[A shrug, but then he does go on.]

You saw the marks. In my world that's the language of the tides. If you know them, understand them, if you draw them precise and beautiful, the water itself will dance to your command.

[Well, the language of one entity who has water as a domain... but that's more to explain, among other reasons he doesn't get into it for the moment.]

Doesn't seem like that's true here.