Swimming lesson

 
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After wandering for hours, you finally gathered all the required herbs and berries. The search has taken you farther from the village than you've ever ventured before.
Just as you decided to head back, distant voices caught your attention. The words were unfamiliar to you. Curious, you approached and spotted an unusual trio — a local horse tribesman splashing in shallow water, held by two otters. It looked very much like a swimming lesson.

Although local equine cultures are strongly associated with water and almost always build their settlements near rivers or lakes, most are, at best, average swimmers. Some are terrible, and only a few excel at the skill.

When the trio noticed you, the otters seemed startled at first, but the stallion stood up and used gestures to calm them down, which appeared to work. Interested about the context, you asked the horse about the situation. He explained that the otters were helping him improve his swimming skills. He admitted he had no idea where they came from. They spoke a different language, so they could only communicate non-verbally.

How had you never heard of or seen them before? They must have kept to themselves, as you couldn’t recall any information about their kind living in this region.

You inquired the horse for more details about the pair. He revealed that he had stumbled upon them a few hours ago. They seemed both as shy as they were curious. To break the ice, he offered them some of the food he had brought along on his trip. At first, they hesitated to accept but eventually did. Apparently, they insisted on returning the favor. Since they had nothing to trade, teaching him to swim was their way of repaying his gesture.

As the two of you spoke, the female otter was also engaged in a conversation with her companion. Although their words were a mystery to you, their glances made it clear they were talking about the stallion.

After a brief moment, she approached the stallion and gestured toward him — or more specifically, his lower body. Her body language, combined with the tone of her unknown words, suggested curiosity.The stallion didn’t seem to mind the attention; in fact, he signaled that he was comfortable with her touch. Hesitating for a moment, she glanced back and forth between her companion and the stallion. Finally, she reached out, starting to feel him, beginning with his muscular chest and slowly moving downward.

The stallion began reacting to the stimuli, which only seemed to spark more curiosity in her. Unsure about the customs of otter tribes, you kept a close eye on her companion’s reaction. To your surprise, he didn’t appear bothered — in fact, he seemed to be enjoying the view as well.

You waved goodbye and left the scene, knowing you couldn’t stay to observe any longer—it was best to return to the village before sunset. Before departing, you told the stallion to speak with you once he returned as well. You had decided to seize the opportunity to gather as much information as possible about the lutrine kind living in those lands.

This was however a secondary task; far more important matters would lay ahead of you.