It was a marvelous day on the Eastern Coast, the gentle sounds of waves pouring into the shore, the cawing of seagulls off in the distance, and the somewhat playful laughter of a young sounding woman down on the coast.

Zanthia had removed her high boots and hoist her robe and dress up to just below her hips, running after and then away from the waves, as a child would and having a spectacular time doing so. It might have been a strange sight to see a full mature looking woman doing this but Zanthia did not seem fettered by being watched while doing so, since her student was not that far away from her at the moment.

“You should really try this, it will help build your stamina, reflexes, and grace, and we can always use grace.”

She laughed full heartedly at her last comment and then again as the waves crashed into her calves, having caught her by surprise.

“Oh really?” Valynna replied sarcastically. “It still looks immature to me.” She yelled over to her master, it was times like these that made her second guess her decision to follow Zanthia. Yet, she still wondered if what she said was true.

Her village wasn’t by any sea or coastline, this running from the waves looked like a silly children’s game to her. But she watched Zanthia from her post on a rock not that far away from the sandy coast line, watched the movement of the waves, how far up the beach they would go and then retreat back to the larger body of water. It all looked random to her, so maybe there was a point to this.

But Valynna still wasn’t ready to sink herself to that level yet. She let out a smile with a soft laugh when the waves hit Zanthia’s ankle since she was paying attention to her and not her game.

“I’m I gonna look like an idiot if I do try this game?” Valynna said after a few more minutes of watch Zanthia had gone by. She made it look like fun, and Valynna could hardly remember when the last time she laughed joyfully like her master was doing right now. Basically Zanthia had warn Valynna down to the point where she would have to see what all the fuss was about, even if it meant looking like a simpleton.

“Hmmf, do I look like I am an idiot playing a game.”

Zanthia pretended to be insulted by this comment, sticking her nose up at Valynna, and turning her back to her pupil, giving her a cold shoulder as she stopped laughing, taking on a more serious face and posture. When the wave moved away from her she sprinted towards them at her full speed, using one hand to hold her dressing robe, and the other to help build momentum, and touching the ground at a certain point close to the water. Her movements were quick as she spun in place as the waves started coming back towards her, and then while still in mid movement began running just out of the waters reach and touching the ground on this side now. She began to repeat this process over and over again, not once letting the water touch her feet, but always running towards the water and staying just behind it. Her fun game now looked like a grueling exercise.

“See, it is just how you plan on doing the training, you can either be a stiff and hate it…”

Suddenly Zanthia’s good mood seemed to return to her and she began frolicking away from the water again, laughing.

“Or you can have fun doing it!”

Zanthia’s mood had made a 180, her light and airy mood and turned into that of a cold and sinister expression which made Valynna pay attention more intently then she had done before. During these moods, she found the reasons why she had followed Zanthia, her knowledge and experience.

Now the way Zanthia moved along the beach, never getting her feet wet seemed like exhausting training was a head for Valynna. Her composure, grace, stamina and reflexes helped her to avoid the waves of water. She knew that her excuse would not be tolerated any more, but she didn’t mind now, now it was something for Valynna to master, techniques which she had thought she learned already, but by the way Zanthia was doing it, she knew she was no where near that level.

Removing her own boots, she approached Zanthia, watching her as she avoided the waves, she was still waiting for one last trick but it never came.

With a deep breath of reluctance she joined Zanthia running towards the receding wave. That part was easy. Valynna could see that the water was ready to comeback towards them, she then attempted to turn and continue to run back to dry shore. But she rotated she could feel the sudden cold of the water, making her jump in alarm and not to run, causing her to land in the middle of the wave as it headed back to the sea.

“You make it look easy.” Valynna said moodily. But she wasn’t ready to back down yet, know she had to prove to Zanthia that she could do it just as well as she.

”I have had a lot of practice, though I am still surprised that you are actually doing this.”

Zanthia, had been standing out of the reach of the waves, on top of the rock Valynna has been sitting on before. She had a quizzical look on her face and was shaking her head at Valynna, seeming to have been standing her for a couple of stolen moments.

“You look like an, what was it you said, oh yes, idiot, doing that…”

Zanthia had tried to keep a straight face while she said this, but a few seconds after she finished she put her hand to her mouth to hide her playful laughter.

“I am only showing you how down you look all the time, I am really trying to show you what you are missing, but you are so against everything.”

She sat down and watched Valynna now, keeping an eye out around the area.

Valynna gave Zanthia the dirties look she could to her master, ignoring where she stood as wave after wave crashed around her legs. Did she dot his on purpose, to make look like an idiot so she could laugh? She had a better time laughing at Zanthia then at herself doing the same thing. How could she ask her to lighten up? It was that laughing that she endured at her home village, couldn’t she understand that?

Valynna used all her self control to prevent her from attacking her master. Instead she walked out into the cold water and dove into the next wave coming at her. She needed to cool off before she said anything that she would later regret.

Emerging from the icy depths, she walked back to the shore line, just out of reach of the waves as they followed her. There she stood watching the rolling waves. It sort of had a calming effect if she let her mind wander.

“Excuse me if I don’t have the same sense of humor that you have.” Valynna finally said sarcastically a small smile on her lips. “It’s a good think nobody else is watching us, or I may have to show you the humor I do enjoy.”

Maybe Zanthia had a point, maybe she should relax and have some fun. Valynna shook her head, but that wouldn’t get her to where she wanted to be.

She stopped laughing as Valynna jumped into the waves and went under the water, but sat down and waited patiently, going into a meditative state until her pupil emerged and walked out onto the beach.

“The laughter in your head wont stop until you are able to laugh at yourself you know? It will continue to haunt you thoughts and keep you from what you want to achieve. Laugh at your self and they are laughing with you, do not laugh and they are laughing at you.”

She slid off the rock onto her feet and started walking towards the waves, letting the cold water touch her feet but not seeming shocked by it this time. The cold did not effect her any longer, nor did the heat of the sun, there was very little she had left to enjoy that she did in life.

“The feeling of cold is for everyone else but me it seems, but the feeling of the water running past and over my feet still keeps me feeling alive. There are worse things than laughter to worry about.”

Valynna looked away from Zanthia as she heard the lecture. A small sigh escaped her lips, it was easy for someone like Zanthia to say to ignore the laughter, she hadn’t had the life she did. But as her master approached the waves once more, she couldn’t help but hang her head in shame for what she had just thought about her. Hearing her comment on her condition, on being undead, made Valynna want to gag on her thoughts. True Zanthia hadn’t had her lift, but she hadn’t had hers either. She wondered what it would be like to be undead, to not feel the temperature of certain things, like the cold of the water, or heat of the sun.

“I’m sorry I can’t seem to laugh at myself.” Valynna said, feeling as if she had to apologize. “It’s just going to take a while for me to…” She trailed off feeling that her words held no value at the moment.

Laughter really wasn’t as important as Valynna had made it out to be, she knew there were worst things, but still, if it was going to happen, it will take a while. Valynna sat on the sandy coast, the waves approaching her outstretched feet, the cold bit at her but she didn’t care anymore. Her head was still full of Zanthia’s words.