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(ahaha thanks! Yes, making it was very therapeutic XDD)
By now, Mike was very close to the safe zone, and when Tanrial went for him he put on an extra burst of speed, trying to reach the shallows before she could catch up.
(Lol, it looks great! I wanna change mine but idk but to aha)
Fortunately for Mike, Tanrial caught her foot on a sharp rock and was sent sprawling into the water, sending small waves towards them all. By the time she had regained herself, there was no point in even trying to catch Mike.
(lol well good luck figuring something out!)
Snatch punched the air triumphantly as Mike reached dry land. "Yes! Now we gotta rescue the other two!"
Mike nodded, scrubbing lake water out of his eyes and glancing back at Tanrial. "You okay?" He called, half-laughing.
Tanrial huffed, or grumbled, or both it was hard to tell as she nodded, shaking herself off slightly. She was ready to go again, waiting for Snatch and Mike to make the first move.
They conferred again briefly to discuss changes in their battle plan, then nodded to each other and broke apart. Mike started methodically making his way into the lake, cutting a wide arc around Tanrial as he headed for the prisoners. Meanwhile Snatch dashed through the shallows, taking a much more direct course towards Rebka and Bernon.
Tanrial didn't know who to go for. She knew that she probably wasn't going to win as Snatch was too fast and Mike probably would be able to dodge her easily. But, she headed towards Snatch, bounding through the water.
Snatch screeched and tried to dodge around Tanrial, but ended up tripping on the exact same rock to upend Tanrial a moment ago. She went down with a splutter, right between Tanrial's paws. Mike, meanwhile, used the distraction to his advantage and quickly ran to the prisoners, tagging Rebka and making a break for the safe zone with her in tow.
Tanrial picked Snatch up, placing her on her feet and effectively tagging her at the same time. She turned around, going straight for Mike and Rebka. She was only a few seconds behind but they still had the advantage.
"Go go go," Mike told Rebka, making sure she was well on her way to dry land before suddenly peeling of and making a break for the docks instead. He had a small head start and a slim chance of making it in time, but in the deeper water he' be slowed down and he clearly wasn't a natural swimmer.
Tanrial sped up. Even though the weight of her fur was holding her back a little, luckily she made up for it in size. She reached Mike, skidding through the water, and pushing him in the back with her paw.
He stumbled with an oof and came to a halt, casting an apologetic glance at Rebka, who was now the only one free. "Looks like you're on your own, kid."
Rebka took one look at her odds and held up her hands in surrender, grinning ruefully. "I give up! The Monster wins! Sorry guys, haha."
Tanrial purred happily, trotting over to Rebka and tapping her to make sure she was effectively tagged. Hah! I told you guys I was going to win! She projected into the three of their minds.
"Yeah, we were warned," Bernon chuckled, slogging out of the water and wringing out his clothes. "Good game, guys. Who else is ready for the picnic? I'm starving."
Tanrial waded her way out of the water, standing a little way always so she could shake herself off. She shifted back, her hair slightly damp and clothes just a little wet but not as bad as the others, “Yeah, I’m ready to go eat.”
Mike nodded at a cluster of trees closer to the water. Several kids and villagers had stared to gather in the shade around them and set up places to eat. "Looks like people have started to gather. I can see some familiar faces already."
"Yeah," Snatch said happily, leading the way. "There's Jackie! I guess she got back from helpin' clear trails. Let's go say hi!"
Tanrial grabbed her shoes from where she laid them nearby, following Snatch, “We’re coming Snatch, don’t forget we’re older then you.”
Snatch snorted. "Pfff, right, I forgot. You guys are geezers. Hi Jackie! Look who's back!"
Jackie looked up from her seat at the base of a tree, where she was being swarmed by her younger siblings. "Hey Snatch…..oh hey! Tanrial! You guys made it!" She stood up, still being used as a jungle gym by a couple small children. "How are ya today?"
(I gtg to bed early tonight, I'll see you tomorrow! ^^)
(yepp! I may be around tonight if I have my laptop but no promises)
Tanrial went in for a half hug, being careful of the children around her, "Hey Jackie, long time no see! I'm aight thanks, bit wet so sorry about that but good. How are you? How you been the past few days?"
(Okie!)
"Not too shabby," Jackie grinned. "This place is great. The kids are learning so much just by living here, way more than they did in our original home. When did you guys get here?"
"Yesterday evening," Bernon said, coming up beside them. "We pretty much went straight to bed, though. It's good to hear that you guys are liking the village so far. Just don't go too far into the woods….there are definitely bandits out there. We learned that one the hard way."
Jackie's expression set in determination. "Well, call me ambitious, but those bandits shouldn't be a problem in a year or two. Wren and Polla and I are talking about ways to clean out the mountains so good people can settle there permanently."
(yeah I fell asleep, oops)
Tanrial raised a brow, smiling widely, “Seriously? That’s great! Honestly it would be amazing if you did and if you ever need any help later on down the line I’ll always be happy to help, not like I’m doing anything else anyways.”
(lol no worries, sleep is good)
Jackie grinned. "I'll keep you posted. Aren't you guy going on some kind of quest pretty soon though?"
Bernon shrugged. "I mean, yes, but there's always the chance we'll come back afterwards. Traveling across country and back shouldn't take us too long, right?" He cast a hopeful glance at Mike, who shrugged in a less-than-optimistic way. "Well, our point is, we wish you the best of luck, Jackie, and we'd love to help if we get the chance."
Jackie clapped him on the back, and judging by how much he stumbled, the girl hit as hard as someone Rick's size. "Much appreciated, you three. But enough about that. Why don't we sit down and get ready to eat? There's plenty of food to go around, and I thin I see more coming from the tavern."
(lol true)
"Considering we were all just running around in the water because Snatch wanted to play some game I think we're all pretty hungry." She chuckled lightly, heading over to join the rest of the group and sitting down by Rebka and Snatch.
Jackie flopped down as well, and instantly the other kids dog-piled her again. "Try hauling rocks and fallen trees off a trail for most of the morning," she sighed. "I could eat every fish in the lake right now."
"Please don't," Peter said, walking up to them with a basket of food and drinks. "Here you go, guys–this should be enough for everyone sitting over here. There'll be more on that table we're setting up if you need it."
(I have to go to work now, seeya later!)
(Okie, I'll try and be on again tonight!)
There was an array of different foods. Various small fruits, breads and quite a large amount of fish for the group to share. Most of the group dug in as soon as it was placed down, eager to get a share before it all disappeared into the hungry mouths of the kids.
(oof I slept in, mighta missed ya sorry)
Jackie did her best not to devour more than her share, although it was clear that she was used to eating much more in a sitting. "So," she said between mouthfuls, "did you guys manage to get that map you were wanting? I heard that was what you went to the other village for."