Stormy Skies

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Antonia followed, the soft sand shifting under her feet. Her calf muscles protested at the unfamiliar sensation of running uphill on moving sand. Spiky green marram grass grew everywhere and it whipped against Antonia’s trousers as if urging her on. Panting with exertion, she arrived at the top of the dunes and stood there for a moment, her eyes scanning the vast expanse of sand ahead.

“Wow!” exclaimed Cai.

“It’s huge,” Antonia agreed. The sand spread before them like an enormous yellow canvas, the sea a splash of blue on the horizon.

“Hurry,” urged Hannah, pulling off her shoes and socks.

Antonia and Cai did the same, leaving their shoes hidden in a clump of marram grass. Antonia’s bare toes found it hard to grip on to the powdery dunes and she kept sliding backwards. At the bottom the sand was much firmer. Antonia pounded across the beach with Cai, catching up with Hannah and running alongside her as she raced towards the flat sea. The water was icy cold. Gritting her teeth, Antonia braced herself and dived in.

Silver Dolphin, we need you.

I’m on my way.

The shock of the freezing water made Antonia gasp out loud, but seconds later her legs melded together like a dolphin’s tail and she stopped noticing the cold. She was a Silver Dolphin! Antonia whistled for joy as her body arched in and out of the steely-grey sea.

“Over there,” panted Hannah after they’d been swimming for ages.

Antonia had felt the dolphins’ vibrations long before she spotted their four silver heads anxiously bobbing in the water. Hannah swam towards the largest, a proud-looking common dolphin whose wise eyes were lined with stripes that ran to his mouth.

“Welcome, Silver Dolphins. Thank you for answering my call,” clicked Vision. After quickly greeting everyone by rubbing noses, he clicked, “Follow me.”

Chapter Three (#ulink_e8f583f4-5396-559b-98f9-0c988d41a491)

Vision led the Silver Dolphins to a large rock rising from the sea like a jagged mountain. An animal was floundering around on top and, as the Silver Dolphins came closer, Antonia saw it was a grey seal. She swam faster, reaching the rock ahead of Cai and Hannah.

It was a struggle to clamber out of the water and up the rock’s barnacle-encrusted side. Antonia’s foot slipped on a strand of wet seaweed and she started to fall backwards. Cai saved her by putting his hand on her back and pushing her up again. Gratefully Antonia regained her balance on the rock and held out her hand to help Cai then Hannah up too. There wasn’t much room and the seal eyed them warily, her whiskery nose quivering with alarm.

“Steady,” crooned Antonia, holding out her hands palms upwards to show the seal she meant no harm.

The seal didn’t move, but her grey-tan sides heaved fearfully as she breathed in and out.

“You’re a big girl.” Antonia spoke in a low, calm voice as she took a step closer. The seal had an enormous belly and Antonia guessed she was carrying a pup.

“Oh!” Antonia’s breath caught in her throat as she spotted a long scratch on the seal’s flipper. The seal had been lucky. Something sharp had done that and it could have caused a much nastier injury.

“Here,” said Hannah, pulling a small plastic pack of tissues from her pocket.

“Thanks.” Antonia took them and cleaned the dirt from around the scratch. The seal flinched, but Cai and Hannah reassured her with calm words.

“There,” said Antonia, putting the tissues in her pocket.

The seal seemed in no hurry to leave the rock. She nudged each of the Silver Dolphins, her whiskery nose tickling them and making them giggle.

“Another job done,” said Hannah with a grin.

“Not quite. We don’t know what injured the seal. It had to be something caused by humans or pollution or we wouldn’t have been called to help.” Antonia peered into the sea as if the answer might be obvious.

“You’re right,” said Cai. “We’d better have a look around.”

One at a time they lowered themselves from the rock and into the sea. Antonia was last, holding back to say goodbye to her new friend. When she finally splashed into the water, Vision had been joined by the three dolphins Antonia had seen earlier. Hannah swam among the dolphins as she introduced them.

“This is Dancer, Vision’s wife.” Hannah pointed to a pretty dolphin with a rich gold blaze and dreamy eyes. Dancer bobbed forward and greeted the Silver Dolphins by patting their heads with her flipper.

“This is Lulu, Vision and Dream’s daughter,” Hannah continued.

Clicking a laugh, Lulu rolled in the water, flashing her silver belly at them. Then, righting herself, she squeaked, “And this is Rolly, my best friend.”

“And that’s Lulu’s friend Rolly,” said Hannah, laughing.

“Hi, Silver Dolphins,” clicked Rolly, smacking the water with his fin.

“Can we play with the Silver Dolphins?” asked Lulu.

“We haven’t finished yet,” said Antonia. “We have to find out what scratched the seal’s flipper before another animal gets hurt.”

“We’ll help. We’re good at looking for things, aren’t we, Rolly?” clicked Lulu immediately. Rolly nodded enthusiastically.

“Calm down, Lulu,” clicked Vision. “You can help the Silver Dolphins, but please be careful. If you find something that shouldn’t be in the sea, don’t touch it. Call the Silver Dolphins to deal with it.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Lulu splashed her delight. “Come on, Silver Dolphins – let’s go!”

Antonia, Cai and Hannah dived down to the seabed where they spread out and began searching for the object that had injured the seal. The water was murky and for a long while no one spoke as they concentrated on the task. Cai found a length of fishing twine which he coiled up and put in his pocket. Hannah rescued a small crab from inside a discarded crisp packet and Antonia found a wad of newspaper that disintegrated as she picked it up.

“None of this injured the seal.” Feeling frustrated, Antonia stuffed the bits of newspaper inside the crisp packet then shoved it into her pocket.

“We’ve been looking for ages and there’s nothing here. Can we play now?” asked Lulu.

Antonia had one last look around. “OK, let’s play Sprat.”

“Bubbly!” clicked Lulu. “I’ll be it. I’ll give you a three waves’ head start.”

“I’m gone!” With a flick of his tail, Rolly swam away quickly, followed by Cai and Hannah. Antonia hesitated. If only she could find what had injured the seal, she would feel much happier. But she wanted to play Sprat with Lulu and Rolly too and they had searched the seabed for ages.

“Coming to get you,” clicked Lulu.

Promising herself she’d have another look around before she went home, Antonia ducked behind a rock, then changing direction, swam away. Lulu wasn’t that easily fooled. She hared after Antonia, tagging her with a flipper.

“Sprat, you’re it,” she whistled then darted away before Antonia could tag her back.

Antonia cruised in the water. She couldn’t see anyone, but she could sense vibrations to her left. Quietly she swam towards the movement, startling Rolly, who was hiding in a bed of seaweed.

“Tag,” clicked Antonia, stretching out her hand, but Rolly was too quick for her and swam away before she could touch him. Antonia gave chase, churning up the sea as she went after him.

The gap was closing when Rolly turned a somersault and veered off to the right. It was a neat move and it was a few seconds before Antonia realised what had happened. By the time she’d changed direction again, Rolly had disappeared. The water was even cloudier here and Antonia slowed as she navigated her way along the seabed. Something large loomed before her. Cautiously Antonia swam towards it until she was close enough to see a large metal shape.

“Truce!” she clicked excitedly. “I’ve found what injured the seal.”

Chapter Four (#ulink_790b3628-cd8a-52a9-8080-579605b30df2)

Immediately Cai and Lulu swam up from behind a rock. Hannah appeared from the other direction. “

What is it?” asked Lulu curiously.

“It’s a metal sign,” said Hannah. “People stand these outside shops to show what’s inside. This one’s advertising coffee. No wonder the seal was hurt. It looks like she got her flipper caught in the bit that swings.”

“How did it get here?” Antonia wondered aloud.

“Someone probably threw it into the sea for a joke. The big question is – how are we going to get it out?” asked Cai, running a hand through his dark curly hair.

“With great care,” said Antonia, gingerly holding the sign’s metal middle so that it couldn’t swing shut and trap her fingers. “Keep back, Lulu and Rolly.”

Lulu had been edging closer, but moved away as the Silver Dolphins closed in and prepared to move the sign.

“Ready?” asked Cai. “Lift.”

Grunting with effort, Antonia, Cai and Hannah swam, lifting the sign up to the surface. It was heavy and awkward to hold. They swam slowly to avoid injuring themselves. Once they surfaced, they laid the sign flat then trod water to get their breath back.

“Phew! It’s heavy,” Antonia panted.

Hannah was scanning the coastline with her piercing grey eyes. At last she said, “We’re near the café we went to last night. If you look up, you can see where the trees have been cut down. And to the right is the beach with the seal colony. I think this sign came from that café. There used to be one exactly the same outside it.”

“You’re right,” said Cai excitedly. “I can see the back of the café from here.”

“I wonder…Do you think the sign might have fallen off the cliff? Only the ground wasn’t very safe up there,” suggested Antonia.

“It might have,” said Hannah. “I don’t suppose we’ll ever know. The important thing is not to leave it here to hurt anyone else.”

“Does that mean you have to go home now? That’s the shortest game of Sprat ever,” grumbled Lulu.

“We’ll have a longer game next time,” Hannah promised her.

It was a slow swim back to the beach. Antonia’s fingers ached from keeping them clamped round the sign’s metal middle. Once she let go and nearly trapped her fingers. Lulu and Rolly swam alongside, clicking encouragement. When the beach came in sight, they said goodbye, but without the usual rubbing of noses.

“We won’t come any closer,” said Lulu warily. “See you soon, Silver Dolphins. Dad’s going to be very pleased when we tell him you’ve made the sea safe for us again.”

“Bye, Lulu, bye, Rolly,” everyone clicked back.

They trod water, watching the two dolphins swim away, their bodies a silver blur as they raced back to their pod.

“Better get this ashore,” said Antonia when the dolphins were tiny specks on the horizon.

As the water grew shallower, the sign became heavier and more cumbersome to move. They paddled through the surf and up the sand, water pouring from their clothes until they were totally dry with only their hair feeling slightly damp.

“We left our shoes over there,” said Antonia, changing direction.

Panting with effort, Antonia, Cai and Hannah carried the coffee sign up the beach and stood it upright in the sand.

“What do we do with it now?” asked Cai. “We can’t leave it here.”

“I know,” said Hannah. She smiled mischievously. “Let’s take it to Kathleen – her place isn’t so far from here. It’ll be our first gift from the sea to Ocean Watch.”

Antonia and Cai chuckled. “That’s a great idea,” they agreed.

Hurriedly they pulled on their socks and shoes then, turning the sign on its side to carry it, they set out to Kathleen’s. The day was getting lighter and a few early risers were out walking their dogs on the beach. A friendly Labrador ran up and sniffed at the sign until his owner called him away. She stared suspiciously at Antonia, Cai and Hannah, as if they were up to no good.