Doing Their Job

Writers: Jane, Kaysea
Date Posted: 13th August 2007

Characters: Kateena, Tarehg
Description: Kateena and Civi check on somebody out swimming who might be in trouble.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 5, day 15 of Turn 4

Once he had been a diver of note. Not with tanks and other technological assistance, but free diving, just a large lung capacity and the ability to use it well. He had enjoyed it, being underwater, swimming around unencumbered by anything more than fins to give him a greater range and a mask to enhance his underwater vision.

These days even fins were too much of a strain on his hip, but he still managed to dive. Not for any reason now, since his days as a working dolphineer were over, but just because he still enjoyed the challenge of it all.

Still had to be 'the best', Renada would no doubt taunt, reminding him that underwater was all but silent to people's ears. A blessing, some days.

His time was running short. He eased up from the rocky seabed and headed slowly for the surface. No need to time his ascent for the bay wasn't deep enough to provide that sort of threat, but the easy movement toward the light was kinder to his hip and sooner or later he would have to leave the water and limp around on land. Better if he hadn't strained anything while swimming.

Civi had pulled Kateena out to the deeper waters telling her of the man he had seen sitting on the seabed. Her hand rested lightly, but securely on his dorsal as he pulled her along, the pair swimming through the swell so occasionally they both disappeared beneath the water. With one last burst of energy Civi took her a little deeper and she watched as the shadow rose up from a dragonlength or more below.

Always aware of his surroundings as he surfaced Tarehg caught sight of the shadow as it approached; recognised it and altered his trajectory slightly to stay clear of the dolphin and swimmer. When he appeared on the surface he didn't splash around - just checked that he was safe and started breathing deeply to rebalance the gasses in his lungs.

"I had a feeling it would be you, Sir." Kateena said, never one to take on face value the grumpiness he showed to all and sundry in the Hall. "The one place you can be without interruptions?" she asked, with a sly grin.

"Without idiots, journeywoman, but apparently they can be found anywhere."

For a moment a smart retort flashed into her head, but she thought better of it, she could see why he was grumpy, old and now infirm, she wondered if he had always been that way. But his rank alone meant he had earn some respect and deserved respect be shown his rank, if nothing else. "Apparently so," she conceded, "though Civi was more concerned for the man at the bottom of the ocean, than I was."

"Good on Civi for doing his job." His idle movements kept him afloat and he nodded at the dolphin. "Thank you for checking."

"I wouldn't be doing my job, if I hadn't. Though I suspected it was you." Civi was slowly circling the old Master, and Kateena was quite content to float along beside, her hand still lightly cupping his dorsal. A glance around the area showed more curious pod dolphins skipping over the swell, a little further out. "I doubt you would have been in trouble, and the pod are always close enough to sense trouble." She nodded towards the show of fins further afield.

"I wasn't _in_ trouble," Tarehg said firmly, not wanting to let that idea get established. "I can still swim and dive, regardless of my difficulties on land."

"I know that Sir. I wasn't inferring anything..." she felt decidedly uncomfortable now, and wished Civi hadn't been the one to discover the 'man on the ocean floor'.

"Good. Now you're assured of my well-being I believe this impromptu interview must be over."

"As you wish." Kateena gave a short nod of assent, "good day Master Tarehg." She let Civi's dorsal slip from her grip, and floated freely for a moment.

"And to you, Civi; Journeywoman."

Turning she struck out for deeper waters, with Civi slipping in and out of the water beside her. "Next time Civi - no never mind." she said to herself, "I can't say don't tell me, because next time it may not be Tarehg." shaking her head, she reached out and slipped her hand along Civi's side, the feel of his skin beneath her hand soothing to her.

Tarehg watched them go for a moment and then struck out for shore. Though the pair had been done the right thing by checking, the interruption had reminded him that he had work to do ashore. There would be no more diving for him, this day.

Last updated on the October 1st 2008

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Doing Their Job