Susannah's undergarments were interesting, but quickly lost Xpiayoc's interest. She was a flighty girl, always looking for entertainment and adventure. Susannah wasn't just entertainment, like the ball games they played, or the rituals, or even hunting; she was a real, breathing person, with incredible stories of her own adventure, surely. More than Xpiayoc had ever hoped.
Xpiayoc repeated the mantra she had shared with her dog as she watched Susannah reenter the cenote. "I'm fine," she smiled, leaning back from the end of the pool and letting her body form a floating starfish. Of course, Xiayoc had never seen a starfish in her life, let alone the sea. She had heard of it, the great, beautiful expanse of undrinkable water, but she had never had the chance to go. It was a journey of many days, and she had never been far from home. Her mother wouldn't allow it, her father forbid it, and the city's residents would feel a loss without her. Or would they? Xpiayoc was out right now, not with express permission, and she felt the calm of the water, the peace of the trees. The world was in order, it seemed.
Xpiayoc rolled over into the water, taking a shallow dive. Her already wild hair swirled around her as she opened her eyes and stared down to the bottom of the chultun. The water was expectedly clear, allowing Xpiayoc to see straight to the bottom. It was slightly rocky, matching the ceiling in much a way, but with the occasional scrubby-looking plant life, and a few unidentifiable skulls from rituals. Sometimes Xpiayoc would swim to the bottom to retrieve one and add it to her collection of oddities.
Swimming back up, Xpiayoc saw that Susannah was still standing by the edge, seemingly not intending to come in the water. "Come, come," she said in a slightly impatient manner, gesturing her arms in a forward motion. She paused for a moment, thinking. "Do you not swim in Ireland?" she asked, blinking water from her eyes and pushing dark strings of hair from her face. She hadn't considered the possibility that Susannah didn't have access to large pools of water, but thinking about it, it could make sense as to why her water tasted poorly.
Well, if she didn't swim, Xpiayoc would teach her.