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Message thread at CPP
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Clip Clop Magazine story contest
Enter stories here - get paid if they are run in Clip Clop Magazine.
Stories should be suitable for all ages and have a horse, pony, donkey or other animal in it. Atteindre les étoiles
There once was a horses named beauté élégante. She was owned by a French chevalier. Or cavalière we should say. She lived on
Ombre Stable farm. The most prestigious farm in all of France. She always had a shining coat and silver shoes . Until three years after they got her the Germans invaded France and the farm was destroyed the germans liked beauté élégante so much that they took her back to Germany and kept her to breed to Adolf Hitlers horse Nordlicht. She fought them and ran away and she went and joined the wild German horse herds. She has foaled many foals and if you ask any French or German to this day they will be very proud of beauté élégante.
The End
( This is a work of historical fiction) | 
linusthegreat & featherheart | | 2024-02-18 16:10:36 | | Twister & Tristan - Killer Whale of a Tale
“First you go south until you hit a big, long island. That’s Cuba. Follow its coast southeast, then turn southwest to go between Haiti and Jamaica. Once you’ve passed Jamaica, head due east, and that’ll get you to Dominica.”
The young sperm whale clicked her appreciation. “Thank you so much. You’re such a nice fellow. What was your name again?”
“Twister,” her guide said.
“Oh, thank you, Twister. I’m sure I won’t forget the way next time.”
Twister waved with his webbed foot as the sperm whale swam out of sight. He was a hippocampus, a sea creature with the front of a horse and the tail of a fish. He was blue with a sand-colored belly, a wispy green mane, and a clear, glasslike horn protruding from his forehead. As he turned to head back into shallower waters, he spotted two of his best friends, Flash and Sunny, swimming out to meet him.
“Is it gone?” Sunny, the Galapagos penguin who had moved to the Caribbean for “climate reasons,” was suspicious of anything bigger than her. And sperm whales were the biggest predators in the sea.
Twister smiled at her. “Yes, Sunny, she’s gone.”
“Phew,” Sunny said. “Good riddance. The last thing we need around here is more deadly predators.”
“She was only lost, Sunny,” Twister protested. “Not all whales are murderous hunters.”
“Easy for you to say,” said Flash the dolphin, who didn’t care much for big predators either. “You like everybody.”
“Not everybody,” Twister protested. “There’s Captain Washbuckler and his crew, you know, and…” He trailed off, then shrugged. “Eh, never mind. Come on, let’s go to Paradise Reef. Maybe Tristan will be there with his ball, and we can play catch.”
“That would be a wonderful change of pace,” Flash observed as the trio swam off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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“Hey Sunny, go long!”
Tristan, to the delight of his marine buddies, had brought his football. With a great swoop of his arm, the boy hurled the ball as far as he could over the rolling blue waters above Paradise Reef.
“I got it! I got it!” Sunny shouted as she plunged through the waves to catch it. Midway through a bound, she rolled over, caught the ball between her flippers, and splashed back into the sea.
“Twister! Catch!” Sunny bopped the bright-colored ball over to Twister, who caught it with one webbed foot.
“Nice catch, Twister!” Tristan exclaimed. “You’re a regular Dan Marino!”
“I don’t know what that is, but thanks all the same.” Twister placed the tip of the football on his nose and spun it like a top. This trick always delighted his human friend. “Anything interesting happening at Key West?”
Tristan scratched his head, ruffling his blonde, sun-bleached hair. He lived with his dad in Key West, and since Twister didn’t like to go near other humans, Tristan’s bits of news from the land were often useful. “Captain Washbuckler is up to something. I saw Barb and Bootleg loading a big net onto their boat the other day. I think they mean to go looking for you again.”
Besides Tristan, Simon Washbuckler and his crew were the only humans who knew about Twister. The portly, bad-tempered captain was dead set on capturing the hippocampus, whom he had chased all the way from Hawaii. He had three shipmates: Bootleg, the strong but dimwitted giant, Barb, the wiry tracker with a hawklike face, and Jessica. Jessica was Washbuckler’s niece, although she was more of a sulking passenger than a real poacher. They had arrived at Key West a few weeks ago pretending to be marine scientists. Tristan was the only human who knew their true identities, and he was still trying to think of a way to expose them without endangering Twister. After all, he’d promised to keep the hippocamp’s existence a secret.
“Well, we know how to deal with them.” Twister flicked the ball off his nose and caught it again. “Any idea where they plan to search?”
“No. I didn’t want to raise suspicion by eavesdropping.”
Flash splashed impatiently. “Come on, Twister, throw me that ball! I want to try hitting it with my tail!”
Twister raised his chest out of the water and threw the ball at Flash. Tristan admired how smooth and controlled the hippocamp’s pass was. Because he was the only one looking at Twister, he was the only one who noticed the change.
Twister’s ears shot up. He raised his head high, and his nostrils flared. He didn’t even notice as Flash batted the football with his tail and sent it rocketing straight into Twister’s head.
“Ow!” Twister exclaimed as the ball slammed the side of his face.
“Oops, sorry Twister,” Flash said.
Twister acted as if he didn’t hear. He rubbed his head and grinned at his friends with the most awkward smile Tristan had ever seen. “I, uh… just remembered I have a very important thing. To do. Now. Cheerio!” He splashed out of sight.
Sunny honked in confusion. “What was that about?”
Flash looked worried. “Is he mad at me?”
“I don’t think so,” Tristan told them. He didn’t know that horses behaved that way when they were nervous, but he sensed something was amiss. “We’d better follow him and make sure he’s alright.”
Twister was a fast swimmer, so Sunny went after him to determine where he was going. Behind her, Flash towed Tristan’s dinghy to help the boy conserve fuel. They pursued the hippocampus all the way out to Twister’s Key, a small remote island where Twister had made his home in a sea cave.
“Tow me to the leeward side, please,” Tristan said to Flash. “I’ll walk from there.”
The leeward side of the island was calmer because the land blocked the path of the sea. The opposite side, which faced open ocean, was much rougher, with swift currents, giant waves, and sharp rocks that made it dangerous for swimmers and small boats. Tristan had discovered that he could moor his dinghy on the leeward side and walk through the palm trees to get to the sheltered lagoon. Flash and Sunny were waiting for him there.
“He’s inside,” Sunny said, pointing her flipper at the mouth of the sea cave. “I think.”
Tristan held his breath, ducked under the water, and swam through the tunnel that led to Twister’s cave. He didn’t make a habit of swimming through sea tunnels, but he had been through this one before and it wasn’t very long. He also had Sunny and Flash nearby to help him if needed. Inside the cave, blue light danced on the domed walls, and small shafts of gold filtered in through holes in the cave roof. It was like a cathedral in here, and Tristan loved it. But now was not the time to admire its beauty.
“Twister?” Tristan called, scanning his surroundings. No Twister was in sight. “Are you in here?”
“Shh!” The reprimand bounced off the walls. It was Twister’s voice. “Did anyone follow you?”
Sunny and Flash surfaced behind Tristan. “It’s just us,” the dolphin said.
A patch of cave wall rippled as Twister shifted color. His scales abandoned the color of the rock for his usual blue and sand. He’d discovered that he could change the color of his scales a few days ago, and Tristan was still getting used to it.
Is it my imagination, or does he look paler than normal? Tristan thought. “Twister, are you okay?”
“Me? I’m fine! Everything’s fine. Why wouldn’t it be fine?”
The words came so fast, Tristan could barely distinguish the sentences. Sunny folded her flippers over her chest and frowned. “Twister,” she grunted, “you’re a terrible liar.”
Twister’s head drooped. Tristan gave the penguin a look that meant, “You’re not helping.”
“What Sunny is trying to say,” he said to Twister, “is that if there’s something bothering you, we want to help.”
“Yeah,” Flash agreed.
Twister sighed and made a small but fully genuine smile. “Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it, but… I’m not ready to talk about it right now.”
Tristan really wanted to know why Twister was so upset, but he couldn’t force his friend to talk. He’d have to be patient until Twister decided to open up. “That’s okay, Twister. Whenever you’re ready, we’re here for you.”
Twister looked sheepish. “Can I… ask you guys a favor?”
“Sure,” said Tristan, Sunny, and Flash.
“Could you keep an eye out for a sea creature that’s, um, really big and really out of place?”
Tristan blinked. What could that mean? “Of course, Twister.”
“Thanks, you guys. I appreciate you, I really, really do.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Tristan, Flash, and Sunny left Twister alone a few minutes later. Flash towed Tristan back to Paradise Reef and left him there.
“Sunny and I are going to ask around, see if anyone’s seen anything ‘really big and really out of place,’” he’d said.
“I’ll be on the lookout, too,” Tristan replied. “Come get me if anyone needs me!”
As he motored back to Key West, he worried for Twister. He’d only seen Twister like this one other time: when Washbuckler and his crew had arrived. Still, he’d been willing to talk about how they had accidentally discovered him and attempted to capture him multiple times. What, then, could possibly be so bad that Twister didn’t want to talk about it at all?
So preoccupied was he that he didn’t notice the dark fin slice through the water beside him. Not a shark fin, but something blacker, and bigger. Much bigger.
Something slammed the dinghy from below. Tristan was flung into the air, landing in the water with a jarring splash. He fought to the surface, trying to suck in the breath that had been knocked out of him. A huge black shape floated ominously before him.
Tristan gasped. It was an orca! He had never seen one in these waters. It looked at him balefully, and suddenly… it charged!
“Wait!” Tristan cried. “It’s okay! I won’t hurt you!”
The killer whale checked herself and poked her head out of the water. She looked surprised, but still very angry. “Impossible!” she said fiercely. “A human who speaks the language of the seas? How?”
“I learned how to speak whale from—“ Right at that moment, Tristan remembered Twister’s words: look for something really big and really unusual. An orca fit this description perfectly. And if this was what Twister was worried about, it probably wasn’t the best idea for Tristan to announce that they were friends.
But the orca guessed his thoughts. “From Twister, that wretched hippocampus!” she finished. “Only he would be so foolish to share the secrets of the ocean with humans!” She continued to circle Tristan, tightening her turns each time. “Where is he?” she demanded.
Tristan swallowed. “I— I don’t know,” he lied. “But— why are you so mad at Twister? He’s not a bad guy.”
“Oh, really?” the killer whale snarled. “Then who do you think did this?”
She rolled over so Tristan could see her milky white belly. Discolored patches marked old wounds that had healed long ago. Some were long and thin, as if made by a spear. Others were perfectly circular, the size of a golf ball. Tristan’s heart lurched. These scars had been made by Twister’s horn!
How could he do this? Tristan wondered disbelievingly. He’d never seen Twister use violence, not even against Washbuckler. “What happened?”
“None of your concern,” the orca snapped. “Now leave! I have a score to settle with your rotten friend. And if I see you in the ocean again…” she slammed her huge jaws together to make her point and swam away, a giant dark shadow in the blue waves.
Tristan didn’t know what to do. He needed to warn Twister that the orca was here, searching for him. But what if the orca found him before he got to Twister’s Key? Or worse, what if she followed him, and he led her directly to Twister’s doorstep? He was so concerned for his friend that he didn’t realize the trouble he was in. Then it hit him.
“Oh no!” His dinghy was putt-putting through the ocean without him. Tristan swam after it frantically, but it was useless. The little boat struggled to make progress against the surf, but it had enough of a head start that Tristan would never catch it. What would he do?!
Another dark fin rose out of the waves. Tristan nearly panicked. Was the orca coming after him? As he stared at it some more, he realized it was too small to be a killer whale’s. Besides, it wasn’t swimming towards him. It was chasing his dinghy. The rubber boat was suddenly bumped, and it turned back towards him.
“Oh, thank goodness!” Tristan scrambled into the dinghy and turned off the motor.
“Are you alright, young man?” a sweet old voice inquired.
“Mrs. G!” Tristan exclaimed. Mrs. G was an elderly nurse shark who had raised Twister. “Thank goodness! I thought I was stranded!”
“What ever happened?”
Briefly, Tristan told her about his encounter with the orca. “She told me she’d hurt me if she saw me again,” he said with a shudder. “She wants revenge on Twister. You have to warn him, Mrs. G!”
The nurse shark looked very grim. “I was worried that Skylar might show up one day,” she said.
“Skylar?” Tristan queried. “The orca? You know her? What happened? Why did she and Twister fight?”
“Slow down, Tristan,” Mrs. G waggled her tail. “I need to think. I can’t explain now, and you should get yourself to safety.”
“But…”
“No buts. Don’t concern yourself about Twister. I will warn him.” She disappeared under the water without another word.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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---------------------------------
On the deck of a big white boat, a short, fat man grinned with delight.
“I have a good feeling about today,” he declared, rubbing the scraggly red hair on his chin.
Behind him stood a very tall, muscular man with a perpetually confused expression. “Uhhh, that’th what you thaid yethterday, Captain,” he lisped.
“And the day before that,” added the sarcastic voice of a teenage girl. “And the day before that, and the day before that.”
Captain Washbuckler glared at them both. “Well, this time I mean it,” he huffed. “I have discovered an island that is a sure hideout for the Sea Unicorn. By my assessment, he must be there!”
“My assessment, you mean,” a skinny man with gray hair muttered from his position on the bow.
“What did you say, Barb?” Washbuckler growled at the hawklike figure.
“Nothing,” Barb said dismissively and kept his eyes fixed on the ocean.
Jessica, Washbuckler’s dark-haired niece, pulled out her journal. A smile threatened to smother her usual sour expression as she admired her sketch of the Sea Unicorn. She’d first encountered him in Hawaii, but a few days back she’d been able to get a really good look at him. She chuckled at how the odd animal had evaded any attempt to capture him, even humiliating her pompous uncle in the process. Secretly, she hoped he would never be captured. A creature as clever as that deserved to be free.
“JESS!” Washbuckler’s unpleasant voice snapped her back to reality. She slapped her book shut and frowned.
“What?” she said rudely.
“Stop dabbling with that silly sketchbook and help Bootleg with the net!” Her uncle jabbed a finger toward the big man, who was fumbling around with the huge net they’d just bought. Jessica’s lower lip stuck out in a pout, but she did as she was told. She and Bootleg set up the net and its tackle.
“We’ll circle this island,” Washbuckler stated. “I’m certain that the Sea Unicorn will be here!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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---------------------------------
Two miles away, Twister gasped indignantly at the news his nurse shark had brought him.
“Skylar attacked Tristan?!” he fumed.
“Calm yourself, Twister,” Mrs. G said evenly. “Tristan wasn’t—“
“Calm? How can I be calm?!” Twister’s brightly colored tail thrashed with anger. “I’m not going to float here while she swims around threatening my friend! She’s gone too far. I’m going out there to finish what we started!”
“Twister! Stop!” Mrs. G tried to block the way out, but the hippocampus rushed past her out into the lagoon.
“Oh, fishsticks,” the old shark grumbled. “He’s so mad he can’t think straight!” She tried to follow him, but he was too fast.
Twister, meanwhile, swam furiously. He wasn’t scared of Skylar anymore. He was determined to protect his friends… at any cost!
“Skylar!” he shouted as he went. “You want me? Come and get me!”
A fuzzy dark spot soon appeared in the bright blue of the ocean. Skylar clicked and squealed as she homed in on her rival. Twister gulped, his anger subsiding. Even as a full-grown hippocampus, he was barely half her size.
“So here you are at last!” she growled. “Now I can take my vengeance for what you did to me!”
Twister set his jaw, trying to be brave. “Bring it,” he snarled.
Skylar opened her huge mouth and shot forward. Twister twisted out of her way and took off at full speed. Now that he wasn’t so angry, he was wishing he’d planned a little bit better. He would have preferred shallow water, where he could twist and dodge among the coral reefs. Out here in open sea, Skylar had the advantage.
“Coward!” she roared as she gave chase. “Come back here and fight!”
Twister whipped around and zipped beneath her. He shifted his scales to match the color of his surroundings. His camouflage wouldn’t help him if Skylar used her echolocation, but it might catch her off guard and buy him time. He needed to think.
What island am I closest to? I’m certainly not going to lead her back to my key, Twister thought. But perhaps… He knew of another island nearby with reefs and sand banks. It wasn’t too far, and he’d have a better chance that way.
Skylar paused as she lost sight of her opponent. Furious, she whirled around, accidentally smacking Twister’s side as she went. Twister dropped his camouflage and barely avoided being snapped up in the orca’s powerful jaws.
“Catch me if you can, blubber-guts!” he taunted before rocketing away towards his destination.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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---------------------------------
Tristan was stewing. He was frightened for his friend and frustrated at not being able to help.
I can’t just go back home and sit, he told himself. Not while my best friend is in trouble! I have to do something!
He turned his dinghy around and headed back towards Twister’s Key. He could help Twister think of a way to defeat the orca. He could rally the other sea creatures to help fight. He could radio his father, who was in the Coast Guard, and see about removing Skylar.
Tristan shook his head. Don’t be silly, he scolded himself. Dad wouldn’t just trap a killer whale. He’d say she got separated from her pod and needs to get back to them.
He paused. Where was Skylar’s pod? Killer whales didn’t usually travel alone. And if it was revenge that Skylar wanted, it would have made more sense for her to bring her pod along to help. Had she come to Key West just to wreak her vengeance on Twister, or was there something else? It was all a mystery.
Presently he spotted Flash bounding swiftly towards him. The dolphin looked terrified.
“Flash!” Tristan called out. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Twister,” Flash said breathlessly. “He’s fighting an orca! And they’re headed straight for Captain Washbuckler’s ship!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Twister knew his chances were improving when he saw the seabed. The depth went from a hundred feet to fifty to thirty. Here, in the water close to the island, he could use his agility to his advantage.
Good thing too, he thought. I can’t outswim Skylar forever.
He began to shift the color of his scales from Caribbean blue to bright pink and eye-burning green. Practice had given him mastery over his chameleonic skill, which he now used for distraction. He could sense Skylar’s bewilderment and continued his colorful display until he came to a sandbar. He turned sharply, and Skylar torpedoed into the sandbar with a furious scream.
“Had enough?” Twister shouted at her.
“Of you!” Skylar roared, snapping her jaws at him. They barely missed.
Twister was off again, looking for another obstacle to trick Skylar into hitting. As he rounded the tip of the island, he spotted the white ship that was all too familiar to him.
“Washbuckler!” Twister growled. “Great. Just what I needed.” He dodged behind a reef to hide. The orca barreled past him.
What to do? What to do? He peered over the reef at the ship and spotted the net. It was big enough to catch a whale.
Hmm, Twister thought slyly. Wouldn’t it be ironic if my two worst enemies ended up fighting each other?
Instantly he formed a plan. He turned his scales bright pink and shot upward. When he broke out of the water, he let out a trumpeting whinny that was sure to catch the attention of everyone who was after him.
“Come and get me!” his laugh seemed to say as he did a backflip and landed with a splash.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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---------------------------------
Simon Washbuckler was midway through a nap when a wild neigh pierced his ears. His eyes flew open.
“The Sea Unicorn!” he exclaimed. He leaped out of his chair, tripped, and fell flat on his face.
“Uhhh, Captain! Are you okay?” Bootleg asked worriedly.
Washbuckler didn’t hear him. He scrambled to his feet and shoved the bigger man aside. “Barb!” he bellowed, “have you got him?”
“He just surfaced,” Barb replied, pointing. His grey eyes glinted fiercely. “He won’t make a fool of me twice.”
Washbuckler followed Barb’s bony finger and spotted a blotch of bright pink in the water. The blotch leaped out of the water and took the form of the Sea Unicorn with his diamond horn.
“It’s him!” Washbuckler cried. “The Sea Unicorn! We have him at last!”
Bootleg scratched his head, doing a very convincing impression of a baffled chimpanzee. “Uhhh, but ithn’t the Thea Unicorn blue?” he lisped.
The other men ignored him, but Jessica held up her journal. “He can change the color of his scales, Bootleg,” she said in a not-so-sour voice. “Like a chameleon. I took notes. There are these tiny crystals that change the wavelength of the light reflected off the scales, and that’s what causes the change in color.”
“Stop your useless blathering!” The irritating voice of Jessica’s uncle cut in. “Go mind the net! And tell me when we’ve caught him!” He went to the ship’s bridge to steer, humming to himself about all the money the Sea Unicorn would bring.
From the bow, the very front of the boat, Barb watched as the hippocampus bounded straight towards them.
“Bold move, you slippery sea beast,” he muttered. Then he saw a huge dark shape following in hot pursuit. What was it?
“Captain,” Barb began.
“Silence!” The captain bellowed. “I am thinking about being rich!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Twister had it all figured out. The moment he hit the water, Skylar was on him again. Still bright pink, he raced straight for Washbuckler’s boat. The orca was too angry to pay attention to the oncoming vessel.
Twister zoomed ahead and stopped, floating right in the net’s path. He made a silly grin at his attacker.
“Come on, Skylar, can’t we just talk?”
“NO!” Skylar thundered, reaching for him with her teeth.
But Twister was already gone. Like a bullet, he shot straight up into the air. He locked eyes with the astonished humans on the boat and flicked water at them with his tail. Then he dived into the water and took off.
Meanwhile, Skylar had become hopelessly entangled in the net. She shrieked wildly, thrashing, and trying to get out, but the more she fought, the more entrapped she became. Finally, she was so exhausted she gave up and floated on the surface where she could breathe.
Washbuckler was in a rage. “Don’t tell me you lost him!” he stormed at Barb.
Barb shrugged. “He’s gone.”
The portly captain hurled his cap to the ground and stomped on it. “Arrgh! This is all your fault!” he snapped at no one in particular. “I spend a fortune on a net, and now what do I have to show for it? A useless bag of blubber!”
Jessica stared over the side at the trapped animal. “It’s an orca,” she declared. “They’re not usually in these waters.”
“I don’t care what it is!” Washbuckler bellowed. “Get rid of it! We have more important things to do.”
“Captain,” Barb said, “you forget that an orca will fetch a handsome price on the black market.”
Washbuckler’s fierce scowl instantly inverted into a greedy smile. “Good point,” he said distinctly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Twister rounded the point of the island before he stopped. Skylar’s cries still reached his ears. He felt a pang of guilt, but he shook himself and hardened his heart.
It was her or me, he thought coldly.
He began the trek back to his key, but no sooner had he started than he heard the putt-putting of a dinghy’s motor. He gasped.
“Tristan!” He swam up beside the little rubber boat and peered at the boy. “What are you doing here?”
“Flash told me that Washbuckler was here,” Tristan replied, looking concerned and determined all at once. “Are you alright? And… why are you pink?”
Twister remembered that he hadn’t yet changed to his original color and quickly shifted back. “I’m fine.”
“Where’s Skylar?” Tristan asked, looking around.
“At present, she’s in a net attached to Washbuckler’s ship,” Twister said indifferently.
“What?” Tristan gasped. “That’s awful! We better go help her.”
“Help her?” Twister scowled at his human friend. “Are you crazy? She wants to kill me. She almost killed you. Now you want to help her?”
“Yes!” Tristan shot back, a little mad. “Washbuckler will probably sell her into captivity. And knowing him, Skylar will have a terrible life if we don’t free her. Don’t you understand?”
“I think you don’t understand.” Twister’s tail thrashed angrily. “Washbuckler’s doing me a favor. One less murderous hunter for me to worry about.”
“She’s more than a murderous hunter, Twister.” Tristan’s voice had fallen into a pleading tone. “She’s a living creature with a family that needs her. Imagine if your situations were reversed. You know Washbuckler well enough to know what he’ll do to her.”
Family.
Twister fell silent. That one word drained him of all his anger.
Family!
That one word reminded him of the family he loved but didn’t know. The family he missed, but never met. He remembered nothing about them, but he’d always imagined what it would be like to have other hippocampi just like him, who loved him and cared for him.
Then there was Skylar. She had a family too. Besides, he hated to think of any creature being kept in a tiny tank at a two-bit amusement park.
“Fine.” Tristan’s frustrated voice shattered Twister’s thoughts. “You stay. I’m helping her.”
“No, Tristan, you’re right,” Twister said repentantly. “I’ll help you. No one deserves to be taken from their family. Not even Skylar.”
Tristan leaned down and hugged Twister’s powerful neck. “Thank you, Twister. I knew you’d do the right thing.”
“You got it, buddy. So, what’s your plan?”
Tristan pulled out a set of wire cutters. Since many of their previous adventures had involved cutting through nets, Tristan kept a pair on hand. “I’ll cut Skylar free,” he said. “I need you to provide a distraction.”
“Can do,” Twister said, “but don’t let Skylar out until you’ve made her promise not to hurt us.”
“Got it. Let’s go.”
Tristan moored his dinghy out of sight and strapped on his diving equipment. When he was ready, Twister took him in close, and they parted ways. The hippocampus swam around to the back of the boat some thirty yards out, poked his head out of the waves, and neighed.
“Uncle Simon!” Jessica’s voice exclaimed. “It’s him! The Sea Unicorn!” Her call instantly summoned the three men. Twister began to splash and change color in a dance he invented.
“He just can’t help himself, can he?” Barb said.
“Weigh anchor!” Washbuckler commanded. “Bring the spare net! I’ll have two prizes today!”
The ship’s motors grumbled to life as Tristan reached the side of the ship where Skylar was imprisoned. He stayed deep, trying not to blow too many bubbles, until he was right below the net. The orca shrieked at him.
“Go away! Leave me alone!”
“It’s okay! It’s okay,” Tristan calmed her. “I’m going to get you out. But you have to promise not to hurt me or Twister.”
The orca snarled at the mention of Twister.
“Skylar, look,” Tristan said firmly, “I don’t know why you two were fighting, but that doesn’t matter now. You don’t want to be left alone to these people and whatever plans they have for you. And Twister isn’t a bad guy; he’s risking his freedom right now so you can have yours.”
The killer whale’s features softened. Apparently, she hadn’t considered this. “Alright,” she said through clenched teeth. “I promise not to harm you. Now get me out!”
Tristan grabbed hold of the net as Washbuckler’s ship turned and moved towards Twister. The fastest way to get her free would be to cut one of the bigger cords that held the net closed. But to reach those, Tristan would have to climb up the net, out of the water, and in plain sight of anyone who happened to look over the side.
Twister, I hope your distraction is really distracting, Tristan thought.
Tristan didn’t have to worry. With Washbuckler steering the ship, Jessica and Barb watching Twister, and Bootleg staring off into space, everyone had forgotten about Skylar. Twister continued his watery jig, watching the ship carefully as it crept towards him. Just as Barb was about to pull the trigger on the net launcher, Twister dived, swam another thirty yards, and began again.
Tristan attacked the rope with his cutters as the ship began to move again. The thick cords were hard to cut, but hopefully he’d only have to break one.
“What’s going on?!” Washbuckler barked after Twister had moved a third time. “Haven’t you caught him yet?”
“He keeps moving, Uncle Simon,” Jessica replied, trying to hide her laughter. She liked it when the hippocampus made her uncle mad.
Barb growled in realization. “He’s baiting us, Captain!”
“What?” Washbuckler gasped one of his high-pitched gasps.
At that moment, Tristan cut his rope. He let himself fall as the net yawned open. Skylar accelerated, wiggling free of her prison. He felt his back hitting hers and managed to grab her dorsal fin as she thundered past. Remarkably she made no protest, and soon they were both out of sight.
“My whale!” Washbuckler shrieked again. “My Sea Unicorn! It’s escaping!”
“Time to go,” Twister chuckled. He ducked underwater just as a net tried to close over him. Skylar was almost to him.
“Quick! This way!” Twister called. His great tail pumped dramatically, powering him forward.
“Take this human off my back,” Skylar commanded. They transferred Tristan from her back to Twister’s. Immediately, the killer whale turned around.
“Skylar, no!” Tristan shouted. “What is she doing?”
“Getting revenge,” Twister said grimly.
Skylar hurtled straight towards the ship. Then, just before impact, she swerved, smashing the side with her flank. The boat tottered like a palm tree in a hurricane, spilling Barb and Bootleg into the ocean and knocking Washbuckler flat on his face again. She was gone before anyone knew what had happened, so she didn’t hear the fat captain stomp about and scream at the sky.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
---------------------------------
Tristan had never felt more awkward in his life. They’d been swimming in absolute silence for nearly ten minutes. He kept trying to signal to Twister to talk to Skylar, but the hippocampus didn’t take the hint. He seemed to be doing some serious self-reflection. So did the orca.
“Ahem,” Twister said presently. “So… what’s next for you, Skylar?”
The orca made a noise that was probably a sigh. “I suppose I will leave,” she said briefly.
“You didn’t come just to pick a fight with Twister, did you?” Tristan blurted.
Skylar gave him a hard look. “No,” she said. “I’m came looking for Baleria.”
Tristan’s brow furrowed. “Baleria?”
“The daughter of a friend,” Skylar explained. “Baleria is prone to wander away from her pod. She is a very naive child.”
Twister’s ears pricked up. “Baleria wouldn’t happen to be a sperm whale, would she?” he asked slowly.
Skylar stared. “How did you know that?”
“She might have asked me for directions to Dominica,” Twister replied, his tone suddenly warm. “I’ll show you which way she went.”
Skylar nodded, and the two old rivals locked eyes. Tristan felt new understanding and admiration pass between them. Skylar was doing a favor for a sperm whale, an animal her kind usually hunted. There was more to her than Twister had thought. And Skylar had certainly learned that Twister was much more than a vicious gladiator. This day hadn’t made them friends - they’d probably never get that far - but maybe they were no longer enemies.
“Great,” Tristan piped up. “But could we go back and get my dinghy afterwards? I need to get home sometime today, or my dad may think I’ve wandered off too.”
Twister grinned. “You got it, Tristan,” he said. Then everything was silent again. | 
Horse Gentler & West Australian | | 2024-03-16 02:04:42 | | A Dream Covered In Dust
"Wherever you go"
Paisley was taking her horse Cowboy to his first barrel race today, and she couldn't remember the last time she had been this nervous. Her aunt Sam had told her she needed to relax several times, but Paisley couldn't forget all the times that Cowboy had taken her on an "uncontrolled joy-ride". This consisted of the fiery five year old taking off at a full gallop, skidding to a complete stop, and then bucking Paisley off into the nearest fence or building. It had been several months since Cowboy had attempted a stunt like this, but Paisley was still nervous. She knew that she needed to relax, so she put Cowboy's halter on and took him for a walk around the property. It was the middle of spring, and Samantha Davis's ranch was at its best. Purple, pink, white, and yellow flowers were scattered around in the grass. There were horses of almost every color grazing in the pastures, and Paisley's dogs were running here, there, and everywhere while playing with one another. The trails were lined with purple wisteria and multiple other kinds of flowers and plants that made you feel like you were in a dream (until you got bit by a mosquito of course). Paisley stopped at the top of the hill for a while and admired the beauty of God's creation, then continued her walk. She took Cowboy down to the creek so he could have a drink. The distraught girl couldn’t help but admire the way that the crystal clear water rushed over the smooth rocks that lined the creek bed. It was almost as if the cool water helped to wash away her nervousness.
Paisley stayed at the creek for a little while, and then reluctantly left to go load her equipment into the trailer. She had already put most of her tack into the trailer the night before, but there were a few things that she had forgotten. Cowboy stood patiently as she tied him to the trailer so she could run into the barn to grab a box of brushes and some sport boots for him. The tack locker was already full, so Paisley simply tossed the items into the back seat of her truck. After making one more quick check to see if she had everything she needed, Paisley loaded Cowboy into the trailer and started the truck.
Just as Paisley was about to leave the ranch, her Aunt Sam ran up and handed her a slip of paper, wished her luck, and ran back to the barn. When Paisley opened the note, she saw that it was a bible verse and read it aloud to herself.
"'Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go' Joshua 1:9" Paisley smiled, then suddenly realized that instead of asking God to help her face her fears, she had tried to avoid them. Paisley prayed right then and there.
"Dear God, I’m sorry that I didn't ask you for help earlier. I know that you can do all things, and that you love your children dearly. Please help me to stay calm and help Cowboy understand what I am asking him to do. In Jesus name, Amen." As Paisley prayed, she felt a sense of calm come over her.
When Paisley and Cowboy arrived at the arena, Paisley jumped out of the truck and unloaded Cowboy. She double checked to make sure that he was securely tied before walking to the sign up table. She had to sign up for at least three classes to earn points, so she chose cloverleaf barrels, Texas barrels, and pole bending. On the way back to the trailer, Paisley stopped to chat with some friends.
"Hey Paisley! Watcha been up to lately?" Her best friend Hazel asked
"Nothin' much, just riding horses and giving lessons to the kiddos. What have you been up to now that you've got a job working at B's?"
"Well, I take care of all her horses and exercise them, then go back to the ranch and take care of all my horses and ride them." Hazel said with a glint of humor in her eyes
"You know, I was thinking... since you hardly have ANY work to do, maybe you could take on a few of my chores at the ranch" Paisley said sarcastically
"Whew! That there is a very tempting offer Ms. Davis, but I do believe that if I had any more responsibilities to handle, I might just go plum crazy!" Hazel said with just as much sarcasm. Both girls laughed, but then turned serious.
"So, are you nervous?" Hazel asked
"Very! I’m more calm now than I was this morning, but I get jitters just thinking about Cowboy possibly going psycho!"
"Well, I think Cowboy will do just fine, as long as you relax."
"I know, but I just can’t seem to." Paisley admitted
"I would love to stay and try and calm you down, but I think my horse is trying to destroy my trailer again." Hazel said as she began to jog towards her trailer to try and keep her horse from breaking something.
“Guess I’ll just have to calm myself down.” Paisley mumbled
Cowboy wiggled around as Paisley tightened his cinch. This was a habit that Paisley had been trying to break, so she loosened and tightened the cinch until he stood still. After this, she strapped on his boots and gave him a pat. Paisley switched his bit onto a headstall that matched his saddle, inserted it into his mouth, and buckled the throat latch. She unbraided his mane and tail, and then headed towards the arena.
As usual, the warm-up pen was crowded, so Paisley took Cowboy into the open field across the road. She finished tightening her cinch, and then mounted the big gelding. At Paisley’s command, Cowboy started walking in a large circle. After making a few laps in each direction, she asked him to trot. Cowboy eagerly responded by tossing his head and pricking his ears before starting to trot in a figure eight pattern.
After about five minutes of walking and trotting, Paisley let Cowboy lope in large circles at a relaxed pace. Cowboy’s ears were pricked, and he was thoroughly enjoying himself. Paisley did her best to relax and ride with loose reins, but was having a difficult time in doing so. Once she felt that Cowboy was adequately warmed up, Paisley went to wait her turn to exhibition. She and Cowboy stood next to Hazel so that they could chat while they waited. Cowboy stood stock still with his ears pricked as he watched horses run in and out of the arena.
When it was finally Paisley’s turn to run, and all of her nervousness came back even stronger than it had been that morning. She walked Cowboy through the alley, but didn’t kick him for fear he would act up. Thankfully, Cowboy was being very forward that day, so he started loping without any assistance from Paisley. When they got to the first barrel, Paisley pulled back, causing Cowboy to throw his head up and hit the barrel with his hind quarters. Paisley did the exact same thing when they got to the second barrel. She could hear Hazel yelling at her to relax, but she was too afraid to give Cowboy any slack.
After just barely missing the third barrel Paisley pulled Cowboy back down to a trot and rode through the alley. Hazel rode Kasey up and positioned him beside Cowboy.
“What happened out there?” she asked
“I don’t know, it’s like I just froze and couldn’t relax.”
“Well, in perfect honesty, if I was Cowboy, I would have bucked you off.” Hazel said gently
“I know, I feel awful about making him look bad.” Paisley said regretfully
“Maybe you should go and try to clear your head.” Hazel suggested
“I’ve got a better idea...”
Paisley put Cowboy’s halter on and tied him so she could have some time to herself. She got in her truck and prayed that God would help her overcome all the fear and doubt that she had let take control. She remembered the verse that her aunt had given her and grabbed some tape out of the center console, hopped out of the truck, walked up to her horse, and taped the verse onto the pommel of her saddle.
When it was Paisley’s turn to run again, she rode confidently and quietly. She let Cowboy run at the speed he was comfortable with and gave him plenty of room to turn. She even gave him a kick while they were running home. As they ran through the alley, she patted his neck and told him what a good boy he was. Just as Hazel was congratulating her, they heard the announcer say that Cowboy had run an 18.77 second run. On her way back to the trailer, Paisley thanked God for helping her overcome her fears.
It was dark when Paisley got home, so she turned the flood lights on before unloading Cowboy and turning him out. She got all the buckets out of the trailer because she would need them while doing chores in the morning. Paisley did a quick night check on all the horses that were in stalls before going inside to tell her aunt the good news. As Paisley and Sam admired the two second place ribbons, Paisley told Sam about how she had prayed and asked God for help.
“I’m so glad you learned an important lesson today!” Sam said as she hugged Paisley
“Which one?”
“All of them, but especially that ‘the Lord your God is with you wherever you go’.”
| 
Gabbythehorsegirl & Squares | | 2024-03-22 15:12:33 | | Twister & Tristan - Save the Seahorses!
“Keep swimming, Tristan. You’re doing great!”
Tristan kicked out with his legs, moving through the water faster than he’d ever been. He tried to keep up with the flashing tail in front of him, which glittered in hues of pale blue, green, orange, and rosy pink.
“Can’t I ride on your back, Twister?” the boy called to his friend. “I’m getting tired. I’ve never swum this far this fast before.”
The hippocampus - a creature that was half horse and half fish - turned his head to smile at Tristan. His wispy green mane waved smoothly, and the glassy horn on his forehead sparkled in the sun. “Just a little further,” he said. “You can do it. Don’t fight the ocean; move with it.”
Ever since they’d met, Twister had taught Tristan about life in the sea. The boy had first learned how to talk to the other sea creatures, and now Twister was teaching him the art of streamlined swimming. So today, Tristan had gotten up early and met Twister at Higgs Beach. Located on the southern shores of Key West, it was a popular spot for families and snorkelers. Since Twister didn’t want other humans to know about him, Tristan had made sure to arrive before anyone else.
At last, Twister stopped in water that was just shallow enough for Tristan to stand in. An enormous clump of seaweed floated in front of them.
“You did it!” Twister praised, patting Tristan’s back with a webbed forefoot. “You’re getting fast.”
“Not as fast as you,” Tristan said after catching his breath. “So, where’s this reward you promised?”
“Right here,” Twister said, gesturing to the seaweed.
“Oh.” Tristan tried to sound excited but failed miserably. Had he swum all this way for seaweed? “You’re joking, right?”
Twister chuckled. “Just a little bit.” He looked at the seaweed and said, “Hey Reedy! It’s me, Twister! I have someone here to meet you.”
No response. Tristan was just about to write off this whole excursion as a well-planned prank when a small voice replied.
“Who’s that with you, Twister?”
“My friend, Tristan. You know, the boy I told you about?”
“Yes, I remember now. I’ll be out in a moment.”
Tristan was so absorbed in trying to find the owner of the voice that he almost missed it. Out from the leafy brown mass came a small creature whose head looked quite like Twister’s.
“Wow!” Tristan could barely contain his excitement. “A seahorse!”
And not just any seahorse. It was a lined seahorse, which was a rare find in these waters. They were considered vulnerable, which meant great care had to be taken to keep them from becoming endangered.
The seahorse regarded Tristan with unblinking, curious eyes. “You must be the boy who rescued Twister from that trap,” he said.
“Only after he saved me. Twice,” Tristan replied. “But yes. I’m Tristan.”
“I’m Reedy,” the seahorse said. “Pleased to meet you.”
“The pleasure’s all mine, Reedy.”
Twister cleared his throat. “Is Crystal here too, Reedy?”
“She is,” Reedy said proudly. “We’ve just had our first batch of eggs.”
“Kids!” Twister exclaimed. “You’re having kids? How exciting!”
“Congratulations, Reedy,” Tristan said. He noted the pale, triangular patches on Reedy’s belly just above his tail. These were the pouches into which the female deposited her eggs. The male seahorse would then carry the eggs until they hatched. Tristan found this odd setup fascinating. He also liked that seahorses resembled regular horses even though they were really fish.
“Thank you,” Reedy said cheerfully. “Now, why don’t you tell me more about your adventures, Tristan? I’ve never talked to a human before, so you simply must tell me everything!”
“I hardly think I can recount my entire life in a few minutes,” Tristan grinned. “Maybe just the highlights?”
Both Reedy and Twister laughed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
---------------------------------
Tristan returned to Higgs Beach alone. He was so enthused by his experience with the seahorses that he nearly tripped over a girl sitting on the sand.
“Oops, sorry,” Tristan said. The girl scowled up at him, and he recognized her instantly.
Jessica, Tristan realized, suppressing a groan. Simon Washbuckler’s niece.
Simon Washbuckler was Twister’s archenemy. They had encountered each other in Hawaii, and Washbuckler had been after Twister ever since. He and his crew had arrived in Key West a few weeks ago posing as marine biologists. Tristan wanted desperately to expose them as the poachers they were, but he couldn’t do that without also revealing Twister’s existence.
And now here he was, face to face with the niece of his best friend’s enemy.
“Watch where you’re stepping,” Jessica spat.
“I said I was sorry,” Tristan answered. He wanted to get angry, but then he saw a page in her journal. It was a sketch of Twister. A very detailed, very accurate sketch of Twister.
“Did you draw that?” he asked, pointing at the journal.
Jessica blushed and ducked her head. “Yeah,” she mumbled.
“It’s really good,” Tristan said, feeling a sudden pulse of admiration. “There’s no need to be embarrassed.”
The journal slammed shut as Jessica wrinkled her nose at him. “You’re that Coast Guard kid, aren’t you?”
“Um, yes.” Tristan didn’t like being called a “kid” by someone his age. “How, uh… how’s your research going?”
“Research?” Jessica’s face twisted. Then she remembered that she had to pretend to be researching seahorses. Her uncle had tricked Tristan’s dad by saying that he was a marine biologist. “Oh, yeah. That research.”
Tristan sat down beside Jessica. I don’t really like her, he thought. But if I keep her talking, maybe I can learn what Washbuckler is planning. That sort of information would help Twister.
“It’s not fair!” Jessica’s outburst made him jump. “He wouldn’t let me come!”
“What? Who?”
“Uncle Simon went to get a— something in Miami. He said I couldn’t come.” She crossed her arms and pouted. “I never get to do anything. He treats me like a little kid. It’s soooo unfair!”
Wonder where he got that idea, Tristan thought sarcastically. Aloud, he said, “There’s still plenty to do here in Key West.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“Well, there’s windsurfing, and fishing, and snorkeling, and…”
“That’s boring,” Jessica interrupted. Then her face brightened. “Is there a school? I could go to school!”
Tristan was speechless. She thinks windsurfing is boring but school isn’t?
“Sorry. It’s summer.” He glanced at Jessica’s journal and got one more idea. “But the Library’s open.”
“Library?” Jessica leaped to her feet. “There’s a library? Here? Where?!”
“It’s on Fleming Street,” Tristan said. “About a fifteen minute walk from here. What you have to do is—“
“It’s perfect! Just the kind of entertainment I need! Bye, kid!” She was gone before Tristan could say anything else.
Hmph, he grumped. She didn’t even say thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
---------------------------------
Twister was still visiting with Reedy and Crystal when he heard the engines of a boat humming towards them.
“Oh, fishsticks,” Twister grumbled. “I lost track of time. Now all the snorkelers are here.”
There was no time to swim away. The water was too shallow and too clear; he’d make tracks in the sand no matter how careful he was. Instead, Twister embedded himself in the seaweed and changed the color of his scales. His blue and sand colors ebbed into browns to match his surroundings; even his horn vanished from view.
“Twister?” Crystal called. “Where did you go?”
“He wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye, would he?” Reedy asked.
“I’m still here,” Twister said. “I’m just camouflaged, like you.”
Crystal let go of the seaweed and swam towards him. She didn’t realize that she was plainly visible when she did this.
“Crystal! Watch out!”
It was too late. A human spotted Crystal and scooped her up in a little net. Crystal cried in terror, but the snorkeler, who couldn’t hear her, was delighted.
“Look, Glen,” she said, when she reached surface. “I found one! Suzanne will be so happy.”
Twister froze, feeling absolutely helpless. If he tried to rescue Crystal now, he’d reveal himself to these humans. But if he didn’t…
Tristan, he told himself. I need Tristan.
He waited, one agonizing minute after the next, as the humans swam back to their boat. He started to follow them but stopped. He couldn’t leave Reedy alone. Without his mate, the seahorse would be so distressed he wouldn’t be able to keep himself safe.
Fortunately for them all, an octopus scooted by.
“Excuse me,” Twister called.
The octopus stopped, scanning the surroundings with its weird eyes. “Eh? Who said that?”
“It’s me, Twister,” Twister said, momentarily uncloaking his head. “I need a favor.”
“A favor?” The octopus echoed gruffly. “Well, I’d consider it. What’s in it for me?”
Twister thought quickly. “A whole bed of nice, juicy clams.”
“Deal. Whaddya need?”
“I need you to follow that boat,” Twister nodded at the vessel that Crystal’s captors had boarded. “Stay with it until a boy named Tristan comes. Tell him everything you find out about the humans aboard, then come back to me.”
“Alright, alright. I’m on my way.”
Twister watched as the boat sailed off, the octopus in hot pursuit.
“Crystal?” Reedy called. “Crystal, dear? Are you there? Please don’t hide from me. I’m getting worried.”
Twister’s heart ached for his friend, but he couldn’t break down. He knew he had to protect Reedy - and the baby seahorses. He’d have to trust that Tristan would save Crystal.
But first, Twister needed a way to contact him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
---------------------------------
Tristan was halfway home when a seagull landed in his way.
“Cree-cree!” it shrieked. “News for Tristan. News for Tristan. Must find Tristan. Are you Tristan, sorry, please, thank you?”
“Yes, I’m Tristan,” Tristan said. “What’s the news? From whom?”
“News from me,” the seagull cawed. “Heard it from Twister, I did, indeed, sorry, please, thank you.”
“Twister! What did he say?”
“Hmm, what did he say?” The seagull tapped her foot as she tried to remember. “Aha! That’s it! I was flying along, minding my own business, when he pops out of the water. First he said, ‘Excuse me,’ and then he said, ‘Can I ask you a favor?’ And then he said—“
“Oh, never mind that,” Tristan said impatiently. He was worried that something was wrong. “I mean what was it he wanted me to hear?”
After several minutes of going back and forth, Tristan finally understood what had happened and what Twister needed him to do.
“Then it’s up to me to save Crystal,” Tristan said. “Thank you, gull. Tell Twister I understand.”
“Cree-cree! Happy to be of service, sorry, please, thank you.”
Tristan sprinted to Key West Harbor, where he hoped to find the boat that had taken Crystal. He wandered up and down the docks for several minutes, looking for Twister’s octopus.
“Oi, kid!” A rough voice bubbled. “You Tristan?”
Tristan spotted the lumpy face of an octopus sticking out of the water below. “Yes, I’m Tristan.”
“Took your time, you did,” the cephalopod grumbled. “I’ve been yelling at every two-legger in sight for the last twenty minutes. Got better things to do than be ignored, ya know.”
“Sorry, Mr. Octopus. I only just found out.”
The octopus humphed and waggled an arm at the boat. “The occupants are Glen and Judy Moore. Got a daughter named Suzanne. Not from around here, I’d say. They went to lunch.”
Tristan inspected the boat. A rental. That meant the Moores were tourists.
“Can you keep watch while I search the boat?” Tristan asked.
He was rewarded with a glare. “Not part of the bargain.”
Tristan furrowed his brow. He remembered Twister saying that octopi could be bribed with food. “If you keep watch for me,” he tried, “I’ll bring you some shrimp.”
“Deal,” the octopus said.
Tristan searched the whole boat for Crystal, calling her name in hopes of a response. Twice, he had to hide from a passerby. After searching every nook and cranny, he came away empty handed.
“No good,” he said, discouraged. “They must have taken Crystal with them.”
“Tough luck,” The octopus shrugged. “Don’t forget to bring my shrimp tonight.”
Tristan sat down on the deck and wondered what to do. How would he find the Moores now? They could be anywhere.
Well, I won’t find them by sitting on my tail, he thought. He got up to begin his search when a familiar voice called him.
“Hey, kid!” Jessica shouted. She tromped over to him, her arms full of books. “What are you doing here?”
“My name is Tristan,” said Tristan. “And… I’m just— looking for someone.”
A look of suspicion clouded Jessica’s face. “You’re lying,” she accused.
Tristan was tempted to answer with a snide remark, but he stopped himself. Jessica had another side to her that had surprised him. Perhaps she would help if he told her about Crystal.
And if I’m going to find the Moores, I’ve got to start somewhere.
“Actually,” he admitted, “I’m looking for some tourists. They took a seahorse off the reef today, and it’s very important that I get it back.”
Jessica’s eyes popped. “What?” she growled. “They can’t just take seahorses out of the ocean! I’d like to find who’s responsible for this!”
“They probably don’t know better,” Tristan protested. “A lot of people don’t. But maybe you can help me find them? Their names are Glen and Judy Moore.”
“Glen and Judy? I know them. They arrived last Wednesday. We’re in the same rental home.”
Tristan’s jaw swung open. He could scarcely believe his luck.
“Don’t stand there like a barnacle.” Jessica grabbed his arm and towed him along. “Let’s go!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
---------------------------------
“Crystal! Crystal?” Reedy swam all over the seaweed patch in search of his mate. With each passing minute, the seahorse’s spirits dwindled.
“I don’t understand,” he said mournfully. “It’s not like her to stay away so long.”
“Hang in there, Reedy,” Twister said for the hundredth time that day. “We’ll get Crystal back. You’ll see.”
The little seahorse gave no indication that he’d heard. He was so preoccupied with finding Crystal that he’d forgotten that Twister was there.
Twister shuddered as a boat buzzed past. He didn’t like being so close to humans, but he had to protect Reedy and his priceless cargo.
Movement on the sea floor caught Twister’s eye. Something dark and leggy was moving sideways towards them.
Crab, Twister thought. I’ll bet my fins it’s hungry.
The crab boasted huge claws and beady eyes that looked bored or scheming. It paused when it spotted Reedy, then slowly crept closer. Crabs were one of the few predators that thought seahorses made tasty snacks.
“Reedy, watch out!” Twister called, his scales still the color of the seaweed. As usual, Reedy acted as if he hadn’t heard, swimming dangerously close to the sea floor. The crab prepared to strike.
Oh, no you don’t!
Twister shifted the scales on his side to look like a redfish, a predator of crabs. He mimicked the coppery scales on the fish’s back, and its milky white belly. He even added a black spot on the tail of his fake fish. Without uncloaking the rest of his body, he charged the crab, hoping his ruse would work.
The crab stopped dead when he saw Twister’s redfish. He skittered away, as fast as his spiny legs could take him.
Phew, thought Twister. That was close.
Ten minutes later, the crab came sneaking back. Twister tried the same trick again, and the crab stayed away for half as long. On the third try, the crab never returned.
“Oi, Twister!” said a voice.
Twister jumped, almost losing his camouflage. “Oh, octopus! You startled me.”
“My apologies. Your kid finally showed up. He’s goin’ after a couple of tourists.”
“Thank you, octopus. I promise to show you the clams tonight.”
“You’d better. This is hungry work.” The octopus scooted away.
He’s in a good mood, Twister noted. I’ve never met an octopus that wasn’t crabby… unless he’d just eaten.
Crabby. Eaten.
Oh. Now I know what happened to the crab.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
---------------------------------
Jessica half-led half-dragged Tristan down to Bahama Village, south of Key West’s harbor. They rounded a corner just in time to see a woman in sunglasses and a big hat stepping out of her home.
“That’s her,” Jessica said, jerking Tristan behind a bush. “She’s going to get a tan, and Glen is out on walk with their daughter. Their suite will be empty for the next thirty minutes, so we can slip in and take—“
“First of all, no,” Tristan interrupted, aghast. “We’re not going to break into their room. And second, that’s just creepy. What, are you stalking your neighbors or something?”
“It’s not my fault that they discuss their plans loud enough to hear through the ceiling,” Jessica shot back. “Do you have a better idea?”
“I’ll go up and talk to her,” Tristan said.
“What a waste of time. Let’s just go in, take the seahorse, and scram.”
“I think it’s wrong to just take it from them.”
“I don’t.” Jessica narrowed her eyes at him. “They stole the seahorse from its home. We’re doing a good deed by taking it back. Don’t you want the seahorse to be free?”
Tristan did, but he didn’t want to go against his conscience. The woman was opening the door to her car; if he didn’t catch her soon, he’d miss his chance. But Jessica might try something foolish while he was having his discussion and ruin their chances altogether. He had to appease her somehow.
“Look, I’ll make a deal with you,” he said hastily. “We’ll try my way first. If that doesn’t work, we’ll try yours. Okay?”
Jessica shrugged. “Fine.”
As soon as she’d agreed, Tristan sprinted towards the car, waving his arms. “Excuse me! Mrs. Moore?”
Mrs. Moore was very surprised. She stopped her car and rolled down the window. “Is something, like, wrong?” she asked.
“No,” Tristan said. “Not really. But I needed to, I mean, uh… you did take a seahorse out of the ocean today, didn’t you?”
“Why, yes,” Mrs. Moore exclaimed. “It was, like, a stroke of pure luck. How did you, like, know?”
“That’s a long story.” Tristan tried to sound like his dad: calm, cool and in control. “But the seahorse needs to live in the ocean where—“
“Oh, don’t worry, honey. We’ll take good care of it. My little girl loves seahorses, and I knew she’d like, love it if I got her one. It’s her birthday, you know.”
“That’s not the point,” Tristan said desperately. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but you really need to let the seahorse go. She can’t survive without her mate, and—“
Mrs. Moore made a disgusted sound, as if Tristan had just told her she was the ugliest person in the world. “You are so mean!” she exclaimed. “Can’t I give my daughter nice presents without rude little boys telling me what I can and can’t do? Don’t you care about my little girl’s happiness?”
“I—that’s not—”
“That’s so hateful of you. You’re wasting my time, and I’m late to my appointment thanks to you.” The car rolled into the street with a screech and was gone.
Jessica marched up to him with a triumphant look on her face. “Told you it wouldn’t work.”
Tristan frowned at her. “I’m sure she’ll be reasonable once she’s thought about it.”
“Reasonable?” Jessica scoffed. “Judy? Try expecting a skunk to smell nice. Face it, Trenton, your plan failed, so now we’re doing mine. You promised, remember?” she said when she saw his hesitation. “Or maybe you think stealing is bad, but lying isn’t.”
Tristan bit his lip, realizing the corner he’d backed himself into. I shouldn’t have made that deal, he thought.
“Okay,” he said through clenched teeth. “What’s your plan?”
“The Moores stay in the top half of the rental home,” Jessica explained. “The only security cameras on the house monitor the front, so we’ll use the back door. All we have to do is get up to the balcony and go in. I know where the spare keys are.”
“So, we’re going to shinny up to the balcony, go inside and poke around in broad daylight.” Tristan threw up his hands. “Jessica, anyone who sees us will think we’re robbers!”
“If anyone sees us,” Jessica corrected. “Now come on. We don’t have all day!”
She led him through her house into the backyard, where she obtained the spare keys from under a pot. Tristan scarcely had time to wonder why her uncle needed a rental home when Jessica started giving orders.
“Let me get on your shoulders,” she demanded. "You stay down here and keep watch."
Tristan knelt down and hoisted her upward, grateful that she wasn’t too heavy. She stepped all over him before she managed to get over the balcony railing. Tristan heard the door unlock as Jessica slipped inside. He waited for what felt like forever before Jessica’s freckled face appeared again.
“Nothing,” she growled. “I’ve looked everywhere. What are we going to do now?”
“Can we discuss this later?” Tristan said fiercely. “Come down before someone sees us.”
With a grunt, Jessica swung over the railing and Tristan helped her down.
“Hey! You two!”
Jessica sprinted away at the voice, but Tristan’s conscience refused to let him run. Fleeing would only make him look guilty, so it would be better to explain himself and hope for the best. Besides, he knew the speaker: it was Joey Aaronson, a kid his age with whom he sometimes went windsurfing.
“Tristan?” Joey exclaimed when he came closer. “What are you doin’, man? You’re not robbin’ someone, are you?”
“No,” Tristan said. “I mean… not really. Okay, yes. Joey, please let me explain!”
Tristan explained what had happened that morning. Joey’s concern slowly melted as he realized his friend didn’t intend to turn to a life of crime.
“Who was that with you?” Joey asked when Tristan had finished.
“That’s Jessica. She lives here, and she was… helping me. Oh, Joey, please don’t tell anyone about this. My dad would kill me if he found out.”
Joey sighed. “Alright, bro. I won’t tell. But you have to promise me you won’t do anything stupid like this again. Because next time, I will tell.”
“You’re right, Joey. It was stupid.” The confession soothed his smarting conscience. “Don’t you worry. I won’t do anything like this ever again.”
Joey nodded, and Tristan left to find Jessica. They needed a new plan, but he had no idea what it might be.
Oh, Twister, he thought. I hope your day is going better than mine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Back in the ocean, poor Reedy had given up searching for Crystal. He floated listlessly in the waves, ignoring everything. With his beloved Crystal gone, the world had no beauty.
“Tristan will get her back, Reedy,” Twister said. “Just don’t give up. Don’t lose hope.”
His stream of reassurances made no visible impact on their intended recipient. Soon the encouraging words sounded meaningless even to Twister. He looked at Reedy, then at the pouches that contained hundreds of baby seahorses. A lot of lives depended on Tristan’s success.
If anyone can pull it off, it’s Tristan, Twister thought, determined to stay optimistic.
Another big boat chugged to a halt twenty yards off. Twister heard the splashing as two dozen humans hopped into the water.
“Reedy, hide!” Twister called, only to be ignored. The hippocampus silently willed his scales to remain camouflaged as the snorkelers swam closer. One little boy caught his attention by splitting off from the others to charge at a school of sergeant majors. He grabbed at the fish as they hurried away. The child’s parents paid no mind as he swam down to the seabed and poked a starfish. To Twister’s horror, he swam straight for the seaweed patch next. The hippocampus froze, his eyes locked on his friend. Reedy was poorly hidden; the child must have seen him. The boy swam straight up to Reedy and poked him roughly on the back. The seahorse pitched forward at the force.
Sorry, can’t let you do that, Twister thought. Ghostly white domes appeared on his flank and neck as he imitated a school of moon jellyfish. Deftly as a professional pickpocket, Twister reached out with one webbed foot and lightly pinched the boy’s arm. It would barely have hurt, but the little boy howled. He kicked wildly to propel him away from the false jellies.
“MOOOOM! I’VE BEEN STUNG!”
The success of the ruse surprised Twister. He decided to use the same trick to ward off future visitors.
I hope he learns his lesson, Twister thought as the boy got further and further away. I hate to hurt him, but if he did that to a shark, he might lose a hand. Better to learn the easy way now than the hard way later.
He closed his eyes. I also hope Tristan is having some success.
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Tristan found Jessica back at Higgs Beach. The sun would be setting in a few more hours, and Tristan would need to return home for dinner. He just couldn’t think of going home without freeing Crystal.
But he couldn’t think of a single way to do that.
“We could try again,” Jessica proposed. “The Moores are going to Dry Tortugas tomorrow. They’ll be gone all day, and we could—“
“No, Jessica, we’re not doing that again,” Tristan said firmly. “It was wrong; I shouldn’t have agreed to it, and I shouldn’t have let you do it either.”
Jessica opened her mouth, and then shut it again. She sighed and rested her chin on her knees. “So, what now?”
“I don’t know,” Tristan answered. “I’m trying to think of something.”
“Hmm. At least you’re honest.” Jessica pulled out her journal and began drawing. They sat in silence, so lost in thought that they didn’t notice a little girl in pigtails walking up behind them.
“Did you draw that?”
Tristan turned to see the girl peering over Jessica’s shoulder, as bold as anything. Jessica whipped her head around and blushed, but she didn’t shut her journal. “Yes,” she said bashfully.
The child stared at the page, which contained a biological drawing of a seahorse. As she did, Tristan studied Jessica’s young admirer. The girl was probably about ten, blonde, freckled, with an adorable face that was equal parts sweet, brave, and curious. He noticed that she wore a t-shirt with a seahorse on it and a necklace with a seahorse pendant.
A light went off in his brain as he remembered something Mrs. Moore had said. “Are you Suzanne?” he ventured.
“Wow!” The girl’s eyes grew bigger than ever. She beamed at Tristan like he was magic. “That’s amazing! How did you know my name?”
“A little fish told me,” Tristan replied, which was sort of true. “My name’s Tristan, and this is Jessica.“
“Hi! Nice to meet you. I’m Suzanne. But you already knew that… you can call me Susie.” She dropped to the sand beside Jessica and pointed at the drawing. “Do you like seahorses too?”
Jessica gave Tristan an uncomfortable look.
You can do this, Tristan’s face answered. This is the chance we’ve wanted.
“Y-yes,” Jessica swallowed. “They’re… really cool.”
“They are!” Susie agreed happily. “Did you know that the boy seahorse carries the babies? Isn’t that so weird?”
“It is,” Jessica said.
“That’s what I like about them,” Tristan added. “They have a different way of doing things, and it makes them special. Did you know, Susie, that seahorses mate for life?”
“What’s mate for life?“ Susie asked.
Tristan searched for an explanation that a ten-year-old could understand. “It basically means that when a boy seahorse and a girl seahorse love each other, they stay together their whole lives. Kind of like people.”
“Oh.” A moment of silence followed. Jessica started to say something, but Tristan stopped her with a tiny shake of his head.
Don’t rush it. No pressuring. Susie needs to make the decision on her own.
“What happens if the boy and girl seahorse get separated?”
“The seahorses usually die,” Jessica stated, pointing to some notes in her journal. “Very few of them will take another mate. A lot of wild seahorses have died because people break up the pairs when they take them out of the ocean as pets.”
“And the seahorses are so sad to be apart, they don’t survive,” Tristan added.
A dozen emotions flashed across Susie’s young face. “I need to tell you guys a secret,” she announced. “My mommy found a seahorse for me when she went swimming today. It was for my birthday. But… does that mean… my seahorse will die?”
“I’m afraid so,” Tristan nodded.
Susie was very sad, but suddenly she got an idea. “What if I put my seahorse back? Would she be okay?”
“It would have a much better chance of survival,” Jessica said.
Tristan nodded. “Especially if you put her back right where you found her.”
“Well.” Susie stood up and brushed the sand off her shorts. “I really love having my own seahorse. But I don’t want her to be sad. I think I should… put her back.”
Tristan stood up and smiled at her. “I think that’s the right thing to do. That’s a very grown-up decision, Susie.”
“And,” Jessica added suddenly, “if you really want a seahorse for a pet, there’s a farm in Hawaii that raises seahorses for aquariums. Plus, they help protect wild seahorses from becoming endangered.”
“Wow!” Susie exclaimed. Tristan’s face reflected her comment. He hadn’t known that.
“I’m going to ask my mom to take me to where she found my seahorse so I can set her free. And maybe one day I’ll buy a seahorse from that farm. I’m so happy I found you guys. You’re super cool and super smart. Bye!”
Tristan and Jessica waved as Susie sprinted away to find her parents.
“Okay, I admit it,” Jessica said. “You were right. Talking did work. You just started with the wrong person.”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “That’s the best way to protect anything: educate people. A lot of people really want to help, they just don’t know how or don’t understand that their actions might be harmful. And kids need to know as well as adults.”
Jessica played with a lock of her hair. “Looks like this story’s ending will be a happy one.”
Tristan smiled at her. “Thank you for all your help, Jessica. You’re pretty cool.”
For the first time ever, Jessica returned the smile with a lopsided grin. “You’re not too bad yourself.”
I guess that’s as close to a compliment as I’ll get, Tristan thought. “It’s been quite a day, Jessica. I better go. Got some things to take care of.”
“Like what?”
“Gotta see a guy about some shrimp.”
And I’ve got to send a message to Twister, he added mentally.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Five days later, Tristan was riding in a boat with Susie and her father. It was the Moores’ last day on Key West, and Tristan wanted to make it special.
“I’m so happy Dad let you come snorkeling with us,” Susie declared.
“Me too,” Tristan said. “I have something I want to show you.”
“Ooh, what is it?”
“You’ll find out.” He winked cryptically. “But you could consider it a belated birthday present.”
He stole a glance at the waves and saw Twister swimming stealthily nearby. The hippocampus smiled and bobbed his head, then vanished under the surf. That was the signal.
“We’re here,” Tristan announced.
Susie’s father cut the motor, and they all strapped on their snorkel gear. Tristan led the way through the water towards the same patch of seaweed he’d visited days ago. He beckoned Susie and her father closer, pointing at the spectacle carefully.
Reedy and Crystal swam together, their tails entwined. Around them were hundreds of tiny floating specks; Susie was puzzled at first, but when she realized that they were baby seahorses, she grabbed her dad’s arm in delight.
This makes it all worth it, Tristan thought. His gaze moved from the happy seahorse family to the little girl who loved them, to the open water where he knew his own sea horse friend was watching, ready to take him on a new adventure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Dedicated to Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm, Kona, Hawaii, whose tireless efforts keep domesticated seahorses happy and wild seahorses free. |
Horse Gentler & West Australian | | 2024-05-23 22:57:29 | | Twister & Tristan - The Sunny Side of Life
CRACK! went the coconut as it hit a diamond-hard horn. Twister the hippocampus - an aquatic horse - opened the fruit with his webbed feet. “Here you go, Tristan.”
“Thank you.” Tristan accepted the treat and leaned back against a rock to admire his surroundings. Blue light flitted over the walls of the sea cave that Twister called home. It made him feel like he was still underwater, except for the bolts of sunlight that glittered through holes in the roof. Everything was cool and beautiful, the perfect escape from the heat of the day.
“I sure am glad you invited me out here,” Tristan said. “It’s really hot back in Key West.”
“Tell me about it.” Sunny, the Galápagos penguin, shook her flipper at the skyholes. “I moved here for climate reasons, Florida. Don’t make me regret it!”
Tristan studied his sassy friend. He’d known Sunny for a while now, but he still didn’t know why or how she had moved to the Caribbean. Galápagos penguins were the only penguin species that lived north of the equator, but they resided on the Galápagos Islands off the coast of South America. Sunny always said she’d moved to Key West for “climate reasons,” but Tristan had no idea what that meant.
Then it occurred to him that this would be a great time to ask her.
“Sunny,” he said, “how did you end up here? In Key West, I mean?”
Sunny stared at him, looking surprised. Twister grinned and slapped the water with his tail. “Come on, Sunny, tell him. It’s a good story.”
The penguin shifted her feet uneasily. “If it’s so good, why don’t you tell it? You were there.”
“Because it’s your story,” the hippocampus answered. “I wouldn’t presume to tell it.”
“Okay, okay. If you insist.” She cleared her throat and slapped her flippers against her side. “But if I see one bored expression from either of you, I’m done.”
“No fear there, Sunny,” Tristan said. “This is the perfect day for staying inside and telling stories.” He leaned forward eagerly as Sunny began her tale.
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It was a typical day on the Galápagos Islands: salty, hot, and windy. The temperature rarely fluctuated out here so close to the equator. Sunny didn’t mind the heat so much, but she did mind hearing all the other penguins complain about it.
Especially since the solution is right under their beaks, Sunny thought.
She looked down at the water lapping at the rock she stood on. The Cromwell Current carried cold water all the way from Antarctica, bringing tiny phytoplankton and nutrients. These microorganisms fed the fish, and the fish fed the penguins. But this year, food was scarce.
“Sunny, my tummy’s all grumbly,” said a sweet little voice beside her.
“I know, Patch.” Sunny put her flipper over her little brother. It was quite atypical for a penguin to care about their parents, much less their siblings, but Sunny was no typical penguin. Unlike most of her colony, Sunny had no reservations about jumping into the ocean whenever she wanted. Sure, there might be predators lurking just below the surface, but Sunny didn’t care. She wanted to hurry up and swim and fish.
Patch’s stomach rumbled and he made a sad noise.
“The fish will come back eventually,” Sunny reassured him.
“But what if they don’t?” he asked worriedly. “What will we eat then? What about Mom and Dad?”
“Hey, don’t get your feathers ruffled. We’ll be okay.”
Sunny’s own stomach voiced its disagreement. She caught her brother’s anxious expression and sighed. “Alright, I’ll go have a look around. I ought to find something we can eat.”
“Oh, Sunny, you don’t have to do that. I don’t want you to get in trouble for me.”
“I won’t go far. Besides, it doesn’t bother me when Krill gets mad.” Sunny splashed into the water before Patch could make any more objections. Being in the water cooled her instantly.
Now, she thought, there ought to be fish around here somewhere.
She checked the usual fishing locations near the island but found nothing apart from a few turtles and marine iguanas. She didn’t know it, but Galápagos Islands were experiencing a weather phenomenon known as El Niño. The change of normal wind patterns caused the Cromwell Current to weaken, thereby raising the water temperature. The phytoplankton and nutrients – which the fish ate - were lost in the warmer water, and that was why she couldn’t find the fish. Sunny did know one thing for certain: she had to find some food, or her growing brother might not make it.
She surfaced for air, which she immediately spent on a frustrated grunt. No fish anywhere, she thought sourly. Where are they hiding?
Her eyes swept out towards the open ocean, where water met sky in a horizontal line. Sunny, who was far more curious than the average bird, often wondered how far it was to that line. She knew she’d never find out, though; further from the islands meant deeper waters which teemed with unknown dangers and predators.
Or fish?
No, Sunny scolded herself. That’s crazy. Even the penguins who like me will think I’m crazy. But the more she thought about it, the more she believed it could work. The fish had to be somewhere. What if there was food out there, just beyond the usual fishing grounds? Could the colony learn to hunt in the open ocean? The idea got bigger and better until it was all Sunny could think about.
There was just one problem. Krill, the penguins’ leader, would never agree to such a thing.
But if I had proof that there were fish out here, he might be swayed, Sunny’s head went on. Or I could at least convince enough penguins to help me. Krill would think it treasonous, but it’s better than watching Patch starve.
At the thought of her brother, Sunny’s mind was made up. She zoomed towards the deeper water. She was going through with this plan. She would find some fish out there and do what no penguin had ever dreamed of before. She could save her brother, her parents, the colony. On and on she went, heedless of the passing of time. She was determined. This was going to work. She would make it work.
And then she saw the seal.
Sunny swerved, barely avoiding being snapped up by the powerful jaws. The seal was so close that its whiskers tickled her feet. Sunny twisted around and shot back towards the islands, which looked a lot smaller from this distance. Her only chance of escape was to get on land. Could she make it from this far out?
The seal surged towards her. Sunny angled upward and shot out of the ocean. The predator’s mouth closed on thin air inches behind her.
It’s gaining on me! Sunny thought frantically. I’ll never make it!
She spotted the fuzzy dark silhouette of an underwater rock column. She dove for it, darted around the side, and smashed into something big and scaly.
“Whoa!” the something yelped. “Where’s the fire?”
Sunny was either paralyzed by the impact or by fear. She was sure that she’d just slammed into another predator and was about to be eaten. But the seal reversed course with a bark of surprise, and Sunny felt the Something lifting her to the surface.
“You okay?” the Something asked once Sunny had had her fill of oxygen.
Sunny blinked until her vision cleared. What she saw truly astonished her. “What… are you?”
“I’m a hippocampus,” her rescuer replied cheerfully.
“A hippa-what?”
“Hippocampus. It’s sort of a half-fish half-horse thing.”
“What’s a horse?”
“Oh.” The hippocampus paused, as if he didn’t know exactly how to answer that question. “Well, it’s type of land animal.” He regarded her with emerald-green eyes. “But seriously, are you alright? You hit your head pretty hard.”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sunny said. She was so puzzled by this weird creature before her. He was blue, very blue, with a sand-colored underbelly. Something green like seagrass draped over his neck, and a long clear horn jutted out of his forehead. He looked completely imaginary.
Maybe I did hit my head too hard.
The hippocampus guessed her thoughts. “I’m real, I promise. Name’s Twister, by the way.”
“I’m Sunny.”
“Pleased to meet you, Sunny. Say, what brings you out here so far? Don’t penguins usually stay closer to their homes on land?”
“Yeah, and a lot of good it does us,” Sunny griped.
“What do you mean?”
At this, Twister had unwittingly given Sunny the chance to do one of her favorite things: complain about her colony leadership. She told the hippocampus about the food shortage and how Krill wouldn’t let them go further from the island to find fish. She also explained her idea about searching for food in the open ocean, which her kind had never attempted before. However, as soon as she’d voiced her plan out loud, it sounded more impossible than anything she’d ever heard.
“I… guess it’s not a very good idea,”
“I wouldn’t throw it out yet, Sunny. It just might work, and I think I can help you.” Twister jerked his head towards the open ocean. “Come on. Let’s try something.”
Sunny swam at Twister’s side further into the unknown. There was something about this strange creature that made it easy to trust him. Perhaps it was his easygoing manner, or maybe his smile. Those teeth sure didn’t look suited to a carnivore.
“What do you eat?” Sunny asked abruptly.
Twister chuckled. “No worries. I’m a vegetarian.”
“Then how are you going to help me catch fish? You don’t have to hunt for your food.”
“I don’t eat fish, but I have observed how they behave… Wait! I think I hear them coming!”
Even with her keen eyesight, Sunny did not see the fish until a few moments after Twister detected them. First, they appeared as blurry shapes, but they came closer until they were swimming alongside the hippocampus. Sunny was amazed by how large they were. Even the smallest fish were bigger than her; the largest were nearly Twister’s size.
A fish like that would feed my brother for weeks, Sunny thought. She studied them, noticing the two long, yellow fins jutting out from their backs. They were unlike anything she’d ever seen. She wondered what kind of fish they were.
“Yellowfin tuna.” Twister answered her unspoken question. “There aren’t as many around because of the El Niño, but these fish are survivors.”
“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s catch one!” Sunny was about to zoom towards the closest tuna when Twister grabbed her.
“Hold on, Sunny. These aren’t sardines we’re talking about. Tuna can dive much deeper than you, not to mention that they’re agile and fast. They can reach speeds of nearly fifty miles per hour.”
Sunny blinked at the unfamiliar term. “‘Our’ what?”
“I’m sorry?”
“You said ‘our,’ but you didn’t finish.”
“Umm…” Twister paused, trying to think of a way to explain what he meant. A few moments later he gave up. “Never mind. The point is, you and I have no hope of catching a yellowfin on our own. We’re going to need help from your colony.”
“No way,” Sunny honked. “They already think I’m nuts. If I ask them to help catch a fish that’s bigger than we are, even my family will think I’ve lost it.”
“Don’t you think we should at least talk to them about it? You’d be surprised at how understanding some creatures can be if you have a discussion with them.”
“It’d be a waste of time,” Sunny insisted. “Everyone in the colony thinks I’m weird because I don’t do things exactly as they’ve always been done. There’s no way they’ll listen to me, especially not about this.”
“Hmm,” Twister said patiently. “Well, Sunny, I’m afraid we may have to waste our time. Fact of the matter is, catching tuna requires teamwork. I estimate that we’ll need at least ten penguins for the job. Either we go together or go without; it’s up to you.”
An exasperated sigh bubbled past Sunny’s beak. “Alright,” she said bleakly. “We’ll talk to my colony. But when this falls through, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
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The colony convened where the sea met land. The rocks made a U-shape that opened to the ocean, the center of which was full of water. Waves squished and hissed as they broke against the rocks. It was in this pool that Twister floated, surrounded by the younger penguins. Once they’d overcome their initial shyness, the kids simply adored Twister. He entertained them by balancing rocks on his nose, making rainbows appear with his glassy horn, and tossing them into the air with a flick of his bright-colored tail.
Sunny was too nervous to join in the fun. Whatever was she going to say that would convince the colony to try her idea? Could she say anything without Krill plucking all her feathers out? And what would the colony leadership think about Twister?
“Order! Order!” An older penguin with a self-important expression hollered above the din. He and four others stood at the highest point above the water. “This meeting is now in session!”
The crowd quieted and looked towards him. Even Twister and the chicks fell silent. As disagreeable as he was, Krill commanded attention, and that was why he was the leader. This was the extent of his virtues though; he was cranky, stubborn, and unproductive. Ever since the start of the food shortage, he’d called weekly meetings to discuss the issue and nothing useful ever resulted.
“Drifty, status report,” Krill demanded.
“Still no fish on the south side of the island, sir,” Drifty replied. “And Gally informed me that the other sides are no better.”
“You’re not looking hard enough,” Krill growled. “Fish don’t just vanish. They must be somewhere.”
Twister shot Sunny a look that said, This is your chance. Speak up! She took a deep breath and hollered across the bay.
“I know where they are.”
Every eye was suddenly upon her. The penguins peppered her with questions. “You’ve seen them? How many? When? Where are they? What kind?”
“They’re out there.” Sunny pointed at the horizon with her flipper. “In deeper water. They’re silver and blue and yellow, and they’re big enough to feed us for a week.”
Krill scoffed. “You don’t honestly expect us to believe that, do you Sunny?”
“Pardon me, sir,” Twister interjected. “I can vouch for Sunny’s story. I was the one who led her to the fish.”
Krill narrowed his eyes down at Twister. “And what might you be?”
“My name is Twister. Penguins, I know I have no place among your council, but I offer my assistance. I can teach you how to catch these fish so you can survive another year.”
“Hmph,” Krill said skeptically. “More likely you would lure us all away from land where we are safe, then attack us.”
Twister was solemn. “You’ll just have to trust me on that account. But if I really intended to do your colony harm, wouldn’t I have already done so?” He glanced at the crowd of kids surrounding him.
The crowd began to murmur. Krill stomped his feet. “You speak for Sunny, stranger. But who will speak for you? I say we cannot trust you. Neither can we trust her. I have more important things to do than—"
“Excuse me, master Krill!” a shrill old voice croaked. “I have something to say!”
The other penguins tried to muffle their groans. Krill nearly rolled his eyes at the speaker. “Get on with it, Bobbie.”
Bobbie was the oldest penguin in the colony. His feathers were scruffy, his beak was crooked, and he was notorious for telling long, boring stories, and forgetting things immediately. Nevertheless, Sunny liked him. Besides Patch, Bobbie was the sweetest penguin she knew, and he would always listen to her. The old bird straightened himself up as best he could.
“I believe I know this fellow from somewhere,” he croaked slowly. “I remember a time many years ago, when I was a youngling, scarcely out of the egg. I was like every other penguin chick ever born anywhere, determined to swim well before I was old enough. Therefore, one day when my parents weren’t looking, I stole to the water’s edge. It was much further down than I thought, and I was just beginning to think the better of it when I made a bad step. Down I fell into the surf. The waves were wild, pushing and pulling and dragging me under. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t swim in the powerful waters. I was certain that I would drown, but I was rescued by a noble creature like this Twister fellow.”
Whoa, Sunny thought. I’ve never heard that story before. She glanced at Twister, who was staring at Bobbie with wide eyes.
“I know a good heart when I see it. I say we can trust him.” This was not one of his usual half-asleep stories. Bobbie’s passion stunned the crowd.
Only Krill remained unmoved. “There will be no fishing outside the usual hunting grounds. Why should we believe the old codger’s tall tales, anyway? This meeting is adjourned!”
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Sunny had never felt more disappointed in her life. She sat in her family’s home, a crevice in the rock, watching her brother sleep. The little cave overlooked a patch of sea, and the ocean sounds echoed off the walls. It wasn’t loud enough to silence her thoughts, though.
Stop it, her head told her. Don’t be disappointed. You expected this. You knew Krill would never go through with it.
It didn’t help.
Twister floated outside a few feet below her. He looked more hopeful than disappointed. “They might change their minds,” he said.
“Right,” Sunny scoffed. “And I might turn into a mangrove finch. Krill is too set in ways to do anything different. He’ll send Drifty and Gally to the same places over and over and over, even though everyone knows the fish aren’t there.”
“That’s not really why you’re upset, is it?”
Sunny paused, because Twister had again guessed her thoughts. She was upset with Krill, but she was more upset that no one had believed her. That no one cared if her brother starved.
“Sunny?” She turned to see her parents, Paco and Mist, ducking into the shade of the crevice.
“Sunny, we need to talk,” Paco said.
Oh, brother, Sunny thought. Here we go again. She gave Twister a defeated look before waddling over to receive her lecture. Her parents would be mad at her for sure.
“We don’t normally do this,” Mist said, “but these are desperate times, and our usual methods haven’t worked.”
“We believe you about the fish, Sunny,” Paco said. “We didn’t want to admit it in front of Krill. But we trust you, and… we want to try your idea.”
Sunny’s beak dropped. “Dad? You’re serious?”
“Yes. I’m not too excited about it, but I’m serious. We have to do something about Patch.”
“Besides, we believe Bobbie,” Mist rejoined. “Krill should never have spoken so disrespectfully about him.”
“This is great! But…” All of Sunny’s excitement was suddenly gone. “Twister said we’d need at least ten penguins to make this work.”
“Did he? Then it’s a good thing we brought company.” Paco waved his flipper, and a line of penguins marched into the space. Sunny watched in utter amazement. In total, she counted twelve penguins, including Gally and Drifty.
“I can’t believe this,” she whispered. “This many penguins liked my idea?”
“We don’t like it,” said Stella, a penguin who was known for her brutal honesty, “but it’s better than starving.”
“I’m tired of being disappointed every time I visit the usual spots,” Drifty said. “I’ll run a few risks to have a bite of meat again!”
“Me too,” said Gally.
Sunny shook her head, still not daring to believe it. After all this time, there were penguins here who would actually support her? “Krill is going to think I’ve started a rebellion,” was all she could say.
“He might change his mind after he’s had some food,” Paco said.
“Then let’s get going.” Sunny clapped her flippers. “Meet me at Turtle Point. We’ll go from there.”
One by one, the penguins exited her home until only she remained. She was just about to head out herself when an insistent voice stopped her.
“Sunny! I want to come too!”
Sunny realized that Patch had woken up soon enough to hear her plan. “Sorry, little brother. You can’t come.”
Patch pouted. “Why not?”
“It could get dangerous.”
“But you’re going.”
“I’m older. I have more experience.”
“You’re not that much older than me! Besides, I always beat you in swimming races!”
Sunny’s pride smarted at that reminder. “Now, stop that. You stay put, or I’ll get Mom to sit on you. And I don’t always lose to you.”
Patch made a face at Sunny’s back as his sister marched out to Twister. The hippocampus greeted her with an excited grin.
“It’s on,” Sunny told him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
---------------------------------
Sunny, Twister, and fourteen penguins swam out towards the horizon, keeping in a tight group. They stayed near the surface so the penguins could breathe, and Twister kept them at a slower pace to conserve their energy.
“Once the fish-catching begins, you’ll need every ounce of strength you’ve got,” he explained.
Sunny prepared herself. She had one of the toughest jobs of them all. She would grab the tuna’s tail fin and hold on until the fish was too tired to swim with her attached. The others would either keep the fish near the surface or hold on to the long yellow fins to make swimming harder for their prey.
I really hope this idea works, she thought. Otherwise, everyone here is going to look very silly.
“Heads up,” Twister said softly. “They’re coming.”
Soon, a small school of tuna surrounded them. The penguins’ excitement tingled the water. Using tiny, natural-looking adjustments, Twister navigated them closer to a fish that was small enough for them to handle. Twister gave the signal by waving his webbed feet, and half of the group dove to get below their target.
“Ready,” Twister said.
That was Sunny’s cue. Quick as a dart, she zipped out of formation and seized the tuna’s tail in her beak. Instantly the fish sped up, its tail shaking her violently. Sunny felt herself being dragged further down from the surface, only to race upward again. With Twister’s help, the penguins beneath her had successfully kept the tuna from diving to safety.
Six penguins came to help Sunny. They latched on to the long yellow fins that were the tuna’s namesake. Encumbered by the weight of so many penguins, the tuna slowed. This was the opportunity the other penguins were waiting for. They attacked the fish until it stopped swimming.
“Yum, I’m starving!” said one of the penguins.
“Wait!” Twister protested. “You can’t eat it out here!”
But he was too late. Multiple penguins had already taken a bite.
“Stop!” Sunny yelled at them. To her amazement, they listened to her.
“We have to take it back to the island,” Twister said. He swam under the fish and lifted it, supporting the weight with his back. “If you eat it out here, the sharks will smell it, and all your hard work will be for nothing.”
“Sharks?” The penguins muttered nervously.
“Come on!” Sunny hissed. “Move! Let’s go!”
They managed to bring the fish to the surface, but dragging it all the way back to the island seemed impossible. Everyone was already tired and out of breath. Paco and Mist called out encouragements to their tribe mates, which gave the penguins an extra dose of strength.
I never thought I’d say this, but my parents have surprised me a lot today, Sunny mused. Maybe I should have talked to them more often.
“Aah-hee! Aah-hee! Warning! Warning!” Gally shouted.
“Watch out!” Twister yelled at the same time. He dropped from beneath the fish and charged at the huge creature approaching them from below.
“Shark!” someone shouted.
“Swim for it!”
“No!” Sunny cried as four penguins zoomed away.
“Hold fast!” Paco yelled. “Keep at it, friends! PULL!”
Sunny glanced over where Twister and the shark were fighting and gasped. The shark was bigger than the hippocampus! Enormous jaws snapped at Twister, and a huge tail lashed dangerously. Twister dodged the blows, but never returned them. He was trying to distract the shark without hurting it. The shark became frustrated with its opponent and feinted left. As Twister shot out of the way, the shark suddenly whirled around and smashed its tail into the hippocampus. Twister was launched backwards and went limp, and the shark prepared to strike.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Sunny dove at the shark and pecked at its gills. Instantly it turned on her. Sunny rocketed towards the surface, hoping she wouldn’t die of terror. The shark was big enough to swallow her whole.
Out of the water she jumped, but not far enough. The shark’s nose tipped her backwards, and she landed with a splat on its rough back. With nowhere to go that those teeth couldn’t go faster, Sunny was sure that it was the end for her.
“LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE!”
It was Patch. He charged the shark with an angry yell and pecked at its eyes. The shark jerked, toppling Sunny off its back.
“Patch, look out!” Sunny tackled her brother just as the shark’s jaws slammed shut above them. The penguins were swept away in the powerful current made by the shark’s huge body. Then a streak of blue and tan flashed into view. A recovered Twister curled himself into a ball, flipped, and punched the shark’s nose with his tail. The shark turned away and left, brushing the two birds aside.
Sunny remained frozen, her mind reeling with fear. This made twice now that she had nearly been gobbled up. Suddenly she saw the value of the wariness that she used to find disgusting in her colony. Perhaps a dose of caution would be good for her.
“Phew, looks like that did it,” Twister said. “Ooh, I’m going to be sore tomorrow.”
“Let’s not hang out around here,” Sunny said quickly.
“Are you scared, big sis?” Patch inquired.
“No,” Sunny said hotly. “That shark just… made me a little more thoughtful is all.”
Twister snickered, and Sunny glared at him. “Well, come on you two. We’d better get back to the others and make sure no more sharks come their way.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
---------------------------------
For the first time in forever, Sunny was stuffed. After the shark had left, the hunting party had dragged their catch into a tide pool where it was safe from big predators. Everyone was invited to partake, soon the whole colony was fed. And Patch, his little tummy full at last, was taking a real nap. For that reason, Sunny was not concerned when Krill and his council approached her.
“Sunny,” Krill said, “the council and I have reached a unanimous decision. On grounds of inciting rebellion, endangering the public, and breaking long-standing rules, you are hereby banished from the island.”
Sunny could scarcely believe her ears. “You can’t be serious.”
“You heard me,” Krill growled. “From this point forward, you are no longer welcome here.”
“Now just a minute, Krill,” Mist said, coming to stand by her daughter. “Have you already forgotten what Sunny has done for our colony? Her plan will help feed us for many more seasons. Lives were saved because of her, and banishment is your idea of thanks?”
“More lives than that will be lost if more penguins partake in such reckless behavior,” Krill answered coldly.
Paco now joined in. “There was no recklessness about. We went in with a plan, and we executed it.”
The argument went back and forth between Krill and Sunny’s parents, until Krill angrily threatened to banish them as well. Sunny was tempted to get mad, but today had taught her the importance of thinking things through. Her newfound caution turned her thoughts to her brother. Who would raise Patch if Paco and Mist were banished?
“Mom, Dad, it’s okay.” Sunny stepped into the argument. “I’m thankful for everything you’ve done, but I think I should go.”
“Smart,” Krill huffed.
“Sunny, you have as much right to be here as anyone,” Mist protested.
“It’s not just that, Mom. I… I think I’d like to get out on my own for a while. See new places. Besides, you and Dad have Patch to think of.”
A spell of silence followed until her father spoke.
“Well, if that’s really what you want… you are old enough to make your own decisions.” Paco’s voice broke. “Good luck, kiddo.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
---------------------------------
Sunny found Twister near the place she’d met him. She had said goodbye to her parents and to Patch, who had cried as they saw her off. She hated to admit it, but she was a little sad too. She was leaving everything behind for adventure. Was that a fair trade at all?
“Hey, Sunny,” Twister whinnied, his mood unaffected by his sore side. “What brings you out here?”
“I was wondering what you’d planned on doing next,” she said.
“Me? I’m just passing through. The Caribbean is my final destination, but it’s a long way away from here. What makes you ask?”
Sunny told him about Krill’s decision. “Would you… that is, do you mind if I come with you?”
“I have no objection to you coming along, but are you sure that this is the right thing for you? We can figure a way to deal with Krill. The colony could use a penguin as brave and resourceful as you.”
Sunny smiled, thinking of how Patch had saved her from the shark. “They already have one, and several more besides,” she said. “Plus, I’ve always been itching to explore. My home has never been— er, isn’t the right— what’s the word I’m looking for?”
“Not the right climate for curious birds?” Twister offered.
“Something like that.”
“If it’s adventure you want, you’ve come to the right guy.” Twister slapped the water with his tail. “I’ve gotta warn you, though, it won’t be easy. There’s a lot of ocean between us and the Caribbean, with no place to rest. And when we do get there, the climate won’t be quite what you’re used to.”
“We’ll figure something out. Besides, maybe your place will have more fish that don’t require deep-sea expeditions.” Sunny slapped his good shoulder playfully. “Come on, let’s make some wake!”
“Hey, that’s my line!” Twister laughed as he splashed after her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
---------------------------------
“I don’t get it,” Tristan said as Twister carried him back to Key West. “Sunny always says she moved here for ‘climate reasons.’ Her story had nothing to do with the weather.”
Twister tossed his head. “If you were her, I hardly think you’d introduce yourself with, ‘Hi, I’m Sunny, and I’m here because I was banished from my home.’ That would cast her in a negative light.”
“Fair enough, but why say ‘climate reasons’? Why not ‘personal reasons,’ or something?”
“We all go through phases in life where we need some change,” Twister replied. “Maybe it’s a change in scenery, a change of pace, or a change in thinking. Sunny has moved out of the phase of staying home and into a phase with more excitement. The culture - or climate, if you will - of her colony wasn’t right for her at the time.”
“That makes sense.” Tristan fell silent, watching the waves. “Did you ever find anything out from Bobbie about the hippocampus that saved him?”
Twister shook his head. “I tried, but no luck. When I talked to him, it’s like he’d already forgotten. At least it let me know that there are others like me out there. Somewhere.”
Another pause followed, but Tristan had one last question. “Think Sunny will ever go back?”
“She’s talked about it,” Twister said. “And I can tell you that it’s likely she will one day. But until then, I’m happy to have her around.”
“Me too, Twister,” Tristan grinned. “Me too.” |
Horse Gentler & West Australian | | 2024-06-20 20:53:21 | | Lame or not?
Almost two years ago, I got my horse Max. He had belonged to a family member who passed away, and ended up with another family member who wasn't giving him the level of care he needed. They couldn't handle his needs and didn't know what he needed. He ended up in my care after I came to visit and commented that he was a beautiful white Quarab with a lovely temperament, to which the answer was, 'You want him?" I had never had the option of having a horse before, and since he didn't need to move, I said yes. I moved him in with my family's three horses and began exercising him.
About three weeks later I noticed something was very wrong. Max didn't want to move or pick up any of his hooves. He stayed in the same spot unless he needed to move, and he moved painfully slowly. Eventually, I figured out that it was a terrible case of lamenitis and he was lame on all four feet.
Lamenitis is so common and easy to miss that every one should know what it is and how to treat it. Lamenitis, also called founder, happens when a horse has too much sugar and not enough exercise. For example, Max had been fed a feed for seniors, high in fat and sugars, plus an all-you-can-eat hay buffet, and no exercise. Max was only about 11, and he didn’t need the same things as his senior friends. It ended up hurting him even though it wasn’t intentional, and went straight to his hooves. Inside a horse’s hooves are tiny threads called laminae, which hold the outside of the hoof (the hoof wall) to the inside of the hoof. Inside of the hoof is the coffin bone, the foot bone. The coffin bone is surrounded by tissue, holding it above the sole, and to the hoof wall by the laminae. Founder loosens the laminae, and the coffin bone sinks and rotates until it eventually goes through the sole. The loosened laminae appear as a stretched white line around the inside of the hoof wall, visible after trimming.
Max’s case was extremely serious, the worst case my farrier had ever seen, but instead of putting him down, I put him on a very low sugar diet. My farrier said that she thought it was worth a shot, but she wasn’t hopeful that he would make it. Foundering for five years had messed up his hooves badly, so much that had I not taken him when he was offered, she was sure he would have gone down one day and not gotten up.
After a few months of soaking his hay to remove sugars and high fat, almost no sugar feed and a field with no grass, the farrier came back. Max was recovering! His hooves were regrowing sole and wall rapidly, to her amazement. He was much less tender, and a few months after that, it is like I have a new horse! He will never be one hundred percent normal, but I am happy with where we are at.
One more farrier check, and we will be riding, and he is raring to go. The whole process, from getting him to now took one year and eight months, or from all four lame, seven months. It takes a while to help a foundered horse, but it gets underestimated how much you can fix with a diet change. My farrier says the feed change made the difference between life and death for Max, she has never seen anything like it. Sometimes big problems can be solved with small solutions and time.
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ILoveLydia & Molly | | 2024-06-27 21:50:17 | |
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