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Rite of Merit - Partnership (Water Rescue)
Word Count: 1,425
Featuring Heimdall (import forthcoming), Boomerang 18912 , and Sonnentau 31352 .

- - -

If there was any fishing to be had, this was the time of year to partake in it. Theo led the three tokotas – Heimdall, the large silvery male belonging to him; and two curly-coated females, Boomerang and Sonnentau – toward the shores of Kesuk Bay. Free of ice and warm enough for humans to wade into, provided they didn't mind the chill of the Alaskan waters. A refreshing experience, truthfully, with the heat experienced the past several weeks. Theo came without any fishing gear, aside from the baskets for carrying their catches home. The goal was to fish as many fish as they could in a single -
Screaming children startled Theo out of his shoreline preparation. Heimdall lifted his head and ears, while Boomerang bumped Sonnentau a little too roughly in excitement. A whole hoard of kids, all of them between the ages of about six and eleven, thundered down from the nearby path. All of them diving into the water inelegantly, like clumsy penguins, and... effectively, that was going to scare away all the fish. The fish, anyways, would swim deeper into the bay or further out to sea, and that left Theo, Sonnentau, Boomerang, and Heimdall with only two real options. Two, because Theo promised Sonnentau's and Boomerang's handler that this task would be completed today. Nobody liked 'lending' out their gorgeous rare-coated tokotas for much longer than a week, if even that.

Option one: Wait it out. The kids would tire of swimming eventually or get hungry and clamber off as quickly as they'd come. Either way, they'd be waiting anywhere between half an hour to several hours. Dependant entirely on how tolerant these children were of cold water.

Option two: Move elsewhere on the shore, more towards the beaches that led out to sea. The only issue with this being that the closer to those beaches they got, the odds of running into even more swimmers increased.

With that in mind – and a deep huff from Heimdall as he flumped onto the rocky shore and yawned – Theo decided they would simply wait. He reached back without looking, and Boomerang pushed her forehead into the palm of his hand for head rubs. Sonnentau was soon at his other elbow, nudging him for attention as well. For scratches behind their ears that he gladly gave. “Sorry ladies, have to wait our turn,” he said, as Heimdall yawned loudly behind them.

Sonnentau and Boomerang pinned Theo between them, all eyes – including Heimdall's – on the children playing in the water. After a while, Theo leaned himself back against the calmer of the two, Sonnentau, and closed his eyes. There was more than enough nap time available for now. He drifted off much faster than he meant to... and jolted awake because of something nobody wants to be jolted awake to. Shrieking, from where the children were gathered up along the edges of the rock ledges. Some at the top, some half the way down to the water, but nearly all of them yelling and shouting something. Boomerang hauled to her feet right away, as did Heimdall, the two tokotas fixated on – not the children – but on the water below them. Even Sonnentau craned her head forwards, lowered to the ground, as if eyeing the waves with concern. All tokotas were wide-eyed, and Theo equally so as his ears finally registered the words “help!” echoing from the children on the rocks.

He was on his feet in an instant.

Sonnentau bolted upright when Theo did, lunging towards the water without anymore hesitation. Heimdall and Boomerang both shot off at her heels, while Theo ran closer to the water's edge to see where their fallen friend was, exactly.

And the shape this kid might've been in.

Theo couldn't see him whatsoever. Especially not as the three tokotas thundered into the bay, water splashing up around them until they sank so deep they had to paddle themselves, paws no longer reaching the silty bottom. Sonnentau still led, though once the tokotas were deep enough in the water, Heimdall's powerful legs meant he was catching up to her fast.

“There!” the kids kept shouting and pointing, and Theo squinted – eyes following the direction of their fingers – but still, the shape of this missing kid... he couldn't make them out at all. Boomerang was the first to dive despite being the farthest behind, Heimdall and Sonnentau soon mimicking her. They had to have spotted him. The kids weren't yelling quite so much, so Theo backed away from the edge of the water and began dismantling the fishing baskets. No, the insulated lining didn't smell the best, but it was padded enough that it could help dry the kid off and act as a secondary towel or something soft for him to be laid down on once on shore, rather than the sharp rocks and bumpy pebbles that lined it. A weak buffer, but a buffer from anymore cuts nonetheless.

Beneath the water, Heimdall, Sonnentau, and Boomerang searched. Boomerang noticed a not-very-fish-like shape before diving... a shadow, floating somewhere between the base of the bay and the surface. The problem being the clouds moving in. Dark, heavy storm clouds that shrouded the sun from view and caused the water to be near as dark as the night sky. There was no way to sniff for a human down here, either. But they had many eyes on it.

As both Sonnentau and Boomerang resurfaced for air, Heimdall kept his breath held just a touch longer. Kicking around full-circle, his golden eyes soon saw exactly who they were fishing for. Quickly, he rose to grab a quick huff of air just as Sonnentau and Boomerang were diving again, but Heimdall managed to grab the attention of the girls. The three did sink, with Sonnentau and Boomerang each nudging or grabbing the kid by the arms – with gentle jaws – and pulling him up to the surface. They moved towards the shore as they did so, back to where Theo had laid out the fishing basket insulation on the rocks. Heimdall shook the water immediately from his coat, the first to strut back onto land. Sonnentau and Boomerang pulled the boy up, dragging him somewhat until Theo greeted them and lifted him properly. No need to injure him more.

Theo did what he could to get the kid breathing again. This involved swatting or shoving away the noses of Heimdall, Sonnentau, and Boomerang more often than he should've had to; but the tokotas were as invested in this boy's breathing as his friends and Theo were.

Speaking of the boy's friends, once Theo had him fully on shore, they came racing down the hillside to offer whatever help they could. To check on their friend.

“What happened, exactly?” Theo asked. Breathing. Good. The kid was breathing again – but he was far from conscious. Even with the tokotas nudging his ribs and his face with cold, wet noses, the boy was barely moving. Theo scooped him into his arms and loaded him onto Sonnentau's back. She would be the gentlest ride for the unconscious kid. A trickle of red down Theo's arm, and Sonnentau's golden pelt, led Theo to the cut on the boy's head.

“He – he thought he could flip!” one of the kids answered.

“He didn't. He hit his head.”

“Is he awake?”

“Is he alive?”

Most of their questions, Theo brushed off. There were more important things, and using Heimdall, Sonnentau, and Boomerang's speed to deliver this kid up to the nearby TCA center – which would have some degree of first aid until they could get more – was priority. Theo was already walking, all three tokotas plodding along behind him. Heimdall and Boomerang flanked Sonnentau, as if doing their part in preventing the boy from rocking off her back.

“He's breathing,” Theo reassured. “We're going to take him to the TCA facility, okay? Someone go tell his parents where he's at.”

None of the kids argued him. Several scampered off back in the direction of home, others jogged after Theo and the tokotas, refusing to leave their friend's side. Theo exhaled loudly, patting Heimdall. Everything was going to be all right. They got to the kid fast enough, he figured... and the tokotas decided to save him all on their own. They were great tokotas. All three of them.

“Good girls,” he said, giving Sonnentau and Boomerang each pets of their very own. “And good boy, Heimdall.”

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

Rite of Merit - Partnership (Water Rescue)
Word Count: 1,425
Featuring Heimdall (import forthcoming), Boomerang 18912 , and Sonnentau 31352 .

- - -

If there was any fishing to be had, this was the time of year to partake in it. Theo led the three tokotas – Heimdall, the large silvery male belonging to him; and two curly-coated females, Boomerang and Sonnentau – toward the shores of Kesuk Bay. Free of ice and warm enough for humans to wade into, provided they didn't mind the chill of the Alaskan waters. A refreshing experience, truthfully, with the heat experienced the past several weeks. Theo came without any fishing gear, aside from the baskets for carrying their catches home. The goal was to fish as many fish as they could in a single -
Screaming children startled Theo out of his shoreline preparation. Heimdall lifted his head and ears, while Boomerang bumped Sonnentau a little too roughly in excitement. A whole hoard of kids, all of them between the ages of about six and eleven, thundered down from the nearby path. All of them diving into the water inelegantly, like clumsy penguins, and... effectively, that was going to scare away all the fish. The fish, anyways, would swim deeper into the bay or further out to sea, and that left Theo, Sonnentau, Boomerang, and Heimdall with only two real options. Two, because Theo promised Sonnentau's and Boomerang's handler that this task would be completed today. Nobody liked 'lending' out their gorgeous rare-coated tokotas for much longer than a week, if even that.

Option one: Wait it out. The kids would tire of swimming eventually or get hungry and clamber off as quickly as they'd come. Either way, they'd be waiting anywhere between half an hour to several hours. Dependant entirely on how tolerant these children were of cold water.

Option two: Move elsewhere on the shore, more towards the beaches that led out to sea. The only issue with this being that the closer to those beaches they got, the odds of running into even more swimmers increased.

With that in mind – and a deep huff from Heimdall as he flumped onto the rocky shore and yawned – Theo decided they would simply wait. He reached back without looking, and Boomerang pushed her forehead into the palm of his hand for head rubs. Sonnentau was soon at his other elbow, nudging him for attention as well. For scratches behind their ears that he gladly gave. “Sorry ladies, have to wait our turn,” he said, as Heimdall yawned loudly behind them.

Sonnentau and Boomerang pinned Theo between them, all eyes – including Heimdall's – on the children playing in the water. After a while, Theo leaned himself back against the calmer of the two, Sonnentau, and closed his eyes. There was more than enough nap time available for now. He drifted off much faster than he meant to... and jolted awake because of something nobody wants to be jolted awake to. Shrieking, from where the children were gathered up along the edges of the rock ledges. Some at the top, some half the way down to the water, but nearly all of them yelling and shouting something. Boomerang hauled to her feet right away, as did Heimdall, the two tokotas fixated on – not the children – but on the water below them. Even Sonnentau craned her head forwards, lowered to the ground, as if eyeing the waves with concern. All tokotas were wide-eyed, and Theo equally so as his ears finally registered the words “help!” echoing from the children on the rocks.

He was on his feet in an instant.

Sonnentau bolted upright when Theo did, lunging towards the water without anymore hesitation. Heimdall and Boomerang both shot off at her heels, while Theo ran closer to the water's edge to see where their fallen friend was, exactly.

And the shape this kid might've been in.

Theo couldn't see him whatsoever. Especially not as the three tokotas thundered into the bay, water splashing up around them until they sank so deep they had to paddle themselves, paws no longer reaching the silty bottom. Sonnentau still led, though once the tokotas were deep enough in the water, Heimdall's powerful legs meant he was catching up to her fast.

“There!” the kids kept shouting and pointing, and Theo squinted – eyes following the direction of their fingers – but still, the shape of this missing kid... he couldn't make them out at all. Boomerang was the first to dive despite being the farthest behind, Heimdall and Sonnentau soon mimicking her. They had to have spotted him. The kids weren't yelling quite so much, so Theo backed away from the edge of the water and began dismantling the fishing baskets. No, the insulated lining didn't smell the best, but it was padded enough that it could help dry the kid off and act as a secondary towel or something soft for him to be laid down on once on shore, rather than the sharp rocks and bumpy pebbles that lined it. A weak buffer, but a buffer from anymore cuts nonetheless.

Beneath the water, Heimdall, Sonnentau, and Boomerang searched. Boomerang noticed a not-very-fish-like shape before diving... a shadow, floating somewhere between the base of the bay and the surface. The problem being the clouds moving in. Dark, heavy storm clouds that shrouded the sun from view and caused the water to be near as dark as the night sky. There was no way to sniff for a human down here, either. But they had many eyes on it.

As both Sonnentau and Boomerang resurfaced for air, Heimdall kept his breath held just a touch longer. Kicking around full-circle, his golden eyes soon saw exactly who they were fishing for. Quickly, he rose to grab a quick huff of air just as Sonnentau and Boomerang were diving again, but Heimdall managed to grab the attention of the girls. The three did sink, with Sonnentau and Boomerang each nudging or grabbing the kid by the arms – with gentle jaws – and pulling him up to the surface. They moved towards the shore as they did so, back to where Theo had laid out the fishing basket insulation on the rocks. Heimdall shook the water immediately from his coat, the first to strut back onto land. Sonnentau and Boomerang pulled the boy up, dragging him somewhat until Theo greeted them and lifted him properly. No need to injure him more.

Theo did what he could to get the kid breathing again. This involved swatting or shoving away the noses of Heimdall, Sonnentau, and Boomerang more often than he should've had to; but the tokotas were as invested in this boy's breathing as his friends and Theo were.

Speaking of the boy's friends, once Theo had him fully on shore, they came racing down the hillside to offer whatever help they could. To check on their friend.

“What happened, exactly?” Theo asked. Breathing. Good. The kid was breathing again – but he was far from conscious. Even with the tokotas nudging his ribs and his face with cold, wet noses, the boy was barely moving. Theo scooped him into his arms and loaded him onto Sonnentau's back. She would be the gentlest ride for the unconscious kid. A trickle of red down Theo's arm, and Sonnentau's golden pelt, led Theo to the cut on the boy's head.

“He – he thought he could flip!” one of the kids answered.

“He didn't. He hit his head.”

“Is he awake?”

“Is he alive?”

Most of their questions, Theo brushed off. There were more important things, and using Heimdall, Sonnentau, and Boomerang's speed to deliver this kid up to the nearby TCA center – which would have some degree of first aid until they could get more – was priority. Theo was already walking, all three tokotas plodding along behind him. Heimdall and Boomerang flanked Sonnentau, as if doing their part in preventing the boy from rocking off her back.

“He's breathing,” Theo reassured. “We're going to take him to the TCA facility, okay? Someone go tell his parents where he's at.”

None of the kids argued him. Several scampered off back in the direction of home, others jogged after Theo and the tokotas, refusing to leave their friend's side. Theo exhaled loudly, patting Heimdall. Everything was going to be all right. They got to the kid fast enough, he figured... and the tokotas decided to save him all on their own. They were great tokotas. All three of them.

“Good girls,” he said, giving Sonnentau and Boomerang each pets of their very own. “And good boy, Heimdall.”