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Tianara didn't blink. "Right. Boats." Inwardly she was kicking herself. How could she have forgotten something like that? They both could have been killed! With the whaling ships out these days...not that she thought they could fit into the narrower straits near the cove, but there were smaller boats.

She looked back when Joshua told her he needed to breathe. Her nod was brief and absentminded. "Okay. Are you doing all right?" Being able to handle himself underwater for longer than usual wouldn't do any good if he got so tired that he sank.

Though she didn't say anything, she was troubled by the fact that he'd gotten so far. Though it was handy that he could now do at least some of the things that she could...the magic was rubbing off at the worst possible time. If he was exposed too much more, he would be indistinguishable from any of the ocean children.

He wouldn't be safe anymore.

She looked back again at last. "Ready to go on?" She tried not to let her voice betray her thoughts.

Tianara hesitated briefly, but nodded once. "Okay." She struck out again, now keeping out a slightly more wary eye for boats. Slightly. She was too wrapped up with the danger they'd left behind them and the danger that might be ahead to worry about any trouble they might get in right now.

They kept moving, Tianara always keeping her attention out for anything that might signal that they were getting close.

"Joshua," she called over her shoulder. "Do you know the way to Aria's house? If we can, we should find them a place where they can be safe."

Where that would be, she didn't know - they couldn't stay safely underwater like the ocean children, and most of the ocean children were being driven away from their homes as it was. Not even the water was safe anymore.

Tianara didn't answer him for some time. She didn't have an answer.

Reluctantly, she finally replied, "They won't be. None of us are. Not anymore. But they should at least be near others. They aren't ocean children - Aria could keep Allen protected. But they can't be out alone like that."

She didn't know what else to say. They wouldn't be safe. No one would be safe.

And that led her to her own worrying thoughts. Where was she going to take Joshua?

Where would he be safe?

Tianara waited for him for a few minutes, scanning the horizon for anything that left her cold or threatened. But there was nothing. It was serene.

A little too much so.

"Joshua," she asked quietly, "what do people think of me? The people in the town? Do you think that the story we told them will hold if someone gets curious?"

She hadn't thought to find any way to back up her story earlier, aside from Joshua's word. And people knew where he was and where he lived, now. If anything came up...

She shook her head. No use borrowing trouble.

"Are you ready? We need to hurry. We should be there soon," she muttered the last part, largely to herself. "We really need to get there soon."

((OOC: *timeskips because slowness is excruciating*))

By the time Tianara and Joshua finally made it to the beach closest to Aria and Allen's home, she was already agonizing that it might be too late. Even with Joshua's unusual endurance, it had taken longer than she had hoped.

Dropping all pretense of not being worried, she scrambled up onto the beach ungracefully. Gesturing impatiently to Joshua to come on, she sent out a quick probe, sensing for danger around them.

Nothing. But that didn't mean it couldn't have already come and gone, or that it was hiding from her.

They had to hurry.

She struck off in the direction that she thought Aria and Allen's cabin was. From here, she was a little disoriented, but she was good with directions - she should be able to figure it out.

Tianara glanced at the cabin, then away, trying to figure out why approaching it was making her so edgy. To reassure herself, she sped up to walk beside Joshua. If they were together, they would be all right.

Maybe.

She forced another few steps towards the cabin. Looking back at Joshua, she said softly, "Stay with me. Please."

Taking a deep breath, she knocked once. Twice.

And waited for a reply.

Tianara jumped at the crash and was about to open the door when the curse followed it. She gave a little breath of relief as Allen opened the door. They weren't too--

She paused.

Where was Aria?

"Um...I, that is, we...we need to see Aria," she said uncertainly. "I...is she back yet? She came with me and then she was on her way home, but..."

She should be here, was all the girl could think. Aria should have been back by now.

And if she was here, wouldn't she have come out by now?

Tianara hesitated for a moment. She didn't want to worry Allen. But they had to find Aria and make absolutely sure she was okay. She glanced between Joshua, Allen and the door. Maybe they should split up, but...

No. She didn't want to go alone, and she wasn't sending Joshua alone. But...they shouldn't leave Allen, either.

She took a breath. They had to decide.

"Joshua," she said quietly. "I think we should go find her, don't you? We really do need to talk to her." She smiled at Allen, trying to mask her distress.

They had to go find Aria and make sure she was okay. But they couldn't let anything happen to Allen.