[Gift] PT/TRAINING 2 - Marlo/Harlowe/Babylon

The forest floor was filled with cluttered nature from the passed storm; broken off branches and twigs, leaves and grass scattered about, with bushes looking much more bare than they did before. Everything felt so much more quiet than usual in contrast to the howling winds Babylon, Harlow, and Marlo just endured. Climbing out of their hiding hole, the Haedian stretched out with a groan, his wings extending out after being cramped int hat small space for what felt like hours and hours. 

“All that sitting has got my stomach rumbling,” Harlowe sighed while stretching the numbness from his legs. “I could go for some grub right about now. You?” 

“Starving,” Babylon conceded, and Marlo agreed with a hum. “There should be some water nearby, we can try fishing some lunch there. Unlikely anything on land is around right now.” 

Across the forest, was indeed a lake, connected by many creeks and a narrow river on the other side. The sight was a welcome respite from the cluttered trees. The open air and fresh breeze was refreshing to the nose. Much of the chaos of the trees did not carry over to the lake, with only some fallen branches at the shore, and the bank being torn up by the water. Somewhere in there, fish were swimming about minding their business as they watched the storm pass. 

Marlo breathed in the air and sighed deeply, tension falling off his shoulders at last. “I could do with a swim for some lunch. Reminds me of my visit to a friend who lives with the Depthstriders.” 

Harlowe perked up at the mention of the beneath and smiled. “I had a ton of fun visiting their clan. Though the swimming bit was a bit taxing,” he chuckled bashfully, “I’m not the greatest swimmer. It was a bit embarrassing to discover on the go.”

“Don’t do it in your free time? A dip in a cool lake in the summer?” Babylon waded in the shallow water though it quickly got deep for him. Small fish were swimming about, nibbling on the scattered branches and leaves floating about. Snatching some up when they’re occupied shouldn’t be too hard.

“No… Not really.” Harlowe stepped into the shallow shore, water soaking into his long fur. “It takes forever to dry off for me. Plus, I’ve spent most my life in cities. Not much to swim in on the streets.” He felt his stomach rumble again, hunger aching uncomfortably. He wanted to catch his own dinner, but with his lack of swimming skills, it was unlikely. Maybe he can catch something off the shore. He’d hate to burden his new friends.

“I’ll show you some tips, come,” Marlo beckoned the puller into the water as he waded in and let his body slump under the surface. He swam almost like a crocodile, with his long body and tail slithering through the water. It must have been easier to do so with his big hands and feet as well. 

Harlowe nodded with mixed determination. The water looked dark and dangerous in comparison to the clan’s pools. They were so crystal clear, while this lake was stirred front he winds and everything under the surface was hidden beneath its reflections. But he stepped forward and let his body sink in, fur soaking up the chilly water. When he got deep enough that his paws barely reached the bottom, it felt like a pit falling in his stomach again. What if there was a drop and he was left flailing about again. Instinctively, he sucked in a big breath, keeping his nose up with all his might. Paddling, paddling, he kicked his paws, splashing water over his eyes and into his nostrils. 

“Woah-” Babylon shielded his face from the scattered droplets. Around his legs, he saw the little fish escaping the commotion and gasped. “No no-” Splashing his face in like a fox diving into snow, he tried to snap his teeth at any of the fish still passing by. He felt a fin graze his lip, but nothing was caught. Sniffing out water, the chaser sighed, then looked to Marlo. 

The Haedian was smiling, amused but understanding, as he glided across the water to Harlowe. With a hand under his stomach, the puller stopped kicking about and looked to him with soaked lashes. 

“Was I doing it?” He asked, hopeful but not assured. 

“When swimming, you don’t need to kick your legs above the surface,” Marlo explained, demonstrating with his hand above the surface to show the swimming motion. Scooping water with closed fingers trying to emulate a paw. “As you breathe- normally- your body will remain floating, which you can use to rest when tired out. Then simply paddle in rhythm under the surface. Think of it like… pulling yourself forward, and pushing the water back to move yourself forward.” He let Harlowe practice the floating as he explained, and the puller took to it well. “Your back legs should be kicking back, like swatting at something behind you,” Marlo laughed, “and now you’re swimming.” 

Swimming a pace away, Marlo let Harlowe practice floating and paddling on his own, while joining Babylon in hunting some food for them. He’ll cover Harlowe’s meal while the puller is practicing swimming. Babylon was looking around underwater when the Haedian’s body swam over beneath the surface. 

“See anything?”

“There’s some bigger fish deeper in, they’re just hovering in the branches of that fallen tree, some paces off away from the swimming lesson.” Babylon huffed, water spraying off his snout. 

“Not a problem, we’ll pinch in and catch something. Come, you go around that way and lunge in from the log. It should scare them off from their hiding and into the open. I’ll take a grab at them and see what we get.” Marlo constructed a plan of attack and babylon was quick to follow along. 

Wet fur shining, he climbed up and  balanced along the broken tree, looking for a spot to splash in without eating a mouthful of twigs. Looking to the Haedian, he affirmed he could jump in whenever. With a deep breath in, he pursed his lips tight and jumped in. Like a cannonball, he fell in the water, leaves tickling his fur when he sunk in. The splash was enough to scare the fish into motion, pushing them out from under the tree and out into the lake, where Marlo was waiting with an open maw. 

A few snaps of his teeth and lunges of his long neck later, the three of them were finally drying off on land, with a small fire made on the beach. Fish were cooking on sticks, the smell churning grumbles in all three stomachs. Harlowe’s most of all, the young puller tuckered out from his day of learning to swim. Nevertheless, his chest swelled with pride, having done his own laps all by himself today.