ALWAYS, ABIDE WITH ME

Chapter 10: Landfall

Wei Ying!

Last night, Wei Ying had been downright fiesty! His Love had been teasing and playful, the brush of his lips and deft fingers had tried Lan Zhan sorely; until he'd grabbed his aggravating spouse and then, …. Wei Ying had been reduced to a moaning mess in the moonlight! Lan Zhan  smirked at the memory and was startled into the present by a gently cleared throat. Quickly partitioning his thoughts of Wei Ying, he murmured 'Private' and then turned to receive his visitor.

“Bajjaveri len dhuneh*, Master Lan,” greeted Madam Dolphin, waving her flipper in excitement. Lan Zhan bowed his head and activated a talisman. “Good morning, Madam, I hope we didn’t disturb anyone?”

Madam Dolphin hid a smile that Lan Zhan did his best to Not notice.
“Actually,  Master Lan, we are near the Thilladunmathee Atoll,* off the north coast of Dhivehi Rajje.

“Atoll?” Lan Zhan frowned at the unfamiliar term.

“A ring-shaped island constituted of coral reefs and soil, that forms a ring around a central lagoon,” informed Madam Dolphin. “Dhivehi is a kingdom comprised of over 1400 large and small islands and these atolls are very small, mostly unpopulated ones.”

“That does not matter, I only need drinking water and some food.”

“Easily managed,” smiled Madam Dolphin.

She dipped her snout into the water and soon sub-sonic waves travelled along the coast. Soon a pod* of young and energetic dolphins appeared and excitedly surrounded Madam. The air was filled with first a series of clicks* and whistles* at various pitches. Sensing a certain reticence, Lan Zhan did not use a talisman and instead  waited patiently for Madam Dolphin to enlighten him.

“Thank you for respecting our privacy, we are wary since a shiver* of sharks occupied the depths off the northern reef." She shuddered at some dark memory and Lan Zhan,  exuding a serenity that came from years of meditation, involuntarily reached out his hand. Emitting soothing Yang vibrations, he said, “Breathe deep, Madam, and release slowly.” She obeyed.

”Repeat!”

She inhaled and her nerves stopped jangling at the gory image that had flashed in her mind.

“And again,” Lan Zhan intoned, much as he would to a batch of juniors learning meditation. Madam Dolphin, calm now, brought her fins together and replicated Lan Zhan's usual palm over fist salute, thanking him. Lan Zhan was struck by how quick to learn and adapt this species was.

“Our pod is willing to help you to land safely,” said Madam with a smile. “They have determined which cove is most suited for landfall after calculating water depth, distance from the continental shelf, and water currents.” Lan Zhan was left pondering on how different moving inside water was, as compared to over it. He marvelled at how  easily and efficiently these dolphins processed the auditory signals they had emitted and how effortlessly they dove and swam.

A few clicks and whistles later the dolphins formed a V shape in the water, being careful to keep the floating sphere within the arms of the V. The younger dolphins stayed at the vertex, their vigorous undulating movement providing impetus. They created the front of a wave that lapped forward gracefully, bearing an amazed Lan Zhan within the glowing sphere at its leading edge. Simply put, he was being herded ashore!

The blue-black sea now looked yellow, the continental shelf clearly visible at the bottom of the crystal clear water. Suddenly jagged outcroppings of calcified weather-bleached coral reached up out of the sea bed as if to grab at the passing sphere. “They are viciously sharp, could tear your skin to ribbons!” Madam Dolphin said in his mind.