Sun, Surf, Sand and Dolphins

Writers: Draconafin, Shawna
Date Posted: 3rd October 2026

Characters: Az'uka, Zariah, Jenasie, Zerias
Description: Az'uka takes Zariah and her son to the beach for a Dolphin play date
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 7, day 21 of Turn 13
Notes: Mentioned: Raleri (NPC)
Indirectly follows 'To Will Away a Blizzard'.

Zariah

/Between/ behind them Az’uka was already grateful for the warmer weather as he was taking his gloves off. Sure enough it had been sunny at Dragonsfall too; but the difference in temperature was always noticeable. Maybe it was just the mentality that came with being on the beach. Although Nilzuth had set them down closer to the Hall to avoid kicking up sand with his landing. They could all walk down together after all. It seemed the rider and his dragon had worked out their arrival perfectly. As the Hall seemed to spring to life between classes and duties; people spilling out towards them and the beach behind. Hanging the last of his protective gear from his straps Az’uka didn’t have the chance to turn around before a voice caught his attention.

“I wouldn’t leave them there; if Nilzuth doesn’t get them wet wading out into the water then the dolphins will.” Jenasie’s bright green eyes flashed with something that was both mischief and a promise. She placed both hands on her hips and mockingly scowled at her brother. Angry chittering rising from somewhere under her hair. “You don’t write, you don’t visit;” chuckling; her hands drifted away, twisting her hair into a bun. The movement showing her readiness to get wet; as well as revealing the scowling dark brown firelizard on her shoulder. “You’re lucky I don’t let Chino bite you. He can keep a watch on your gear, which you are far better leaving up here.”

Relsath had landed delicately a bit away from the hall, eyeing the chaos a little warily. Dragons weren't nearly so rare at the Dolphin Hall as at the Holds she visited, however, and she relaxed after a moment when no one came to scurry underfoot. Zerias didn't even wait for Zariah to unbuckle him before he was sliding down the green's side and peeling off his boots and winter clothing.

"Do not go too far out. And if you see any of the dolphins, you treat them with the respect you'd treat a dragon, you hear me?"

"I heard you the first three times!" The boy chirped, dumping his things at the green's feet. "Race you to the water, Relsath?"

"You will walk!" There was a hint of nerves in Zariah's tone as she quickly bundled hers and her son's things into a waiting bag and finished slipping Relsath's straps off to leave them in a pile above the waterline. Joining Az'uka and Jenasie, she smiled, "I hope we won't cause too much chaos. I'm Zariah, that's Relsath, and Zerias," she noted to the pair heading for the water. The green was walking, but only because she had to be cautious of the way Zerias tended to get underfoot.

The mood between brother and sister hardly simmered. They both knew where the other was coming from and thus the gentle teasing only meant that all was well. Az'uka stuck his tongue out briefly at the dolphineer before doing as she bid, leaving his gear above the water line -- or dolphin splash zone. He had visited before, so the advice was not unknown; some things just took a moment to beat down what was second nature. Nilzuth rumbled at his rider as the man worked, and let Jenasie give his nose a scratch before making his way down the beach after Relsath and Zerias.

"Jenasie," the dolphineer offered a hand by way of introduction. But knowing her brother he would have already filled the greenrider in. She might have teased Az'uka of not writing, but he had let her know of the trip in advance. A tactic which still failed to keep him out of trouble. Before she could add anything to her comments the brown firelizard on her shoulder chirped. Chino's so called bad mood had been just as false as his owner's, not that the flit understood why. He just mimicked emotions.

~~Egg~~ was the somewhat confused image that Chino flashed, tilting his head after the child that had headed down to the water. "Not quite," Jenasie chuckled out loud, "Zerias would be more like a firelizard than an egg." At that explanation the brown chirped louder; and with a trill took off to see where the dragons were wading out into the water. Shaking her head at the flit Jenasie turned back to the greenrider. "Honestly I am pretty sure the chaos around here is already spoken for. Dolphins are so much like big kids it’s impossible," she waved both riders in front of her so they could make their way down to the water too. "Your gear will be fine, Chino might come back and sleep in it when the dolphins turn up. But basically everyone around here keeps an eye on things for each other."

Zariah chuckle, "More like a firelizard, huh? Don't let him hear that. He might get aspirations that he can fly." She was used to hearing half of conversations and could follow that the dolphineer was probably talking to her pet. "Well, Chino is welcome to nap on whatever he wants. We don't have that many firelizards at Dragons fall, but Relsath doesn't mind them."

Nervously watching her son wade into the water, she asked, "Is there anything I need to tell him to watch out for? He'll be respectful of the dolphins," he'd be in a world of trouble if he wasn't, "but I don't think he's been around them before."

It was Jenasie's turn to chuckle when she heard the answer from the rider "Look I am sure he has energy enough to get off the ground." There was a pause, before the dolphineer continued in earnest. "But, I meant more like Zerias was small like a firelizard rather than like an egg. Chino tries to understand where things fit in his world and it doesn't always work." She gave a knowing and grateful nod at the comment the brown was welcome to sleep wherever. "Some dragons do. I am so used to seeing them around; it's almost impossible to imagine them not being there."

Nilzuth was idly eavesdropping on the conversation between the two women via his rider when Az'uka gave him a gentle nudge. A sort of half reminder of something forgotten; to keep an eye on the people with them today. The blue waded into the surf and turned himself sideways so some of the bigger wave crests broke around him and away from the small child with them.

"Dolphins are remarkably hardy, and will keep away from situations they don't want to be in, given the choice" Jenasie voiced against the other woman's fears. "As for the beach and waves, the dolphins didn't report anything worth worrying about today. They are always aware of rip-tides or current changes, and will often give a tide report in the morning."

Chino was happily following along with little trills and chirps when he paused at a higher altitude and hovered. A knowing chirp escaped him as he winked /between/ to his owner. Just as the dolphineer was standing ankle deep in the waves ~~Dolphins!~~ Jenasie followed his gaze, without needing too. The brown was remarkably quick a spotting the pod when the Bell wasn't used. Smiling she crouched down behind Zerias, placing and open hand at his hip in case he lost his balance. Then pointing over his shoulder with her other hand she indicated where several dorsal fins were breaking water alongside the waves. It was his day after all; she would let him announce the sighting as his. "I honestly don't know where they could be"

Zariah relaxed at the reassurance, trusting Jenasie's familiarity with the ocean and the dolphins. Relsath still hovered close to the boy with the easy tolerance of familiarity, the green surely wouldn't let the boy be washed out to sea, and she had no problem standing against the waves.

Zerias, eager to see the dolphins and focused on the water, jumped when the dolphineer touched him, but quickly raised his eyes to follow her pointing. It took him an extra few seconds, eyes still getting used to the glint of sunlight on the water, but then he gasped, looking first at Jenasie with a questioning, "Dolphins?" Then, louder, "Mom, look, dolphins!" He pointed then, too, as if Zariah needed the reinforcement.

The greenrider laughed, "I see." Helpfully, Relsath was also sharing the image with her sharper eyesight.

"Raleri is going to be so jealous," he said smugly.

"How about you worry about yourself and not sibling rivalry?" Zariah shouted back. Turning to roll her eyes at Az'uka, she said quieter, "Children can be so competitive."

"Can we go closer?" He asked eagerly.

Jenasie had nearly chuckled to herself when Zerias had jumped. It seemed to happen all the time, despite her best efforts and never directly sneaking up on someone she always seemed to catch people off guard. Harmless enough and the water had taken most of the jolt today. Her half thought chuckle turned into a beaming grin when the question the boy had tried to propose to her turned into full blown excitement. That’s what working with kids was all about in her opinion; seeing their smiles and sharing their laughter.

Az’uka found himself chuckling at Zariah’s words, both to him and her son. Sibling rivalry was perfectly natural in his opinion. He had seen plenty of it, especially among Weyrbrats, although it had never really seemed to be an issue with him and Jen. _Although_ she did give him a hard time at times. It was well earned as Nilzuth would remind him, the bluerider gave as hard as he got; and protected his sister with everything he had. “I’m sure if jealousy is a problem we can always bring Raleri another time” he remarked to his friend, “I’m sure the dolphins for one wouldn’t mind the fuss.”

“Of Course!” Jenasie told Zerias when he asked if they could get closer. She was already grinning ear to ear with him. “Let’s seeee…” She looked out over the pod and caught a familiar un-scarred, uniform hide. On knowing it she nudged Zerias forwards ever so softly and gave a soft whistle, before calling the dolphin over by name “Zarias”

Without trying, the dolphineer’s whistle seemed to echo through the pod members who had come over to meet them. Not because it was strong enough to do so. But because the dolphins were copying it back and forth with various clicks, chirps and trills of their own. Beaks opened in ever gleeful smiles as they did so. Dolphin chatter being overcome with shared words in a matter of moments. “Jen Play!” Zarias had lead the cheer. Although the word play was echoed over and over, with several others taking to splashing around the gathered humans and dragons. “Dragons Play too!!”

“I told you. You would get wet” Jenasie called back to Zariah and Az’uka. Nearly doubling over with laughter as Zarias looped around and spat a stream of water in the bluerider’s face. Chino had been smart enough to excuse himself from such antics, making her brother fair game.

Zerias's head whipped up to look at Jenasie in confusion when she called the dolphin, "Zarias". "Wait, what's his name?"

Relsath shifted uncomfortably when the dolphins came closer, though from the way she tucked her tail against her body, it seemed more worry about bumping into the sleek shapes than any actual unease at their presence.

Zariah laughed, unable to keep herself from grinning at the dolphins. To Az'uka, she said, "I never realized how loud dolphins could be in a group like that. I've mostly only seen them from the air."

Jenasie nearly chuckled when she saw the confusion on Zerias' face; trust her brother to call that one. It was that similarity which Az'uka had stated would likely make the boy and the dolphin friends. "Her name is Zarias," explained the dolphineer, "She is my partner, just like your mum has Relsath." On saying that she looked up and caught the green tucking her tail away. Having known Nilzuth his whole life she didn't shy away from addressing the dragon directly. While she didn't expect the green to answer her she knew that the dragon would understand what she said. "Relsath, don't worry. Dolphins can find everything in the water. It's a little like dragons always knowing where each other are on the other side of /between/. Your tail is not going to get in the way. If anything they will start trying to jump over it."

Az'uka used one hand to push his now dripping wet hair out of his face, or at least out of his eyes. Several wayward clumps remained plastered to his temples. He found himself smiling regardless, as he nodded in agreement. "It took me by surprise the first time too." He paused. Watching a few of the dolphins start playing tag back and forth in the shallows; their conversation drifting from the louder words back to more clicks and whistles between themselves. "Jen said part of it was because they didn't want to leave us out of the conversation." Honestly he wasn't sure, but it sounded right enough. At least more so that just calling them kids.

Zarias circled back around to Jenaise and the small boy she was chatting with. Her head quizzically tilted so she was almost swimming on her side. "Jen; Friend?" The dolphin asked of the boy.

"Yes, Zarias. This is Zerias" Jenasie explained, carefully separating the Zah and the Zeh. The shift in tones caused the dolphin to stop and tilt her head back the other way. Before eventually swimming up to the boy face to face and squealing in agreement. "Good Name!" it was punctuated with a nod so strong it sent a small wave across the surf. Echoed ever so slightly by a slapping sound as her beak hit the water again. Then, in a moment of what one might have speculated was the dolphin version of wisdom; Zarias spoke again "Make Good Partner!!"

Zerias's grin looked like it was going to split his face in half. "That's so neat. Hi, Zarias, nice to meet you." Not batting an eye at the 'good partner', he said, "I'm going to be a dragonrider, though. Like my dad." A pause and he added sheepishly, "and like my mum. That's her," he pointed over his shoulder in Zariah's direction but didn't actually turn to look at her.

Closer to the shore, Zariah raised an eyebrow at Az'uka's dripping hair, saying dryly, "How very polite of the dolphins. They're so fast, too, Relsath is having trouble keeping track of them all."

The green, in fact, had relaxed slightly, no longer holding herself so tight, and her head was whipping back and forth, trying to keep all of the dolphins in sight of her curious gaze.

Still standing with both Zarias and Zerias, Jenasie felt her own smile grow at the boy's as the realisation sunk into him. There was no way the sibling the greenrider had mentioned earlier would be able to beat that one; her mind added with a chuckle. "My brother too," the dolphineer added to the list of the dragonriders in Zerias' life.

"Got Az wet!" confirmed the dolphin before tilting her head again to listen. Head bobbing along gently, nodding along to what Zerias was saying. While no one exactly knew the true depths of dolphins; Jen was sure that her partner had chosen her words deliberately. A partner could be dragon or dolphin. Thus Zarias had stated strong belief in whichever path claimed her new friend. "Good Partners" was the dolphinic agreement.

There was no escaping the dryness of Zariah's tone. But it caused his brow to twitch in bemusement, she wasn't wrong. He managed a one handed shrug as way of apology, as he honestly didn't know. What he did know -- what Jen had told him; was quite simply that dolphins didn't have to speak in words. The whistles and clicks that were dominating the swell of sound around them was their own language. Much like how dragons could talk to people outside of their rider he guessed. "I dare say that Nilzuth and Relsath could only keep up if they were to fly." He paused, catching the fact that that the dolphins were basically circling the small group of visitors; "Although it doesn't look like they would have to"

Nilzuth was half submerged in the water, occasionally wiggling as some of the smaller dolphins took turns diving under him. Their dorsal fins rubbing along his belly or chest as they so. Once or twice he stuck his head into the water after them trying to tell them apart.

"Here," Jenasie spoke, signalling the dolphin closer so she could address Zeries, "You know how dragons love a good scratch? Dolphins are similar. They _love_ a good belly rub" To prove her point she gave Zarais a scratch just behind her pectoral fin. Causing the dolphin to roll over onto her side; exposing her belly to the two humans. Starting the rub Jen nodded in the direction of her hands. "Right here"

Zerias didn't have to be asked twice, though his scratches started out tentative. When the dolphin didn't object, he started scratching more enthusiastically, "Oh, she feels weird though, not like a dragon." He didn't pull away, though, it clearly didn't bother him.

"It was nice of you to arrange this," Zariah said to Az'uka, "it's nice to get him out of the Weyr with winter, and this is less exhausting than skiing."

"I still want to go skiing," Zerias called back without looking, his ears clearly sharper than his mother had guessed, "Just not today."

Following Nilzuth's lead, Relsath finally relaxed, though she laid down in the water, still not liking the dolphin's under her. The green did stick her head under the surface to watch the dolphins with fascinated delight.

"She's going to complain about being itchy from the salt later," Zariah said in weary amusement.

"There is kind of a grip to their skin," Jenasie half agreed, half explained to Zerias; remembering her first time touching one. While the sleek skin parted and shed water easily there was something about it human hands didn't slip on. Whereas in her experience dragon hide let a stroking hand pass over more smoothly.

Az'uka flicked something of a dismissive hand wave when the greenrider had mentioned it was nice of him to arrange the day out. Almost as if brushing the compliment off. He was always willing to do what he could for his friends, and besides it got him a day on the beach too. "Think nothing of it;" was his remark to Zariah, "Although it sounds like you are going to have your hands full anyway." There was a faint chuckle at the end. Kids never missed anything in his experience.

Nilzuth had his head back under the water again when a dolphin swam right up and poked his nose with its beak. Snorting in surprise and half jerking back the blue caused a blast bubbles to emerge from his nostrils. Not that the dolphin cared. It squealed, bounced its head up and down before ducking under the waves to blast bubbles out of its blow hole. Almost to prove that it could do that too.

"I'm sure Zerias will be just as willing to help you bathe the salt water off Relsath" Az'uka answered Zariah's weariness, "Or there are plenty of candidates and Weyrbrats around." He knew he had gathered them up for the task of dragon washing on occasion.

Picking up the conversation the two riders were having Jenasie continued with Zerias. "We have to check them for parasites called bloodfish; the same way dragonriders have to look for dry flaky skin." She glanced sideways at the boy; and half nodded at the exposed dolphin belly. "Did you want to try while you are here?"

The boy nodded so hard he looked like he was doing a dolphin impression, and then followed the dolphineer's instructions with that single-minded focus children only sometimes managed, all the better to take this lesson home to impress his friends with it.

Zariah let the lesson go on for longer than she generally preferred to stay in the water before finally sighing, "I should wrangle him back. I promised not to keep him out too late and we all need to dry off before we head back. This was great, though, I appreciate your time, Jenasie! We brought some snacks from home if you want to join us- I made the cookies yesterday."

"All good Zariah," Jenasie told the other woman, "I think a cookie should be the going rate for a dolphin lesson." She attempted to say it seriously, but her smile give her away. She didn’t have to be asked twice, a fresh cookie was _always_ welcome.

Last updated on the October 27th 2026

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Sun, Surf, Sand and Dolphins