Show Me the Sea

As soon as Artorias began to pitch his weight forward toward Rudy, he felt his brother's paws come up to his neck, but it was already too late. The combination of momentum and the slipping, shifting sand sent the boys tumbling in the direction Artorias had wanted, and Rudy's paws only slipped harmlessly off of his shoulders. Splash! In a cascade of clear, salty water, Artorias felt his equilibrium balance out and a squishy form pinned beneath his paws. He shook the sea spray from his damp face, amber eyes peering down through the shallow water to see he had pinned Rudy under him. He had won!

But Artorias' victory was short-lived when he realized he was holding his brother fully beneath the surface of the water with no way to get out or submit. The triumphant expression on his face vanished immediately, and taking a deep breath, Art dove his head into the water. The saltwater stung at his eyes a bit, but he focused through the uncomfortable sensation to find Rudy's scruff and grab it in his jaws, pulling his grey brother back up with another splash of water. Once Rudy's head was above the surface again, he backed up to give him some room to catch his breath, the blue pup breathing hard as well from a combination of their scuffle and having to "rescue" his brother from accidentally drowning him.

"I'm sorry, Rudy! I didn't mean to shove you down like that!" he apologized in a worried flurry of words. "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?" Even though he had won their epic aquatic battle, the win would feel hollow if it came at the cost of harming his brother and his best friend.