At first Fish though the kin had drowned, he was so still. A sinuous bundle of tendrils wafted gently in the surf, the only sign of movement. It didn’t even look like he was breathing, and his eyes were shut tight- possibly in death’s rigor, possibly just squinted against the sun. He was a fragile-looking thing, as delicate as the inside of a shell, and hadn’t yet begun to bloat.

But why was she here? Why was she called to a dead body? She didn’t really… do dead bodies. Of kin. Fish, game animals, scavenged carcasses, those were another story entirely, but- wait, was he moving?

“Hello.”

Real Big Fish reared up just a little, stifling a tiny shout. The corpse was not a corpse at all, but a buck, lying on his side and letting the waves wash over him. “Fleas and ticks, boy, I thought you were dead. What are you doing out here?”

“Thinking.” He smiled gently, opening a pale blue eye. He lifted his head just a little, taking her in, and then laid it back down in the surf.

“Not much of a talker, huh?” She wanted to nudge him. She’d been doing this long enough to know why she was here, and although she didn’t say it, she was quite pleased she’d been wrong about him being dead. That would have been an interesting sign from the Motherfather. Be a good Fish, Fish, and go bless a clutch. They’ve just lost their parent to drowning, and they’ll need some solace or something. But fortunately, he was alive.

“Sometimes, when I have something to say. But right now, I’m thinking. I’m letting the water hold me, and I am thinking about the children I have fathered.” He blinked, then fluttered his eyelashes a little and let his eyes close. “The waves are like a heartbeat, and I do so love the way they tug at me. Like the gentle caress of a mother. Or a father. Or the Motherfather, even.”

“I see.” Her mouth was drawn in a quizzical smile, wondering what this fella’s story was.

He lifted his head just a little to look at her. “I know why you’re here, mare. And I appreciate it, but I have nothing to ask you for.”

Fish chuckled, a bit ruefully. “You know, I’ve never had anybody say that before. I’ve seen long lists of demands, simple asks, parents who didn’t know what they wanted- but everybody has something to ask for. A pain-free pregnancy for the mother. A guarantee that sacs or eggs won’t dry out or be crushed. Some manner of happiness. But you, you say you have nothing to ask for?”

“Everything that will happen… will happen, regardless what we do. It’s simply a part of life- we’re like jellyfish, drifting through it. It would be foolish to think that we can affect fate,” he said quietly. “I have met some of my family. My mother… is intense. Her mother… is even more intense. I have met my grandfather, and he… is not intense. Things will turn out the way they’ll turn out, so why fight it?”

“Bit of a lazy way to look at it, no? Don’t you think it’s worth it to fight at least a little bit for the things that are important to you?” He was still lying there in the shallows, tail fanned behind him, looking for all the world like pink and blue sargasso.

“Esteemed mare, just look at the world around you. I don’t mean the deep swamp, where we’re plagued by biting flies, floods, and the occasional drought. I mean here, right here, at the edge of the world and the sea. This? This is paradise. There’s nothing here to fight for, nothing here to worry about. There’s nothing here that can hurt us- no big sharks in these shallow waters, no crocodiles daring to approach. I have heard of other places- the mountains, where crystal shards pierce kin’s hearts— like another grandfather’s. The desert, where burning sands and fiery winds either flay the skin from your bones or harden your hide beyond recognition. But here, cradled in the sea, here is safety. Here is a world perfectly shaped for us by the Motherfather.”

“And heatstroke, drowning, poisoning from eating the wrong fish- those are all just part of life?” Fish’s tone was sardonic, but she was actually finding herself somewhat angry with this passive idiot. “We don’t just drift through life. We find our currents and swim them true, and yeah, sometimes the currents take us places we don’t want to go. But that doesn’t mean we just go with the flow. We can swim away and make a better world for ourselves. You don’t just have to let things happen to you!”

“Oh in all small ways, I completely concur. But when a tidal wave comes, there’s nothing you can do about it.” He shrugged, almost imperceptibly, as small waves lapped at his flanks.

“Of course there is, idiot,” she snorted. “You can keep your eyes and ears open. You can learn the signs of tidal waves, and you can evacuate to higher ground when one comes.”