She was both a tested sailor and a survivor. This survival of a constant life at sea was a threadbare existence.
There was little laying about the boat to build a picture of her. Her very attire was threadbare to say the least.
The half shift dress that she wore was nothing but one leather patch on top of another. The sails of the boat looked better than her dress did and yet despite her worn attire she was still captivatingly beautiful.
Silently I admonished myself for falling prey to her charms yet again.
She seemed satisfied with the heaved to condition of the boat and turning forward I saw her reach into her dress at the neck and pull out a necklace. On the end of the necklace was what appeared to be a wooden whistle.
It was a whistle, as she held it up to her lips and blew through it. I heard nothing, which meant that the whistle was emanating an extremely high frequency.
Was she really doing what I thought she was?
Was she calling in a whale?
Slowly I walked forward to stand beside her and give her a speculative look. She blew on the silent whistle again and then as if satisfied by some sign I couldn't discern she nodded and stowed the wooden whistle back inside the top of her dress.
Her eyes met mine and again I was taken aback by the ready warmth of her gaze. What was it about me that caused her to be so open in her intent?
"Yes?" She asked leadingly with another smile.
I felt awkward, even shy, for goodness sake in the face of her open interest for me. I gestured out to the calm sea, "Your calling in a whale aren't you?"
"Dimbo." She said nodding.
"Dimbo? What kind of a name is that?" I asked.
She played the part of being mock affronted by my question and in a way I was ashamed of myself. What business was it of mine what names she chose to give to animals?
"You don't like my name selection?" She asked as demurely as any southern bell could ever have and I backpedaled fast.
"I ah…… It's different, but original. I can't say that I've ever heard it before. I………" My voice trailed off as she laughed again.
The fingers of one of her hands closed over my arm in a light grasp in a point of contact that turned my thinking processing fuzzy.
She smiled richly, "You're right of course. It is an odd name, but still I like it."
"I'm glad you like it." I mumbled out not sure at all how I had gotten surrounded by enemy forces and forced to surrender ingloriously.