#odyssey

One moment, the three wilders are standing in the courtyard at Silverwolf. Nocker, Troll, and Sidhe Fledge, hand in hand.

The next, they are not.

The air is fresh, and cool.

The horizon stretches out seemingly endlessly all around.

Far above is the blue sky.

Far below roll ocean waves.

The waves are very quickly growing closer.

"Oh crap" Gwen says. "I'm gonna siink"

"This ain't no furkin' skippin' stone!"

"Aaaaaaaaaah!" Art adds helpfully, as they fall.

"What if we try skipping stones?"

"My helmet, I can cup air in it..."

"Lou-furkin'-loo, skip to my loo. Skippadee doo dah, skippadee yay, christ goddammit we ain't gonna sink today!" Hopscotch can jump sideways, so maybe they can... bounce off the water's surface?

There is no land around, not within immediate sight… and they have quite a vantage point. Though, it lowers every moment.

The magic swirls around Gwen, and just as her feet skim the water, she finds herself propelled back airborne, and forward!

Hauling Art, and Thistle along with her!

"What! Did! You! Do!" As she skips forward

"We ain't drowning, yeah? You got a BETTER plan?"

"Uh, Guys?" Art is the first to notice the fins circling below.

"I do not wish to alarm you, but we seem to have attracted attention!"

"Forget a bigger boat, we need A furkin' boat. I'm not chum!"

"Want me to willowhisper one and ask if it's hungry? Answer might be yes"

They are approaching the waves once more, but the momentum hasn't worn off. Everyone knows that a proper stone must skip several times before sinking, and Gwen is no exception. Her feet skim the water again, and they are back in the air, though not as high as the first time.

This time, they are not alone in the leap! On either side of them, the water is breeched by a smooth-skinned, silvery-grey shape that leaps playfully into the air alongside them! They have streaks of color - no, wait, they are wearing things of color - looped and braided, seaweed and coral, shimmering scales and shining stones that flash wetly in the sunlight. Glamour comes from them!

"Whaaaaaaaaaaat....."
"Areeee YooOOooouuUuuu...."
"DooooooIIIiiiiiing?!"

They trill in high pitched squeals, clearly curious!

"Trying not to drown!"

"If you could help us find land we'd really ... Oof.. appreciate it"

"Land?! Land!" They chortle like that is a joke! "Youuuu are not landing on laaaaaand! You are in SEA, see?!"

"Sea! See! Sea!" The second squeals in laughter.

"We see it's the sea!"

"Can you... ack... help us?" Another skip!

They are starting to slow down, and the next time that Gwen's feet touch, she only gets a foot or so of air off the waves.

"Game?" One asks

"Game? Fun game? Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuun?"

"Here's the game... you keep me going until I reach the shore?"

"Fun game, yeah - yeah. Can you help us follow a sparkly?"

"Right right...the sparkly"

"Twinkle, twinkle little wisp, how I hope this takes the piss, sparkle shine and lead on down, to sandy shores where we won't drown."

"You are not of Seaaaa. You need sheeeep!"

"Sheeep! Sheeeeeeeeeep!"

Art asks, "A sheep? A sh- a ship? Yes! Do you have a ship?"

"A ship! Can you get us to a ship?"

"Weeeeeeeeeeeee know!"
"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee know!"

"Far? Not far!"

They laugh together.

"Will you swim? The water is good! Good-gooooood!"
"Fishes are sweet, sweet!"

They sink now, and they are all three lowering into the water.

"Go, tow! Hold!"
"No, I tow!"

They almost get into a rough and tumble tussle right there, Dolphin A and Dolphin B, both jostling to try to be the first to put their fin under Thistle's grasp.

Gwen tries to think light thoughts

"Do you think the magic summoned them?" Art asks, and as he starts to lower, his first impulse is to hang onto Gwen - but then he realizes that once she's no longer buoyed by magic, he'll just be dead weight... and he lets go, letting himself plop into the waves first.

"You guys are awesome, thank you!:

"either that or maybe .." Splash "maybe... Thistle's chimerical knack for drawing interesting creatures? Maybe both"

"Just... keep holding on!"

"I can't haul yer boulder butt up from under the waves. I'm scrawny, yo."

"SO SORRY I'm WOMAN Sized" A bit cranky

Oh, the two are starting to churn up water now in their fight for Thistle's attention. "Me!" "Meeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Art and Gwen ignored - she can tread water for a few moments, but the armor is weighing her down, she can feel it pulling her.

She grabs Gwen and reaches for the closest Dolphin.

"Help!"

Gwen holds on and with her free hand hangs onto art

A chortle of delight as the dolphin with coral chunks strung on his seaweed harness is chosen, and Gwen is able to grip the smooth, rubbery fin. Despite her weight, the Dolphin seems to have no trouble - they are big animals, and strong.

The other dolphin, the one with shiny shells strung on her melon, pushes her way under Thistle's hand, and thus, they all find themselves supported.

Art is hauled up by Gwen, and wetly asks, "Do you have another friend?"

Coral chuckles. "Many friends, many-many."

Shell squeaks, "Down, down, down. You want to meet? Down!" She seems a little skeptical!

"No!" Art quickly changes his mind. "The ship, we want to see the ship. Please!"

Gwen says "Thank you, and ship is good"

"We go!"

"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee gooooooooo!"

The dolphins immediately have forgotten their squabble and now are cutting through the waves like hot knives through butter!

Thistle feels a pinched feeling now that she has a moment to focus, and realizes that Citrine is CLINGING to her hair in desperation.

"You two are real beauts! I love your jewelry!"

A laugh when she realizes Citrine is along. "Hang on, Dingbat!"

"Giiiiiiifts!"

"Giiiiiiiiiiifts!" They squeal excitedly.

"You give!"

"Yes! Share!"

Their speech breaks down into unintelligible excited squeaks and squeals at the idea, but they are still making good time in the same direction the dolphins had chosen.