The Strange Shipfish

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 12th July 2008

Characters: Leisenn
Description: Leisenn encounters a surprising lack of knowledge about dolphins.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 11, day 2 of Turn 4

The master dolphineer felt like a fish out of water on the ship. She suspected some unkind decision-making in the choice of vessel because she had seldom met a crew less inclined toward dolphineers and dolphins.
Or less knowledgeable. Luckily only half her journey would be on this ship, but it was going to feel like a very long half, she feared.

"'ello, ma'am." One of the crewmembers on the ship made his way over to Leisenn, a pronounced limp marring each step. He stopped a couple of feet away and leaned upon the rail. He was probably around Leisenn's age and, except for the limp, seemed to be in rather good health.
"How's yer trip agoin'?"

"Rather well," Leisenn said with commendable restraint. "We've been lucky with the weather, so far, haven't we?"

"Aye, that we 'ave, that we 'ave." The man leaned against the railing, his eyes resting upon the sea, then crawling over the water to fall not too far away upon the dolphin that seemed to be racing the boat. "Ah, looks like we 'ave a companion."

"My companion," Leisenn explained, as she had to other crewmembers.
"His name is Tu."

"Yer companion?" Both of the crewmember's bushy eyebrows shot up and he leaned forward as if to get a better view of the creature. "Ye mean she's a-followin' ye?"

"_He._ And yes, he's following the ship because I'm on it." Leisenn wondered about people who lived and worked at sea and yet could remain so ignorant of dolphineers and what they did.

"Is that so?" The fellow leaned forward even more and looked about redy to fairly topple over the side. "Large feller in'nt he? Musta put up a good fight, I reckon."

"_Fight?_" Leisenn said, incredulous. "He can defend himself - but that's mostly by swimming faster than his the water snakes and the like
- and by being smarter than anything else in the sea."

"Nay, nay...na' like that. I mean when ye' caught him and tamed him."
The seaman grinned at the Master crafter, revealing that he had lost a couple of teeth to some ordeal or another.

"He doesn't need _taming_, he's fine like he is." Leisenn was horrified. "He works with me because he wants to - because we've chosen each other."

"Nay...a creature like that?" The man's gaze looked the crafter as if she were a mindhealer's patient. "Choosing? As if they had thoughts of their own?"

"Thoughts and emotions and they have the ability to speak. Have you never heard them speak? Part of their agreement with people is to warn ships in danger ..." No wonder the dolphins sometimes thought people were deaf - there certainly seemed to be people who weren't listening.

"Speak?" The man sputtered, shocked at the thought of a creature like that speaking. "Nay...this one speaks?"

"They all speak - though the ones who work with dolphineers are easier to understand."

"Well...I'll be." The crewman turned to stare back at the creature that continued to follow the boat and shook his head, amazed.

"They help fishermen, too," Leisenn continued, intent on getting as much of the message across to this man - to this crew - as she could in the short time she was to be aboard.

"Aye, I've heard of them helpin'." The man nodded as he continued to watch the dolphin. "Heard of men being saved by these creatures from drownin'. I knew they were intelligent for animals, but I had no idear how so."

"Now that you know you can try talking to them, sometime," Leisenn said with a smile, wondering what the man and his crewmates would make of dolphin's speaking back to them.

"Eh..." The man's tone was non committal. "We'll see." He took one last long look at the dolphin before finally turning his gaze back to Leisenn. "Well mum, I must be gettin' back to work."

"Of course. It's been interesting talking to you."

"Aye. And with you." With a polite nod, the crewman stepped back from the railing and headed off to his duties, though not without one last look at the strange shipfish.

Last updated on the July 14th 2008

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

The Strange Shipfish