There Are Plenty Of Fish In the Sea

New Discoveries

     The sea crashed and tumbled against the Albatross. It heaved the ship back and forth. For once Gillion didn't long to be swimming beneath it's waves. For once he was glad to be hidden away inside his barrel, safe and tucked away. He was sure if he stepped outside he would be swallowed up by the sea and dragged to the cold depths below. The sea would get it's revenge against Gillion for how he deserted Chip. Chip had been vulnerable and confessed his feelings for Gillion, but the triton simply ran away. It was cowardly of him to flee, but he didn't know what else to do. 

     Gillion had been taught by the Elders that love was a weakness. Allowing oneself to love was allowing distractions to interfere with ones training. If Gillion invited friends and lovers into his life then they would interfere with his destiny. Evil would eventually come and strike those he loved down. So it was better for the people, and Gillion, if he made no attachments. 

     "To be a Champion one cannot belong to a lover, one must belong to his people and his goddess.  To be a Champion one cannot just fight for one's friends, one must fight for one's nation.  To be a Champion means to have nothing holding one back  from fulfilling one's prophecy." That's what the Elders always told Gillion. They reminded him every day what is meant to be a Champion. What he had to sacrifice for the greater good. 

    When Chip professed his love for Gillion, it scared him. He didn't know what it meant to love or be loved in the way Chip loved him. Gillion had only just begun to understand friendship, and what it meant to be a friend. Gillion wasn't sure if he was ready for the next step. He had been reading his grandfather's book about Human courtship, but a lot of it still confused Gillion. He didn't understand many of the feelings that were attributed to love.

     Gillion's head was filled with thoughts and questions. They raced around his skull like dancing sea lemurs. Normally he would share his thoughts with Pretzel, but she was still mad at the way Gillion treated Chip. She swam stiffly on the other edge of the barrel, making sure to face away from the triton. No amount of treats would get her to face Gillion's way. It hurt him to see his most trusted companion ignore him.

    Gillion tossed and turned, unable to relax. The moon shined through the porthole window, occasionally being lost as waves lapped over the window. He began to count how long the light would stay before being washed over by the next wave. His eyes danced around the room, lingering on Chip's hammock. Gillion's heart panged with guilt, so he quickly shifted his eyes to Jay's hammock instead. 

     An idea came to his mind as he looked at Jay. Maybe she could help him understand romance. If anyone on this crew could teach Gillion about romance it would be Jay. She was obviously the most versed in the subject out of everyone in the crew. And she had always been willing to give Gillion a lesson on human customs before. If he was going to get help from Jay though, he better get it fast before she talks to Chip. Then she may not even want to talk to him anymore.

     Gillion quietly pulled himself out of his water barrel, letting water drip of his arms and onto the floor. This startled Pretzel, making her gurgle at Gillion questioningly as she pulled herself up to the rim of the barrel to see what he was doing. Gillion gently walked over to Jay's hammock, hesitant to wake her. Would the situation look less urgent if he was sitting down? Should he stand up to make the situation seem urgent so she was more likely to wake up? After needless turmoil, he decided to sit  beside Jay's hammock.

     "Jay...Jay I require your assistant," Gillion whisper while gently rocking Jay's hammock. She stirred for a second but went back to sleep. Gillion shook her hammock harder, hoping this time her would wake up.

     "There's a barrel of water next to the mast, if Chip keeps setting fires, he can keep putting them out." Jay grabbed tighter at her sheets, not ready to lose sleep's gentle embrace.