“<BIG SPLASH!>” came the screeching war-cry, Gar-Dan running down the big roots of a tree to spring into the water, their thick tail slapping the water before the rest of them followed. Water splashed everywhere, even getting sprays to hit Marsh-Eyes where they were on the rocks. Jeer-rah was still on shore, trying to figure out how Marsh had gotten so far out onto the rocks without getting any of their feathers wet.
Gulum and Rei-Shaw were paddling out in the middle of the deeper areas of the pool, the murky water washing over their backs before one of the twins dove down, the other following. Jeer waded out into the water, tail splashing at the surface as they made their way over to Marsh, fans flared a little in excitement. They actually weren’t supposed to be here, but that was part of the fun, right? The adults had told them to keep out of this part of the swamp, but it was only here that the water actually got deep enough to properly swim. Marsh hadn’t liked the restriction because once again, because they couldn’t breathe water, the adults treated them like a newborn hatchling. Jeer smiled as they started to float, swishing their tail to reach Marsh.
“<Wanna swim with me?>” they asked quietly, Marsh nodding before sliding their palms over the side of the rock they were on, claws barely touching the water before they shifted their weight and they slid in. They dove under with barely a splash, surfacing a little ways away. Their hands and feet clawed at the murk, water dripping off their head and crest while their tail flicked to the surface, steering.
Jeer dove underneath, rising up high enough to feel Marsh’s feet touch their back, lifting them higher up in the water before diving down again. Their feet pushed off the muddy bottom to dart to the surface, clearing their gills of the silt. Marsh was grinning, huffing a little to keep up as they followed Jeer around the pool. They were startled when Gar suddenly screamed, flailing out of the water, scrambling over roots dipping into the pool to escape. Gulum surfaced with a grin, Jeer flattening their fans at them.
“<Gulum, c’mon. You know Gar is afraid of water-snakes.>” The twin shrugged, then dipped backwards to dive under once more with a flash of bright blue scales from their tail tip. Jeer rolled their eyes, then took Marsh-Eye’s fingers in their own and pulled them around the surface of the pool, using only powerful strokes of their tail and occasional kicks to right their course. It was when the forest around the pool got eerily quiet that Marsh started to shiver a little. And when Gar-Dan started screaming again.
“<Gulum, don’t->” Jeer’s voice died in their throat when they saw the twins on shore, eyes wide and limbs stiff with fear, the Argonian turning to look towards Gar and seeing blood in the water. It took them a moment before they could breathe, pushing Marsh towards shore. A triangular wake was heading right for them, and behind that, something big with teeth flashed out of the water briefly, Gar’s dropped tail in its mouth. Jeer swam for shore, claws digging deep into the mud when they saw the nose and eyes of the thing that was chasing them, maw opening to snap on Marsh’s tail. The Saxhleel sprang onto its head and smacked it with their own tail for good measure, yelping when they were thrown off into the pool, but giving their friend time to scramble onto shore.
Jeer managed to escape the pool by climbing the roots, getting a nip at their tail on the way up, turning to try and find a way to get Gar-Dan out, but…it was too late. They were gone.
Marsh’s eyes were locked on the area of the pool where the water was red with Gar’s blood, frothing from the bubbles that had escaped their lungs in panic. They jumped a little when Jeer-rah touched their shoulder, the four hatchlings in horrified shock as they saw the creatures grab onto pieces of their friend, spinning in the water to twist bits free to eat.
It was Jeer who got them all to move, to head back to the tribe, and after they told the adults what had happened, after the lectures, Marsh crawled into Sees’ bed that night, scared of the images that wouldn’t fade, of orange-yellow eyeshines and the groaning hisses of the monsters in the water, and the panicked look on their friend’s face before they were gone forever.
vvardenfellcat 