Fun at the Beach (Kazuro x Ambriel)

Ambriel

Ambriel trotted through the forests of Shadow Empire, heading out to the nearby river to catch some fish. The sun soon broke through the trees as she entered a clearing. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the feeling of the full sun on her fur. The days were getting cooler but the frost was still a little ways off, and so some autumn wildflowers still sprung from the tall grasses. They tinged the air with a nice aroma.

As she breathed in the air, however, she noticed another scent. There was an Empiremate nearby. She looked over on the other side of the meadow to see a dark shape. Kazuro. She recognized the fellow apprentice immediately. She didn’t know Kaze well, he didn’t usually seem to be around much now that she thought about it, but she figured it made sense to stop by and say hi. She noticed that the cougar often had flowers fixed within his scarf, so she surmised that he may be here collecting some flowers for that purpose now. “Hi, Kaze,” She said warmly as she approached.

---

Kazuro

The day had been a peaceful one for the dark cougar. He had attempted hunting in the trees, had napped in the trees, watched over the cubs… in the trees. Alright, Kazuro knew he needed to attune back to ground traversing. Stealth was the focus of the empire after all, not climbing. However, every toss rock, exposed root and drowned plant reminded him of the events of the flood. I should have been there to help them.

At least some life had began to grow back, particularly in areas which were used to high water levels. This left the meadows rich with autumn flowers like Saffron. He wouldn’t dare pick them mind you, however some of the other flowers might be good. Carefully Kaze began to pluck flower heads, tucking them into his scarf until he was interrupted by a greeting. The friendly voice came from a jaguar hybrid nearby; female, likely an apprentice. Which only made Kaze feel worse about not being about to reciprocate the greeting as he couldn’t recall her name. I really need to start interacting more with the other apprentices…

“Uhh, hello! Can I help you?” The cougar wasn’t sure what she was doing by herself out here, however the same question could be asked of him. Kaze was trying to avoid contact with too many cats at camp, in case one would realise that he hadn’t been around to help in the flood. He couldn’t face with the embarrassment that would happen in front of the entire camp. However, he was getting side tracked here. The tom secured the flowers in his scarf before turning to face the female properly.

---

Ambriel

Ambriel shook her head, “No, I was just passing by and saw you. I thought I’d stop and say hi,” she explained. Ambriel always went out of her way to meet her Empiremates. Even those she barely knew she considered her friends, after all, so in her opinion an opportunity to spend time with them shouldn’t be passed up. Especially in this case, when this cat in question was pretty shy, she guessed from how little she saw him. Her pale green eyes shifted down to the flowers fixed in his scarf, “That looks nice!” Ambriel said, looking back up at his face, “I’ll bet you smell better than anyone else in the Empire too.” she teased. It hadn’t crossed her mind that Kazuro wouldn’t know her name until right now, when she looked at him, and remembered that he hadn’t said her name in return when he greeted her. Ambriel had grown up in Shadow Empire, taking note of all cats who came and went (plus she was quite outgoing) so she knew everyone’s name. But that didn’t mean everyone else knew hers. The fact that he didn’t greet her by name didn’t necessarily mean he didn’t know it either, but still better safe than sorry. “I’m Ambriel, by the way.”

---

Kazuro

“Nice to meet you Ambriel,” he gave her a bashful smile in embarrassment at her realisation, before turning back to his flowers again. Whilst she seemed friendly, the tom wasn’t actually sure what to talk about. I guess focus on what she mentioned? “Hmm, well I guess so. Some of them don’t really smell of much though.” Couldn’t be more positive, could I?
Kazuro sighed, sitting down amidst the meadow. He really wasn’t feeling up to conversation too much. His mind kept wandering back, and when it did, the empty feeling of guilt would stir up again.
“I’m sorry. I guess I’m just not up to much conversation right now.” The was a note of sadness to his voice as he spoke out; not facing Ambriel. The tom didn’t try and hide this, however he did hope it might put her off so he could focus on… something else? He wasn’t really sure. The cougar might find a tree to rest in after this.
Kazuro looked around briefly before locking his gaze on another flower. It was strange how many purple flowers were around this time of year. He plucked a smaller Aster before placing it in the helm of his scarf. He really ought to not avoid conversations. “Uhh, do you like flowers?”

---

Ambriel

Ambriel shrugged when he said that some flowers may not have a smell. She supposed he was right, especially the smaller ones sometimes were more grass-like in scent. Which Ambriel still really liked, but a lot of things sorta smelled like grass since grass was, well, everywhere. Ever the bold conversationalist, Ambriel replied with a playful smile, “Maybe it’s just you then.” She didn’t know much about Kazuro or what he smelled like, but it was the first reply that came to her and it seemed nice enough!


Her smile faded when she noticed he looked upset, and even apologized for not wanting to talk. “Oh that’s alright...” she said, but she was concerned. Perhaps he was sad that they lost their old home. She was often upset about that when she thought about it, after all. But she didn’t know what was going on in his life, since she barely knew him, so it was hard to guess. And besides maybe there was nothing wrong and he just didn’t want to talk! Ambriel wasn’t good at grasping that concept, however, being such an outgoing cat herself. Kazuro plucked another flower and asked her if she liked them. Ambriel looked down at the ground in front of her, at where a little purple flower grew up between the grasses. She smiled softly. “Yeah, I do like flowers.” she took one of her large paws and touched the flower gently, then looked back at Kaze as he tucked the blossoms into his scarf. “The colors are really beautiful.” She paused a moment, her mind still stuck on what he said before, and then asked, “Is something wrong?”

---

Kazuro

“Yeah…” His expression soften with her statement of their beauty. That’s one thing that will never change. The cougar was gratefully that some things didn’t change, at least not entirely. The plants would grow back, maybe differently, however they alway did. ’In circulo vitae’, as some would say. It was a comforting thought that slightly eased the tension in his shoulders. Sighing, he sat down amongst the swaying clumps of grass.

When Ambriel eventually commented on his obvious melancholy attitude he glanced up to met her eyes. “I guess, yeah, although it's not a big issue relative to the mess that some cats went through in that flood.” He briefly paused, deciding that he had dug himself far enough down this rabbit hole to not give some type of an explanation. “Just wish I could have done more to help in the flood. It all happened when I was out of camp and I...“ Once again his voice trailed off as his dropped in shame.

---

Ambriel

Ambriel sat down as well, listening to the cougar attentively as he explained why he was feeling so down-hearted. She could empathize with a feeling of uselessness or guilt for what she didn’t do. Ambriel had a particular dislike for the feeling. That’s why she could often be found nosing her way into other cats’ business. She was there for the flood in the camp. Not many could call it a blessing, but she supposed she would. She would have rather been there to help. And Kazuro felt the same, though fate had worked differently for him.
His voice trailed off and he bowed his head shamefully. The liguar felt a rush of sympathy. This had clearly been bothering him quite a bit. Ambriel lowered her own head to be more at his level as she replied. “Hey.” she said, “I get it, I’d probably feel it too… I have felt it when I wasn’t there for my friends when they needed me…” She thought of Nadav… one of the cats closest to her, and their conversation the night after the flood. Nadav had been through a dark place through much of her young life and Ambriel hadn’t been there for her. Not as much as she now desperately wished she could have been. And that was only one recent example. “But I guess I just wonder… what are you gonna do, you know? I wasn’t there… but I can be there now, right? I can still be there for next time.” Her mind was on Nadav as she spoke, but Kazuro’s situation was different. Ambriel ought to have noticed her friend’s distress. But Kaze just physically wasn’t there, it wasn’t his fault! “And besides, you had no way to know that the flood was coming. You weren’t supposed to be there, and there’s nothing you can do about that. Sometimes it just...happens that way. It happens to everyone.” Ambriel was a religious cat, believing that the Shadow Empire goddess had a larger plan for every cat, Kazuro included. If Kaze wasn’t supposed to be in camp that day then that’s just how it is and how it was always gonna be. She wasn’t sure if words would be enough to assuage the dark cougar’s grief but she was hopeful it could mean something to the other apprentice, or if nothing else surely talking about it would help.

---

Kazuro

“I wish it was that simple… I know you can’t change the past and I can’t change what I didn’t do. It is just...” Kaze let out a wistful sigh, pausing as he mulled over his next words. He desired to let her believe that he was supposed to be out of camp, doing some assignment for his mentor, however the notion sat poor in his stomach. He couldn’t lie about this. He had to be honest and face the facts.
“I wasn’t even supposed to be out of camp at that time. I should have been there, it was my duty. I should have waited for an assignment or something. But I didn’t. I just… Why didn’t anyone stop me? They didn’t even realise I wasn’t-”
His stream of speech was interrupted by a sharp intake as he tried to control his voice. He hadn’t realised he had started to shake slightly, his claws curled in the grass in the rush of emotion.
What if Zemar had been hurt or worse? Kazuro had found him safe at the new camp earlier to his relief... however Kaze hadn’t been there for him. The cougar knew his brother would have been helping other cats, maybe the blacksmith, in the flood. He should have been there with him. It left a bitter taste in his mouth. Did he go look for me? Did anyone else look, or even care? When he finally located everyone after the flood, it had just confirmed his belief that true friends here were few and far between.
Finally calming down to quiet sniffs, he couldn’t bring his gaze to meet the female’s. “I just need some time to myself. I can look for herbs whilst out here though, maybe some might be tucked away somewhere.”

---

Ambriel

Kazuro’s distress was clear as he went on and Ambriel narrowed her eyes sadly. And what he said next was a blow she took almost personally. They didn’t even realize you… weren’t there? Is that what you were going to say? He broke off before he finished, looking overwhelmed. It seemed like there was several parts to this, Kazuro was upset that he hadn’t been there to help his Empire when they needed him, but it sounded like he also felt as if no one cared to realize that he wasn’t there at the time of the flood, no one had been there in case he had needed help. Ambriel had been one of the cats to return to the floodwaters to ensure that everyone was evacuated from camp, and she and the others who had returned personally ensure that everyone was gone. But it wasn’t like he couldn’t have been swept away at the beginning before a cat could notice, and she wouldn’t have know that when she called the all clear, unless someone noticed him missing in an Empire of dozens and dozens of cats. Is that what he meant? She lowered her ears, upset that he felt so disregarded. And it’s not like Ambriel had done anything to help stop him from feeling this way, after all she barely knew Kazuro and this was probably the first time she had taken the initiative to actually have a conversation with him.

But just like she herself had said, maybe she hadn’t been there for her Empiremate before, but she could still be here now. Or she could try. “I know you’re upset… but maybe doing something to get your mind off things might be better than searching for herbs alone and being sad. It won’t get better that way. Come on, why don’t we go to the beach?” Ambriel offered her friendship, hoping that he would accept.

---

Kazuro

I don’t see how going to the beach is going to make things much better, Kazuro had thought to himself, however he did appreciate her effort in trying to cheer him up. He definitely wasn’t having much favour in finding many herbs even in this field… yeah, I’ll give it a go. What could go wrong?

Shaking out his fur briefly, he turned back the Ambriel and gave her a small smile. “I guess there is no harm in going.” His mind briefly flickered onto the possibility of having to swim, however he pushed it aside in an attempt to remain positive. Hence, the cougar gentle tucked away the last of the cascade of colour into his scarf, securing them in place for the journey ahead. His deep eyes glanced towards the far horizon. Perhaps this would be just what he needed.

“I assume you have an area in mind to travel with? If so, lead the way.”

---

Ambriel

Ambriel was delighted when Kazuro agreed to go to the beach with her. She nodded, “I do. We’ll follow the riverbank.” That tended to be the easiest thing. Ambriel had lived in Shadow Empire her entire life and knew the territory well, but it was a vast place and deep in the forest it was easy to get turned around. They probably would have no trouble in the forest, but with a river you always knew where you were headed, because all rivers lead to the sea.

Ambriel watched him as he tucked the last flower in his scarf. “Beautiful.” she said cheerily and then turned to lead the way. As they walked she decided to take this time to get to know Kaze a bit more. Hopefully, if she took initiative, and they became better friends, he wouldn’t feel so alone. “So how’s your training going?” the generic question from one apprentice to another. It was the go-to for Ambriel especially when she was getting to know someone. Training to be a Gladiator excited her, and she tended to assume that it excited the other apprentices too.

---

Kazuro

Kazuro smiled slightly as they started from the field, slowly following Ambriel as she took the lead. He didn't say anything about their route, already having a rough idea of the beach's location from his tree climbing, however her logic for locating it on ground sounded good to him. After all, rivers have to go somewhere. He'd have to put that to memory.

In thought, he almost missed Ambriel's next question. He wished he did.

The cougar couldn't hide his reaction, suddenly feeling surprisingly unsure about the topic. He still tried to give an honest answer despite this, giving a vague flick of his ear in recognition. "I wouldn't really call it training, but it's ok." His eyes focused onto the passing trees. "Not much is happening really." He didn't want to go on another tangent on cats passing him by, so the male tried to steer it away from that. "Being an apprentice does mean I'm allowed to do more exploring in the trees though. Patrols are so much more interesting from up there."

---

Ambriel

Ambriel didn’t miss how unhappy Kazuro was at her inquiry. She looked over at him, a bit concerned. Wouldn’t really call it training… the liguar wasn’t sure what Kazuro meant about that. Although, now that she thought of it, she couldn’t recall who Kazuro’s mentor even was. She never saw him with a mentor, though she rarely saw him at all. Ambriel knew what it was like to lack a motivated mentor, and how boring it could be. “Well if you ever do want more happening, you’re always welcome to train with me! Phoebe is a great mentor, I’m sure she’d love to have you at a lesson!” The cheetah had been a friend of Ambriel’s since she was a cub, and Ambriel couldn’t have asked for a more devoted or fun mentor. Phoebe also had a skill that Ambriel lacked; Phoebe planned and schemed and strategized. It was very useful for Ambriel to learn these skills, as she was often too headstrong herself. “Or if nothing else, we can practice with each other.” Ambriel loved training with other apprentices. Her sister and she were near always wrestling and playing and practicing, and when Anane wasn’t around it was Nadav or Mordred, and Ambriel was always on the lookout for more partners.
She smiled when the cougar brought up his exploration of the trees. “Heh, that does sound more interesting than a patrol from the ground. You can see so much from up there,” Ambriel had loved climbing trees when she was a cub. She loved to get really high and be able to look around and see the whole world. But things had changed for her since then… “I’m jealous of you,” she admitted, her voice playful but her explanation was a bit wistful as she went on. “I used to love climbing trees. I’ve gotten so big, though, I can’t climb very high at all anymore.” She shrugged with a sad smile, “there are downsides to being this bulky.” She used a large paw to swat at a long bit of grass as she passed it. Ambriel liked her appearance just fine but she didn’t like the limitations, a feeling many cats could likely relate to.

---

Kazuro

"Phobe wouldn't mind, would she?" Kazuro's ears perked up slightly, mulling the thought over in his mind. Perhaps he could still finish his training before the next gathering then... "Yeah, I'd like that. I haven't trained too much recently so it should be interesting!" The cougar smiled, trying to imagine what it must feel like to be a gladiator. He was definitely old enough... he just needed the help in learning how to fight properly. Yeah, I can do this! "I mainly need practise fighting, I'm honestly not the best at it," he chuckled glancing around as he listened to the breeze.

The tom looked back towards his companion as she spoke again; understanding reaching in. He loved being in the trees, the wind surround him with new smells. Fluttering through the leaves, it was inviting him to explore into their hidden heights. To know that, but later be impaired from doing it? Kaze almost wanted to race off into them right then; to check whether he could still climb up into the branches himself. "Hmm, well I guess one day if your still interested in climbing, we could go closer to fire to get some of the broader trees there?"

---

Ambriel

“Oh, no of course she won’t mind! Phoebe is very laid back. But very fearsome too. She once trained in the city, she told me. If anyone can help you catch up on your fighting abilities, it will be her!” Ambriel explained, grinning as she thought on the cheetah, who had been her friend and like a mentor to her since childhood. “It will be interesting, and fun too.” Ambriel had only ever trained with Phoebe alone, so this would be something new and fun to add to their routine. She could only imagine the cheetah would take two apprentice in stride. And her cheerful, outgoing nature was sure to make the shy Kaze feel comfortable.

Ambriel looked at the dark cougar curiously when he offered to come with her to the Fire Empire border, or near to it, to find broader trees that would be more likely to hold her. Ambriel was an avid explorer, and had often visited that side of the territory, always volunteering for those long ranging patrols and it was true that the trees were larger there, now that she thought on it. But she had never considered trying to climb the trees out there (by the time she had been old enough to go out on those patrols she had long given up on her tree-climbing past). A gentle smile formed on her muzzle and she blinked gratefully, “Yeah… that’s a great idea, Kazuro. I’d love to go sometime.” Could she rediscover tree-climbing yet? And even better to do it with someone else who enjoyed it too. She had no such companion in her youth.

The trees were beginning to thin a bit as the two cats made their way toward the beach. The babbling river they were following could still be heard at their side. Ambriel breathed in the air, catching the first waft of the alluring aroma of the sea, signalling that they were getting close. It wasn’t all that pleasant, but to Ambriel it meant adventure, and beauty, and magic. So she liked it a lot.

---

Kazuro

The cougar chuckled in response, his mind racing on the chance to possibly have properly fighting training. Would Phoebe be as ruthless as his father and the other coliseum cats? Ambriel didn't make it seem like it, however she was trained in the city... Kaze affirmed to himself that afterwards he would ask her. He wasn't going to get any better from hiding in the trees forever, was he?
Anane also seemed interesting in tree climbing too, which Kaze could say he was relieved about. Perhaps he was a hypocrite in thinking this; but the tom knew that every skill you gain and made helped you through life in ways you never expected. Hence, it was important that even if you couldn't do them to the same degree, you never give up. After all, who would expect a lion to be coming from above? It was just another reminder that he also needed to persist in his own weakness in battle.

With the flora fading up to the tree line, the pair finally broke through into a new landscape. The golden stretches of crisp sand lay in accent to the oceans sparklingly blue. Carried on the sea breeze was the winter's chill; small wisps of yellow getting casted up into the air. On the roof of his mouth, a salty taste settled, immersing his senses in the scenery.
However, Kazuro mind was elsewhere, seemingly swept away, a shell in the water's current. Was she going to make me swim? His paws subconsciously shuffled, keen to move on. It wasn't the thought of water, the feeling, or even the idea of swimming that put him off. On a long day, cooling water was a great way to refocus the body and the mind. He just... couldn't swim. I might have to add swimming to my list of things to improve on too.
"So, what did you have planned for us down here?"

---

Ambriel

Ambriel was heartened to hear Kazuro’s chuckle, hoping he was already in a better mood than before. She made a mental note to speak to Phoebe about inviting Kazuro on some of their sessions next time.

Ambriel paused as they came within sight of the sea, breathing deeply, appreciate this moment when everything came together. The crisp wind on her face, the scent of the sand and churning water, the taste of the salty sea air, the sight of the sparkling blues and deep yellows in the sunlight, the rhythmic crash of the waves, all coming together to make one of her favorite places. She exhaled in a puff of breath, looking at Kazuro as he asked the question. “Whatever we want!” she answered, “I’ll bet there are some pretty shells we can find. Or chasing the seabirds is always fun. Maybe go for a swim and try for some fish. Come on!” Ambriel was already trotting eagery down the slope toward the water’s edge, blissfully unaware of her companion’s apprehension.

---

Kazuro

The cougar instantly relaxed upon Ambriel listing off multiple options, opening a route in which he could tactfully avoid the exercise altogether - hopefully. However, he was still cautious to tread following her on the inland side as to not imply any mistaken interest in the action.
"Hmm, well I can't say I've done many of those. Actually I don't go down here much at all," his deep ocean eyes skimmed over the sandy strip that lined the dense treeline, "What kind of shells can you actually find along here?" Privately, he hoped that he could find some of a decent size and integrity to thread into a necklace or wrap; a memento of this open landscape that stood in stark contrast to the dark but secure maze that he knew as home. Kaze's head lowered in inspection of one particular shell - partially broken, missing its other half - but still a beautiful estimate to the strange wonders that hid in the water. He instinctively pluck it up and gently wrapped it in his scarf amongst the petals. Perhaps, he could find it's missing peace so it could be whole again.

For a short period of time, Kazuro found himself caught up in his mind again, his paws and eyes roving about almost separate to him and he sort out the coast's jewels, plucking them up like flowers in a field. It was only when his body had carried him off to the side that the dampness against his pad jarred him from the motion. And with that, he glanced back sheepishly at the lioness hybrid, noticing that he had zoned out for a moment. "Haha, but we are here to do something different than normal, right? Break the mold; a change of scenery. Why don't you pick what we should do? All my ideas are relatively tame currently."

---

Ambriel

Ambriel’s pale green eyes scanned the horizon as she trotted along beside the cougar, her paws sinking into the warm sand with each step. She looked down at her paws to watch the prints she made, and then looked over when Kaze asked about the shells. Ambriel paused thoughtfully as she looked around. She didn’t really know anything about seashells in truth. “Lots of orange and white ones, bumpy but in a strange way… like symmetrical.” Shells were one of the most beautiful little things, in her opinion, right up there with flowers. Except they were not so frail. She smiled when the cougar found a bright shell that caught his eye, taking it and wrapping it in his scarf. From there he seemed quite interested in the shells and luckily there were lots of them. The liguar let her own mind drift as she enjoyed sounds and smells of the sea.


She glanced at Kazuro idly as he walked closer to the water, only really paying attention when she noticed him seem startled at the touch of cold wet sand, and then he looked over to meet her eyes. She smiled a bit, raising her brows when Kaze asked her to pick an activity. “So an untamed idea hm?” Ambriel enjoyed fun and adventure, and there was one activity on this beach that she had found the most fun, and most different. Some small slabs of driftwood  along the beach ahead confirmed that it was possible. She shifted her pale green gaze to where the waves crashed against the sand. “There’s a lot of power in those waves...it’s great fun to ride them.” she said with a mischievous smile toward her companion.

---

Kazuro

At first, Kaze listened attentively, curious as to what the enthusiastic lioness hybrid was conjuring up, however this feeling did not last. Rather, it was replaced with an apparent drop of dread. "So. Swimming?" A weak smile went along with that thought as he glanced towards some of the pieces of driftwood. "They can take our weight?" Whilst he didn't say it out loud, the cougar silently frustrated with himself over how he felt. Of course if he didn't like this he shouldn't have asked for something new, however he was trying to get out of his moping by breaking the mould. Either way, he would have to swallow his prideful mind and stomach something which it was telling him not to do. Well, no time like to present to do something mad.

Walking over to one of the larger pieces, Kaze placed a paw against it - testing it's structural integrity. It seemed to hold the force, which reassured the cougar slightly. If he stuck to it, he shouldn't sink. Although, perhaps this could truly be a learning lesson - in an informal way. Looking back towards Ambriel, he mused: "So, how does one 'ride the waves' per say. I can't say my past experiences with staying afloat sound anything along those lines."

---

Ambriel

Ambriel finally seemed to somewhat pick up on Kazuro’s anxiety when he asked about the swimming. “Yeah, swimming, a little bit at least! Is that alright?” As she selected her own slab of wood she answered him, “Sure! It doesn’t need to do much in terms of holding out weight, since the water holds us up a bit too.” That was her insight into the concept of buoyancy. She may not be comfortable walking across the wood, but for this activity they just needed something flat and sturdy that the waves could push along.

“Well” Ambriel began. She was no expert at it, but she had done it a few times after she had seen a piece of driftwood get caught by a wave just right which sent it sailing right into shore. “This wood floats, so we’ll swim with it out into the water some, out to where the waves break. Then you just turn toward shore and as the wave is breaking you get caught in front of it and it carries you right along! It’s sorta hard to get the timing just right but it’s fun when it happens! You’ve never gone so fast with such little effort...” A wonderful idea suddenly dawned on her as she realized that if this can be done on ocean waves… why not within river rapids? That was something to try at some point too. For now she looked out at the water. It wasn’t a particularly rough day, but due to a sandbar somewhere unseen beneath the waves, there was a point where the waves broke a small ways out from shore. Those would work well.

---

Kazuro

Kaze listened to her explanation, toying with the idea in his mind. Little effort? That was definitely reassuring. And if it was just a matter of timing then he should be fine! - well in theory. The cougar could almost say he was excited for the concept. His eyes followed her gaze to where the waves were breaking and assumed that would have some effect on it. Dare he say, he hadn't exactly spent much time with the ocean for obvious reasons, so was going off his knowledge of rivers and streams. Though they didn't quite have waves like this...

The tom pushed the driftwood into the water with his muzzle, just taking a moment to observe how it floated - just one of the many things in nature that he really should appreciate more. It slowly drifted back and forth with the water. "So just how far are we going out? Behind the waves or in front of them?" He paused, "Wait, not like literally behind the waves, we wouldn't get anywhere with that. Uh, like behind where they actually become proper waves?" He felt like such a fool fumbling around but he was determined to give this a try as he plucked up the plucked with his mouth. How deep was the water out there? Hopefully he'd actually make it out far enough to give this a go. What a funny mess it would be if he got swept away in just the shallows. He almost had to stop himself chuckling at the thought right then and dropping his piece of wood.

---

Ambriel

Ambriel was right behind the cougar, leaving a trail in the sand as she shoved her chosen wooden slab along, making a splash as she entered the water with it, shoving it down under the surface to test its buoyancy. Good enough! She looked at Kazuro when he asked the question. Was that excitement she saw in the quiet cougar’s eyes? “Yeah, that’s about it, but like right before they become proper waves. If you are out too far the waves will just roll right under you, which is sorta a cool feeling too...” she mused distractedly, recalling the enjoyment of just swimming out and letting the shifting water take you. But that wasn’t what they were doing today! She went on, “If you are too close then well… heh… you might get knocked around a bit.” At least the waves weren’t too big and were rather close to shore, though getting crashed down on by a wall of water of any size is always going to be a bit jarring! “You gotta get to right when it’s just about there so that it doesn’t slip under you, and you can ride right on the surge! Come on, just stick with me and you’ll see!” Ambriel leaped forward, pushing the slab as she swam out toward the waves, glancing behind her to make sure Kazuro was doing alright.