Although, perhaps Pip thought they were clear too soon…
Just as Lanette moved them past the last of the fallen obstacles, Pip felt a tug at their backpack. They only had a moment to be confused before the thorny vine that had attached itself to them went taut. Lanette, not experienced enough to realize they needed to stop, carried on and Pip was dragged off of her back!
They bumped against the ridges of her shell on their way off, and tumbled into the water. For a few moments there was confusion as the water rushed over them, and they were keenly aware of Lanette’s massive form in the water above them. They had a moment of actual panic, because, between the current and their tangled bag, if Lanette freaked out or clumsily tried to get to them, the odds of injury to themselves or her was greater than usual.
However, Pip didn’t let the panic get to them, and instead focused on the problem at hand. They didn’t particularly want to open their eyes, given the water quality and the current, but they knew they had to if they wanted to be efficient and safe. The first problem was their bag, which was yanking them around awkwardly, so they slipped out of it but didn’t let go.
They blinked their eyes open, and kept them that way despite the sting and the pressure. The first thing they saw was Little Guy, zooming towards them. It didn’t appear that he was stressed at all, and probably thought Pip had jumped into the water to play. Pip halted him as he came closer with a tap to the nose, and then directed him to the vine Pip could now see attached to their bag.
Little Guy dutifully swam over and chomped on the vine, severing it’s hold on the bag and, by extension, Pip. They started floating down with the current now that they weren’t tethered. They signaled for Little Guy to take the bag (which had a reinforced rubber handle on it for precisely this reason) and looked around to spot Lanette’s shadow before making their way back to the surface. The last thing they needed was to hop up underneath her and accidentally give themselves a concussion. The water was murky, but Lanette was large enough that she was easy enough to spot.
Pip swam up, headed straight for the river bank. They pulled themselves up and took a deep breath. (They hadn’t been down nearly long enough to be a problem for Pip under normal circumstances, but they had gone under unexpectedly and they hadn’t been properly prepared.) After a moment they hauled themselves up, and took a seat on the ledge while they cataloged the new bruises and scratches they had acquired.
A moment later, Little Guy followed them out of the water, dropping their bag beside them and looking up at them in expectation of reward. Pip acquiesced, giving them a head scratch and a treat from their (thankfully waterproof) retrieved bag.