Naeemah | Pre-search
A month into her exile, Naeemah was wondering why this was considered punishment. It was a little lonely as far as human companionship went, but Naeemah's Island - called "Neema's Isleend" by the local pod - had become the center of dolphin attention. Kejo and his pod were there almost constantly and other wild and trained dolphins dropped in daily. A dolphineer couldn't ask for a better life.
One morning, Naeemah was awakened by the sound of the report sequence being rung. "I should never have taught them that sequence," Naeemah muttered to herself as she dressed and stumbled out of her shelter, which had become a fairly luxurious little home with the help of the dolphins. It was now built a little ways off the ground and had three large rooms. Naeemah had woven mats for carpeting and thicker mats for a bed. She had a makeshift kitchen in one room and ate well for an exiled murderer.
Kejo was ringing the bell frantically when Naeemah reached the dock she had constructed so that the dolphins could ring the bell without the danger of being beached. There was another dolphin who looked vaguely familiar beside him. "Neema! Neema!" Kejo called when he saw her. "Ne-aw dolpheen he-ar to see youee!"
"Good to see you, Nae," Naeemah knew the voice instantly and ran to meet Thess. The big light gray dolphin was smiling wider than ever. "I see you're still alive."
"How in Faranth's name did you find me, Thess?" Naeemah asked after she regained her voice. "We're months away from the Hall!"
"For humans it's months, for dolphins, just under a seven-day," Thess replied with a grin. "But you haven't been lonely, I see."
"Thees caumee to fiand youee, Neema!" Kejo added happily. "We shoued heem Neema's Isleend!"
"Thank you, Kejo," Naeemah replied, scratching him behind his eye where only Kejo liked to be scratched.
Kejo trilled happily. "Tiome to huunt! Briang youee somtin baeck!" With a splash, the dolphin dove under and turned around, coming out of the water a dragonlength away and doing a jump to show off before diving back in and speeding away.
"So why are you here, fatty? I'm just another boring human without Kiy," Naeemah asked Thess once Kejo was gone, trying to hide the sadness that came with memories the memories of Kiy that Thess triggered.
"Vano still thinks your worth something, and he wanted me to find you and bring you back," Thess replied, though his voice was sad at the mention of his dead mate.
"Bring me back?" Naeemah gave a short laugh. "How does he expect me to get back? Swim there?"
"Well sort of. I've been talking to the local pods and they'd be willing to help get you back. Sort of a relay thing. You swim with one pod for a while, rest, and then swim with another one. Each pod will take you through wherever they know best so not pod has to swim the whole way," Thess explained in a matter-of-fact way as if it were the easiest and most normal thing in the world to swim away from exile. "I'm going to go back and get gear for you from Vano and then come back for you."
"But I can't show up back at the hall! I'll be sent right back here and then all the planning will be for nothing," Naeemah sighed, quickly estinguishing the tiny flicker of hope that she might see other humans again.
Thess gave a disdainful snort. "Of course we're not taking you back there! We're going to take you to a seahold and pass you off as a ship wreck victim. Don't worry, it's far enough away from the Hall so you won't be recognized, even if they've heard of you. Vano and I will join you there and get word to you parents and family of your wherabouts."
"I'm still not sure Thess, things could go wrong..." Naeemah said, still reluctant to allow her hopes to get to high.
"And I could die any second of any day, but I don't let that stop me from doing anything," Thess scoffed. "I'll go back and get the gear you'll need and I'll see you again in two or three sevendays."
Before Naeemah could protest, Thess had doven under and was streaming away. "Don't worry!" he yelled back when he came up for air once before diving back and dissapearing, leaving Naeemah alone on the dock, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
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