"Oh, you're that Snowshoe girl! One of the Whitewhiskers' friends. You look like a nice young lady, except for those knuckles you flashed the other week." Various versions of this refrain have been repeated to Anisa as she's wandered about town. Though it might get tiresome, it's been enough to score her the occasional treat in the market, and has caused the townsfolk to stop looking at her with the same cool mistrust or wariness they seem to give outsiders. Nobody calls her "stranger" anymore. And it's been good enough to get her loan of a mildly battered but serviceable canoe from a wimmer fisherman down at the wharf. It rests on the sandy beach of the Levitha River, with Wanda looking it over critically.

All this attention has put the rabbit in a rather good mood, since one of the few things she ever got back in Rephidim was respect. Anisa sits on a beached log, swinging her legs back and forth as Wanda looks the boat over. "What's there to look at? It seems fine to me, and best of all it was cheap!" The Lapine grins, tucking her paws into the hand warmer. "Besides, the longer you inspect, the longer it takes us to get the book."

Wanda laughs, and taps the canoe with her toe. The hollowed and ribbed log resounds with a deep, sturdy-sounding "thunk". "You're right, sugar, daylight's burning. It looks like we can hold one more. I don't think we'd need any help, but if you want to spare your worrywart brother's nerves, we can bring along someone to tote our bags, if you like."

Anisa blinks. "Bring him along? I thought you just wanted it to be us two." She hops down from the log, and walks over to the Skeek. "I don't know if he'll be all happy that I lied to him too, but I guess it'd give him a chance to look at the book." She turns towards the village, and gives a thoughtful look. "Think I should go get him?"

"Well, it wouldn't have to be big bro. But they're your friends, mostly, so it's not my decision, sugar." The Skeek shrugs, then lifts her pack into the canoe. "I personally don't think there'll be any problem; I'm just asking for your sake."

The Lapi strokes her chin with a paw. "Well, I guess the more the merrier, but I'm not sure who would be helpful." She looks over at the Skeek, almost as though she were sizing her up. "How good a fighter are you?"

Wanda waves her paws in front of herself. "Not a lover or a fighter, sugar. I can hit the broad side of a barn with my sling, but you won't find me boxing Rhians in the squared circle."

One of Anisa's ears droops as she casts her eyes to the ground, visibly trying to think. "Well, neither of us know the area that well either. It might be good for us to have a guide of some kind… "

The Skeek grins oddly. "Don't burn anything out upstairs, girl! It's just a quick question, not life or death. I've been as far as the edge of the mangrove."

"Okay then, you stay here," says the rabbit, "I'll be right back!" Without another word, she sprints back off to town, heading to the direction of the inn.

The inn is still quite empty, and the uncharacteristically unfoggy morning affords a view of rabbits inside, hard at work. Janice looks up from the counter as the door-clacker sounds, greeting Anisa with a smile.

Anisa puts on a smile in return, waving a paw to Janice. Her head quickly darts around, however, seeking out Spencer.

The search finds Spencer in the kitchen, having just freshly yanked a vegetable pie out of the stone oven, with a pair of oven mitts. Apparently, the pie is quite hot, which he complains loudly to Janice about. The reply (Use the wooden handled spatula thing, dummy!) lays his ears back, but the quickly pick back up again. "Oh, hi 'Nisa! Aren't you on an errand or something?"

The white rabbit scratches an ear. "Yeah… well, sorta." She smiles sweetly, "Actually, that's why I'm here. I need your help with something, since you'd be better than me at it." She smiles, waiting for the other Lapine's reply.

The brown Lapi puffs up visibly, and gestures grandly. "At your service! … Anything, if it gets me out of the kitchen." Janice's giggling can be heard from the common room.

Anisa smirks, cocking an ear back towards the common room at Janice. "Well, follow me then! I think this errand'll be more up your alley than cooking." The white Lapi heads back out of the kitchen, pausing at the door. "You don't happen to have your bow on you, do you?"

"I left it in the corner, I can grab it on the way out," replies Spencer, tilting his head slightly. "Are we going to hunt shik'han for some meat-eater's supper tonight?"

"Something like that," replies Anisa, as she starts back off for the front door. "You might want to grab a coat too. It's chilly out there, and we might be gone for a while." She pauses at the front door, waiting for Spencer to get his things together.

It takes but a few moments for Spencer to get suited up, and then he follows along with a spring in his step, looking quite pleased to be outdoors again. "Well, I don't hunt very much, but a few rangers have said the best hunting is on the north side of the river… " He babbles about the terrain for a while.

"I've already got a place picked out, and it'll be a different kind of hunting," cuts in the lady Lapi. "Just follow me, I'll explain in a bit!" After a few springing hops, Anisa sprints off back towards the bank, but not so fast as to leave Spencer behind.

Another short run brings the pair back to the canoe, which Wanda has managed to drag to the water, her feet slightly wet. "Glad you two are back, you can help me lug this thing into the river! Brrr, the water's chilly! Hurry up!"

Anisa jogs over to the canoe, helping the mouse cast it off. "C'mon, Spence! Show us that manly muscle of yours!" She grins, tugging the boat along.

"We're headed upriver? Uh… okay." The slightly confused ranger shrugs, and sidles up to help. With a minimum of dampness, the trio get the craft into the river, which drifts along with Levitha's gentle current.

In short order, and with a little coordination, the canoe is cutting its way up the river. Wanda remains quiet in the bow, content to paddle along. Her occasional glance over her shoulder reveals her wearing her customary lopsided little smile. Spencer, meanwhile, appears quite happy to point the sights out as he paddles. It would seem the destination is no big thing to him. "We should be passing Wimmerwing Forest here… " "Here's left-leg south… that's a tributary from the cliffs! Nice swimming spring up there in the summer." "Spent a lot of time on rafts out here with the rangers, yep… "

Eventually, the straight and tall trees of the westerly portions of the valley start giving way to softly curved trees with gnarled but oddly graceful branches, and great cages of roots. The river widens until its banks can no longer be seen, and the current becomes so slight as to be imperceptible. The trees hiding the banks wade in the water, and clumps of green dangle in tangles from the branches. It's oddly quiet out here, except for the occasional hoot of some creature in the distance.

Anisa just nods along at Spencer's comments, occasionally saying things like, "that's interesting," and, "oh really," giving a look of total interest as the boat swims along. As they get closer to their destination, the female Lapi finally butts in. "Spencer, I'm afraid I sort of lied to you. We aren't out here to do any hunting, or at least not the kind you thought we were."

"And it looks like we're getting into the Akwavi-Kin Mangrove. James has family out here, you know. Remember him? He's… " Spencer stops running on at the mouth, and one of his ears tips to the side. He looks sideways at Anisa, pausing in his rowing. "We're not?"

The white Lapi winces slightly, tucking her paws back into the hand warmer. "No, we're not. Not hunting animals anyways." She shifts in her seat, trying to get more comfortable. "You know how Gibson's been looking for all those artifacts, and all that ruckus on the airship when we got off of it with the snake?"

Spencer whistles, and rolls his eyes. "Hoo boy, do I ever. For a while, it's all Gibs would talk about. I haven't known him to be scared about much, but he sure seemed worried. I wish I could help more."

"Well, this may be your chance." Anisa pauses for a bit, trying to phrase her words tactfully. "Oh, to Dagh with it," she finally blurts. "We were the ones that stole the book," she says, motioning to Wanda and herself, "and the reason we're out here is because now we're looking for it." She sighs. "I brought you along because you know this land better than we do, and we need to get that book back!"

"Yeah, I know," replies Spencer, somewhat guardedly. "Gibson told me about it, because he didn't want the militia to go nuts if I found out myself. If the Marshal even knew, he'd have my head." He sighs, but returns to paddling. "We don't want much trouble in town, and Gibson's brought more than enough to handle as it is, so if I can help keep a lid on this, I will. So long as the book goes back where it belongs."

The white Lapi blinks, looking at Spencer in amazement. "You mean you already knew?!" The rabbit tosses her paws into the air, "For crying out loud! Gibson's even more of a blather mouth than Benjamin!" She sighs, shaking her head as she returns her paws to the hand warmer. "Well, thank you for not telling anyone at least. I'm sure it'd be our tails on the chopping block if anyone found out." Anisa turns her gaze up ahead of the ship, "How much further do we got, Wanda?"

Spencer hangs his head. "Hey, Gibson and I have been friends for years. We confide stuff in each other, you know? He came for help, and that's what I aim to do. I just wasn't sure how, exactly." He occupies himself with paddling, and pushing at trees with his oar whenever the canoe gets too close to one. It's happening a lot more, in fact. The trees have become denser, and larger the further into the grove the three get.

Wanda pulls up her paddle a moment, fiddling with something in her lap. After a few moments, she resumes helping guide the little boat. "Not far now. I … seem to recall seeing this area from the air, kind of. I think we need to turn a little farther south."

Anisa just nods to Spencer with a sigh. "I know, I know. It's just hard to know what'll come back to haunt you, y'know?" The Lapine's ever twitching nose starts to twitch even faster as they go further up stream, her nostrils suddenly flaring as her face scrunches up into a look of distaste. "Pee-whew! What is that smell?" She takes a paw from the warmer, and waves it in front of her face. "Did something die around here?"

A little humor creeps back into Spencer's voice. "Just about everything," the Lapi asserts, grinning. "That's kinda the way the mangrove works. Lots of dead plants and stuff rot in the water… which is good for the rest of the plants around here, I guess. Kurt explained to me how it keeps the water somewhat warm, and feeds the stuff out here, but I didn't quite get it. Some of Levitha is backed up through here, so it stays wet."

The white Lapi puts the paw warmer to her muzzle, using it as a makeshift gas mask to keep from smelling the swamp. "Carrots! Of all the places that Dagh-cursed book could have fallen, it'd have to be here!" Suddenly, the rabbit becomes motionless, her eyes going wide and ears straight up in the classic rabbit way. "Hey, do you guys hear that?" she whispers, "Almost like some sort of… music?"

Wanda glances over her shoulder, her expression quizzical this time. "I don't hear anything… " Spencer looks puzzled too, but raises his ears, twitching them slightly like Zelak antennae. After a few moments, he nods. "Yeah… yeah, I hear something too."

Anisa tries to pinpoint the location of the sound, straining her sensitive ears as much as she can. "Who in the world would be waltzing around out here?"

"Probably Akwavi," murmurs Spencer, furrowing his brow. "Not all of them work in town." As the canoe continues gliding along, the trees get ever larger, the "path" of water slightly more difficult to pick out. What might have previously been taken for tree trunks turn out to be massive aerial roots of even more massive trees… trees that, without support, sprawl out amidst one another in great twisted lumps of mossy wood. It gets hard to tell where one leaves off and the next starts… but there's still plenty enough water to maneuver in. As the sound gets close enough for even Wanda to hear, it becomes quite obvious it's music… some sort of rapid, twangy song played on plucked strings. Talking and laughter can be heard amidst splashes up ahead.

The white rabbit's nose twitches rapidly as she is filled with an overwhelming sense of curiosity. "Maybe we should check it out? You know, see if they found the book or anything?" The Lapi sits up slightly from the boat, trying to see over Wanda and get a better view. "At least it's nice to know that we're not alone out here."

Wanda nods thoughtfully, guiding the canoe up to a particularly large mangrove tree that seems to have sagged to one side, broad trunk pointing off into the darkness of the canopy. "I don't think they're very far ahead. I bet we could scout if we climb up one of these trees."

"Sounds good to me!" Anisa stands up in the boat, reaching out to the tree trunk. "Bring it a bit closer and I'll hop up."

The craft is obligingly sidled up to a sturdy-looking aerial root. Craggy, wrinkled bark on the old-timer tree looks to offer good purchase, and the trunk doesn't slope too steeply up to heavier and higher branches.

Tying the belt on her coat tighter, the Lapi female leaps from the boat towards the trunk, grabbing at any branches or foliage to give her more support.

The canoe bobs in the water, Spencer reaching out a paddle to stabilize it as Wanda, too, starts climbing off the craft and onto the root. The Skeek nods at Anisa, motioning higher up the tree.

Anisa helps the mouse onto the tree, and scurries as best she can up the trunk of the arboreal giant. "Oof! Lapi weren't made to climb," she protests as she forces her way upwards.

"C'mon, sugar! It's practically a hike," quips Wanda, grinning as she scampers up along with the rabbit. Spencer is left to wobble around in the canoe below, finding a spot to fasten it, and trying to keep his balance to get off it.

Higher up the tree, a peek affords a look at some of the activity in a watery "clearing" below the huge mangrove tree. A platform with a rickety-looking house sits several feet above water level with the help of several stunted trees, while sleek, brownish figures scramble around it, or dart effortlessly about in the water below it.

Once Anisa reaches the highest spot she can manage, she grabs onto the branches to steady herself. Her heart pounds slightly, not used to being this high up. "What are they doing?" She perks her ears towards the houses, peering intently at the figures.

With a long enough look, in becomes evident that it's Akwavi at the center of the activity down below. Only one seems content to sit in a chair on the porch of the house. He's a slightly older-looking one, dressed in torn worker's overalls, with a straw hat seated on his head. He strums what looks like a sort of lute, but rounder, picking at the strings with surprising skill given those webbed paws of his. The rest wear various kinds of clothes, matched only in their shabbiness and disrepair… but none of them seem to care. The others whoop and holler, and every so often pair off to dive into the water, and hurtle between underwater roots, disappearing into the forest. It's not long before they come back, and practically burst from the water, laughing and scrambling to touch a torn windsock on a flagpole sticking out from the platform above the water.

"Wow, they're a pretty goofy bunch, aren't they?" The Lapi turns to Wanda with a grin, looking down the trunk to Spencer before looking back out at the settlement. "Think we should go say 'hi', or should we just pass them by and keep on looking? They might have some info."

Spencer seems to have just gotten the canoe settled, and he unsteadily lurches to the tree's root to climb off. Wanda glances down, then back at Anisa and grins as well. "It'd be a shame to have made poor, sweet Spencer go to all the trouble of tying the canoe, only to go back to it. Let's say 'hello'."

Anisa's ears blush slightly at the Skeek, but she nods, "Sounds like a plan to me, let's go!" She starts off back towards the trunk's base to find a way over to the Akwavi house. "Come on, Spence, we're going to go give our regards to our musical friends over there!" The Lapi hops from trunk to trunk, slowly making her way to the house.

The melodic twanging of the senior Akwavi's instrument comes to a stop as the Lapi and Skeek approach, the trees allowing for a stable, if round-about path to the edge of the household platform. "Well, lookie here!" he exclaims, setting his instrument to one side. "We done got us some strangers come a-callin'!"

The rabbit slows her hops slightly as she gets closer, allowing Wanda to get closer to her just in case. "Good day, sir!" she says to the senior, her face alighted with the bubbly ditz smile she uses every so often. "Are we intruding?"

"Aheh! Well, whatta ya say, Jeb?" The older Akwavi glances off to the side at one of the otters surfacing in the water below. The other Akwavi squirms himself up a ramp on the platform leading into the water, then stands upright, dripping. "Well, don't rightly know, Boscoe! Never had one that didn't sink right to the bottom of the 'grove!" The Akwavi laugh to each other.

Anisa blinks, turning to Wanda with a confused look on her face. "Sink to the bottom? Er, we don't intend on doing that… " The rabbit looks a bit uneasy, not sure how to talk to the strange swimming-Kavi. "We were wondering if maybe you could help us?"

Wanda doesn't seem to be paying much attention, instead facing away and peering over the edge of the platform. She pockets something, and turns around to regard Anisa again, jerking her head in a 'come hither' gesture.

The two Akwavi, meanwhile, just smile lazily. "Well, ah reckon it dee-pends, stranger," drawls Boscoe, chewing on a bit of grass in the corner of his mouth. "The boys're racin', an' I dunno what it'd take to pull 'em away from it."

Blinking, the Lapi female inches over towards the Skeek, trying to look like she's keeping her attention on the otters. "Racing? In the water?" Once she's besides the mouse, she leans over a bit towards her. "What is it," she whispers to Wanda, in flawless Skeek, "did you find something?"

The pair of Akwavi take the moment to exchange questioning glances as Anisa squeaks at Wanda. Wanda just nods, and points into the murky water deep beneath the platform. The vaguest of outlines suggests a boxy shape, coated in green algae like pretty much everything under water-level. "There it is," she says, quite confidently.

Anisa quickly turns around and glances wide eyed at the tome. "We found it!" she chitters in Skeek, then quickly regains her composure as she remembers the two otters watching them. "Do you think you can get it?" she chitters, as she turns to smile at the Akwavi, then switches back to Standard. "Ehrm, you said something about racing?"

"I dunno… I'm guessing it's about twenty feet down there, at least," replies Wanda, still in Skeek. She bites her lip. "It's probably wedged in those roots pretty good by now. I'm sure not swimming down for it."

Boscoe nods, leaning his head back suspiciously. "Yess'm, ah did. The boys swim troo d'roots 'bout ten minutes away, touch d'flag, an' they come on back. Now, whatchoo want, stranger?"

The rabbit frowns. "I'm not much of a swimmer either," she squeaks back to the mouse. An ear droops in thought as she thinks about how to retrieve the book, and she gives a start as the Akwavi speaks up. "Well, we came out here in search of something," she smiles brightly, "and perhaps you and your friends can help us out!"

"Yeh?" Jed folds his arms, and squints. The water seems to have already been shed from his oily-looking pelt. "An' jes' why we gon' wanna do dat?"

"Because we could make it worth your while," replies the rabbit sweetly. "You help us get what we came out here for, and we'll give you something in return, a trade." Anisa clasps her paws behind her back, smiling brightly.

"That so, stranger?" Boscoe looks the pair over appraisingly, as if tallying up the total worth of what the rabbit and mouse were carrying. "We donno you… it'd take an awful big crawdaddie to keep us from just runnin' you outta here. But whatchoo got in min'?"

Anisa looks thoughtful, "Well, we have a few things back on our boat, and of course I have a few things here you might be interested in… " Her nose twitches in thought. "Is there anything you've been needing lately?"

The seated Akwavi snorts derisively, and waves a paw over his lute-like thing. "We gots our moosic… we got plenny ta eat, we got our gamin'." The sounds of churning water sound in the distance as a pair of Akwavi come weaving back through the roots of the mangroves. One is slightly ahead of the other, and crests the water to leap up and slap the flag. He lands back in the drink with a great whooshing of water, and a moment later, both Akwavi slither up the ramp, laughing and punching each other in the arms. "I'll beatchoo next time!" "Like Dagh you will!"

The rabbit leaps slightly as the new duo appear up on top, wiping the mist off of her coat. "Well, how about these two? Perhaps they could use some items or such?" She smiles brightly at the two damp Akwavi.

The loser of the race laughs. "Lessen you got a rock I kin tie 'round Billy's tail so's I can win the next one, I don't needs nuthin'!"

The tallest of the lot and the winner of the race gives the other a friendly shake of the shoulders, and laughs as well. "Ain't nothin' alive quicker'n me in the mangroves, boy, no stranger'd help you wit dat."

Anisa strokes her chin as she regards the duo, grinning as an idea forms in her head. "You two really like games, huh?"

Billy folds his arms, grinning. "Ain't nothin' else to life!" This gets a chorus of agreement from the others, and a slight spray as the racers shake their coats out.

The white rabbit winces, sputtering a bit as the fur-smelling mist hits her. "Well, I think I have something you two might enjoy!" She motions for them to follow with her fingertip, and walks over to the side of the platform. "See that square thing down there in the water?"

"Yeah?" "What 'bout it?"

Anisa grins. "Well, we know which one of you is the better swimmer, but which one of you is the better diver?" She grins, crossing her arms.

"And the strongest, for that matter," she adds with a wink.

"Me!" is the simultaneous reply. That breaks down into snickering, and talk of, "You been chewin' crazyroot, boy?" "You ain't got nothin' on me for liftin', Billy." Boscoe finally butts in, waving his paws around. "Right, now! Name th' contest, Lapi!"

"I'm getting to that," Anisa says with a slight giggle. "That square thing down there is pretty deep, and it's heavy too." She clasps her paws behind her back again. "Any Akwavi worth his flippers shouldn't have any trouble with it, though. So here's the game: on the count of three, you both dive down there for the book. First one to grab it, get it up the ramp and into my paws is the winner! Sound good?" She flashes the smile again.

"Git ready to eat wake, Abe." "Jes' say 'go', long-ears." The two Akwavi stand at the edge of the platform, staring at each other more than the water.

The rabbit gives a quick grin to Wanda, then walks over to the side of the platform. She takes her paw warmer, and raises it over her head like a flag. "Okay, on the count of three… one… two… three!" She drops her arm quickly, signaling for the two to begin.

The pair lunge into the water, and immediately rocket toward the box, neck and neck. The reach it at exactly the same time, and a green cloud of scraped algae spreads away from them as they wrestle with the crate, working at dislodging it from the roots below. They make some headway, but Billy's the first to come to the surface and take a breath, and about the same time he's headed back down, Abe has to surface too. They keep scratching at it, and it slowly does seem to be getting pulled free.

Anisa drops to her knees, peering down at the duo intently, mouth open in wonder. "You think this'll work?" she squeaks to Wanda in Skeek. Her ears suddenly pick up scratching sounds above, but she only gives a quick glance upwards, returning her gaze to the swimming otters. "Don't look up. Spencer's above us and I don't want to give him away. I think he's trying to be secret."

"It's as good a bet as any," replies Wanda with a chitter. She looks on, just nodding at the mention of Spencer in the tree. Meanwhile the otters manage to dislodge the box… but it doesn't become a simple matter of bringing it back up. One wrestles it away from the other, then zips around the platform to try to make for the ramp… but he's caught by his opponent and forced to drop the box from a tail-tug. They both dive for it again, and tussle in an underwater circle for a bit before both are forced up for air before they return for the box. They certainly seem to be having great fun, at least.

"Wow, they sure swim good!" Anisa says out loud before biting her bottom lip. "I hope they don't tear the thing apart with all that rough-housing" She cuts herself short as something catches the corner of her eye. "What is that?" She says, pointing to a long, dark shape in the water.

Wanda's the first to glance at what Anisa's pointing at, one of her eyebrows rising. Boscoe and Jed are paying more attention to the underwater scuffling match than to the underwater outline… which moves. It glides closer to the platform, resolving into something torpedo-like, mottled brown and green. Semi-transparent fins can just be made out on its sides as it cruises closer…

The rabbit's fur stands on end as the thing gets closer to the platform. She's not sure what it is, but she has the feeling it can't be good. "Quick! Out of the water! Hurry!" She points at the creature, hopping up and down urgently.

Jed's the first of the Akwavi to look at what Anisa's pointing at, and his mouth falls open. He joins in on shouting. "Sweet Star, it's Ol' Man Musky! Billy, Abe, git outta there!" It's evident that it must be hard to hear properly underwater, but the continued shouting gets them to surface at least. "Wha?" asks Billy, the first to come up. Meanwhile, the sleek form has closed to about thirty feet, and is picking up speed, its piscine shape getting sharper by the second. Even accounting for distortion in the water, it could be from ten to twelve feet long. It moves with powerful ease through the water, a jutting lower jaw slightly gaped to reveal teeth like broken glass.

"Get out of the water now!" screams Anisa. "Hurry up! That… that thing is coming after you!" She points at the giant fish, her eyes wide.

Billy shouts something unintelligible, but which is likely an expletive judging by the tone. The fish lunges forward with a sudden, violent movement, just as Billy thrusts his legs and tail to nearly clear the water. He's jerked off to the side by some powerful force… and judging by a cloud of red spreading away in the water, it's not just the current. Abe crests the water nearby, and at the shouting, almost immediately submerges again to dart around the other side of the platform tree. The box tumbles deeper into the water, becoming hazy again.

Anisa's eyes widen even more in a look of horror, and she puts a paw to her mouth as the grisly scene unfolds before her. For the moment, the box is forgotten as the two Akwavi are attacked by the strange creature. She looks upwards at Spencer pleadingly.

Abe reappears from around a root, lunging up the ramp with a gasp and a wheeze. Jed has since raced back into the house, his cursing and clattering audible from the outside as he hunts for something. Billy surfaces again as the pike cruises away, sputtering water, ears pale. He swims toward a cage of roots, and begins dragging himself up them out of the water, even as Old Man Musky describes a tight turn in the waters below. A band of blood streaks down one of Billy's limp legs, a ragged gash of crimson standing out starkly against the dark fur of the otter's pelt.

An arrow plunges down from the tree above, seemingly straight for the fish… but curiously, when it hits the water, it seems to turn at an angle.

The white Lapi heaves a small sigh of relief as Billy makes it to somewhat dry ground, and frowns as the arrow misses the monster. "Spencer," she calls upwards to the trees, "wait til it gets closer to the surface! The water's making you miss!"

Boscoe paces the platform helplessly. "Dagh, we should've seen 'im! We should've! He's never been tough to get away from, we should've seen 'im!"

Nose twitching rapidly, Anisa turns to Boscoe. "What is Dagh's name is that thing?" She looks over to Billy, noticing his blood running into the water. "Will he be all right over there?"

Spencer's chance arrives. Billy pants, clutching the wound on his leg, and trying to edge farther up the cage of roots he's climbed… when the pike returns. It lunges up from the water, and an arrow from above glances off its thick hide, leaving a cut and some shorn scales. Billy screams, shying away from the jaws as they close with a snap, and scooting farther up the roots. Musky comes again, this time bashing against the roots. The snap and squeak of wood twisting and breaking can be heard even underwater.

Biting her lip, the Lapi shakes her head with a frown as the arrow does almost nothing to deter the fish. "Everyone stand back!" Getting to her feet, Anisa begins to back up, judging her distance…

Wanda stands back. Way back. In fact, it looks like she's retreating for the canoe. Boscoe's turned to shouting at Jeb, "Git th' flint! Git it!"

After backing up a considerable distance, the Lapi gives a nod, and sprints towards the edge of the platform. Just as she gets close to the edge, she presses her legs into a leap, aiming for the roots holding the trapped otter.

It feels like a long moment, that period of suspension in the air. Spencer can be heard to shout something. The trees and branches seem to whiz by, and the rocks and roots under the churned, but still relatively-clear water below shift in perspective as Anisa flies above them, leaving the platform far, far, far behind. Then the roots rush to meet the strong pads of her feet, and the rabbit lands… just as the pike rears from the water for another lunge.

Anisa lands with a light 'oof', just in time to notice the monstrous fish lunge upwards. Reflexively, she gives out a loud, Lapine shriek, and kicks out hard at the creature.

There's a split second where Old Man Musky meets Anisa's eye – with a cold, round, piscine eye set against scarred mottled scales. And then that rabbit's foot shoots out, connecting with the muskellunge's head with an audible "thoont!" The fish seems more surprised than anything as it jerks, falling back into the water amidst a great spray, and cruising at a lower level. It circles around slowly…

Without a second thought, the Lapine scrabbles up further on the trunk, grabbing the otter and tugging him along. "Climb onto my back," she tells Billy, heart pounding wildly, "and hold on!" With a furrowed brow, she scans around quickly, looking for some sort of path to leapfrog back to the platform.

The otter does as he's told, clutching at his leg and moaning. Blood and swampy water soaks into Anisa's trousers and jacket as the Akwavi clings for dear life. A jumble of thicker, tree-trunk sized roots is exposed about five feet above the water several short jumps away. It'd be as secure as anything, especially more so than the damaged root-cage the pair occupy now, and somewhat closer to the platform to boot.

The pike seems to regain some resolve, and circles silently around in the water below. It heads for the root cage again, picking up speed with its jaws clamped shut.

Grabbing the Akwavi's legs to keep him steady, Anisa backs up on the tree. Swallowing the lump that has arisen in her throat, she takes a deep breath and lunges at the roots, saying a quick prayer to the First Ones.

A loud crunching is heard as an underwater impact sunders the root cage beneath Anisa's feet just as she's rising for her jump. The jump doesn't feel as powerful as it should be, but it's enough to at least fall stomach-down on the higher "ground".

"OOF!" blurts the rabbit as she sprawls out on the other set of roots. Gritting her teeth, she stands up as best she can with the otter on her back, trying to regain the breath that was knocked from her as she looks for her next jump.

It takes a few seconds to get back to her feet, but arise Anisa does. In the water five feet below, the outline of the Old Man patrols around, quickly, and with more darting turns, as if hungrier and more agitated than before. The next jump isn't far, but it seems relatively narrow, an above-water tree stump. There's another farther away, on the edge of what might be considered a good jump… but it's closer to the platform… and lower, so it'd require a bit of climbing up. Wanda stands near it, staring intently, a canoe paddle clutched in her hands.

Anisa glances back and forth between the two options, chewing her lip in thought. The first one is closer, but if she takes it, it'll take her longer to get back to the platform. She's an impatient bunny, especially in a situation like this, so she opts for the stump closer to the platform. "Hold on tight," she tells Billy as she tenses up, getting ready for the leap.

After as much of a sprint the roots will allow her, the rabbit makes another leap at the trunk, pushing her full strength into the jump.

The otter holds tightly indeed, and pinches his eyes shut. "Oh, Star save u-… aaaagh!" Another long jump, and another moment of reflection in the air… and then the Lapi lands, her feet on the edge of the stump, the weight of the Akwavi pulling her back, tilting, starting to fall … the paddle held by Wanda outstretched towards Anisa…

Anisa lets out another loud shriek, and grabs wildly at the paddle! "Pleasedontletmefallpleasedontletmefallpleasedontletmefall!" she chitters rapidly and loudly in Skeek, trying to regain her balance.

A flailing paw catches hold of the paddle, and nearly drags Wanda off the platform, but she braces her feet, and pulls, Boscoe rushing to help pull as well, bringing the Lapi's balance back. A cry of alarm rings out from Spencer above, as Jed scrambles out onto the platform with a crude-looking flintlock.

"Behind you!" There's a crash of water parting.

Regaining her balance, Anisa's brain goes into rabbit mode, and she instinctively leaps upwards for the platform, not even bothering to glance backwards at what she already knows is there.

There's a snapping noise behind Anisa, followed by the sharp report of Jed's rifle, as her upward bound takes Anisa right into Wanda, and the rabbit, mouse, and wounded otter all tumble into a heap on the deck of the ramshackle house. The slap of a body hitting the water crashes below, then all is silent except for breathing, and the lapping of ripples in the miniature caves of mangrove roots.

Once the trio have stopped rolling, Anisa just lays there, panting for breath deeply and rapidly. "Are – are we still alive?" she asks, eyes squeezed shut, and ears laid back, her face creased with a look of fatigue.

"Some more'n others," groans Billy, rolling off to the side. Abe is already next to him, kneeling down to inspect the wound.

There's thumping of approaching footsteps, and suddenly Spencer is close at hand. "Sweet STAR, Anisa, are you all right?!"

Still panting, the white Lapi lifts herself up onto her arms, and smoothes her ears back with a paw. "I'm – I'm fine… I think." Her breath finally beginning to slow, she shifts into a sitting position, frowning as she inspects herself. "Blood, lovely! You know how hard that is to get out of white fur?"

"Easier than it is to get teeth out of it, sugar," replies Wanda, sitting up and rubbing the back of her head. She blinks as she glances over the edge of the platform.

Spencer shakes his head. "It's gone, I saw it swim away."

Getting to her feet, Anisa rubs her head, her breathing back to normal now. She walks over to Billy, and looks down to him. "Are you going to be all right?"

The Akwavi nods with a grunt while Abe steps off to the side, allowing Boscoe to hold a heavy cloth to the wound and tie it firmly on. "I was just 'bout bait fuh Ol' Man Musky. I… uh… thanks." Jed nods, offering the Lapi a hand up. "Yer all right, str-… uh… what's yo' name 'gain?"

The Lapi gives a tired smile, and shakes the offered hand with a firm grip. "My name's Christina, but you can call me Anisa, my middle name. And it was no problem, er, not much of one anyways." She smiles, then walks over besides Wanda. "Now it's even deeper down there," she squeaks, "I don't know how we're gonna get it back."

"Are you kidding?" Wanda smiles oddly, looking at Billy out of the corner of her eye. "They were about ready to haul that thing up just playing games. You're a hit with these yokels now. They'd dredge a hundred of those things up for you."

Anisa frowns, "I don't know if I could ask them to get it for me now! I mean, after what just happened?" She furrows her brow, looking over at the otters.

Wanda shrugs, glancing back at the murky waters below. Spencer stares as well, nose a-twitch and an arrow nocked. As one of the Akwavi helps his wounded fellow limp over to the abandoned porch chair, Jed gives the water a quick once over, then spits into it, looking satisfied. "I done put a pellet in Ol' Man Musky. He's gon' let us alone for a while, leas' till it scabs over."

The white rabbit looks to Jed, then back to Wanda with a sigh. "I guess I can ask them," she squeaks, " but if they say 'no', I'm not gonna press the issue." She turns back to the otter, and flops an ear. "So you mean it's safe to go out there now?"

"Aw… was always safe, ah could almos' gah-ron-tee." Jed begins pouring black powder down the barrel of his rifle from a powder horn. "Ol' Man's too big an' too slow t'get troo da roots most times. He'll take a bite outta sohm dumb sludgehead iffen dey don't pay no mind to weh dey ah. Boscoe lost a toe one time. He nevah come dis close befoh, but dat bullet'll keep him away foh while. He's got nine peppahcorns in his hide."

Anisa scratches the back of one of her ears, trying to decide how to phrase her next question. "Well, after what just happened, I hate to ask this… but could it be possible for you to still help us get that crate?" She smiles lightly. "You see, my friends and I need what's inside of it… "

The otter begins tamping the powder in the rifle down with a ramrod. "Dat all you wanted? Sho t'ing, frien'! You stick aroun' foh while, an' you kin try summah Boscoe's spicy fish soup! Keep y'warm when you get outside de swamp, das what dat is! Right deh!"

The white Lapi's ears turn a slight shade of green at the mention of fish soup, but she doesn't make a comment – not yet anyways. "Um, yeah! That'll be great!" She smiles broadly, nodding to the otter. "And thank you, thank you very much!"

"Hol' dis." The otter doesn't so much as hand his musket to Anisa as he leans it on her, before he pours himself over the side of the platform and into the water with a light splash. He swiftly disappears from view in the murk.

Anisa oofs as the musket is more or less tossed to her, and clumsily holds the weapon in her paws with a smirk. She walks over to the side of the platform, and watches the otter swim downwards. "Looks like we'll get it after all."

Wanda smiles quirkily. "I told you so." It's not more than half a minute before Jed's form can be seem rising up in the water, the crate in tow. He gets it onto the ramp, and slides it up in front of him. "You musta been shippin' rocks, girl! Heh, heh! Here y'go!"

The white Lapi shoots Wanda an excited smile, and she practically bolts over to the crate. "Thank you, thank you! It's not rocks, but it's something almost as heavy!" She impatiently grabs the top of the box and starts to tug, trying to tear the thing open to get at what's inside.

With a moist crunch, the top comes right off, and the sides fall away, pungent green water spilling away as the soaked box practically disintegrates. Sitting in the remains shines a locked, steel-bound tome, parchment sandwiching a glassy layer.

Anisa's eyes go wide as they look the book over, and with a smile she lunges at the book, picking it up and dusting the crud from off of it. "This is it!" she exclaims to Wanda, "We finally got it back!" She hurries over to the Skeek's side, grinning from eartip to eartip. "Now we just have to get it open!"

Jed whistles through his whisker. "Hooee! Dat's a big chunka metal you gots deh!"

Wanda just nods at Anisa, staring at the book thoughtfully before smiling more broadly. "I can't believe it's not damaged… well, I won't argue. Let's go home."

The Lapi frowns at the Skeek. "We can't go yet! We still have to stay with Jed for a bit to thank him for helping us!" She grins. "After all, he did invite us."

Jed pastes a goofy grin on his face, and shakes the water out of his pelt before taking back the musket leaned to one side in Anisa's haste. "C'mon in, den! We gotta fire in de stove goin', an I knows you townies like stayin' dry. We'll gitcha cleaned up."

Anisa smiles as she follows the otter inside, motioning for Wanda and Spencer to follow. "That's very kind of you. It would be nice to dry off and rest for a bit before we set back off for town." The Lapi tucks the book under one arm, "And while we're here, we can see if we can get this thing open."

Jed gestures the ladies in, and Spencer eventually gets tired of staring at the waters below with his longbow drawn.

Inside the house, there are so many gaps in the walls, it feels rather like being outside. A stone basin has been dragged with what must've been considerable effort into the center of the place, and it does a fair job of heating the abode, letting crackling sparks rise through a hole in the ceiling to settle on damp, nigh-impossible to light wood with a sizzle before winking out. Where hammocks aren't hung, interesting bits of driftwood warped into odd shapes decorate the walls, along with bead strings, feathers, banjos (That's what Jed calls those twangy lute things), and blankets to keep out drafts. Evening is settling in.

Ears upward and nose twitching in curiosity, Anisa takes her time to take in the inside of the house. She follows the otter all the way inside, and stands by the fire to warm her paws. "This is an, er, interesting place. Have you always lived here?" She inspects one of the banjos more closely.

"Here? Not long. In the 'grove? Long's we kin remember," replies Jed. Billy and Abe are already dozing in their own hammocks, being quite tuckered out after a long day. Boscoe sits near a pot being warmed over a smaller fire in a pile of rocks, keeping a watchful eye on the fishy contents. Jed continues, "Akwavi, dey likes t'move around lots. We got relatives not fah in de mangrove, and deh always be others 'round. Don't get many outsiduhs, 'cept ones dat like de watuh."

"I guess if someone likes water, this would be the place to go!" The Lapi maid grins, then plops down on the floor cross legged, placing the book out in front of her. "Maybe since this thing has been under water for a while, the lock will have loosened… " She pokes at the mechanism, listening to it with one of her oversized ears.

It feels pretty solid… and curiously, the book seems totally dry. Not even the paper around the edges seems damp.

Wanda looks on with fascination, rapt. "No wonder it looked like it was in such good condition when we found it," she murmurs.

Anisa nods with a frown. "This thing has magic written all over it." She leans back and sighs, staring at the lock. "I guess we'll have to take it to Gibson and have him look at it. He's good with all this artifact stuff. Maybe he knows a mage or can figure out how the lock works or something."

"Sounds like a plan," replies Wanda. "It'll probably be around midnight by the time we get back."

The Lapi props her chin up with a paw. "Is it safe to travel at night? I mean, what if another one of those fish things are lurking about?" She inwardly winces, "Besides, I have the feeling we're gonna get the third degree for running off like this – or at least I will."

Jed gestures about the room with a webbed paw. "Y'all welcome t'stay de night, iffen y'please," he says affably. "Musky hunts at night, sometimes."

The brown Lapi nods his agreement, glancing at Anisa. "Could be safer. Maybe you can fiddle with your book more in the morning."

Anisa looks to Wanda a bit worriedly. "I think we probably should. It'd be safer in the morning, and easier for us to see where we're going." She stands up with a stretch, and picks up the book, looking for a spare hammock with a smirk. "This looks like my brothers' rooms back home, only not as chaotic."

Spencer snickers at the comment, but refrains from saying anything about Gibson. With a goodly number of extra blankets on hand to take the bite out of the evening cool, the trio are made comfortable by their Akwavi hosts, and lulled by the calling of frogs and the drone of night-time insects.

Anisa creates a makeshift bed for herself, and settles in, hugging the book to her chest for safe keeping. Her ears take in all the sounds of nature as she drifts off to sleep, her muscles aching from the earlier tussle. I've got the book, she thinks, but now what do I do with it? That thought is muted soon as sleep sets in, replaced by strange dreams, like man-eating carrots and killer broccoli. At least she can bite these hunters back.