Iseult floated on her back, enjoying the feel of the sun on her face, contrasting with the cool water lapping at her skin. It was summer, school was out, and she had a whole glorious six weeks to lark about. It was, to her, the perfect opportunity to swim in the lake and enjoy some serious down time.
On the shores, she heard laughter and chatter as her friends played a game of tag. Squeals and shrieks rang across the water whenever one of them was "caught", and Iseult giggled, enjoying the merriment. She'd join them soon, but right now, she just wanted to float and enjoy her first day of larking.
A splash caught her attention, and she sputtered as she looked to see Saraid grinning at her. "And to what do I owe the pleasure?" Iseult snarked, but she couldn't keep from grinning back.
Saraid tapped her on the foot. "You're it," she said, before diving underwater. Iseult never let a challenge slip her by, and she was quick to dive after her friend.
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Saraid swam swiftly, but Iseult soon caught up to her, and tapped her on the foot before swimming for the surface. Before she could get there, Saraid grabbed her ankle and pulled her down, before letting go and making a break for the surface herself. But Iseult wasn't going to let her friend get away; just as Saraid's head broke the surface, Iseult pulled her back under, tickling Saraid's ankle briefly before letting go and going up for air, and, sputtering, Saraid wasn't far behind. "That was a mean trick," the red-headed girl accused, laughing. "Ye nearly drowned me, you eejit."
"Bah, I did no such thing," Iseult said, poking her tongue out. She soon got a mouthful of water as Saraid playfully shoved her under the surface. It was Saraid's turn to get a mouthful of water as Iseult grabbed her arms and pulled her down as well, and she spat the water out once her head was above water. "Now who's the eejit?" she said, and Saraid laughed.
"Fair enough," she said, as they trod water and got their breath back. "Hey, you're finished school, or near enough, right?"
"I'm goin' to do another year," Iseult confirmed. "I want to do those extra maths classes Miss Murphy suggested - I've a good head for sums, so she says, so I thought it wouldn't do me any harm."99Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7J1F8A3jd5
"What'll you be doing after that?" Saraid asked. 99Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hgA1dWQ10
"Probably start learning how to run Da's business," Iseult said, shrugging. "His da took over from me great-grandad, and Da took it on when Mam went into the House of Commons."99Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qvuIj4s7m
"It's grown big," Saraid said. 99Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0TqMF7OLH
"It has," Iseult agreed. "Me great-grandad started out with one squiddin' boat, and by the time Grandad was my age, me great-grandad had a fleet of ten. By the time Mam was born, ever other squidder had been edged out, or bought. Great-grandad was never mean, though; he just cut through the competition like a hot knife through butter, and when I was born, everythin' was more or less in place for his little boat to become an empire. And Da's got contracts from all over the world now. Great-grandad would be pleased if he saw how much things have expanded since he passed on five years ago."99Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlC3MsFfBUf
Saraid whistled in admiration. "Will your mam and da teach your brother when he gets older?" she asked. 99Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Jri6D5Oxt
Iseult smiled. Her little brother, who'd been named after his great-grandad, was, according to their parents, the spitting image of his namesake, right down to the pug nose. "He's vehemently against it," she said, giggling. "He said, and I quote, 'I might have great-grandad's name, but I've got bigger and better things waitin' for me when I grow up.' Apparently," Iseult added, "he wants to go into the car fixing business."99Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6fCAMVQQ9
"Smart boy," Saraid said. "But how'd your parents take it?"99Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoaINcFuUG
"They took it well enough," Iseult said. "Mam said it would've been a great laff if he wanted to come into the world of squiddin' with me, but she and Da aren't holding it against him. They promised each of us before we were born that they'd never make us do anything we didn't want to do. And Calum and I have heaps of cousins who can take over if neither of us want to do it."99Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdtUGRBQOA
"Do you want to?" Saraid asked. "I think it'd be grand for there to be a female CEO, and your head for sums would make you a great asset if ever you wanted to expand in the future."99Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynR8ALYdfi
Iseult shrugged again. "Dunno," she said. "I do, but at the same time, I feel like it's expected of me. I think it's a great business, and sure, it'll only get bigger as time goes on. But I feel, I dunno, pushed someway. Mam and Da told me the other day I didn't have to start learnin' it if I really didn't want to, but I don't want to let them down."99Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoznM7nZyU
"But you'd be lettin' yourself down," Saraid guessed shrewdly. "Me brother Patrick's the same; Mam wants him to become a baker, but he'd much rather be fishing. Da's all for whatever Patrick wants, but Mam's determined to get him into the baking business whether he wants to or not. Hey!" Saraid snapped her fingers. "If you're not keen on squiddin', Patrick'll be more than happy to be adopted. He'd have no objections."99Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibOKag4KLi
"Maybe," Iseult said thoughtfully. "But I haven't really made up me mind just yet. Sure and I'd be lettin' myself down if I went against what my heart wants, but I know Mam and Dad are counting on me to carry the family tradition." She sighed. "I really don't know what to do."99Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELeQGw2M4n
Saraid got a wicked gleam in her eye. "I do," she said. Before Iseult had a chance to take a breath, Sariad dunked her underwater again, and in the flurry of bubble sthat followed as the girls got into a playful wrestling match - which consisted mainly of who could keep the other underwater the longest - Iseult soon forgot about her worries. 99Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdp7dhGyY0U
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