Arialla
A story of encantados in the isles, and curiosity had seized Arialla, a question forming in her mind: what would they think of her dolphin form? Back home, dolphins always gave off a friendly air; she wondered if they might be as curious about her as she was about them. So she headed into the water to find out.
It didn't take her long to locate them; she could hear their clicks and whistles from a distance. She approached a little cautiously, unsure if they would accept her. What if they attacked?
The pink dolphins noticed her grey form before she actually located them, and came swimming over quickly, circling her with a variety of sounds. She hung in the water, watching them and making inquiring noises -- she could sort of understand what their sounds, their body language meant, as if listening to someone speak with a heavy accent. It seemed easier when she didn't try to think about their communication, when she just let their responses wash over her.
They weren't hostile, at least; after examining her for a time, they whistled at her, then started off between the isles. Quickly, Arialla followed; the encantados danced around her, giving her dolphin grins, full of delight and mischief.
And, speaking of mischief: Arialla saw the encantados' attitude change as they circled a particular isle. They'd found something of interest! Surfacing herself, Arialla trained an eye on the isle and saw a human form -- one about to get a little wet, if she'd interpreted the encantados' intentions correctly.
It didn't take her long to locate them; she could hear their clicks and whistles from a distance. She approached a little cautiously, unsure if they would accept her. What if they attacked?
The pink dolphins noticed her grey form before she actually located them, and came swimming over quickly, circling her with a variety of sounds. She hung in the water, watching them and making inquiring noises -- she could sort of understand what their sounds, their body language meant, as if listening to someone speak with a heavy accent. It seemed easier when she didn't try to think about their communication, when she just let their responses wash over her.
They weren't hostile, at least; after examining her for a time, they whistled at her, then started off between the isles. Quickly, Arialla followed; the encantados danced around her, giving her dolphin grins, full of delight and mischief.
And, speaking of mischief: Arialla saw the encantados' attitude change as they circled a particular isle. They'd found something of interest! Surfacing herself, Arialla trained an eye on the isle and saw a human form -- one about to get a little wet, if she'd interpreted the encantados' intentions correctly.
"Bottlenose dolphin" by WIlly Volk is licensed with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
