"Wheeeee!" Cressidor Blan-Virgine squealed as she dashed down the bank and leapt through the air, splashing into the deep pool. The blonde seven-year-old surfaced next to the girl who'd suggested the swimming trip; Molly Lauter was some kind of distant relative, a fourth cousin twice removed or something like that, but the important part was that she knew all the best spots to have fun around the Blan farm. On a hot summer day, swimming was definitely a great way to cool off.
"Tol'ja it'd be fun!" the nine-year-old crowed at the sight of Cress's smile.
"Mm-hm! Swimming in a swimming hole is a lot better than the ocean; the water's not all salty."
"You've been to the ocean?" Molly asked in surprise.
"Just once," Cress tried to downplay it, realizing that Molly probably had never left the farm village in her life, except maybe to a nearby market or fair. Cress's mothers had been sure to point out that it was Not a Nice Thing to talk about the things they had at home that the locals didn't have. Lillet Blan succeeding in going from a peasant family to the kingdom's Mage Consul was something to be happy about, not be snotty to people over.
"That must be fun. You'll hafta tell me about it."
"Okay." It was all right if Molly asked, right?
"You should make her earn it, Cress!" Lillet called from the bank from where she was providing adult supervision.
"No fair!" Molly protested.
"Sure it is. You want a story from Cress, right? And I know you like stories, 'cause of how you ask Dad for them. So if she's going to give you a treat, you should earn it. How about a race across the swimming hole and back? If you beat her, then she has to tell you all about our trip to the seacoast last summer."
"What if I win, Mama?" Cress asked.
"Then...Molly has to show you her prize-winning sheep."
Cress's eyes lit up.
"You have a sheep? And it won a prize?"
Molly looked smug.
"Best in show at the Baron's Fair, children's ring!"
"Ooh! You'd better be ready to swim hard, then!"
Lillet grinned as the two girls went over to the short side of the oblong pool. Perfect. Now Molly won't think of the story as bragging because she had to earn it as a prize, and she gets to feel good because she's done something Cress will look up to her for. A family visit to her parents' farm could get a little tricky with the neighbors. Of course her mother and father weren't awed by Lillet's status, just proud of her, but she didn't want to make for bad feelings with anyone else.
"Ready?" she called. When both girls nodded, she went on with, "Okay, get set...go!"
The two girls launched themselves forward, arms splashing furiously. As expected, Molly soon pulled ahead, being older at an age where two years mattered a lot and also having much more practice swimming. Her strokes were neat and efficient compared with Cressidor's, which involved more chaotic flailing than they should have.
Suddenly, a jet-black blur shot past Lillet and cannoned into the water with a titanic splash. The pool churned and razor-sharp fangs snapped at Cressidor. As the water stilled, Cress found herself held clear of the water, the back of her bathing-dress in the grip of an extremely large canine's teeth.
"Shuck!" she complained to her pet barghest, "I wasn't drowning! You didn't need to dive in to rescue me!"
~X X X~
A/N: When I was a kid not much older than Cress, my dog would do the same thing—if I was in the water, she'd jump in and try to pull me out. We couldn't even let her in the back yard when I was in the swimming pool!