Editing Leape (section)

== '''3''' ==
''In which Leapus almost dies… again.''

The freezing water would’ve been a shock to anything, especially Penn’s once-warm body. All the heat was sucked out of him, along with the warmth and the breath from his lungs.

''Titanic!?'' The panicked thought crossed Penn’s mind as he floundered about in a circle, frantically moving his arms, trying to stay afloat.

“You good there, Leapus?”

Penn looked up to Lethia, who was still dressed in her ninja suit, blonde hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. She wasn’t even trying to hold back a smug smile on her face, and her raised eyebrow was a dead giveaway to what she thought of the whole situation.

She stood, feet covered in eskimo-like boots that came up to her knees, warm-looking fur insulating what looked like the inside and the rim of the tannish boots.

Still floundering in the water, trying to keep breathing, Penn could only shake his head. With a sigh, Lethia reached out a hand to help him out. A second passed and Penn didn’t take her hand, and she gave another sigh.

Within moments, her ungloved fingers closed around his arm, yanking him almost completely out of the water.

''Maybe she is a ninja…'' Penn idly thought as he stared up at the darkened sky. All his senses screamed at him to get up and get a blanket, but all he could do for the moment was breathe in the chilly air of wherever he was, allowing relief at being alive to flood his senses.

“Get up,” Lethia said, giving a grunt as she grabbed his arm, hauling him to a kneeling position. “Oh, come on!” she gave a frustrated shout into the crisp air, hesitating for a split second before hugging him around the middle.

“What are you–” Penn started, before being hauled to his feet by the at-least-a-foot-shorter girl, the breath being squeezed out of him.

As he stood, an aching feeling spread throughout his joints, a chill running down his spine as the beginnings of a breeze flew past him, then shivering violently as a swift wind decided to reroute from its intended course and throw itself at the two.

“Wh-what do we-we do n-n-now?” he asked, clutching his arms to himself, wet sleeves clinging to them, beginning to freeze. “It’s not l-like a search p-party will b-b-be out here–.”

Lethia gave a scoff. “Just you wait,” she said, foot tapping against the ground, eyes going between the dark water Penn had been yanked out of and the icy land around them.

And then, a sound erupted across the windy plane of ice and snow. It was a mixture between a fog horn and an ohooga horn, trumpeting across the snow-covered landscape.

''What now?'' Penn wondered as he stared across the snow, squinting his eyes against a blinding stream of light that was coming at him. ''I’m too young to die!''

A swift glance beside him showed that Lethia had her arms stretched above her head in a Y shape, and was staring directly into the harsh golden-white light of whatever was coming towards the two.

“GREETINGS!” Lethia called over the wind, the hood of her seemingly spontaneously-appearing coat firmly pulled over her head. “WE COME IN PEACE!”

More lights appeared, coming from the general direction of the first two yellow-white lights.

''… Light alien children?'' Penn couldn’t help but shield his eyes, squinting and turning his head away from the lights for a moment. ''What next, screaming octopuses?''

The larger of the lights cut off, leaving the smaller, more independent, lights– what Penn thought to be flashlights– alone. There were four of them in total, all moving by themselves… but in something like a formation.

Within moments, Penn and Lethia were surrounded. Lethia’s face held a pleasant smile while all Penn could do was give a pleased grimace. ''We’re not dead yet! Score!''

One of the people– at least, that’s what Penn ''assumed'' they were– held up a flashlight in Lethia’s face, staying back a safe distance.

“What do you think you’re doing here!?”

Lethia gave a soothing smile. “We found ourselves wandering about the Ice Planes, apologies, we didn’t realize we were trespassing.”

One of the flashlight handlers stepped back a little, a surprised look on his face. ''I didn’t think the Arctic– or Ice Planes, or whatever she called it– had landowners…''

“Well,” said the first one, who was still shining the flashlight in Lethia’s face, a hood covering his head, “it’s not exactly every day that you get little kids out here.”

Penn opened his mouth to object to the little kids thing– he was, after all, not exactly little– but was shot a look by Lethia that clearly translated to ''don’t talk or I’ll shove your face full of electric eels.''

“Yes, well,” said Lethia back, spreading her once-more mitted hands out in a helpless gesture, “there aren’t any markers that say this land belongs to anyone. Please–” she cast a pleading look to Penn, blue eyes soft, although an icy harshness glittered somewhere in the back “--my friend fell into the water. You of all people know how cold it is– please help him.”

“No,” said the first flashlight wielder gruffly. “We do not help outsiders.”

“But–” Lethia began, a pleading look plastered on her face. ''She’s acting,'' Penn realized, and with a quick glance to the first person, realized he had no idea. Pride grew in his chest as he thought about how he knew for sure she was acting.

“Commander, you know we can’t just leave them here–” began another of the flashlight wielders, stepping closer to Penn, a defiant look on their- her- face.

“Rimani,” spoke the commander firmly, shooting her a look. “We do not. Take care. Of outsiders.”

“But what about Inam the Valiant!? Wasn’t he an outsider once?”

“Rimani!” said the commander sharply. “We do not take in those who are not of the Tribe. Now ''stay out of this''.”

Rage sparked in Lethia’s gaze but she held back biting words– just barely. “Please,” her voice was raised above the wind, pitched higher than it normally was, cracking at just the right time.

''She looks desperate.''

The commander seemed to bristle, although that could’ve been the fur of his hood being blown in the chilly wind.

''I’m cold,'' Penn’s mind complained. ''Me too, brain. Me too.''

“Why? Why should we allow you near the Tribe?” The words were spat out, the commander seemingly angrily asking the question.

“Because,” said Lethia, still shouting over the howling of the wind, “we are like Inam, who your companion–” she flicked her hand to Rimani, who looked a bit unsure of herself under the shadow of her hood “--mentioned. He needed help– and we do too.”

A silence settled over the group. The commander’s eyes burned into Lethia’s, which were pleading, although not teary. A minute passed before the commander spoke.

“We will allow you into the Tribe. For now. Any funny business, any messing about, however, and you go straight back here. And you have to help.”

Lethia nodded quickly, head bobbing up and down enthusiastically. ''This… is not the Lethia in the last world,'' Penn concluded, giving her an odd look before being elbowed in the ribs by her. ''Yes it is–'' Penn stifled a groan, nodding as well, although less excited.

“Come,” said the commander, giving a slight nod. “We must be going in order to get back before dawn.” ''… We’re in the Arctic? It’s wintertime? Probably? Won’t it stay dark?''

He gestured to the snow sled-ski-thing the four had arrived on, turning off his flashlight in the same second as he turned on the headlights of the sleek automobile.

Lethia and Penn were herded into the back of the craft, the four guards in the front, silence covering the group like a puffin sitting on its egg.

''At least we’ll be safe,'' Penn thought, but it was more a question than a definitive statement.