Like a flower waiting to bloom.
She reaches the water before he does, but she is very aware that Ivar is hot on her heels. Right now she doesn’t think of what would and what would not please him. She doesn’t worry about what he will think, not when Kylin is trying to beat him at his own game. After all, Ivar had been the one who had learned her how to swim.
Though Kylin had been in and around water a lot, she hadn’t been swimming a lot. Her fins move the water around in a much more effective way than her legs ever could, and although she is faster than an equine should be in the water, Ivar races past her. No way that she would let that happen! Using all the strength her muscles can gather she pushes herself forward, on instinct her legs fold under her belly and her body rises above the water, gliding across the surface until gravity wins over speed.
Sadly it’s not enough to for her to catch up. When he reaches the beach Kylin is still up sea. Unable to reach the sea floor yet, she forces herself up. Each step is a little higher, and by the time she reaches the shore the lavender and white woman is walking on top of the water. Like Ivar she’s panting, her whole body screaming for oxygen after the use of energy. ”Impossible” she teases him with a grin, though she shakes her head as if she truly believes that. ”There is no way you could’ve won without cheating.”
Not being able to breath underwater she was forced to keep her head above the surface, and even if she would hold her breath and dive, her eyes would squint because of the salty water. There was no way Kylin could’ve noticed his fish tail, she’d only been allowed a glimpse of it when he had raced past her. But even if that was cheating, her own fins would probably fit in the same category.
I’m noooot complaining ^^.
Imagine the gliding over water part a bit like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahIAjs3VzYk <3.