A Selkie Story

Lately I've been looking at a lot of irish mythology. Anything from Finn McCool who helped shape Ireland, to changelings, deformed fairy children that took the place of a stolen human baby. But my favorite by far is the Selkie, a seal that can shed it's skin and become a human. Ever since I first saw the movie, the Secret of Roan Inish, I've been fascinated by the tale of the Selkies. So, I decided to start my own Selkie story. Here is what I have so far. Tell me what you think.


I glided through the water, brushing against the occasional stray seal searching for fish farther from the rest of the Selkies. I saw my sisters shoot me looks but I didn’t heed them. I wanted to space myself from the rest. I was a unique Selkie. Most of us had dark speckled or white coats. I had a coat the color of the sunlight a few hours before it got dark, a hazy golden color. When I was born everyone visited my mother just to look at me. Soon, everyone got used to my unusual pelt. I wasn’t such a novelty anymore. But I still liked to have a while to myself to think. I went to more shallow water and snatched a few fish. Then, my thinking session began.

Today, everyone had been acting restless. That was because at sunset, some of us would shed our skins and become human for a night. We called this night “The Coasting” There was always a risk of being spotted but that has only happened once. My sisters and I, and a few other seals would make the trip to the island. This would be my second time. I also thought about my name and my mother. She had named me Aurnia meaning “golden lady” and soon after my younger sister was born she went ashore one night and disappeared. My sisters both had names that had nothing to do with being human. My older sister was Dubheasa which meant “dark beauty” and my little sister was Allana which meant “dear child”. I was always puzzled about my name. I swam to the surface and took a deep breath of the crisp, salty air. I heard a bark and saw Dubheasa’s dark head in the distance. It was time to go back.
I cut through the glittering water and surfaced beside Dubheasa. Allana appeared out of no where and brushed against me. Together we shot under the water and found ourselves with the other Selkies. We all simultaneously made a circle and in the middle was Alphonsus, our leader. He gazed at everyone in turn and began to speak.
“Brothers, sisters, tonight some of us will go to the island for “The Coasting”. Let us hope that their pelts will stay unseen and they will return to us at dawn. Allana will be going for her first time this night, and I hope she enjoys the experience. Already the water is darkening with the setting sun. Those who are going may go.” With that the other seals shifted and swam off leaving us to go. With a last look at their retreat we swam to some rocks right off the coast of the island. Even moody Dubheasa looked excited for the night ahead. We dragged ourselves onto the rocks. I sat on my rocks for a moment and then felt the eerie sensation of my skin loosening. My flippers changed into hands and my tail into legs. I shed the rest of my skin and shoved it into a narrow gap between two rocks and ran onto the shore. I saw the others do the same. I found my secret hole where I put my human clothes and took out a soft, flowy dress the color of the sea. I put it on and twirled about wildly on the sand. Dubheasa walked calmly by the edge of the water. Her moonlight colored dress showed off her dark hair and eyes. I saw that Allana had found her sea foam green gown and was picking flowers a distance away. A sigh of content escaped my lips and I began to dance. The music was the pounding of the surf and I felt free.
***

He heard laughter. He rowed his boat closer and saw beautiful people on the beach. Most were dark and quiet but one had golden hair and was laughing and dancing. He had a feeling they weren’t islanders. His boat scraped the rocks near the beach and the dark ones ran into the water and grabbed things off the rocks. He knew at once they were Selkies. The fair one continued dancing with her eyes closed. He scanned the rocks and saw something sticking out of a crevice between some rocks next to him. He got out of the boat and pulled the thing out. It was soft and supple, like new leather. He stroked it and heard a gasp.

***

I heard a loud gasp and immediately stopped dancing. My sisters and the others were in the water clutching their skins. There was a man standing on the rocks holding mine. I heard some one screaming desperately and realized it was me. The man approached me and I fell to my knees, silent tears streaming from my eyes. He knelt in front of me and cupped my chin in his hand so I had to look in his eyes.
“You’re very pretty. My name is Ailin. Will you please come with me?” Ailin’s voice was lulling and deep, the voice of a story teller. I stood up and let him lead me up the hill. Before we went any further I turned around and gazed at the ocean, my home, and saw my sisters looking up at me. They began to sing a wordless song full of sadness and anger. Then they shifted to their seal forms and swam away. I walked banshee-like with Ailin and we finally made it to a small cottage on a cliff. He turned to me and said,
“This is my home. It’s not much but it’ll do. What’s your name by the way?” If I knew anything it was not to give this man my name. I stared at him blankly.
He cleared his throat. “Alright then, I’ll call you Keela.” I blushed as Keela means “beauty only poetry can describe” but I quickly turned my gaze to the ocean. We made our way up to the cottage and he let me in first. It was warm and homey. I heard stew bubbling over the fire and was met with an intoxicating smell. Ailin came in and took out two bowls. He poured a bit of stew into each and handed one to me. I took it and breathed deeply. He dropped a spoon into my bowl. No one had told me what to do if my pelt got taken. I wasn’t sure whether or not to eat his food. He noticed that I wasn’t eating.
“I’m not going to hurt you Selkie girl. Would you rather have something else?” I shook my head and took a sip. It was delicious so I downed the whole bowl. “Where am I to sleep?” He thought for a moment and answered, “I’ll move my cot to over by the window and you can sleep on that. I’ll sleep outside or on the floor if you wish.” I nodded and he moved the bed at once. I crawled into it and he sat in a chair by the fire. I fell asleep to the sounds of the waves and the fire crackling.


***
They swam as fast as they ever had before. They found the rest of the Selkies and Dubheasa raced up to Alphonsus.
“You are all back early I see. Something is amiss.”
Dubheasa cried, “A man found….. he found Aurnia’s pelt!! She’s gone!” Dubheasa began to cry, seal tears mixing with the dark water. Alphonsus’ eyes narrowed. The rest of the clan went into an uproar. There was anxious swimming and confused barking. Allana swam over to Dubheasa. “How will we get Aurnia back?” She asked. Alphonsus thought for a moment and answered, “I’m afraid we can not. It is too risky for us to coast again and find her pelt for her without ours being found also. What we can do is watch over her from the sea and sing to her.” Allana ducked her head and suddenly, everyone was crying. Aurnia would be greatly missed. Their anguished cries rose and fell with the waves.

***
I rose before the sun. The air was filled with chillingly sad cries and songs. I realized it was for me and I wept openly. I needed to see my people, my family so I tore out of the cottage and over the hill. I got tired quickly and slowed. The grass tickled my shins as I made my way to the beach where I last saw my sisters. The singing got louder and I sat on the damp sand. I thought I could make out the sleek hides of the Selkies leaping over the waves. I recognized the song. It was the one we had sung when my mother had disappeared. I began to sing along but adding my own notes of despair to the tune. I sang with them until the sun rose and they stopped to carry on with their lives. I might not ever chase after a silvery fish in the deep or talk to my sisters again. That’s how Ailin found me. Sitting on the sand crying about my old life. He sat next to me and rubbed my back which soon soothed me. Then he told me that today we would go into town and he would buy me new clothes and anything else that I wanted. I stood up and he took me to the barn that I hadn’t seen nestled into the hill facing his home. He had three horses and some sheep. He saddled a black one and a white one speckled brown. He lifted me onto the white one and the he sat on the black one. He gently tapped his with his heels and I did the same. We raced through the hilly country side and made it to a small town. We rode up to a small hut and got off. I went in and was met with clothes of every kind. I picked out a white dress, a brown one, a black one, an apron and some shoes that looked like ones that I’d seen the ladies in the town wearing. Ailin stepped into the hut and gave a pretty woman in the back a few coins. I folded my clothes and put them into my saddle bag. I got back onto my horse and Ailin followed suit. “Is there anything else you’ll be wanting?” I shook my head and nudged my horse.