Sir Toby's Challenge against Nerida

Nerida bellowed in the voice of a gym instructor, "Children, out of the pool to the north wall. Towels over your face. Felix, don't be a straggler. Salvia, the towels are on the other end."

The steam was getting denser, but the children did not seem to be getting scalded. Sir Toby's mind was spinning. Did water sprites have substance? Or were they immune to the cuts and slashes of the sword, like the water they controlled? She was worried about his presence breaking an enchantment. Was it the link with the children? Or the purity of the water?

He remembered a natural philosopher explaining how the air contained water. In a flash, he understood the sprite's first moves. The water was condensing out of the air into a fog. The sprite was coaxing the children out of the pool. Once they were out, she would be free to use the water in the pool for whatever purpose she had in mind.

Sir Toby tried to anticipate her next move.

1. Perhaps she was a corporeal being. He closed and plunged his sword into her heart.
2. Perhaps she was a corporeal being, but he did not want to hurt her. He just wanted to free the children. He closed and tried to wrestle her to dry ground.
3. Her power seem to be connected to the water in the pool. He plunged his sword into the water.
4. Her power seemed to be connected to the water in the pool. He found a way to adulterate the purity of the water.
5. Her power seemed to be connected to the children. He concentrated on one child, and tried to coax the child over to his side of the pool.

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