Elochu, cockatoo circling around in the sky above and occasionally leading him towards interesting things, was having a day of rest. More technically he was having a day where no interesting ships had come in from the main lands, and where he had nothing to take to anyone on the smaller islands, so the teen was off doing what he did fifth best after trading, canoeing, hunting and speaking. He was having fun.
He'd always had an inquisitive nature, ever since he was old enough to stick his hands in fires if left unattended or fall from trees and break his legs. He still walked with a limp even now, and he couldn't strain the limb by surfing otherwise he wouldn't be able to canoe which was important to his livelihood. But walking on sand strengthened his legs just enough that he would feel it in the morning, not with the same intensity that surfing did.
The cockatoo, whose name was apparently Mangrove, cawed something out to Elochu, and the teen smiled, changing course to see what had attracted the bird's attention. A young woman building sandcastles with a seal near by, a pleasant scene. The seal rolled to rejoin the surf as Elochu approached, but the teen clicked his tongue beneath his teeth to reassure the animal that he meant no harm and kept his distance, circling to approach the female, whom he vaguely recognised from somewhere, most likely one of the many settlements he traded in.
"Your castle will surely fall, this close to the ocean," he commented, moving forward so that the waves lapped around his ankles. "The tide is coming in."
