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 Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 10:47 am
 Swimming lessons.
Desher stood at the edge of the pool and looked in dubiously. Most of it was fairly shallow, and if he stretched he should be able to keep his head above water as it wasn't moving or crashing around much. In fact it looked quite peaceful. One part was deeper though. He looked into its depths and saw some weird creatures in there as well. Supposedly some were edible. He was about to undergo Tidal Pool 101.
The male glanced toward the dark lioness he'd met this early morning on the beach who had appointed herself his instructor. He doubted this was going to be pleasant for him. He really was getting too old for this kinda stuff! "Um, alright, so where do I begin?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 11:00 am
 Leviathan approaches the tide pool calmly. Taking a deep breath the dark lioness steps in to the calm pool wading up to her chest. "Well you should probably get in the water first." She smiles back at Desher. She was about average as far as lionesses went, size wise her legs were a little longer than average but she could easily stand with her paws on the soft sandy bottom.
"Don't worry I promise I'll look after you." She chuckles and lifts a paw splashing salty water at the sand coloured male.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 11:11 am
He wrinkled his nose as she suggested he get into the pool first. Maybe he'd been hoping for lessons from the sidelines. At least he could see the bottom here unlike the rolling ocean. It was a comfort that it was sandy. Sand he was use to; just not sand so wet. With a deep sigh he plunged into the water. Desher was about as graceful as a fish out of water.
The male looked around as the water slowly settled and he could see the bottom again. "Thanks. You'll probably have your paws full." He noted how he seemed to float just a little bit in the water. It wasn't something he'd noticed before in other bodies of water.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 11:18 am
The dark lioness watched as he waded in. She knew he would be feeling the added effects of the ocean. "Come, stand here, let the water cover your chest." She waits patiently her tail swishing calmly under the water.
"You see the little crab down there, he's a hermit, he switches his shell when he gets too big for it, you keep your eyes on him. He's too small right now but he can make a nice little snack if you are peckish." She chuckles letting the water move against her fur letting the tide lift her off her paws.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 11:36 am
He splashed through the water to stand beside her. His paws wanted to come off the sandy bottom and he instinctively tried to dig his claws in. As he should have known, he didn't find good purchase in the sand and flounder a bit trying to keep his head well above the water. Desher tried to peer down past his paws to find the little crab she was talking about.
"Hermits, right." It was almost funny to think about the crab changing shells like a lion changed dens. Unfortunately he got distracted from what he was suppose to be doing and ended up dunking his face into the water. Desher came up snorting trying to clear the water from his nostrils. Ugh!
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 11:43 am
Leviathan moved calmly over to Desher putting her head under his chin she lifted his head. "Stay calm, watch the crab, let the water lift you, don't think about it, don't think about the ground just think about the little crab,keep your eyes on him. He's a funny little thing isn't he? He swaps his home for a better place where he can live and grow freely."
She smokes loving her head letting the water lift her naturally, her body floating without a thought. "It's like joining a new pride you embrace your new home and grow in it."
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 12:11 pm
He coughed until he could breath again. "Thanks," Desher was grateful for her help keeping his head up. He tried to keep as still as possible, only moving his paws a bit to keep his balance. It got easier the longer he did it. Maybe he'd find his sea legs yet.
His gold eyes peered into the depths of the water. Finally he located the tiny hermit in his little shell. "What does he eat?" Desher asked curiously as he observed the crab moving along on its own tiny agenda. Now that he didn't feel like fish out of water, he was noticing a bit more in the water. There were several colorful plants or animals around the bottom.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 12:38 pm
"He eats algae mostly, I'v seen big ones eat little fish." She smiles watching as Desher allowed the water to lift him. "when you hunt on land you stalk don't you! You creep through the long grass or over the smooth sands. Stalk now, long deep steps stalk the water, keep your eyes on the crab, treat him as if he were your prey."
She smiles and starts to swim slowly raising her legs, tucking them tightly under her body reaching her paws out, stalking through the water.
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 12:59 pm
Desher wasn't even sure what algae was, except a part of the water. He wondered just how big these hermits could get. All on algae! Then she started to talk about something he understood. Hunting on land. That made sense right up until she wanted him to stalk through the water. It was good the tiny hermit was his prey as it couldn't move very fast, and was confined to this pool.
He clumsily splashed through the water. It was far from his usual elegant stalk. His splashing made it hard to see the crab who had withdrawn into the safety of its shell. It wasn't long before he lost sight of his "prey" and had to stop and search around for it. "I think he got away."
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 1:06 pm
"Well he deserved to live any way." She swims up behind Desher pressing her shoulder against him she starts steering him in to the deeper end of the pool. 'Keep your paws down a little, keep them below the surface you wouldn't usually lift them so high would you?" She chuckles.
"By the way, you're swimming." She turns her head to look at the soft sand coloured male. "Just keep on stalking through the water. You'll soon be a dab hand if you practice."
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Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 1:46 pm
Desher agreed. If an animal could escape from him, it deserved to live. Not that getting away from him was exactly hard right then. It was probably the easiest get away the hermit had ever had. He found it awkward when she came to press against his shoulder. Their legs brushed and he was afraid of kicking her accidentally.
He tried to focus on keeping his legs moving and heeding her advice to keep his legs lower. Then she utterly distracted him. Him? Swimming?! Desher realized that indeed his feet couldn't touch the sand at the bottom anymore. His excitement was his undoing as he lost his stroke and floundered. He managed to dunk himself several times before he made it back to shallow water.
"Thank you for the lesson Lavi. I will keep practicing. I should get back, but I'll see you around." That was enough water for one morning. He shook himself mostly dry and padded back along the beach.
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Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2016 11:02 am
She watched as Desher raced off up the beach, a little laugh on her lips, pulling herself out of the calm pool she lays on the warm rocks, her forepaw a dangling in to the glassy surface.
Letting out a quiet sigh the dark lions closed her eyes, it has been a productive morning. She was glad she had been able to help.
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