by EJ Altbacker
All Barkley could do was hover there in front of everyone and take it.
Lochlan spoke with Whalem quietly as Gray hovered with Grinder and Silversun in a private area by Speakers Rock in the Riptide homewaters. The two shiver leaders had agreed to make their decision on whether Hammer and Vortex Shivers would join with Riptide or not. In the distance Striiker was putting their mariners through a series of drills. Even from here, Gray could see it wasn’t going well.
“More bad news, I’d say,” muttered Grinder, gesturing with a fin toward Whalem.
“It might not be,” Gray said, concentrating more on Silversun, who seemed by far the more reasonable fin of the two. “Let’s wait and see.”
“This thing is going sideways already,” Grinder huffed.
Gray felt hot irritation rise in his throat and ground his teeth together to keep from saying anything. The more he got to know the Hammer Shiver leader, the more he wanted to tell him to stick his snout where the sun didn’t shine.
Lochlan swam over after Whalem departed. “I’m not going to put a sunny glow on the news. Part of this meeting is so you know everything that we do.” The AuzyAuzy king paused and then told the group, “We’ve lost another entire patrol. Finnivus is picking them off, as we feared.”
“Just great,” growled Grinder. “The brat might even know we’re here with you!”
“I doubt it worsens the danger we’re in already,” said Silversun. “Have you taken any precautions so it won’t happen again?”
“Gray’s going to find the best sharks for the job and get them trained into a special squad,” the golden great white told them.
Gray nodded when Grinder and Silversun looked his way. Thankfully, even though this was the first he was hearing about this, he managed to say, “I just have to decide on the best fin for the job. It’ll be soon, though.”
“Better be. But improved scouts are the least of your worries,” said Grinder. “I’ve seen your mariners. If it’s not their first day of training, it’s close.”
Gray wanted to shout but Lochlan only nodded in agreement. “You’re right about that, Grinder. That’s why we’d like Hammer Shiver to join with us. Riptide United could certainly use the example of your fine mariners to be the best they can be.”
“I know that,” Grinder told Lochlan. “But our territory is far away, just like Vortex Shiver’s. The holding force Indi left knows we’re there and doesn’t dare do anything because we’d rip them apart.” Grinder clacked his serrated triangle teeth together for emphasis. “So why should we go to war with you?”
Silversun watched Lochlan intently for his answer. Gray sensed that the small port jackson shark was extremely intelligent and would be useful in the coming fight. Grinder, though, Gray could do without. But Lochlan said they needed every mariner they could get. The golden great white turned, his wounds making it difficult, and faced the muscular hammerhead leader. A faint trickle of blood oozed from the deep gash in his flank. The doctor and surgeonfish had sutured the wound three times now, and still, it bled. “So why haven’t you driven them off?”
Grinder shook his fins in irritation. “Just waiting for the right time.”
“If Finnivus destroys us, he’ll point his snout at you next,” said Lochlan. “Maybe not that day, or even the next month. But he will come.”
“And we’ll fight!”
“I know. But in the end, you’ll lose. Just like we’ll lose without you.” Lochlan looked at both Grinder and Silversun. “Separately, each of us will lose everything. This evil cannot be hidden from, it cannot be bargained with, and we cannot swim far enough away. Finnivus is coming to destroy everything we hold dear. But together—together we have a chance. It’s not a sure thing, but it’s the best chance we have, mate.”
Gray felt like cheering, but he was also chilled to his core. In just a few words, Lochlan had made the specter of Finnivus feel as if it were hovering next to them. The golden great white was a true king, and Gray would follow him into the Dark Blue if he asked.
But the stubborn hammerhead wasn’t so easily convinced. “And who’s going to lead us? You, slopping blood into the water every time you take a tail stroke? I can taste you from here. It doesn’t inspire confidence.”
Gray exploded. “Okay, chowderhead! How about I shut that cod hole of yours?!”
The hammerhead was more than ready for a fight, but Lochlan pushed between them. “Stop! Both of you, stop!”
Gray stared balefully at the hammerhead who gnashed his teeth in fury.
“What we’re not here to do is fight each other,” Lochlan continued urgently.
Grinder eyed Gray a little longer and then grumbled, “Fine.”
Lochlan gestured pointedly with a fin at Gray. “And don’t you have something to say?”
Gray dropped his tail, ashamed. “Grinder, I’m sorry. You’re a shiver leader and deserve respect. I got angry.”
Grinder nodded sharply. “Done.” The hammerhead turned to Lochlan. “I know you’re a king and a great leader. And my father’s father told me he thought AuzyAuzy Shiver was the paragon of all shivers, even as he fought against you. That was a stupid war, and I see this isn’t. But the question still stands. You’re in no shape to lead your forces into battle against the Indi armada. AuzyAuzy won’t follow me because of our past, I know that. So, who will they follow? Because a fighting force needs someone out front and strong. They need someone to believe in.”
Gray’s eyes drifted toward Silversun. The brown and white shark chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, no. I can’t swim an attack sprint with a raging current at my tail. Besides, as you might have guessed, we port jacksons aren’t the fiercest fighters in the Big Blue.”
“Yeah, Finnivus would laugh himself to death if you swam diamondhead,” muttered Grinder to himself, but everyone heard. The diamondhead was the lead position in the center of a massed formation. The fin who gave the orders. Grinder didn’t say it as an insult. He said it more in the realization their situation was dire. The hammerhead said it like they were facing the danger together. Gray was amazed. Lochlan had done it. Grinder was now on their side.
The hammerhead then realized just how insulting the comment was and turned apologetically to Silversun. “Oh, that didn’t come out very—I—I—wow. There’s no way to make that better, is there? Umm, whoops. Again, sorry.”
To see the always puffed up and irritated hammerhead twitch his fins in total embarrassment made everyone burst out in gales of laughter. They howled so loudly that it took a moment for them to get control of themselves.
“Your question is a good one,” Lochlan said when he was able to speak again. “It just so happens the leader of the AuzyAuzy mariners is right here.”
It was a second before Gray noticed everyone was looking at him. “Me?”
“Him?” echoed Grinder.
“He has the look of a commander,” remarked Silversun.
Lochlan kept going so Grinder couldn’t get a word in edgewise. “Gray was the one who led the key attack that won the Battle of Riptide. He swam the diamondhead for us and swam it well.”
Grinder nodded. “I heard. But he was there for one charge. Then you took over.”
“After the Indi armada was smashed and scattered,” Lochlan pressed. “Look, I know I’m injured. But with our dolph signaling system, I can still lead. If you don’t think so, Gray can take over. He knows our system, and my Line respects him, as does everyone in Riptide.”
“But you think you’ll be there?” Grinder asked hopefully.
“Our scouts say Indi’s main forces are two weeks away, so I will be ready,” the golden great white answered. “But if you don’t think I’m able, Gray will do it.”
Grinder thought, then nodded. “I’ll send for the rest of my mariners.”
After the hammerhead swam off, Silversun bobbed his head in respect. “Well played, Lochlan. I’m with you also.” As he left, the Vortex leader added with a grin, “But you already knew that.”
<
br /> When both sharks were out of earshot, Lochlan swirled his tail through the water victoriously. “Got ’em! Got ’em both!”
“That was great!” Gray said. “I can’t believe you said all that stuff about me leading!” Gray imitated Lochlan’s earnest speech. “‘If you don’t think I’m able, Gray will do it.’ What a load of chowder!”
“Oh, that wasn’t chowder, mate,” Lochlan said. “Grinder’s right. There’s no way I can swim diamondhead. Let’s start teaching you how to direct a massed formation! Exciting, huh?” The great white slapped Gray’s flank as he passed.
“Wait, hold up,” Gray pleaded, stunned. “You’re not serious! Loch? Loch!”
IT TURNED OUT THAT LOCHLAN WAS VERY serious. Gray spent most of the next three days practicing with the core of the AuzyAuzy force, half their mariners taking the place of Riptide United (which would now include Hammer and Vortex Shivers) with another group pretending to be the opposing Indi armada sharks. They trained east of the old Riptide and Razor Shiver territories. The rocky area wasn’t good for hunting, so hardly anyone went there, which was ideal for their purposes. Lochlan didn’t want anyone to see Gray practicing so hard and he certainly didn’t want Grinder and Silversun having any second thoughts about joining Riptide United.
And wow, did they train.
The pace was fevered. Everyone knew that Finnivus and his mariners were swimming ever closer, tail stroke by tail stroke. The Black Wave was coming, and they had to be ready.
“Tripletail Turns Down, execute!” yelled Gray. Olph, the lead dolphin swimming in close order above his dorsal fin, click-razzed the commands. Their formation lurched downward as if it were a single fish.
Gray had met “Olph the battle dolph” after the Battle of Riptide. His family had been battle dolphs with AuzyAuzy Shiver for centuries. To work with Olph, Gray had to take a crash course in the dolphin language, which was maddeningly hard to follow. But their clicks, whistles, and razzes would cut through the noise of a battle, when yelling wouldn’t.
Gray was surprised to learn that dolphins had several dialects. Click-razz was the quickest (which is why it was an excellent signaling system), whistle-click-razz was what dolphs normally spoke with each other, and whistle-click was the slower, more elegant version of their language used for formal occasions. Gray didn’t care about this newfound knowledge at the moment. He was blundering right and left, and one of the reasons for this was that Olph the battle dolph was swimming so close to his topside that it seemed like he was glued to Gray’s dorsal fin. But Lochlan wasn’t making allowances for distractions.
“Don’t yell ‘execute’ unless you have to!” the AuzyAuzy leader shouted from the side. “It slows you down! You were swimming level and could have used a fin signal.”
“What if Olph misses it?”
The dolphin made a grating series of razzing noises. Gray didn’t understand a word, but he could sense it wasn’t a compliment.
Lochlan shook his head in an exaggerated way. “Olph never misses! Now, continue, my young Nulo—”
“Do not even start with that!” Gray shot back.
“The enemy has reformed and outnumbers you two to one,” the golden great white said in a strong voice. “They close with Grouper Dances Through the Greenie before attacking with a Tang Twist! Now!”
The opposing formation did the maneuvers and rushed at Gray’s forces.
“Umm, uh, Snapper Skims the Seabed!” Their own formation went even lower. “Manta Ray Rising!” Olph clicked out a signal immediately. The rest of the mariners followed Gray as if they were part of his own body. Sometimes, when they got it right and the hundreds of sharks around him whooshed a turn totally in sync, leading from the diamondhead was absolutely thrilling. Unfortunately, those bits of wonder were few and far between.
“Spinner Strikes!” Gray called out.
When used in single combat, the Spinner Strikes was an attack from below aimed at a shark’s soft underbelly. If successful, it was almost always fatal. Gray remembered too late that it wasn’t very good for massed fighting, though. The opposing force fell on them with the ferocity of a flashnboomer, crushing their formation using Orca Bears Down.
“Oh, come on, mate!” yelled Lochlan, irritation showing. “You can’t make that mistake!” Lochlan flexed his fins and winced. His injured side was oozing blood again and clearly bothering him. “Sorry. Let’s take a break.”
“I understand why you’re disappointed,” Gray told him when they were off to the side. “I wouldn’t want me leading your friends, either.”
“You’ll get the hang of it,” Lochlan said with a weak grin. “And I’ll be there just in case. No worries.”
“You know, I have an idea!” Gray said, getting the golden great white’s attention before he swam away. “Dolphins give you a big advantage, don’t they?”
“Well sure, that’s why we use them, especially Olph. He’s magic, you’ll see.”
“But my point is, what about other dwellers? How about whales?”
Lochlan shook his snout from side to side. “Whales are defenseless in a fight. Too slow, and they don’t like to scrumble in general. Big enough to be pacifists, though, and that’s why they aren’t lunch. Most of the time.”
“All whales are like that?” Gray asked, surprised. “What about those Arktik ones, the orcas?”
“They’re actually cousins of Olph and his kin, not whales. But there are very few of them, and they live far away—”
Gray interrupted, “We could swim there and convince them! We’ll get some maredsoo from Takiza to speed us along, and be back in no time.” Maredsoo was a mysterious glowing greenie that grew in the Dark Blue, deep in the ocean. Eating a little gave you huge amounts of energy for long swims or even fighting. It was demon hard to get, though.
Lochlan shook his snout again. “Gray, the orcas swore to never take a side after the Battle of Silander’s End. That’s a long story and I’m tired. Just know that they will not join us. Especially in the time we have, which needs to be spent training you. Finnivus is on his way, so you need to accept the fact you’re the one who will be leading our forces!” Lochlan yelled the last part, getting the attention of both Mari and Jaunt.
Mari shook her head at Lochlan as Gray’s tail drooped. The great white was embarrassed. “You know what? We’ve done enough for today, and I’m getting cranky and tired. You’ll get the hang of it. Mari, Jaunt, talk with him.”
Lochlan swam off, probably toward his personal doctor fish to be patched up once more. The mariners training with Gray drifted off. Oh, the AuzyAuzy fins said nice things, but he could see it in their eyes that they were unsure. Truth be told, he was unsure.
“Howareya doin’, ya big beauty?” asked Jaunt in her odd, lilting accent. The way the little tiger spoke always made Gray smile. She was infectious. “Quit hanging your head like a squiddily-kelpie. You’ll be fine.”
Gray shook his head. “I’m no squiddily-kelpie, Jaunt,” he said, trying to lighten his mood. “You’re a squiddily-kelpie!” When they first met, Jaunt had used the word squiddily-kelpie, and he hadn’t had the slightest idea what it meant. Now, it was a joke between them. But she still wouldn’t tell him what it was.
Mari smiled and cut her long thresher tail through the water. “You two come from the same reef in the boonie-greenie? I can barely understand either of you!”
Jaunt gave Mari a snout bump on the flank as they both laughed. “Oh, Mari, you wish you could speak extra special like Gray and me! Instead you chibber-chabber like every other biter in the wet-wet.”
Gray chuckled, even though he didn’t feel like it. He could tell this little show was to lift his spirits. But it wasn’t working. “Jaunt, you’re Loch’s fifth. Why can’t you take over and lead the mariners?”
“Because Loch wants you to do it, and I think that’s right,” she told him. “Besides, AuzyAuzy is a royal shiver. The Golden Rush have rules on who can take over.”
“That’s dumb!” he answ
ered, slashing his tail through the water.
“Gray, you already did it once,” Mari said. “I know you think you got lucky, but the fact is, you did it.”
“There was no time to think then!” Gray’s tail drooped. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Yes, you can,” Mari disagreed. “But not with that attitude.”
“You have the knowing,” Jaunt told Gray. “You’re a little nervous today. But those belly crabs go away right quick with a little experience, and that’s why Loch’s training you up.”
Gray sighed, exasperated. “Yes, Jaunt, my belly crabs will disappear after the Indi armada gets here! Oh, and I was so worried. But at least my belly crabs won’t bother me as Finnivus’s mariners are taking fins and tails from everyone I know!”
“Ya don’t have to be such a drongo about it!” she yelled back.
Gray was past his limit. “WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!” he shouted in her face before swimming away.
He knew he had hurt Jaunt’s feelings, but right now, he didn’t care. This was crazy! He wasn’t cut out to be a leader of a real shiver, much less a battle shiver! Sure, he led Rogue Shiver, but they were all friends. And there were only six of them, total. But to be in charge of the safety of a thousand sharks, all their pups, the rest of the shiver sharkkind, and the dwellers that lived in Riptide’s territory—that was too much!
“We need someone else!” Gray shouted into the water to no one. Could Takiza lead the armada? Would he even be there for the fight? Who could tell with the mysterious betta? But they needed someone else.
“Or something else,” Gray muttered to himself in a much quieter voice. He kept saying it out loud. “Something else, something else, some-thing else …”
That’s it!
He knew what to do. Takiza probably wouldn’t like it, but Gray was desperate. And what the little betta didn’t know wouldn’t make him mad.
Most likely, anyway.
