Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter fifteen of "Ride the Wind II: Justice Unbound." I'm glad it took just a week to get out. This chapter features some Zhane/Karone. It also shows more hinting that Lilli is Isabella. Stay tuned for chapter sixteen.

XXXXX

Chapter 15: Peaceful Swim/Uncertainty/Calm

The early morning sun shined down on the Washington coast. The predawn mist was evaporating. A gull was soaring effortlessly through the sky. It flapped its wings in which it gained altitude. It emitted a series of squawks. Another gull joined it. It squawked to its companion, who responded in kind. The second gull moved behind the first one in an almost straight line.

The gull looked down at the water. Suddenly, three J-Pod orcas surfaced in which they went back underwater very quickly. Two more followed suit. Another orca spyhopped and squeaked in much playfulness. One more orca came up swimming on its side. It slapped its flipper against the water three times before darting underwater.

Slick, Rhapsody, and Willy surfaced together. They charged underwater, joyful clicks leaving their blowholes. They dove deep and went upward. They jumped clear of the water and went back in just as fast. They made a charge downward. They turned upside down, as they swam back toward the surface. They reached it and flicked their tails to throw water upward. They disappeared quickly.

Blackberry, Polaris, Star, Nikki, and Catspaw came up together. They headed underwater and dove deep, bubbles escaping their blowholes. They turned upside down, as they swam toward the surface. They leapt backward in which they hit the water on their backs and created two huge splashes each. They surfaced together once more.

Ben, Sparkle, Max, Kyle, and Nessa bowed together three times. They squealed in great delight as they headed beneath the surface. They came back up to do four more bows. They dove downward, turning toward the surface. They launched themselves into the air. They landed on their stomachs. The first three created large splashes while the last two made small ones. They disappeared very fast.

Tahlequah (J35) surfaced, as did Notch (J47). The former's right eyepatch that was similar to Princess Angeline's could be seen. The notch in the latter's dorsal was visible. They performed three rolls before stopping right side up. They slipped their heads downward with soft squeaks. They slapped their tails against the surface twice. They came back up in which they showed their heads. They emitted soft squeaks from their blowholes.

Without warning, Moby (J44) appeared and nudged his sister playfully. His closed saddle patch was clearly visible. Tahlequah spit water on him. She darted away, and he chased after her. Princess Angeline surfaced beside her grandson. She put water on him. He turned and nibbled on her side underneath her saddle patch in a gentle manner. She moved to where she was facing him. They grabbed at each other's mouths.

Alex, Luna, and Littlespot spyhopped with joyful squeaks. They sank beneath the surface. They dove deep and darted toward it. They jumped clear of the water in which they returned to it just as fast. All four orcas surfaced together once more. They rolled on their sides and slapped their flippers against the water five times. They performed four rolls before going back underwater. They swung their tails upward.

Rhapsody spyhopped and squeaked playfully. She headed back underwater. She dove downward and charged toward the surface. Bubbles escaped her blowhole. She launched into the air in which she landed on her stomach and created two large splashes. She surfaced once more, a delight squeak leaving her blowhole. Willy approached her to rake her on her dorsal very lightly. She turned and pushed him away. She swam off quickly, and he chased after her.

Max joined Willy in chasing after Rhapsody. They managed to catch up to her, spitting water on her. She rolled on her side and swung her tail to splash them. Sparkle and Nessa came up beside her in which they spit water on her. They ended up hitting Willy and Max as well. Sparkle and Nessa swam away from the trio fast. Rhapsody, Willy, and Max chased after them. All five orcas squealed in playfulness. Willy caught up to Sparkle to nibble on her side in front of her dorsal with much gentleness. She turned, nudging her uncle behind his eyepatch. She spit water on him while clicking in amusement.

Alki (J36) surfaced with Slick coming up behind her. Her similar right eyepatch could be seen. They headed underwater, swinging their tails upward. They dove deep and went toward the surface. They leapt clear of the water, going back in just as quickly. They dove downward, rolling upside down. They came up and threw their tails upward in which they stuck half of their bodies out of the water. They came back down to hit them against the surface. They surfaced once more after rolling right side up.

Nikki and Catspaw performed a bow together. They returned to the surface to do four rolls. They stopped on their sides. They slapped their flippers against the water three times. They turned right side up as Willy, Max, and Nessa surfaced behind them. Alex, Luna, and Ben came up beside Willy, Max, and Nessa. All eight orcas emitted a series of clicks. J-Pod came closer together.

The entire pod swam past the Northwest Adventure Park tower as Granny took the lead. Willy slowed down and came to a stop. He focused his attention on the tower. He lifted his head a little bit, a soft cry coming from his blowhole. He went underwater and came back up, emitting a very small burst of air from it and squeaking sadly. He went after the others. He slipped beneath the surface. J-Pod continued swimming through the ocean.

00000

At the Chant rental house an hour later, Zhane was pouring coffee into a mug in the kitchen. He stopped once it was more than halfway full. He returned the kettle to the coffeemaker. He put two spoonfuls of sugar into his coffee. He stirred the contents before tapping the spoon on the side three times. He put the spoon in the sink and sipped his coffee, nodding in approval.

"Talk about good coffee," Zhane whispered and smacked his lips. "Who would've thought an offworlder like me would enjoy it?"

"I could ask you the same thing," a female voice said.

Zhane spun around to see Karone standing in the doorway. She had her hand on it and the toe of her right blue tennis shoe pressed into the floor over her left one. She smiled at him.

"How long have you been standing there?" he wondered.

"Long enough to hear you talk about coffee," she answered and walked up to him. "I never saw myself liking coffee in a million years, especially since I grew up in the ways of evil."

"Now, you love it," Zhane said, sipping more of his coffee. "I've seen you drink up to five cups in one day. You went a little crazy when you did that one time."

"Yeah. I was bouncing off the walls," Karone said sarcastically.

"Nice use of sarcasm," Zhane complimented, a big smile forming on his face.

"Thanks," Karone squeaked in delight. "Sarcasm is often used in comedy."

"That is true," Zhane agreed and flicked her nose. "I would say that you got your sarcasm from your mother."

"Andros seems to think so too. He recalls her making sarcastic remarks about many things, especially my father's hitting his head on doorways when he was in a rush," Karone explained.

"I recall Xena sarcastically thanking M'Lila for saving her life in the Xena episode called 'Destiny.' As it turns out, she was actually grateful to her for helping her," Zhane pointed out with a furrowed brow.

"It was M'Lila's death that started Xena on her darker journey. M'Lila was the first person who showed her compassion after she was ousted from Amphipolis. Before then, Xena was merely raiding villages close to her homeland. She always let the villagers go alive and unharmed. Even when she was pillaging villages with her army, she always spared the women and children," Karone murmured and let out a long yawn. "When Callisto impersonated Xena while attacking a village, she killed several children. She said she wanted her to be seen as the killer of women and children when she confronted her. Xena retorted that she never killed women and children."

"I think Xena's constant sparing women and children from death during her days as a warlord showed she wasn't all bad," Zhane suggested.

Karone nodded in agreement as her boyfriend set his coffee on the counter. He took her hands into his. He rubbed the backs of them with his thumbs so lightly that it seemed he wasn't even doing that.

"I have to say that I feel a little nervous about going to Northwest Adventure Park this morning," Zhane admitted.

"So am I," she replied. "I am beginning to think that Lilli and Isabella could be one in the same." She swallowed hard before letting out a shuddering breath. "At the same time, I don't want to find out it isn't true and be disappointed."

"I feel like you do in both scenarios," Zhane said and bit his lip. "If Lilli turns out to be Isabella, has she been calling out to the adjacent bay where orcas hang out sometimes?"

"I would say so," Karone said honestly. She tried to suppress a yawn, but she couldn't help herself. "Willy called out to his family almost every night once he became aware of them being there."

"The main reason why J-Pod was there was because chinook salmon was plentiful at the time. They hung around and feasted on it. They probably made calls one night. Willy recognized them and started calling to them. They called back," Zhane murmured, his heart beating a little faster.

"Then they couldn't stop calling to each other," Karone mumbled, sniffling softly. "Willy was so miserable without them. If Lilli is Isabella, then she has probably been in moods where she didn't want to do anything. It would be because she missed her family."

He showed thoughtfulness. "There are rumors going around that some anti-captivity groups want to open seaside sanctuaries where cetaceans can retire from performing in tanks. They want them to be able to feel the ocean currents and hear animal sounds. They claim the sanctuaries will be open to the public and educate them on the plight of wild cetaceans. It sounds like a great idea, but captive cetaceans could be carrying diseases the wild ones have no immunity to."

"Let's not forget that the pollutants in the water could make them very sick. There is also the possibility of oil spills damaging the possible sanctuaries. The sanctuaries could be nothing more than money-making ventures where the animals aren't given any real care due to a hands-off policy," Karone hissed in great disgust. She clenched her teeth very tightly. "The places that had the animals before are blamed when they die."

"That is wrong," Zhane growled angrily. "Those 'sanctuaries' were entrusted with the animals' care. They were the ones who neglected the animals, not the zoos, circuses, etc." He acted as if he were spitting at the floor. "The worst thing is sanctuaries aren't held to the same standards as zoos, aquariums, and circuses are. People shrug it off when they lose animals, but they blow a gasket when the same thing happens at any of the three places I mentioned."

She snorted. "It's a double standard. It is not right, but it is what it is."

He kissed her forehead. He kept his lips there for thirty seconds before pulling away. He cupped her chin in her hand.

"You are so beautiful, you know that?" Zhane whispered lovingly.

"I sure do," Karone agreed with a giggle. "Speaking of beautiful, let's go into the living room and watch TV. I want to be surrounded by that room's beauty."

He smiled. "Okay."

Zhane grabbed his coffee. He and his girlfriend headed into the living room. They approached the couch, sitting down with loud grunts. He put his coffee on the end table. She picked up the remote from the coffee table to turn on the TV. She proceeded to flip through the channels.

00000

A black-throated sparrow sat on the Hanks rental house's roof. It chirped a beautiful melody. The house happened to be large. It contained three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. The basement had the half bathroom. The backyard was surrounded by a chain-linked fence. It contained a hole in it near the gate. A soccer goal was in the middle of the backyard. A football leaned against it.

Jesse poured orange juice into a glass in the kitchen. He stopped once it was halfway full. He put the pitcher in the refrigerator and closed it with a loud slam. He looked around the medium-sized kitchen. Its walls were blue, as were its cabinets. It had a bar with three stools. Its oak table contained four matching chairs. The floor was made of marble and was white. He sipped his juice. He smacked his lips.

Jesse made his way over to the counter next to the bar, where a picture album lay. He sat in the first stool and opened it. He stared at a picture of Isabella surfacing alongside Notch at the top of the first page while putting his juice down. He traced his finger along the former's dorsal. He repeated his action with the latter's. Footsteps caught his attention, and he looked over his shoulder at Randolph coming into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Randolph," Jesse greeted in a warm voice.

"Good morning yourself, Jesse," Randolph said, coming to the young man's side. He noticed the album. "Looking at pictures again, aren't you?"

"I couldn't resist," Jesse said with a smile. He tapped his finger on Notch's dorsal as his mentor sat in the second stool. "It's amazing how Notch was seen without a notch in his dorsal one day. Then he showed up with it the next day." He chuckled to himself. "He must've had a rough playtime with one or more of his podmates."

"Orcas can get a little rough in their playtime," Randolph agreed and cupped his chin in his hand. "Three months after you and your family went home following your first camping trip, I saw Willy roughhousing with Princess Angeline. They were having a hell of a time." He smiled as he laid his hand on the counter.

"That would explain some of his rake marks," Jesse said, his face full of amazement. He gazed at him. "At least many of them don't leave very visible scars."

"Yep. At the same time, they are a great way to tell individual orcas apart," Randolph commented with pride. "I laugh at extreme anti-caps who say that wild orcas never rake each other."

"If wild orcas never rake each other, then how come they show rake marks on their bodies?" Jesse wondered.

"The extreme anti-caps claim that dolphins or seals made those rake marks. They say orcas can avoid being raked by swimming away fast. That is bullshit. Wild orcas will pursue others to rake them. No amount of fast swimming will stop them from catching up to the ones they want to rake," Randolph explained in a blunt voice.

Jesse nodded in a sharp manner. "I have no doubt in my mind Notch got his notch from another orca in his family."

Randolph sat up tall and proud. "I agree with you."

Jesse patted Randolph's shoulder. They shifted their attention to the album. They looked at a picture of Isabella holding a small salmon in her mouth at the bottom of the page. A tiny bit of air came out of her blowhole. They couldn't help but frown.

"This picture was one of the last we took of Isabella just before she disappeared," Jesse muttered in much sadness. "It's hard to believe she has been gone for ten months."

"It sure is," Randolph agreed and let out a soft sniffle. "I admit I am a bit nervous about visiting Northwest Adventure Park this morning. I haven't been in that place in twenty years." He shuddered badly.

"You're not the only one, Randolph," Jesse added as he laid his hand over his heart. "I believe with all my heart that Lilli is really Isabella."

"Me too," Randolph murmured and bit his lip. "We still have to be prepared that it might not be true at all."

"I know, but I want it to be true so much. If Isabella really was caught illegally from the wild, I want to see Dial locked up in jail and the key thrown away. He took ten months of freedom away from her," Jesse yelled a little angrily.

"Yeah," Randolph said, nodding in a slow manner. "If Lilli isn't Isabella, the thought of that young orca being in that tank for the rest of her life makes my skin crawl."

"It makes my skin crawl too," Jesse commented, feeling his body shake some. "There is no way Dial would sell her to an aquarium that would take better care of her."

"That is the thing with business people like him. They don't want to lose whatever makes them the most money," Randolph hissed very bluntly.

"That's right," Jesse muttered while shaking his head in disbelief.

"If Lilli turns out to be Isabella, I would like to accompany her to her seapen after the USDA determines she is releasable," Randolph commented in a gentle voice.

"I would like to do that too," Jesse responded very eagerly. He grabbed his juice to take a long sip. "I believe Isabella would love that because she knows us so well."

"There is the matter of Nadine and Nancy," Randolph pointed out in much concern. "How would they react to the possibility of us being with Isabella during her reintroduction into the wild?"

"I never really thought about that. Maybe we could talk to them about it once we get back from seeing Lilli," Jesse suggested.

"That is good enough for me," Randolph said, patting his friend's back. He watched him lay the juice down. "Now, let's look at more of these pictures."

"That is a good idea," Jesse replied very warmly. He flipped to the second page. They looked at a picture of Granny and Samish surfacing together at the top of it. They gestured toward the air coming from their blowholes.