She's sweating, but that isn't even bothering her like it normally does. "Sure!"

"Your brother, Zeke, do you wish to spar as well? And Gren, you should watch and listen too."

He's not smiling exactly, but he's clearly in his element, enjoying the chance to teach.

Zeke is a little more reluctant, but he goes along with it.

Orca is correspondingly less aggressive.

And then he demonstrates the proper form of a lot of the tricks he just pulled on them. How to do a good leg sweep, how to distract your opponent from your next jab, etc. Gren listens attentively. Orca has a dramatic speech style, but he dose know fighting.

He does try his best.

Orca suggests having Tabby spar with Gren.

Gren gives him a look. "It'll be great practice!" doesn't help.

"I promise I won't break you!"

"Okay." She puts on a determined face. "Let's do this." Stick. Bow. Nervous guard stance.

Bow, attack!

Block block jump HIT!

She's nowhere near as good as Orca, and smaller and weaker besides.

Tabby wins pretty easily. But she is impressed. 

"It's not like I have much chance to actually fight, but it's fun to practice."

"You're tough for a human."

"Not really. But thanks for saying so."

"So what else is there to do around here?"

"We can play in the forest at the peak maybe. They say there's a fairy fountain around there somewhere but I've never found it. There's a neat cave you need a boat to get to on the other side of this place. You could play games with me and the other kids, but I'm the oldest one who isn't a boring adult by now."

Playing games with the others it is.

She gathers them. The inventory is: Gren, age ten or so. Sami, a little girl age five or six who likes feeding the seagulls much to her mother's consternation. A little boy named Carl who likes running around and that's about it. An early-teenager named Jano who sarcastically asks why he'd play with children when Gren invites him. And Yarrow, who seems to be slightly obsessed with making things neat and organized.

Gren suggests tag. Carl loves the idea but everyone else groans.

Zeke volunteers to be It, and even suggest a five second head start.

No no no no. Too many people object and say they won't play.

How about Sandball? It's basically soccer played on sand with a crude rubber-ish ball.

Sure, that sounds fun.

Sandball it is. "Tabby and Zeke you two should be on opposite teams to make it more fair."

They're fine with this. 

The game is kind of slow, with only three people per side. Carl is having the most fun. He keeps asking how Tabby and Zeke got so fast. Gren is busy trying to make sure none of the smaller kids get bored or frustrated and leave.

The twins are trying not to burst the ball.