Songs of the Sea

Chapter 1 Sartin’s little body could not contain his excitement. Today was the day he would join the others in his year at Winter Beach and begin life lessons. When the pod left Home Cove, his mother, Ballard, explained to him all along the way that when he was five seasons old and would join the other children in his season for lessons. Sartin had already mastered the Holding Your Breath game and he could out swim his other female cousins when playing Chase the Shark. But eventually, she told him, the adults would teach him how to hunt for the food and defend the pod from predators. Sartin sat in the shallow tide pool as the other five seasons arrived to the designated spot at Winter Cove. Some of the other Alewar children Sartin had played with before were there, too. An adult separated the amber-eyed children from the others and took them to a different area on the beach. “Good morning, children, I am Scribner and I will be your guide this season. We’re going to start this morning’s lesson with a story.” The five season children, including Sartin, squirmed with delight as the guide began the story…