to change the lesson plan up was appreciated, and her musing brought a rueful twitch of his lips as he pushed his wet hair out of his eyes.
"Yeah, let's do that," he agreed, figuring it was an easier lesson than floating. Just holding his breath? He could manage that!
Though it turned out that doing so without getting water up his nose was trickier than he expected, and willingly putting his face into the water was a challenge it took several false starts to overcome. Sohalia's patience with him was the only thing that kept him going as the afternoon wore on and they moved through the basics until he could at least thrash around and keep himself afloat with a rough doggy paddle. Even Boreal joined in eventually, showing off her own paddling prowess with smug confidence.
By the time they were ready for a break Tal was looking a little morose as he ran his fingers over the edges of the Goggles that hung around his neck when he didn't have them over his eyes, heaving a heavy sigh. "I dunno how I'm s'posed to go down an' see any critter that's really deep anytime soon, though," he admitted, a hint of frustration coloring his tone. "How can anyone hold their breath that long without magic?"
Besides, hearing how long he'd been floating on his own cheered him up unexpectedly and he almost met her smile with one of his own, shocked into forgetting his embarrassment for a moment. "Hey, that's not bad!" He looked downright proud before she suggested trying again and his face fell. Her swift attempt to change the lesson plan up was appreciated, and her musing brought a rueful twitch of his lips as he pushed his wet hair out of his eyes.
"Yeah, let's do that," he agreed, figuring it was an easier lesson than floating. Just holding his breath? He could manage that!
Though it turned out that doing so without getting water up his nose was trickier than he expected, and willingly putting his face into the water was a challenge it took several false starts to overcome. Sohalia's patience with him was the only thing that kept him going as the afternoon wore on and they moved through the basics until he could at least thrash around and keep himself afloat with a rough doggy paddle. Even Boreal joined in eventually, showing off her own paddling prowess with smug confidence.
By the time they were ready for a break Tal was looking a little morose as he ran his fingers over the edges of the Goggles that hung around his neck when he didn't have them over his eyes, heaving a heavy sigh. "I dunno how I'm s'posed to go down an' see any critter that's really deep anytime soon, though," he admitted, a hint of frustration coloring his tone. "How can anyone hold their breath that long without magic?"
