Vette even actually spared a moment to take a look over her shoulder, back toward the shore. The shore that didn't seem all that far away when she squinted a little, mostly because she was inclined to judge herself harshly first and foremost.

She clung tight to Sidon while she worked on evening out her breathing again.

"And next time I'll make it twice as far," she declared. Not feeling a word of it, but so help her, false bravado was one of her specialties.