Under the onslaught of both feet and tail, the gorlith seemingly thought better of what it had assumed would be an easy meal and released its prey to sink back down into the depths, using it's trailing tentacles to propel it even faster through the water.
Morgana drew herself up, not bothering to pursue the creature. It had only wanted a meal, after all, she couldn't exactly bear it ill will for that. She turned to look at the sailor, expecting him to have reached the surface.
...Except apparently she'd overestimated human lung capacity.
She watched his instinctive gasp, the way he drew in water rather than air, and there was a long, frozen moment where she just stared. She could let him drown--she'd considered hunting him herself. What difference did it make if he died here? Humans died all the time.
But he'd given her candy.
I'm going soft, she lamented to herself as she shot through the water to catch the sailor around the shoulders and tow him toward the surface. She curved around him as she did, bringing her mouth to his--both to prevent him from inhaling more water, and to blow air from her own lungs into his. Though she didn't use her lungs in the water, her body still stored the air. It should be enough to prevent him from drowning between here and the surface, at least.
A few powerful thrusts of her tail sent them gliding upward. She adjusted her grip on him so that his head was cradled against her shoulder as their heads broke the surface, allowing him to expel the water he'd breathed.