After explaining how the weird metal bit on the picture she googled is a RADAR reflector for search and rescue purposes, they can get in the car because she found a marina offering rentals. She's practically bouncing at getting to teach this stuff.

The rental place accepts credit cards just fine. The sailboat is about twenty feet long and has an outboard motor as well. She cheerfully inspects various parts of it for problems or issues and finds none. Does he want to know about KNOTS and SAIL MANAGEMENT?? With demonstrations? (She's having the time of her life and they're not even away from the dock yet.)

Cocoa is a quick study, and Trys' enthusiasm is infectious. He practices his knots and watches her demonstrations and grins a lot.

They get underway! Getting out of the marina is done carefully and slowly, via outboard motor, that's the rule because nobody wants tourists running their boats into other boats.

Once the motor's off and they're moving under the wind itself she gets less bouncy and more simply... Relaxed. In the flow of things.

Sailing is fundamentally simple enough, but with plenty of subtlety and an intuition that Trys has and Cocoa doesn't, yet.

He follows along gamely, helping with changes of tack and contributing his weight to keep the boat from heeling too much. 

"I don't think I can put into words the full qualia of my experience here. I could ramble on about peace and eternity and the open sky and the pull of the currents... But a better way to put it is, this feels like home. Thank you for joining me out here."

"Thank you for inviting me to your home." 

Cocoa ducks his head, a little embarrassed.

"Well, I was being poetic."

She takes a deep breath, and gives a satisfied sigh.

"Getting on towards sunset. We should head back. Want to try sailing close-hauled, going upwind, or just use the outboard?"

"I'd prefer to sail. I think you've infected me a bit."

She grins.

It's one of the trickiest parts of sailing, using the wind's flow against the sail to effectively move backwards, and they have to adjust their course constantly to keep up with the wind's changing direction. But they have an experienced hand at the rudder, and make steady progress at about a forty-five degree angle against the wind.

"Can you feel the mastery over the forces of nature? Using the flow of the world to your advantage?"

Cocoa laughs. "Yeah. I've missed this. Not sailing specifically, but..."

He shakes his head. "Something to talk to you about when we get back to the house."

"Oh? -Tack in a bit." She adjusts the rudder slightly. "Serious business I take it?"

"Yeah, I guess." He goes quiet, focussing on the feeling of the spray and the rhythm of the boat.

They can sail quietly the rest of the way in. Just the instructions for rigging. And eventually, the noise of an outboard motor, as entering the marina is subject to the same rules as exiting it.

The rental outfit inspects the returned boat suspiciously, and then they are in the car driving back. Trys will just quietly listen to the radio on the way if Cocoa doesn't have anything to say. And then they're back in the house.

Once they're safely behind wards again, Cocoa speaks. 

"You might have guessed this, but I'm not on vacation."

"-I honestly did not. Two weeks is a little long, but not really. I guess you've seemed a bit antsy."

"You remember I said I was injured by a tribulation? Yeah, I'm still recovering." 

He hesitates. "I might not recover. My chances are good, Winter Rose has done a lot for me, and I'm mobile and awake right now thanks to her efforts - but there's about a one in ten chance of lifethreatening complications in the next year. Qi system disruption, mostly. Prescription is light training and rest, and we see if I improve."

"That sucks. I knew, I heard, intellectually - that death is a serious risk in this, but-" She frowns more deeply. "...H...ug?"

"Yeah."

He hugs her.

"I really appreciated going sailing. If I can do things like that, maybe I can get my life back. It feels like... a step in the right direction, you know?"

Nod. She hugs back.

Nothing else she could say right now feels helpful.

So she just hugs.

Hug.

"Thank you."

"What are friends for?"

Sigh.

"As redundant as it is to actually say it. I hope you will be fine."

Eventually, she will unhug.

"Anyway, now I hope some things are clearer. Such as the fact that I cannot, actually, take Anna in a fight. I was expecting something lower level and had to bluff my pants off when it was actually a Battle Queen level monster."

"Isn't that what seals are for? I should trade the two I have left for lower-level sword and shield seals..."

"Yeah, that is what seals are for. I had a couple rank threes but not enough to make the fight more than even." He sighs. "Sorry for endangering you."

"It's alright. We both expected something low-threat. And maybe we could have run and called for help if it came to that."