Clash of Captains

Extra: A Day at the Lake

"So... This is the place?" Aneira asked in a soft voice, her eyes wide with wonder. The lake glistened in the early morning light, its surface still. As a breeze rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees, a ripple made its way across the water's surface. An insect buzzed from the thick reeds lining the lake's perimeter.

"Yep. The Fidel," was all Devyn said from where she stood several feet ahead. Aneira couldn't help but notice that her hands were trembling, though she had attempted to hide it by clenching them into fists. Still, Aneira gave her space, letting her take in the sight on her own. It wasn't until the dark-haired girl stumbled backward, releasing a shaky breath, that Aneira thought it safe to approach.

"Hey," she whispered, gently resting a hand on Devyn's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

For a moment, she was quiet, rigid against Aneira's touch, before she shuddered and leaned into her.

"I didn't... I didn't expect it to hit this hard, being here. This was our place," Devyn murmured in a soft voice. "It's... They're..."

"Shh. Take your time."

A sob wracked Devyn's body and Aneira shifted her grip, wrapping her arms around the girl and holding her close. She stood on tiptoe to press a kiss to her forehead.

"They've been gone for over a year and it still hits so hard," Devyn hissed after a moment. "Stars, every time I think I'll be okay, the grief... It hits me all over again."

Aneira fell silent for a moment, rubbing gentle circles across Devyn's back. "That's just how grief works. It's always there, much as we might want it to disappear forever. Sometimes we just feel it more than others." She paused. "Rhona would be proud of you, you know."

"What? You really think so?"

"They'd be so beyond proud," Aneira agreed, chuckling softly. "For one, you took down a tyrannical chancellor and ended a years-long war. That's absolutely praiseworthy. And you've done so much to help in the cleaning efforts and in uniting Ledah and Dreg. Mind you, it's not over yet... But we couldn't have made this much progress without you."

"Couldn't have been done without you, either, blondie." Devyn stepped out of their embrace to look Aneira in the eye. "I bet they'd be proud that I'm with the girl I love, too."

"Oh, wow, love, huh?" She sputtered, a light blush heating her cheeks.

"You're such a goofball."

Slipping her hand into Aneira's, Devyn took a breath and stepped closer to the lake's edge. A splash drew their attention to its center; a fish must have leapt from the water. Ripples from the disturbance marred the lake's surface.

"We can leave if it's too hard to be here," Aneira murmured gently, giving her hand a squeeze. "This place is beautiful, and I'm so happy you've decided to show it to me, really. But I don't want you to feel like you have to be here, especially with me here."

"Did I ever tell you about the game Rhona and I used to play here when we were younger?" Devyn asked instead.

Aneira shook her head. "You mentioned that you used to come here together, but I don't think you told me about your game." When she noticed the fond smile on the other girl's lips, she offered a small one herself. "I'd love to hear about it, though."

"So, I would always play a princess who was cursed to be a mermaid, and I'd always force Rhona to be the brave knight that rescued me and turned me back..." Devyn began, her gaze distant as she reminisced. 

»--•--«

The day was hot. Devyn was slick with sweat from the hike, but it was decidedly worth it when the lake came into view before them. She dropped her pack and stripped off her tunic and trousers as quickly as she could, unveiling her swimwear beneath. Her foot got caught on the latter in her haste and she stumbled, nearly falling flat on her face. 

"Calm down, Devs," Rhona called with a chuckle as they rounded the corner of the trail a few feet behind her. "We've got all day." The girl just stuck out her tongue in response.

Water splashed up against Devyn's thighs as she ran into the shallows. She sank into the cool water, grinning. "Come on, turtle. Can you be any slower?"

"It's not my fault you made me carry the snacks," she heard Rhona mutter from the shore, where they were still in the process of untangling the mess of bags slung across their back.

"Well, you didn't have to bring your entire medicine kit," Devyn commented with a roll of her eyes.

"It's never a bad idea to be prepared. You never know when you'll get cut by a thorn, or bitten by a venomous snake, or—"

"Just hurry up."

After several long minutes, Rhona was finally floating in the water beside her. 

"Let's play Mermaid Princess," Devyn told them with a decisive nod.

"We always play that," they complained in a teasing tone. "Can I at least be the princess this time?"

The answer, of course, was no.

"My name is, um, Stickman! I'm a knight on a quest to save the missing princess!" Rhona cried in a voice several octaves lower than usual. They galloped across the shore on their steed, a thick, crooked log. 

Devyn grinned as she popped her head out of the water. "'Tis I, Princess Prettypants. A witch, um, cursed me to be a mermaid, and now I cannot leave the water. Save me, oh noble knight!"

Rhona dropped their stick and jumped into the water, narrowly avoiding a collision with Devyn. The two burst into a fit of laughter as the resulting splash soaked them both.

"I'll use this, um, rock to change you back into a human!" Rhona fished a stone from the muddy bottom of the shallows. 

"It can't be a rock," Devyn whispered, frowning. "Make it more exciting than that!"

"What do you want it to be?"

"I don't know, make it up! But rocks are boring."

Rolling their eyes, Rhona tried the line again, "I'll use this, uh... Magical... Transformation... Thingy?"

Devyn snorted but didn't voice a complaint. Laughing softly, Rhona placed the stone on the top of her head—which took two tries for it to stay put. The dark-haired girl spun around before dipping under the surface. She popped back up again just as quickly, a wide smile on her face. 

"I'm human again! You're my hero, um... What was your name again?"

"Stickman."

"You're my hero, Stickman!"

Rhona let out their characteristic chirp of a laugh. "So what's my reward? A kiss? Do we get married?"

Her only answer was a splash directed right at them. Rhona barely hesitated before splashing her back. The lake's surface was anything but calm as the pair waged their water war, their laughter ringing through the clearing.

»--•--«

The lake was still and the clearing silent as Devyn finished telling Aneira about her childhood adventures with her friend. The blonde girl absentmindedly brushed her thumb across the back of the other girl's hand.

"It's too quiet," Devyn murmured after a moment, causing Aneira to glance up at her. "I didn't mind the quiet so much, before..." She didn't finish the sentence, but the blonde girl could guess what she was referring to without her needing to.

"We don't have to—"

"Would you like to go for a swim?"

A small smile curled Aneira's lips. "Really? Now?"

"Really. There's no better time than the present, right?"

"Okay. Yeah, okay, let's go swimming."