If Essek had not trusted Caleb, he would never have offered his hand.

Trust, something that held so much liability to himself and yet here he was now with Caleb holding his hand and both of them stepping toward ocean as blue as the sky. Clear and limitless; and perhaps he could understand Caleb's choice to dive in even if his own upbringing had generally prevented him from doing so.

And so Essek tugged Caleb toward the waves, with the seafoam laughing and sparkling with motes of the setting sun in a playful dance.

The waters of the Northern sea had never been the most hospitable-- cold and murky; certainly not built for things such as swimming save for perhaps such competition as the Festival of Merit. This was far preferable and as his feet touched the waters and the waves swirled about them, a laugh rose up to his mouth and past his lips and his free hand moved to keep on his sun hat and then he was in at his ankle and the waters were both cool and warm to him.

"I do not blame you; I've never been free enough to do something like this." until he took Caleb's hand, but that lay unspoken betwixt them.