The Barrier

A ship floated silently in the deep black water along the Alaskan coast. Snow flurried around it and ice floes knocked into its sides. A small fishing boat of forty feet, it only had a crew of four. The captain was quite agitated. He was looking at charts and cursing. "Isn't that engine running yet. We have to get out of here. This is controlled water. The waters here are forbidden by international decree. Anyone entering is subject to grave charges that will be enforced by international edict. This means if we are found here, we go to jail perhaps for a very long time. What is the deal with all the orcas following us? They surround us, as if they are waiting for us to sink. Ever since we crossed the line on the chart, I have really wanted to be somewhere else."

The first mate suggested. "Our engine is broken down. Surely, they will take that into account."

"I am not so sure. The chart is very specific about the punishments. This must be a top-secret military test range or something. They can probably sink us if they feel like it. The radio quit working as soon as we crossed the line. I would try to use it again, but it may attract attention we don't want."

"The man on deck helping the mechanic yelled, "Everybody topside now! There is some thing up there." The whole crew quickly assembled on the deck and looked skyward. "It looks like a great black bird."

The captain took up his binoculars and peered through them. "I don't know what it is, but it is huge and it is coming straight for us." All the men ducked as it approached.

The great black beast barely cleared the mast of the boat and plunged into the water just past the boat rocking the boat with the waves it created. The orcas about the boat all went towards where the beast had dove into the water. They were too late. The great beast surfaced and beat its great wings lifting into the air. The beast had a small orca grasped in its claws and it turned its head and stared at them with total contempt.

The men all gathered in a huddle as if for protection. The captain spoke, "If we don't get this boat moving, I think we are going to be dead. Whatever that thing is, it is going to be back."

The mechanic drove back below decks now highly motivated.

The man assisting the mechanic yelled, "Sir, I see something on the rocks. It looks like a woman!"

The captain looking through his binoculars agreed. "It is a woman, but what is she doing here?" As he watched the woman dove into the water. He could see her approaching the boat swiftly surfacing frequently to breathe. The orcas did not seem to notice her. "This woman is crazy. She will surely freeze to death in this water, before she gets to the boat."

The woman shot out of the water to land on the deck as if walking onto it. Her long black hair was braided to her head. She was petite, unbelievable beautiful, and very muscular. She was also totally naked. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. The water on her skin froze in the deep cold. She shook and the ice fell away. Steam came off her body.

As the other men stared, the captain pleaded, "Madam, we are here by accident. Our engine died and we drifted into the forbidden area on the charts. We don't want to be here and we would very much like to leave, but until the engine starts, we are helpless."

"I was taking my morning swim when I heard the orcas talking. You have ventured into an area of great danger. The orcas surrounded you to protect you and now they have lost one of their own. Norbert will be back. He is highly territorial and he will be here soon!" Taking out a stick knotted in her hair, she waved it and the engine started. "Turn the vessel and proceed as fast as possible for the barrier. I am alone. I can only dissuade Norbert for a little while. You will make all speed out of here."

The captain spun the wheel and revved the engine as high as it would go. Being a fishing vessel, it did not have much speed.

The woman spoke, "Your vessel is too slow." She flipped backwards over the side of the ship into the water. A few seconds she reappeared on the deck. "The orca will help." Approaching the bow, she waved her stick and four pair of orca as if by magic were harnessed to the boat. The boat leaped as the orca started to pull. "It is still not enough." Shut down the engine and find the problem and fix it. It will take us over an hour to reach the barrier. I will have to fight the dragon. Captain do you have any coffee?"

"Yes madam. I will make a fresh pot."

"The rest of you," and she snapped around to look at them, "get busy! If you stare at me again, I will pop out your eyes and step on them. You had best be making sure you find out what is wrong with that engine. I may be able to get you to the barrier, but the rest of the way home will be on your shoulders."

In a few minutes, the Captain came out of the galley with a cup of coffee and a blanket. He handed her the blanket and said, "It is not because you are cold. It is to keep your distraction from bothering the crew." He handed her the coffee.

"What are you doing so close to the barrier? It is on all the charts and very clearly defined. We made very sure of that."

Although twice as big as the woman and toughened by the roughest seas, the captain was cowed by the woman's demeanor. "The great factory ships catch just about everything, not leaving much for the independent operator like myself. I have to make a living and fishing is all I know. I had hoped the big ships would not go near the barrier and a small ship such as mine could harvest enough along the barrier to keep me in business. When our ship started to drift through the barrier, I wanted us to be somewhere else, anywhere else. As you say, the barrier is clearly defined. It was not our intention to violate it. Maybe it is better the great beast sinks us. We are sunk anyway. With the engine broken and no money and no fish, the prospects for us to stay in business are very poor indeed. I am a man of the sea. A job on land would kill me. Saltwater is in my blood." He yelled out at the men working on the engine. "Have you found out what is the problem yet?"

"We think, it is water in the fuel Captain. We think we can have it running in ten minutes."

"Well you had better hurry if you don't want to be warming the belly of that big black monster. While the mechanic works on the engine, the rest of you dump the few fish we have. We need to lighten the load as much as possible." Turning to the woman, "Could you tell me what is that great black beast? I have never heard of or seen one before.

"It is a dragon, a Norwegian Ridgeback. They are the worst and the best of their kind. Being excessively territorial, it will be back as soon as it feeds. If it had not been hungry, you would already have been dead."

The captain had a look of disbelief on his face. "Dragons are creatures of myth and legend. They don't really exist."

"You can contemplate if he is real or not as you slowly digest in his stomach. Do I not look real? How often do you see a naked woman swimming with orcas in arctic waters and not freeze to death?"

"I guess you must be a mermaid."

"Mermaid poo!" she spate. "Mermaids are green, have yellow hair, bad teeth, and a great fat tail. I am a water nymph. We are beautiful wouldn't you say?"

"This woman is one tough cookie," thought the captain. "Yes you are very beautiful. I thought water nymphs stayed in fresh water around rivers and lakes."

"Yes, mostly we do. The rivers and lakes are frozen this time of year but I still love my morning swim. The rest of my day is spent taking care of the dragons in this enclave."

"How do you know our language?"

"I was born and raised in England. Did you think I was hatched on an alien planet or something?"

"No, No, I am just confused. If I am getting this right, a creature of myth and legend such as yourself and the dragon do in fact exist, however you have created areas where the rest of us can not go, probably to protect yourselves from the rest of us. You and probably other creatures of legend live in those areas, a world within a world."

"Fairly astute for someone who can't get his engine running."

"Lady your attitude is starting to get on my nerves. We don't want to be here. It was an accident it happened. The sea is an uncertain life."

The woman lifted an eyebrow. "I am not ordinarily so forceful. I believe you will understand my point. If I can't get you away from here, you will all be dead. It is my dragon, which will kill the lot of you. This would make me quite sad, as a dragon has killed no one in a thousand years. I will have felt that I have failed my duties and I would die of shame. I am a dragonmaster. It is my duty and my passion to care for the dragons at this enclave."

"I take it you don't sit on an ice floe freezing your buns off contemplating the sea. You must have other things that you do."

"I am also a teacher and administrator. We breed the dragons for a variety of purposes. I do wear clothes most of the time. We live in houses with heat, sleep in beds, and generally do the same things everyone else does. We just have powers you don't. A lot of us live in your world, you just don't realize it."

The sound of an engine starting broke their conversation.

The captain yelled, "Full speed ahead. The engine will help the orca pulling us. Crew, you need to get up here." The crew gathered around the captain. "We must hit the barrier as soon as possible. Tie everything down, we may have to make some sudden movements. Everyone look for a black dot in the sky."

They were mere minutes from the barrier when a black dot was spotted. "Captain there!" shouted a crewmember.

The woman gave the captain his orders. She was all business, but now she had concern in her voice. "I will stand on the forward deck and direct the orcas. You will follow my hand signals to turn or stop. We may have to go into reverse so the dragon over shoots the boat. If it lands in the water, the orcas will keep it busy. They can't hurt it, but the big ones can give it a good shake up. The men and you must stay in the cabin. The dragon breathes flames and I don't want anyone getting burned. Have water available to put out any fires. The barrier is close. I can see it and I can see him. It is going to be close."

The dot grew bigger by the second. The great monster tucked in its wings and dove at the boat building up speed as it descended. The woman whistled something in a foreign language and boat dropped speed quickly. She motioned the captain to reverse the engine. The captain responded immediately. The boat slowed quickly to a stop. The dragon was going too fast to compensate. It took off the top of the mast for the winches and hit the water ahead of the boat trailing ropes from its body. The woman motioned a hard left full speed. The engine revving at max power the captain spun the wheel hard over. The woman signaled a hard right and they began a run for the barrier. Where the dragon had dove into the water was a mass of action. The orcas were worrying it unmercifully. The tons of sea mammals slamming into something and calling with high-pitched sounds were deafening. The water boiled and orcas leapt into the air only to dive back into the conflict. It was an incredible sight. The woman ran to the stern of the boat as they passed the turmoil. The boat was barely a hundred yards away from where the barrier should be when the dragon erupted from the water. Its yellow eyes bright with anger it blew fire at the boat. The woman hit the deck and the fire spewed past her, lighting up the rear cabin of the boat. The woman stood and pointed her stick at the dragon. Red beams flashed brightly slamming into the dragon's head. Hovering, the dragon shook its mighty head and stared at the woman. With a tremendous leaping dive, the woman went into the water. The dragon followed her. The captain ran from the pilothouse and stared down in the water. He saw great shapes swimming in the depth, red lights flashing here and there and then there were none.

He ran back up to the pilothouse. The ship seemed to pass through a shimmering curtain. His whole attitude changed. He no longer wanted to be somewhere else. He called to his crew. "Get busy the rear cabin is on fire!" He went to the stern and looked back. A great black shape broke the water and took off into the air away from them. Returning to the pilothouse, he looked stoically out the front glass. The crew gathered in the pilothouse.

"Captain do you know what happened?"

"Yes," he replied. "A woman of myth and legend gave her life to save the lives of a few worthless mortals. The dragon of myth and legend was hers. She was its keeper. She would not let it kill. She gave her life to lead it away. Let's offer a prayer to the sea." They all bowed their heads.

"We shouldn't speak of what happened today. We were in an area where it is forbidden. It wouldn't be wise to reveal that to anyone."

The journey home was slow, as they had to keep working on the engine. They were within a few miles when the engine finally quit. As the men were working on the engine, the captain radioed the harbor for a tugboat to tow them in. He was looking at the water when he noticed a pair of porpoises speeding towards the boat. Hugging the dorsal fins between them was what looked like a woman. They dived as they approached the boat. With a flourish the woman shot out of the water and landed standing on the deck next to the captain.

"The captain grabbed her picking her up off her feet and hugged her to him. "I'm so glad you are all right. I was sure you were dead."

She returned his hug then pulled back her head and looked at him. "You might want to put me down. I am naked and people might talk."

"Can I get you anything coffee, blanket, anything?"

She just smiled a brilliant beautiful smile. "No. I have things to show you. Let's go into the pilothouse. Taking out his charts," she explained. "I have talked to the orcas. They usually only eat the larger fish and seals of course. They have told me where you can find the fish you need for you to continue your work." She traced areas out on the chart. As her finger touched the paper, it changed color. "These areas are small or difficult and not of interest to the larger boats. They will sustain your work if you are not greedy. They will not make you rich, but they will keep you busy."

"What is your name?"

"Analise Montrose."

"My name is Charles McGregor. I truly appreciate your concern over my needs. Especially since I almost got you killed. The problem is I will no longer have a boat to fish with. The engine is gone and I have no money for another."

"Ah, Mr. McGregor, fate has put us together for a reason. I don't believe it was an accident. I may have use of your services in the future. Who knows?" Taking out her wand, she spoke some words and waved it. A bag appeared on the table. "Inside the bag are twelve gold coins. Each one is exactly an ounce. Use the money to buy what you need to get your boat in tiptop shape. You have fishing to do."

"I can't accept your money!" Charles replied. "I almost got you killed with my foolishness."

"Hardly, I am a water nymph. In the water, there is no dragon alive that can touch me!" She looked hard at him and said sharply, "This is a loan not a gift. I expect repayment!"

Charles looked her hard in the eye and responded, "You shall be repaid!"

Smiling brightly she said, "So, do you think I am beautiful?"

Confused, Charles replied, "Yes, I do, Analise, very much so."

"Then hug me as you did before and kiss me and I will be on my way."

As Charles hugged her to himself with her feet off the ground, she laughed and kissed him on the lips. "Nothing like a good hug to start off the day again. Now I must be gone. We shall meet again!"

Charles smiled. "I hope we do." As she dove off the boat, a great orca surfaced and she grabbed its dorsal fin and they swan off, her hand waving in the air.