First Things First

- So... -

Valory started awkwardly – I don't mean to be a party pooper or anything, but there are two things that we need to discuss urgently. –

- I'm sure there is more than that. – Caleb replied.

- Well first of all; there has got to be a better way of getting in and out of here.

I get why it makes sense to you, but we can't simply shake our fur dry every time, - she called attention to the issue, pointing to the humans in the room to emphasize it - or any time, really...

Also, let's not forget that some of us may not be gifted at swimming... - the blonde mentioned trying to deviate from the matter that it was she the one with piteous skills. -

- Wonder who that might be ... - Caleb teased – but yeah, jokes aside, we gotta work on that. -

- Getting drenched every time would suck. And getting everything drenched, too. There's a rule or something on how often the insurance covers for water damage... - Nick uttered, worried about his phone.

- I suppose we could build a shaft of sorts... - Jack suggested.

- And a porch on one of the windows, to work as a dock... - Connor added.

- I can help with that, but I need to be on land to do so...- Ailrees said.

- Great! Sounds like a plan! – Jack exclaimed.

- That's the second thing!

The PLAN! – Valory said.

- First things first, sis. Let's make sure no one – coughs – drowns in this mother of a lake. -

"Fair enough.",

she settled and the group, except for her and Jack, went underwater.

The two of them stayed behind to measure and prepare a window while the others gathered materials. The bombshell wasn't much of a handyman herself, so she mostly assisted the shapeshifter and took the opportunity to get to know him.

– By the way, why did the fox make it seem like this lodge is so safe anyways? - the blonde asked, curious, expecting a riveting answer - Some fancy spell or something magical about it? –

It was quite anticlimactic when Jack answered her with a blunt: "Not really. No.", without overthinking it whilst he tried to figure out where the measuring tape was.

Disappointed, she stared at him awkwardly wondering if perchance he didn't hear the first question and whether she should repeat it.

"Maybe I not supposed to know...? But, ... why would that be?" she pondered silently.

Then the shapeshifter noticed her odd quietness and confused look, and realized he hadn't said it out loud.

- Sorry – he chuckled

– what I meant to say was: no, the lodge is not enchanted in any way.

I'd love for it to be, though – he told – one cannot be too safe, right?

but... we don't wield magic; we simply are magical. -

- Simply magical – she paused – you forgot you're talking to a human, haven't you? -

she chuckled - There is nothing simple about that, Jack.

It's amazing! –

sympathetic, she replied – but then...

why is the lodge safer than the woods?

Don't tell me monsters actually need to ask permission to enter a place. – she asked, then joked.

- Some of them do! I am not even kidding with you. – he assured - I bet the saying "some people invite evil into their lives." has a whole different feel to it now... –

- No way! - she exclaimed in disbelief.

- Right? But back to the lodge...

We take advantage of another weakness of theirs.

The creatures of the night can't get into the water. Or even cross it! Unless the passage is connected to land at both ends. – he told - Sounds silly, I'm aware, but it's because water is essentially sacred, pure, and cleansing; the very opposite of their core which is cursed, evil, and perverting. – Jack explained – if they fell in the lake or into a river, they'd burst out in flames and cease to be. -

- Wow!

That took a turn! Was NOT expecting the whole 'bursting into flames' bit,

that's... that's intense! – she reacted surprised

– Suddenly the water feels a lot more appealing

and terrifying. –

On the shore, the guys were discussing the materials they should gather; trunks, twigs, vines, and such. Connor directed them to safe spots not too far where they could find those things, while he himself was going to get clay and seaweed from the lake's bottom, and later, the shapeshifter would do the actual building of the shaft and porch.

He wasn't an engineer nor woodworker so to speak, however, having spent so much time being a beaver, one could say he'd acquired a knack for it and was probably the handiest of them.

Once it was roughly decided how they would go about it, Caleb and Nick tried to squeeze some more of the water out of their clothes, and Connor, still in beaver form, was about to dive back when Ailrees – who was completely dry, by the way - called their attention.

- Wait! - she uttered - Let me try something first... -

- Mind you, fairy dear, how on earth are you so damn dry? – Nick inquired, uncomfortably wet.

- Oh, this? I never got wet. I cast a bubble on myself before getting in the water. – she answered casually.

- You can fricking do that?!

Why didn't you cast a bubble on us, too?! – he asked frustrated getting his wet hair off his face.

- Didn't occur to me since you didn't ask... -

- We are literally going to build a shaft, so we don't get drenched every time we leave the lodge... - Caleb replied, ironical - we thought it went without saying...! -

- I thought it was so Valory wouldn't drown... -

- Well, yeah, that, too. – he admitted – By the way, would that bubble help with it, too? – he asked trying to understand how it works.

- No. – she answered – however, I do know a spell to breathe underwater... -

- Awesome! What are we even doing then? What else can you do? – Nick questioned amazed.

- Dude, we can't rely blindly on magic! – Caleb voiced – We won't last if we do! We don't got any, remember? –

- Oh gods, - the fairy chuckled - I almost forgot what I wanted to show you... -

Sprinting towards a tall cherry tree, she said:

– Let me try something...-

There, Ailrees touched it with both her hands and closed her eyes, hard, fully concentrated on the tips of the tree's branches.

In her mind, she pictured them growing closer and closer together, intertwining in a patterned way, like a tightly woven fabric. So tightly indeed, no light shone through, casting a shadow on the fairy. Slowly, she imagined shaping it into a boat-like form. Nothing too big nor too fancy. It had no sails, and surely no figurehead either, but it should fit their party comfortably.

When Ailrees opened her eyes, she was breathless.

Stupefied that it had worked.

The fairy had never built anything of that size, or remotely as elaborated. Far from perfect, it still had leaves and blooms all over, but she didn't mind it at all.

Connor, Nick, and Caleb saw it coming together before their eyes but they still couldn't fully grasp it. It was like nothing they had seen. So robust yet mesmerizing, probably quite heavy yet so dainty.

Standing there just staring at it they wondered if it would float, ... and also,

wondering how would they manage to get it on the water, for it was still attached to the canopy!

Due to the boat's weight bringing everything down with it, it almost touched the ground, nonetheless, from there to the water was still a stretch.

- Wow! Awesome, Ailrees! – Nick cheered up – Dude, like, what were you saying about magic? – he pestered his friend.

- That is impressive!

Guess I'm wrong.

It won't hurt to lean a bit on magic... - Caleb responded.

- This is amazing! Unbelievable! You saved us half a week on the shaft, easily. I wasn't even going to build a boat! Gods know how long that would have taken me! –

Connor exclaimed baffled, examining it from the inside, and trimming with his sharp teeth any wild twigs that grew out of the shape.

Poking his furry head out of the hanging boat to look at the fairy, the shapeshifter asked ecstatically with wide sparkling eyes:

– Any chance you could do a deck, too? –