Kitriana splashes into the water, having dived from the bridge. A few moments later she surfaces in the middle of the lane, grinning at her friends. "Hey! G'day.."

Marika dives into the water as best she can, hardly even landing on her stomach this time. She's been practicing, see? Surfacing, she shakes her head to get the water out of her ears, smiling to the people here. "Hello," she says, as she treads water, looking from one to the other.

Kitriana doggy paddles over to shallower waters. "I'm fine, thanks. How're you all feeling this fine day?" she inquires of the group at large. "Feel up to a lesson?"

Sarin bobs toward the back of the lane. Sure, she'd be up for a lesson, but then she's already had all the ones either she or Kitriana could teach. So she'll just watch.

Sireta smiles and gives a little bit of a shrug as she to swims to shallow water "Sure I don't think I'l get to meet any phins today." "Yeah, a class would be good," Rika says, nodding her head, as she moves her arms and legs in the water, grinning to Kitriana.

Kitriana grins, settling back against the side of the pool. "Well, how's talking about the charter sound to you?" she asks, wanting to make sure that the class is one that will benefit the majority. Sarin is given a wink, seeing as the mentor has taught this one most of her classes..;o)

Sireta smiles and gives a little nod "Oh that sounds fine to me."

"The charter?" Marika repeats, following Kitriana to the edge of the pool, hanging onto the side. More relaxing that way, and she didn't have to concentrate on treading water.

Kitriana nods, looking a bit surprised. "You've never heard of it? Well then...what do /you/ think it is?" she's going to see how much she needs to explain first. ;o)

Marika shrugs. She’s from a rather small cothold located in the middle of a forest, where hardly any people came. And the harpers who had taught the children there had done nothing but the Teaching Ballads. "I'm not sure...." Which means she has no idea at all.

Sireta smiles and has done something with her extra time "Isn't that the agreement we have with the dolphins."

Kitriana grins, nodding her encouragement. "Aye, that's it exactly. It's the oldest agreement between Pernese and dolphin...the contract that binds land and sea.." my, she does get a tad poetic sometimes. "So. What do you think is in it?"

Sireta smiles and tryies to think of it "Isn't it something like the dolphins have to help save people lost at sea and we have to heal them when they get hurt."

Marika shakes her head apologetically, as she really had no idea. Letting other speak, she just settles for listening and learning. That's what she was here for, wasn't it?

Kitriana nods and ponders a second, then takes a leaf from Sarin's book. "Dolphins would protect humans on or in the water to their best abilities, in whatever weather and unsafe conditions, even to the giving up of dolphin life to save the frailer humans: they would appraise humans of bad weather conditions, show them where the schools of preferred fish were running, and warn them of sea hazards. Humans would remove any bloodfish that might attach themselves to the dolphins' bodies, to float any stranded dolphin, to heal the sick and treat the wounded, to talk to them and to be partners if the dolphin was willing." She recites. "Now, lets start with the first bit. Dolphins would protect humans on or in the water to their best abilities. What do you guys think that that means? "

Sarin beams with mentorly pride. It's her textbook style definition! It's being passed down to the next generation of teachers! Yay!

Sireta shrugs "that they have to help us whenever they can??"

"That they'd do anything possible," Marika offers, looking from Kitriana to Sarin and back again. "Helping anybody in need..." Remember, this is a girl who's never been to the ocean before moving away from home, and knew nothing of fishmen or anything of the like.

Kitriana grins and tosses a surreptitious wink at her mentor. See? she /did/ pay attention! "Well, yes, that they do. They have to do all that they possibly can to prevent catastrophes and save any humans on or in the water." She nods once and looks around. "Any questions?"

Sireta shakes her head "Not yet."

Marika nods in agreement with Sireta. "No, not yet."

Kitriana nods. "Okay, if you have any questions feel free to ask them at any time.." which relieves her of remembering to ask. Which is good considering her memory skills for things of that sort. "Okay, the next line is :'in whatever weather and unsafe conditions'. " she pauses a moment to let the line sink in, then bombards the poor appies with a string of questions. "What do you think this means? What do you think would constitute unsafe conditions? Or by weather?" she herself was always mystified by that portion.

Sireta thinks for a second "A squall or a a sinking ship?"

Marika frowns at the mentioning of unsafe conditions. She really had no idea what that could be. Unless, "reefs?" she asks, looking again from one to the other, having learnt at least a bit about the ocean in her time here.

Kitriana nods. "Aye, squalls would fall under the category of weather..and reefs and sinking ships are both unsafe conditions. Basically, this section means that the dolphin must protect us under /all/ conditions..all the time. Note it doesn't say what weather. So, it should be taken as under all weather conditions. Even if there isn't a cloud in the sky and the wind is next to nothing, the phins are still on duty." she looks a little incensed by this but..well, she's teaching. So she'll stay quiet. "Okay, on to the next bit. 'even to the giving up of dolphin life to save the frailer humans'. What do you guys think of that?" she asks. Pretty straight forward, but..

Sireta says, "that they have to give there lives to save us."

Sarin can't help making a wee bit of a face at this part, and it has nothing to do with humans being called frail. However, she keeps her mouth shut and just watches. A glance at Kitriana gives Sarin the impression that the other lass shares her views on this...

Marika swallows a lump at that. She wasn't sure she really liked that at all. "Well.. I think it's an unfair bargain," she mumbles, not sure that she should be so forthright. But she didn't think it was right that the dolphin should give up their own life for a human, when it was unlikely that a human would do the same for a dolphin.

Sireta nods a little at what Markia as if she agrees.

Kitriana's eyes flash a bit, as she nods agreement. But still, she tries to stay neutral, seeing as she's teaching and all. "Well, there are /some/ in the craft who agree wholeheartedly with you on that Marika. It could be seen as unfair. It /could/ be taken as that humans are more important that 'phins, so the 'phins should give up their lives to save their superiors. Others, though, think it may be out of gratitude for some long-forgotter favour.." she shrugs, having no clue about that. " That little bit of hall politics out of the way, she moves on. "they would appraise humans of bad weather conditions, show them where the schools of preferred fish were running, and warn them of sea hazards. that's the next segment. So, what do you think it means by that?"

Still thinking of the part of the charter about 'phins giving up their lives for humans, Marika starts when Kitriana asks her next question, not having her what it was all about. Blinking, she turns to Sireta, allowing her to answer.

Sireta litens carefully still tense from the thought of someone being required to give there life to save someone elses "That they are supposed to help us not get into harms way in the first place and show us where we can get food I suppose?" Outfit, "swim", added.

Kitriana nods. "AYe, that's about it. They are to warn us in all possible manners and, if we're still the fools, save our hides. They're also supposed to help us feed our own.." which smacks of extreme laziness on the human side but..the phins /are/ better suited to doing these sort of things. "Humans /do/ have some responsibilities, though. Ours is the second part of the contract, starting with: "Humans would remove any bloodfish that might attach themselves to the dolphins' bodies". Now, what are bloodfish? Why must they be removed? Why do you suppose this is an important aspect of the phin's lives/" she queries.

Sireta scowls at the word bloodfish "I know what those are I got one in Igen when I was little. They suck on any cut you get. I think you would just want them off they're hidious."

Jayden swims in from the north.

Now, at this point Rika is completely lost. Sure, she'd heard that word before. Bloodfish. But why 'phins had to have them removed, or even why they attached themselves to 'phins, she didn't know. Forrest girl, remember? So she just shakes her head, lifting her shoulders in a shrug.

Sarin momentarily turns her eyes away from the lesson and to the new arrival. Not that bloodfish aren't fascinating to one who's handled more than she cares to count, but there's just something about the allure of strangers. Lass swims silently over in that direction and offers a friendly wave. "Hello there. I'm Sarin," no rank, he might be tempted to call her by it, "Can I help you?"

Kitriana smiles and waves a greeting at the newly-arrived man but..doggedly continues with her lesson. Contract. Right. "Well, bloodfish are parasites. They attach themselves, as Sireta said, to any cut on any living animal in the water. The phins find this mighty uncomfortable, and often can't remove them themselves, especially when they attach themselves to certain uhm...sensitive areas. The phins love it when you perform this simple duty for them, so...onto the next part!" she really is hurring through this, eh? "to float any stranded dolphin, to heal the sick and treat the wounded, to talk to them and to be partners if the dolphin was willing". That's the last of it. Now, what do you suppose it means?"

Sireta shurgs "I don't know what it means to float a dolphin. But it sounds like the rest is more just being kind than anything else."

Marika winces at the description of bloodfish and what they will do to you, glancing involuntarily into the water, and is grateful when the subject changes. "Float... I've heard that before. It's when a dolphins come on land, right? He or she needs help to get back in the water?"

Jayden self-consciously swims in, his eyes darting around. At the group of people, he grimaces...looks like he's walked in on a class. Great... He returns the silent greetings of the others and looks to Sarin. "Um, hello..." He clears his throat. "I was, um, trying to get an interview for the DolphinCraft and I'm not sure where to go..." He mentally scolds himself...nice intro, especially the "ums".

Sarin grins broadly, now focused entirely on the prospect. So what if she didn't catch this one, he's still a prospect, and she's the one that does nearly all the interviewing... "Excellant! I could shoo you off to the office and into the capable hands of the managment," was that a slight cough before the 'capable' ? Naah... "But I'm qualified to do interviews myself, so I'll just take care of you right here. For starters, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?"

Marika gives the newcomer a nod and a smile, waiting for an answer from Kitriana, hoping that she was right in her assumption of 'floating' a dolphin.

Kitriana grins. "Aye, that's it. They sometimes accidently beach themselves on the..beach. " Smart gurl. "And we ahve to send them back out into the water, often by digging ditches and the like to get them deep enough to float out to sea." she nods. "What are you general impressions of the contract?" she asks.

Jayden nods, clearing his throat again. "Well, my name is Jayden. I'm originally from a small Sea Hold near Big Bay...but I never lived there much. Since my parents were SeaCrafters, I spent most of my live on a ship, so I'm practically more comfortable in water than on land..."

It's a good thing Sarin's currently occupied, or she'd have an earful to say on her impressions of the contract...

Sireta frowns "Well if that is all we have to do it seems very much like a bad deal for the dolphins. They get to sacrifice there lives so we'll dig a few holes??"

Sarin nods, smiling slightly to herself. "Seacraft, really, that's nice. May I then venture to guess that you know how to swim and handle yourself around the water pretty well already?"

"Most of it sounds good," Marika says, giving the newcomer another look, and a smile. Now there's a name to him. Jayden. Turning back to Kitriana, she continues, "but I still think it's unfair that they'll," she almost says, kill themselves, but manages to catch herself at the last moment, "that they'll give up their life for what little we give in return." Pretty much a repetition of Sireta's words, but it was also Rika's opinion of that part of the contract.

Jayden nods heavily. "Oh yes, I learned to swim at a very young age, so I'm quite good at it." He clears his throat for the third time - nervous habit, anyone?

Sarin nods absently. She's trying to remember all the official questions she's supposed to ask in the midst of trying to remember the reason she was one given for the unfairness of the contract.... but, as the second temporarily fails, the first takes precedence. "Good, good. Now, why do you want to join the dolphincraft?"

Kitriana nods again. "Aye. Many would call it...subservient, on the phin's part. I, personally, find it abhorrent, the way it puts us first." she lets her viewpoint colour her lessson at bit at this point. "I also find it extremely unfair, although there are those who say that that's the way it is supposed to be. But, no matter. Some of us rather like 'serving' the phins, helping them out in any way possible, from playing and scritching to joining them while exploring, and this is the main reason of the phincraft."

Sireta smiles hearing more of the things that she would like to start doing.

Sarin takes a moment to 'contribute.' "Personally, I happen to agree with Kitriana. However, I'm told that there's a reason the contract is slightly more in our favor. I don't happen to agree with it, but..."

Sireta stares at Sarin with anger flashing for anyone who would think that that agreement is fair "Oh and what would that be?? I can't think of anything that would be worth that."

Marika manages a smile, finding that others agree with her that the contract was unfair. She just couldn't see why it should be so much more in the favor of humans. Why dolphins would die for the sake of humans.

Kitriana shrugs. "People who hold that viewpoint...have reasons. They don't make much sense to me so.." another shrug. "Oh yes, there's one more question I'd like to ask you about the Contract. Do you know what partnering is?" ah yes, one of the nicer aspects of being a phinner..

Jayden thinks the question over. "Well, I said that I've spent most of my life on the water...I love being in the water, I always have. And I always preferred being in it to being on top of it... I knew I wanted to join the DolphinCraft when I was ten or so Turns old. There was horrid weather, and I was thrown overboard, and a dolphin kept me from drowning... I fell in love with the creatures right there.

Sarin nods. "I really don't think it makes up for it, but I was told some people think that part of the reason is that it was thought the dolphins "owed" us for briging them to this planet and giving them the..." she searched for the wod a moment, "mentasynth that allows them to speak. I personally think the contract is grossly unfair, and that's no good reason for it. I'd be more than willing to give my life for a 'phin, if it should come to that, and I'd never ask one of them to harm themselves for me...." Ok, her impassioned speech is now done, and she turns back to her prospect, slightly flushes.

Sarin grins at her prospect. "They are loveable, aren't they? Do you know much of anything about dolphins?"

"Partnering," Rika repeats, giving a shrug of the shoulders, "doesn't the word say it all..? A dolphin and a human being partners?"

Sireta nods at is what is being said agreeing with every word.

Kitriana nods. "Equal partnering. You share..you're friends. And it's the phin who asks. Just making sure you know, because...it's a big part of being a crafter here. Vastly important. And I think only journeymen and up can be asked to partner...right Sarin?" she asks her mentor, just to be sure.

Jayden shrugs. "I know some, little bits gathered here and there... Nothing too specific, but I suppose I know the basics..."

Sarin nods to Jayden and turns back to Kitriana for a moment. "Aye, Kit, journeymen and up. If there were some sort of extrenuating circumstances, it could probably be arranged to be allowed for a senior apprentice, though I can't see any reason for that. Once you're a journeyperson and a dolphin asks you, you're free to partner."

Sarin now directs her attention back to the prospect. "All right. The point of an apprentice is to learn, so you're not expected to know everything. Do your parents know you're here?"

Sireta nods a little sad about that Journeyman and up part but now she has even more reason to want to be a Jman.

Marika nods, imprinting the information gathered in this lesson, still angered by the dolphins willingness to selfsacrifice. "Kinda like dragons choose their lifemates?" she asks, "only not so strong a tie....?" At least that's the impression she gets from what's been said.

Jayden nods. "Yes, they know I'm here, for the most part. I haven't seen them in several months, but I somewhat keep in touch with them." That's enough of an answer, right?

Sarin bobs her again. "Good, good. Are you aware of the restrictions of an apprentice and are you willing to accept those, along with the responsibilities?"

Jayden nods. "Yes, I know the restrictions, or the majority of them, and I'm willing to accept them. Sacrifices must be made for dreams, right? And I'm very aware of the responsibilities...but I'm good with responsibilities, so they shouldn't be a problem." He smiles.

Kitriana makes a so-so gesture at 'rika's question. "There is /no/...and I stress...NO mental bond between phin and human. It's more like a best friend. They can leave if they want to, you can leave if you want to...although I've never heard of that actually happening." Who would leave a phin? "And if, for any horrible reason, one of the partners..passses away...the other is free to choose another partner." she regrets the morbidity of this last bit, but..it's true! "Any other question comment or opinions about the lesson?" she asks to sum up.

Sireta shakes her head as she absorbs the information "No and thank you for the class Kitriana."

Sarin grins. "Aye, that's true. Let me see, what else..." she taps her chin with her finger for a moment, then remembers. "Ahh yes. You're not horribly squeamish, are you?"

Jayden grins, shaking his head. "I'm not squeamish at all...I got stuck with some pretty nasty jobs on the ship." And that's an understatement...

Marika nods solemnly at Kitriana's explanation, knowing that her analogy was a strech in the first place. Still hanging on to the edge of the pool, she frowns, trying to come up with a question before Kitri dismisses them. "Do 'phins ever get aggressive?" So it was a far out question, but it's a fair one. Right?

Sireta eyes her a little and can't picture a angry phin they always seem happy when she saw them.

Sarin nods curtly and digs around in the recesses of her pocket. A moment later, she produces a silver chain bracelet with a silver charm on it. "Very well then. Welcome to dolphincraft, apprentice Jayden," she announced, handing over the bracelet. "Don't drop it, or you'll have to dive for it, and deep dive's a more advanced class," she tells him.

Kitriana nods solemnly. "Aye, it does happen, although it is quite rare. Sometimes they argue over mates, or if they have mental problems...or sometimes if they're little. Or if you threaten the calves, although I think that they'd just leave at that point." she then whirls as she hears the fateful phrase pronouced welcoming

Jayden to their lil craft! "oooh! Congratulations Welcome and..the like!" she calls, grinning. "I'm Kitri." she adds, almost as an afterthought.

Jayden grins, taking the bracelet and putting it on cautiously, being careful not to drop it. He grins with pride, looking up at the Journeywoman. "Thank you so much!"

Marika is comforted by the fact that agressive 'phins are rare, and turns to Jayden at Kitriana's exclamation, beaming him another smile. "I'm Marika, well met, Jayden," she says, lifting her hand in a wave.

Sarin smiles warmly. "You're welcome, Jayden. I'm journeywoman Sarin, and you're welcome to come find me with any questions or anything. Just don't call me journeywoman, ok?"

Jayden looks tot he others, smiling. "Nice to meet you all. And thanks for the welcome." He grins at Sarin. "Thanks...will do."

Sireta grabs the ladder and climbs up onto the ledge.

Kitriana walks out.

You go to the Dolphineer's Ledge.

You open a door labelled The Flying Mug and pass through.

Chante's finger stops on the menu, at the yellowfruit juice. Hmm, getting frisky..She gives her order at the bar, then bounces back over to the table.

Raneal shrugs, moving his feet off the table, bells jingling around his boots, as he did, when the drudge appeared again, with another mug of ale for 'Neal. Quickly he finishes his first mug, and then turns to the second mug. "Allo," he greets the new arrivals.

Kitriana's eyes dart about, looking for...rankers. Master, Jmen..anyone who might report anything to anyone else and in so doing get her in trouble. For, with her next breath, she orders a tall glass of Benden White, throwing a few marks drudge-ward and smiling as she little woman deftly catches the wooden coins mid-air and hurries off to get the order. Kitri then seats herself, near enought the other people to be able to converse. "Hello..I'm Kitriana." She greets.

Marika follows Kitriana in, her hair still damp from the lesson held in the water. Ordering a glass of juice, she joins the others nodding to each in turn.

Chante winks at kitri, then screws up her face as she takes a sip of the sour juice. "Hi, i'm chante. Nice to meet you."

Kirana eyes Raneal starting on his second mug already, "Your going to get drunk if you keep up like that." she decides, letting him know her opinion of course. "'Lo." she greets Marika when she enters, picking up her own glass of juice and sipping it briefly.

Sarin meanders in from the great hall.

Sarin wanders in, surprised by the big dolphincraft crowd. "Hey, everyone!"

"Hello," Marika says, taking a sip of her juice, as she leans back in her chair, not looking real happy today.

Raneal nods to the others, and quick drink taken from his second mug, as he put his feet back up on the table, the bell ringing again. "Raneal," he offers, now turning his attention back to Kirana. "It takes a little more than two. I have people to vouch for that too."

Kitriana wavingly gestures Sarin over whilst the drudge delivers the uhm...Wine. Benden White to be exact. And so Mentee tries to hide the offending drink from her mentor, keeping her grin fixed on her face.

"Hi Sarin." Kirana greets yet another dolphincrafter cheerfully, words joined with a little wave. Raneal earns himself a little eyeroll, and an almost inaudiable mutter that sounds a lot like 'we'll see what he's saying when he's dead drunk, out cold on the floor.'.

Sarin chuckles, keen eyes catching sight of the Benden. "Oooh, wine. Can I have some, Kitri?" she asks, meandering over. Oh yeah, she's not supposed to let appies drink, is she? Oh well.

Raneal chuckles, setting down his mug, and trying to keep a straight face while looking at Kir. "Your just as you've been described to me." Let that wonder through her head for a while, while he greets the newest arrival with a nod.

Kitriana blinks at Sarin a moment and..well, if she's not in trouble, she's not one to complain. So girl calls the drudge back over and orders the entire bottle along with another glass, tossing another coin her way. "Of course you can have some Sarin!" she replies, grinning as she turns back.

Sarin giggles. "Excellant. Not too much for any of my appies, though, I don't want to have to deam with explaining to a master why half my appies are hung over tomorrow..." she remarks, sitting down near Kitriana.

Kirana's eyebrows both rise in Raneal's direction, not sure if she should take that as a /good/ or /bad/ thing. "Is that so? I don't think I want to know how I was described, but who has taken the time to talk 'bout me?" to someone she barely knows no less.

Raneal smirks, now turning back at Kirana. His mug was grabbed and he raised it to take another drink, delaying his answer. A drink taken, the mug was lowered, and he shrugged some. "All good things I assure you. But why should I tell? Saying it might get bad things to happen to me."