The End

A while later, the sun was beating down on my face as I groggily opened my eyes. I felt fresh and new as if somehow napping in the grass had refreshed my soul. I gathered a bouquet of the flowers that lay around me and then weaved them through my golden hair. I then braided it to the side and heard footsteps coming my way. “Hello Keela. Would you mind getting married tonight?” Butterflies grew in my stomach and I nodded. A short, plump lady with auburn hair struggled down the hill behind him. I watched as she finally made it to us. “Hallo lassie. My name’s Muiread. You must be little Ailin’s wife Keela. Goodness he does talk about you a lot. Now dear let’s get you fixed up for your wedding.” Muiread turned around and started to climb back up the hill. I followed behind and after what seemed like forever, we were in the cottage. “Keela your hair looks perfect for the weddin’. Now let’s get you into that dress and make you a bouquet.” I slipped on the blue dress and Muiread was outside searching for suitable flowers. I joined her and after a while, we had an extravagant bouquet that matched the flowers in my hair. We wrapped it in a piece of paper that she’d brought. Then from her pocket, she took out a sea blue handkerchief with white stitching and tied it around my wrist. She stood back and admired her handiwork. “Beautiful.” She murmured quietly. She had finished with me right on time. Boats lined our little island and the sun was almost at setting position. Muiread and I walked over to the place where Ailin had proposed and everyone was sitting in the grass. They rose when they saw me. My heart pounded and I wanted nothing more than to see my sisters and mother in this smiling crowd. But, this was a silly fantasy so I walked as quickly as I could and took Ailin’s hand. One of his friends said some things that I wasn’t paying attention to and suddenly I suppose we were married. He gave me a short kiss and we all filed up to our cottage. Muiread walked right behind us looking very pleased and I laughed quietly at the woman. She cared so much about my presentation but she never once asked about me. I liked her. Everyone gathered in our sun room and a man which I had heard Ailin call Tam passed out a drink which he call mead. It was sweet like the taste of the tender fish I used to eat off the coast. Then, Tam started a toast. “Well now let’s all bless this beautiful couple with some good ol’ Irish luck.” He thought for a moment and then continued, “May God be with you and bless you. May you see your children’s children. May you be poor in misfortunes and rich in blessings. May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.” Everyone raised their glasses and took a drink. Muiread stood up and said her blessing. “May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam. May peace and plenty bless your world with a joy that long endures. May all life’s passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!” She downed her mead. More people stood up, blessing us. “May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, the angels protect you, and heaven accept you.” And other things like that. But, then a strange man rose from the shadows. He stepped forward and gazed at me steadily. Then in a deep, sad voice he said “May the light of heaven shine on your grave, lass.” He stared at me and the wedding party fell into a stunned hush. He backed away slowly looking at me all the while and finally was gone. It was dead silent when finally Muiread trilled, “Oh that’s just old Neil, love. Just ignore this nonsense.” Our guests nodded looking uncomfortable and then piled out of the house. The only ones that were left were Muiread, Tam, and a petite girl with light brown hair. “She looked up at me and whispered, “I’m sorry your weddin’ night got ruined. My name’s Shauna.” I nodded numbly and quietly excused myself to bed. As soon as I left the room I heard Ailin and Muiread talking about me. “Tis bad luck Ailin.”
“I know Muiread. Neil wasn’t even invited.” Muiread clucked her tongue. Suddenly, I realized who Neil was. He was the man that had killed my mother. Chills ran down my spine and I looked around to make sure he wasn’t hiding in the shadows.
“I don’t know how this will affect your lives. What made you decide to steal her away from the sea anyway?” I leaned closer to the doorway to hear better. Ailin whispered hoarsely, “I do not know Muiread. It was like destiny though with me coming in late on the Eve of the Selkies. I love her so much, Muiread.” I peeked out from behind the door frame. Muiread was nodding sympathetically. “Well I wish the best of luck to ya’ both. Keela has such a dear heart. So pretty and quiet. T’would be a terrible thing if something happened to her. Would you mind me spendin’ the night here? It’s already dark.” Ailin nodded. Suddenly, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I whirled around and saw Shauna standing behind me. She took my hand and dragged my outside. She murmured, “Ailin is so handsome. I wish I were married like you. But I’m surely not pretty enough. Where did you come from Keela?” her strange outburst stunned me for a moment but then I quickly replied, “Near here. It’s a secret I suppose. How old are you, Shauna?” Her brow crinkled and she answered, “I’m only sixteen.” She was just a year younger than me. I smiled at her and she whispered, “Will you be my friend? I have never had a true friend before. All of ‘em go away when they find out that I live with Neil. They laugh at me in town.” This sweet girl lived with Neil? She would need a friend, living with him. “Of course I’ll be your friend, Shauna.” She smiled broadly and then she said, “I must be going now. Neil will be angry with me if I take much longer.” She turned around and in the dim light I could see a bruise on her neck.
Muiread was in my room and Ailin was asleep in a chair. A familiar sight from many nights at the old cottage. I blew out the candle in the kitchen and felt along the walls until I got to Ailin’s room. I fell into bed but it was a long time before I relaxed completely. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Neil had said to me and the bruise on Shauna’s neck. I wondered if Neil hit her or if it was just a regular old accident. Eventually, Muiread’s quiet snoring and Ailin’s deep rhythmic breathing calmed me. I fell into a sleep filled with eerie dreams.
Ailin had gone fishing again that morning. Muiread gave me a slice of bread and told me she would make me look like the ladies from the mainland. I didn’t what that meant but followed her, still chewing my bread, into my room. She pulled out a green dress with a slit up the middle revealing a white under gown and it had wide white sleeves. She turned away while I put it on. She clapped her hands and nodded with approval. Then, she put a white mother of pearl comb in my hair. I asked, “How did you get these clothes, Muiread?” She smiled and answered, “They used to be mine when I was about as old as you. They don’t fit anymore that that I’m a fat old hag!! The comb is my wedding gift to you.” In truth, Muiread was probably only in her early fourties. I opened my mouth to say thank you but she waved me off. “Alright lass, go and run around. Just don’t ruin you’re clothes!” I ran to my drawer and snatched my coasting dress right off the top. Then, I waved to Muiread and scrambled down the hill to my meadow. I quickly slipped out of Muiread’s finery and put on my dress. After that, I sprinted to the ledge that was a few feet higher than the sea. Well, I had thought it was only a few. I looked down about fifteen feet to the ocean below. I knew the water was deep enough to jump into but, if I didn’t jump at the right moment, the waves would smash me into the side of the ledge. I waited for the waves to die down and once the water was still, I dove in. The water hit my head with such a great force, that I was dizzy for a moment. The azure water soothed me and I let the water take control. I surfaced for air and floated up and down with the small waves. For the moment, I wasn’t bombarded with my thoughts. I was just being. But, my moment was interrupted by the sound of oars cutting through the water. I quickly ducked underwater. The only part of me that was showing was my eyes. Neil gazed up at the cottage and shook his head. He looked faintly sad. He mumbled, “He’ll kill her he will. Those Selkie Folk don’t last long here. She’ll be gone in a year or so. ‘Tis a shame. Suddenly Shauna’s head popped up in the boat. She must’ve been lying on the bottom. She whimpered, “May…. May I please go and find Keela?” He glared at her and smacked her upside the head. He roared, “Fine then go!! Don’t you ever come back home you little witch!” He scooped her up and tossed her into the water and she hit it with a sickening smack. With that, he quickly rowed away. Shauna hadn’t come up for air yet. I went under and could see a few bubbles. Shauna floated towards the bottom of the sea, limp and seemingly lifeless. I kicked towards her and held her slender hand. I swam back to the surface with Shauna in tow. I took a breath of air but, Shauna was sinking under. I struggled to keep us both afloat. Then, I realized we wouldn’t be able to get to the island by climbing up the ledge. I would have to swim to the front of the island which would probably take me an hour. My legs shook with the effort of kicking and we were not too far from where we had started. All of a sudden, I felt Shauna’s weight being lifted. I turned around and saw Dubheasa and Allana’s sleek seal heads. They had Shauna on their backs. I smiled gratefully and we swam as fast as I could without over exerting my human body. At last, we were at the beach. I dragged Shauna onto the sand and waved to my sisters. They ducked underwater and swam away. I screamed, “Muiread!!!! Muiread help!!” No answer came. It was about three o’ clock in the afternoon. My heart fell as I realized she had probably gone home by now. I was all by myself and I had no idea how to help Shauna. I sat down beside her and waited, watching to see if her chest would heave and she would cough up seawater. I wanted to see life course through her veins and color return to her pale cheeks. Hatred for Neil threatened to burst out of me. It was all his fault. If he hadn’t thrown her into the water so hard or at all for that matter, I wouldn’t be sitting on the sand, helpless. Tears dripped into the hollow of my neck and I sang a sad song that I didn’t even know I knew. “On wings of the wind o’er the dark rolling deep, angels are coming to watch o’er thy sleep, angels are coming to watch over thee, so list to the wind coming over the sea. Hear the wind blow love, hear the wind blow, lean your head over and hear the wind blow.” The rest of the words drifted from my mind and I could remember no more of the song. Shauna sputtered and I rolled her onto her side as she coughed up seawater. She shook and I spotted a large piece of driftwood. I pushed it under her and also found a frayed piece of rope and tied it to the wood. I pulled the rope and the makeshift sled moved. I pulled her up the hill and laid her in front of the fire. I covered her with the dress Muiread had given me and fed Shauna spoonfuls of the broth Muiread must’ve started before she left. She shivered violently and then rasped, “You saved me Keela. I will never forget this for as long as I live.” She then fell asleep. I collapsed onto a chair, relieved that I had saved my friend’s life. Ailin burst through the door at that moment. He kissed my forehead and saw Shauna lying on the floor. “What happened love?” He asked. I just shook my head. He dropped the subject and tasted the broth. He came and sat down across from me and held me hand over the table. I leaned back and began to feel my hour’s swim to the beach. My legs burned and it hurt to move them. I leaned back in my chair, exhausted. But, Ailin needed to hear my story. So I said, “I went swimming today after breakfast. Neil came ‘round with is boat so I hid in the water. He was talking about me. At first, it seemed he was talking to himself but Shauna sat up and asked if she could go and find me. He smacked her and then threw her into the water. She hit it so hard, Ailin. He moved off and I swam down to Shauna and tried to swim with her to the beach but it was too difficult. But, my sisters came and helped me. I dragged her onto the beach and she looked to be dead. But, I started singing and she woke up.” Ailin shook his head in wonder. Shauna cried out in her sleep and we both sighed. The poor girl had been through so much that hardly anyone knew about.
Shauna woke up a while later, feeling just fine. As she stared into the fire I knelt beside her and asked, “Why did Neil do this to you?” She turned to look at me and answered, “It all started when my mam and pa died when I was two. I was living with the preacher. Neil had brought a new lady into town and she was very unhappy. She ranted about her children all the time so he thought having a child about would brighten her spirits. The preacher gave me to Neil. The lady didn’t get any happier. Neil took his anger out on me. He was outraged that I wasn’t helping his wife. When she died, he was even madder but now with a touch of sadness. He hurt me a lot. He called me a witch for he thought I had made her even worse. I’m glad he’s let me alone.” Ailin’s face darkened with rage at Neil. “Why didn’t you tell anyone Shauna?” I questioned. She shrugged and turned back to the fire. I studied the fading bruise on her neck and wondered how anyone could ever be so angry with anyone like Shauna. It wasn’t her fault that my mother had died. I got up and returned to the table and Ailin sat motionless trying to control his emotions. By now, the sky had turned dark but none of us were hungry. I vowed that the next morning I would confront Neil.
Fog drifted over the water and the choppy water made it hard to row. It was the wee hours of the morning and I was making my way to our old cottage to ask about Neil. I desperately wished to be cutting through the dark water, tail swishing smoothly, headed no where in particular. Thinking about it made my chest ache with longing. But, I kept rowing. I knew I should’ve told Ailin but I planned to be back when he woke up. My boat scraped the sand and I leapt out and dragged it onto a safe place. I ran up the hill and didn’t stop to check on the old cottage. I ran as far and fast as I could until I found a tiny house nestled between tow hills. Something told me that this was where I would find Neil. I knocked on the door and heard grumbling inside. The door swung open to reveal Neil’s scowling face. He opened the door wider and stormed in. “What’re you doin’ here at this hour lass??” I glared at him and spat, “You killed my mother.” His face grew ashen. “Listen to me girl, I didn’t think that she would die at first. I never wished her to die. Oh no, not at all. I loved her much. I did try to make her happy you have to believe me on that.” I shook my head. “Neil, did you really think that beating a small child would have made her happy? Don’t deny this either. I have seen terrible things happen to dear Shauna. What made you think that she was the one killing my mother?” Tears welled in his eyes. “I knew it wasn’t her. It was me!! All my fault!!” He sobbed loudly. My heart went out to him for a moment but I wasn’t done with him yet.
“You owe Shauna an apology.” He nodded and waved me away. I opened the door and walked out into the cold morning. I strolled back to the beach and pushed the boat into the water. After about half an hour of rowing, I was home. I opened the door with a satisfying bang and jumped into Ailin’s tired arms. He twirled me around the kitchen and pecked me on the cheek. Shauna awoke and embraced me, seeming to know what I had done for her. Ailin set to pouring the faerie milk and Shauna sliced some bread. I turned my gaze to the window and saw that the day had brightened and I saw two seals lounging on a rock by the beach. I smiled to myself and hummed a little song, blissful to be who I was.
***
They stayed around Aurnia’s little island. They heard merry laughter and singing and dancing from inside the cottage every night. Dubheasa hoped that Aurnia had forgiven her and Allana. Sometimes, they could see her gazing out the window at them sadly. But, they could tell that she was happy. After a while, the cries of a small babe could be heard and Aurnia would sing pretty songs that would echo through the hills and over the sea.
***
My pretty baby whimpered softly and I sang, “Coo roo koo, cooruku, coo ru ku,coo ku. Oh hush thee my dove, oh hush thee my sweet love, oh hush thee my lap wing, my dear little bird. Oh fold your wings and seek your nest now, the berries shine on the old rowan tree, the bird is home from the hills and valleys. Coo roo koo, cooruku, coo ru ku, coo ku.” By the time the song was over my babe was fast asleep. Ailin walked over and stroked her head. He smoothed her wispy strawberry blond hair back. “I’ve thought of a name for her, love.” I whispered. He looked up at me. “She should be named Meara as her eyes change with the sea and hold as much depth as it.” Meara’s name meant sea, Ailin smiled and nodded. My daughter Meara had my eyes (that I had as a human) and a mix of Ailin’s reddish hair and my golden. I smiled at Ailin and I thought about all the lullabies that Shauna had taught me when I found out I was with child. I missed having Shauna around but I was happy that she had finally gotten married like she had dreamed about. A lot had happened in this past year and I wondered about how my sisters were doing without me. I got glimpses of them around the island sometimes. Ailin touched my shoulder and I got up and set Meara and her crib. It was a beautiful thing that floated on the water like a boat and Ailin had carved pretty pictures all over it. I crawled into our bed and fell asleep, one hand hanging off the bed touching my baby.
Meara woke up and smiled up at me. I suddenly felt an overwhelming bond to this little life and I nuzzled my nose to hers. Ailin was out fishing but later, Shauna would come over and see Meara for the first time. She had left about six months ago, right before Meara had been born. I cut a slice of bread for myself and filled the thimble with milk and put it on the window sill. For Meara, I helped her drink a cup of milk and I made tiny bread balls for her to eat. When we were done I scooped her up and as the day was fair, took her down to my meadow. I let her sit in the grass and I gathered some flowers looking out at the sea all the while. I missed it terribly but didn’t have the heart to look for my pelt. If I found it, I would have to leave my baby and Ailin. I saw my sisters basking on the rocks and pointed them out to Meara. She giggled at them and I laughed with her. Suddenly I heard a distant voice yelling, “Keela!! Keela I’m here!!” I dropped my flowers and grabbed Meara. I ran up the hill and saw Shauna waving at me from the cottage. I burst in and she gasped at the sight of the baby. “My goodness you have a pretty baby!!” She said, awestruck. Meara reached for her and Shauna immediately grabbed her out of my arms and oohed and ahhed over her. I giggled at Shauna’s love for Meara. I could tell that she would spoil her to pieces. I heard singing in the distance and stopped watching Shauna and Meara to listen. The song had no words just a lilting tune. I knew it was about a lost Selkie and how the sea mourned for her. It was about me. Meara stopped gurgling and I could tell she was listening with every fiber of her tiny body. The voices died out and Shauna laughed and said, “I don’t know how you can stand livin’ so close to the sea. Those seals are quite noisy. I’ll bet they bark all the time.” I didn’t answer her.
***
Dubheasa had started the song that day. She was trying to tell Aurnia to come back. She could tell that Aurnia had heard it since the house became quiet when Dubheasa had begun. After that, the days went by the same way for her and Allana. In the mornings, they would take turns following Ailin out to where he fished to make sure he was safe. Once they were sure he would be fine, they would sun bathe on some tall rocks where they could keep on eye on Aurnia and their new niece. She was a pretty baby, with eyes of the sea. Dubheasa had loved the baby ever since she had first seen it outside. The little one grew into a sweet, pretty little girl who loved to run around the island with Aurnia in tow. One day, Aurnia and her daughter didn’t come outside. A hefty woman had come ashore and had left that evening with a smile that could light the world. Dubheasa heard a baby crying again that night. She rejoiced and she and Allana sang the birthing song for Aurnia’s children.
***
Meara loved her baby brother. As I held him she gazed at him, spellbound. He had deep green eyes and strawberry blond hair like Meara’s. I helped her hold him and she stroked his hand lovingly. My heart swelled at the sight. I let her hold him for a few more minutes and then put my little tike to bed. Just then, Ailin burst through the door. He stared unbelieving at the tiny bundle that I held. His voice hoarse he said, “I had a feeling this would happen on the one day I go fishing.” He laughed a little and I deposited my son into his arms. He held him carefully and the baby reached up and touched his cheek. Right then, I knew he would be named Kevan meaning, “gentle child”. I murmured his name and Ailin nodded. Kevan fell asleep and we put him in his cradle.
***
Dubheasa also loved the little baby boy. His eyes didn’t change with the sea like his sister’s but stayed the same inquisitive green. Years passed and when he started toddling around, little Meara would parade him proudly around the island. Meara and Kevan especially liked to come and observe Dubheasa and her sister. When they did this, Dubheasa noticed they had little webs between their fingers. She also noticed that at night, Aurnia would walk down to the beach, looking sadder and sadder every time.
***
I kissed Meara and Kevan good night and then made my way to the beach. I had begun to miss the sea terribly. The water was glassy and clear and it reflected the silver moon very well. I heard the sand churning and looked over to see Ailin coming towards me with concern in his eyes. He took my hand and we looked at the sea together. Both of us lost in our own thoughts. Then he whispered gently, “What’s wrong lass? You’ve got to tell me and I’ll help you.” I shook my head. I didn’t want to tell him that I missed my old life. I didn’t want to leave him. I couldn’t leave him to take care of our children by himself. I sighed heavily and we wandered back to our little home together. He collapsed into bed and his breathing slowed quickly. I felt restless and kept hearing singing from the beach. However, the only thing on the beach was our rowboat and perhaps a seagull or two. The singing grew more persistent and drowned out all other sounds. Rain gently began to fall and as if in a dream, I walked out the door and down the hill, oblivious to the crying of my children and Ailin’s shouts of despair in his sleep. The only thing that was on my mind was to get down to the beach. Images of silver fish, seals, tall rocks sticking out of the sea, the bottom of a boat, all danced in my head. I reached our rowboat and sat in it. The boat creaked quietly and suddenly, the singing grew even louder. It hurt my ears and made my eyes water. Subconsciously, I reached under the seat but stopped for a moment hearing Meara and Kevan wailing. I contemplated moving my hand further but almost of its own accord, it reached down and touched something soft and smooth. The singing grew deafeningly loud and then stopped abruptly. I pulled the thing out from under the boat seat and my breath caught in my throat. It was my pelt! I was filled with euphoria for a moment but realized I would have to leave my family. I held my seal skin tightly and quickly clambered up the hill.I burst in and saw Ailin sitting at the table with both Meara and Kevan on his lap. He gazed at my pelt with sadly. The children, although they were tired, could sense that something was about to happen that would probably change their lives. They slipped off his lap and tip toed into their bed room. My eyes filled with tears at Ailin’s eyes. He was struggling to fight his tears and his were filled with pure heartbreak. He stood up and gave me a long kiss as if to say that he would love me forever. Then, he stepped aside so I could get to Meara and Kevan’s room. The children were alert and fully awake by the time I stepped into their cozy firelight room. Meara ran over to hug me, her six year old body shaking with sobs. Kevan looked confused for a moment and then came over to us. I leaned down and he covered my cheeks with three year old kisses. I whispered, “Good bye dear hearts. I will love you always. Please don’t ever forget me.” They both nodded somberly and I tucked them in. I sang them their favorite lullaby and left. Ailin stood by the door. “I love you.” I whispered. “I love you too Keela.” He replied, his voice thick with sadness. I wiped a tear from his cheek and then sprinted down the hill. I laughed gleefully and ran into the water. My coasting dress slipped off and the wind blew it into the rowboat. I ran into the chilly water and stepped into my skin.
The water held me gently, an old friend. I swam with grace and speed. I felt my sisters brush against my sides and we surfaced for air. Ailin and the children stood on the beach watching me. I sang to them with all the love in my heart and knew they could understand me.
**************
I am now wondering what to title this.... Also I am starting another story. More to come on that. Thank you for reading and helping me with this!!

He came back a few hours later with his fiddle, a pot, some utensils, my horse, the sheep, and the goat. He’d decided to leave his horse on the main island and have his friend take care of it until he came into town. The animals roamed freely on our little island and I was happy. Ailin went to bed early but, I went outside to watch the sunset. You could see it from our sun room but I preferred to watch from a special place outside. I found a small ledge and sat down. The sun made the water turn a brilliant orange but finally became less confident and turned from red to pink to purple all in the span of a few minutes. I caught glimpses of some seals and once, Allana who looked regretful. I liked to think she was sorry for what she had said and was watching out for me. I stayed out breathing in the salty sea air until the moon was high in the sky. I reluctantly headed back and went to bed.
Something sizzled in the kitchen. I trotted out of the sunroom and into the kitchen. Ailin shouted “I’ve got eggs for you Keela!” He laughed at my shocked expression at his outburst. He slapped a scrambled egg on a plate and handed it to me. He served himself and we both sat down at our table. He then poured some milk into our glasses. It was cold and didn’t taste like goats milk. As if he could read my mind he said, “Cow’s milk. The friend that’s taking care of my horse gave it to me.” I ate my egg and drank greedily. I saw Ailin take a thimble out of his pocket and pour milk into it. Utterly confused, I asked, “Ailin what’re you doing?” He answered, “My mam used to do this when I was young. She would pour milk into a thimble and set it outside. She said that we were feeding the faeries. She thought that if you fed the fey, especially in the winter, they would give you good luck. I think that we need some good luck around here with you getting lost and your little spell and whatnot.” I grinned at the thought of a tiny person drinking from a thimble. He got up and set it on the windowsill of the kitchen. He walked back and plunked into his chair. “So Keela, I think we should get married soon.” My heart raced. “How soon?” He sighed and answered, “Very soon. I’m not meaning to be rude but the whole town is talking about us. I just want the old gossips off my back that’s all. But we can wait.” I felt bad for not realizing that Ailin had been getting harassed in town. “Sure Ailin we can do it as soon as you like but I need a dress and everything.” He nodded towards the bedroom. I quickly got up and looked in the drawer. Surely enough, there was a lovely blue dress. Of course, it wasn’t as beautiful as my Coasting dress but it was a close second. The dress was light blue and long and flowy. It seemed to be made out of silk. I took off my plain dress and put the one for the wedding on. I waltzed out into the kitchen and Ailin smiled ear to ear. I gasped and said, “We’ll have it at sun down precisely where you proposed to me.” Ailin nodded. “I’ll go today and invite my friends and I’ll invite a few women who I think you may like.” I nodded and he was out the door in a flash. I stood in the doorway, watching him race down to the boat. He was gone in an instant. I clambered down the hill facing away from the direction Ailin had gone. I found myself in a meadow full of waving green grass and wildflowers. On one side, there was a gently sloping decline leading straight to the sea. One of the hills stood guard over this little paradise. I sat down in the grass and it was almost taller than me. The grass made a soothing whish as the breeze danced through it. I lay down and the rustling of the grass and the sighing of the ocean put me to sleep.

Ailin came back that evening looking depressed and gaunt. He stumbled into the cottage and I ran to his out stretched arms. He embraced me long and hard and then finally held me at a distance. He half whispered, “Keela lass, where have you been? I’ve been searching for you since I came back yesterday afternoon.” I gulped. I hadn’t known that he would come back early. I murmured, “I’m so so sorry Ailin. I didn’t know that you would come back early and I didn’t know it would take me so long to get there and back and I got lost and… and….” He quieted my babbling with a quick brush of his lips on mine. “It’s alright Keela lass. I’ve been gone a lot and I should’ve known you would’ve gotten bored. We’ll talk more after we eat.” I smiled but then realized that the stew had been on the fire for two days! I peered into the pot and saw a gray gooey mess. But, Ailin must have known because he was already setting bread and goat cheese on the table. I fell into my chair and wolfed it down. Ailin ate his the same way. When he was finished, he leaned back and asked, “Where did you end up going Keela?” I answered quickly, “There’s a cliff a little ways from the cottage so I got it into my head to climb down and see the beach at the bottom. It took me all morning to get to the little beach and then I swam with one of my sisters. I left soon after and didn’t get to the top until it was dark. In the dark, I didn’t know where I was so I finally found my way to your boat and slept there.” Ailin looked panic stricken for a moment but smiled quickly to cover it up. Then he sprang up and ran into the bedroom. He came out holding a fiddle and a bow. “You can play??” I questioned.
“Yes I do but I haven’t really felt the need or the wanting to play until now.” He rosined the fine horse hairs of his bow and then quietly plucked the strings. Then he drew the bow across them. This produced a lovely sound that was high and low and happy and sad and quiet but somehow very loud. It was unlike anything else I’d ever heard before. Then, he really started playing. His bow was a blur and his fingers danced wildly on the fingerboard. The tune lilted up and down randomly and it was irresistible for me. I stood up and began to dance. I jumped, twisted, stomped and twirled until he finished. I smiled and tried to catch my breath. He put his violin back in the bedroom and then sat on his chair. He fell asleep quickly. I crawled into the bed and gazed out into the moonless sky. The stars shone weakly and I could hear the sea muttering to itself quietly. I knew that it had probably been a month since that fateful night on the beach. My sisters might be human as I lay in bed thinking and I would never even know. I bolted upright for fear of missing my sisters and ran outside. It was dark but I knew the way from my home to the beach. I crouched down on the top of the hill and sure enough, Dubheasa and Allana sat on the sand whispering quietly. A few others were milling around the beach aimlessly. I walked down the hill as slowly and as quietly as possible and tapped Allana’s damp shoulder. She turned around and her eyes widened and a huge smile lit her slender face. Dubheasa turned and glared. Something inside of me broke but I kept smiling. “Aurnia, hello!! We’ve missed you! You’re coming home soon right? It’ll be birthing night soon and we have to be there to help the babies.” My smile faded. “Allana, it might be a while before I come back.” Her smile disappeared as well. “But Aurnia, you promised that you’d teach me how to spin when I jump. I might never learn and Dubheasa is too grumpy to teach me!! Plus, Alphonsus is thinking of taking us somewhere else where there are no people.” My world spiraled out of control. I had counted on my sisters being here waiting for me to find my skin. But then again, Allana did exaggerate a lot so maybe, she was exaggerating now. I shakily exhaled and Allana frowned. “You know, as soon as you woke up the morning after he took you, you should’ve been searching for your pelt. Now we may never see you again. I’ll try to convince Alphonsus to let us stay until you find it. I also think it’s strange that you’ve fallen in love with him, but, it’s not my business.” I couldn’t believe what sweet Allana was saying. She sounded just like Dubheasa. Rage bubbled up inside of me. I forced it down but then I saw my sisters exchange a meaningful look and a snicker. That put me over the edge. “I can not believe you two!! We are a family! We are supposed to support each other! Do you think I wanted all of this to happen to me?!?! You know that if one of you two were in my position I’d stand by you and support you all the way. But I’m going to be the bigger person here and leave you to your silly games.” My voice broke at the end and I gave them the hardest look I could muster and then a sob exploded from my mouth. My sisters looked genuinely shocked. I turned around and trotted back up the hill. My shoulders heaved and the wind gently caressed my cheeks, trying to dry my tears. It died down after a futile attempt at doing so. I had never thought this would make my sisters angry at me. I should have been more careful that night. But, if I hadn’t, I never would’ve met Ailin. I ran blindly in the dark but found my way back to the cottage. I collapsed on my bed and cried myself to sleep.
Ailin let me sleep in but, I woke up feeling empty inside.. He must’ve been able to tell I’d had a late and ruthless night. Ailin looked extremely concerned. I tried to smile but then it quickly vanished as I fell deeper and deeper into my own black pit of despair. My sisters were angry and were ganging up on me and the rest of the Selkies might not ever return to the island. Ailin opened his mouth as if to say something and then closed it. I got up and the cottage whirled around me. I couldn’t live like this anymore. I loved Ailin but I was trapped here on the land. I shivered and collapsed into my chair. My thoughts still raced. Why couldn’t my sisters have been happy for me? If this is how it will go then I don’t need them. This last thought made my breathing become ragged and all I could think about was the glinting sea just out of reach. Ailin said something but I couldn’t hear him clearly. It was like listening to him speak through a wall. It was muffled. He said it again and finally I could hear again. “Keela love what’s wrong? You need to tell me. I don’t want you pining. It may break my heart and I hope you’ll feel something but I just want you to be happy.” I shook my head and he looked relieved. Black dots swam in my vision and then I slumped in my chair.
***
He stared unbelieving at the crumpled heap that was Keela. What had happened that had made her do this? When he had woken up, Keela had been in bed, her faced pinched with worry even in her sleep. He had thought it may have been a bad dream so he’d let her sleep in. This had to be far more serious than a nightmare. He paced the floor and finally came to his senses and forced some beer down her throat. His mother had done the same when he was young whenever he had a fever. Keela stirred and murmured. He grinned at her and determined he would ask her what happened when she felt better.
***
A few hours later my depression was gone and I was just happy my little spell was over. Ailin tread lightly around the house and seemed afraid that if I had to lift a finger it would come back. He made potato soup from his own garden. It was very different from his famous mutton stew as it had many more savory potatoes and was seasoned differently. I ate quietly but Ailin rambled on about the weather, gossip he’d heard in town, anything but the sea. Then finally he asked, “What happened to you Keela?” I dropped my spoon on the table and thought about how to tell him without upsetting him too much. “Ailin, it’s been a month since you captured me and my pelt.” He winced. I continued, “I knew my sisters would coast so last night I went down to the beach. They were there but they were angry at me and hurt my feelings. I was extremely sad because my sisters are mad at me and….” I trailed off. He nodded and said nothing of it for the rest of the night.
The next morning I woke up humming the song that had woven itself into my dreams. Ailin was letting the sheep out and milking the goat. I sang to myself and cut up some carrots and potatoes for whatever meal we would make later today. It was cloudy outside and the breeze that came through the window chilled me to the bone. I put on my white dress and draped a warm brown shawl around my shoulders. Ailin rushed into the cottage shivering violently. He put a coat on and listened to the song that I still sang. Then he brought his violin out and played the same soothing song I had just been singing. I laughed with surprise. “We’ll call it Keela’s song.” He put his violin down and then came over and chucked my chin. “You know love, for these past few weeks I haven’t only been fishing. I have a surprise for you!!” I smiled thinking it was a pretty piece of jewelry. He tied one of my aprons around my head to make a sort of blind fold. He led me out of the cottage and into the howling wind. We journeyed until I felt the violent rocking of the boat underneath my feet. I gingerly sat down. The waves were very rough and my heart raced, fearing that the waves would be the killer ones from my horrible dream. Before long, the boat scraped the land and I stepped out of the boat. We trudged up a steep slope and then, he took the apron off. In front of me was a pretty white washed cottage with an empty flower bed in front of it. It was the cottage I had imagined the day Ailin had proposed to me. I clapped my hands with glee. Ailin gestured at the door and I stumbled inside. I immediately was in a little room with a stove and a large table. There were drawers on one of the walls containing spices among other things. There was a doorway which led to a bedroom with a big window overlooking the sea. Giddily, I opened the dresser and was surprised to find three beautifully made dresses. I carefully closed the drawer containing them and spotted another doorway. This was also a small bedroom. There was one final doorway leading to a little room with two chairs in it. This room had a huge window that took up most of the wall covered in glass. I knew that even a small amount of glass costed an arm and a leg. I noticed a rectangular outline on the opposite wall. Suddenly, spun me around and said, “That’s a secret doorway into the kitchen. Do you like it?” I giggled and replied, “Ailin, I love it!!! Thank you so much! Why did you do this? It must’ve cost you a fortune!!” Ailin smirked and mumbled, “That’s my little secret.” I hugged him. He continued, “We come here as much as you’d like. We could even live here if I sold the house and built a new barn or shed. It’ll take a while but it’ll be much better than living in that other tiny thing.”
“Oh Ailin let’s live here!! You don’t even have to sell the old one in case you go into town and it’s stormy and you can’t make it back.” He nodded thoughtfully. I threw my arms around him again.

Selkie Story

He was down on one knee. I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t even paid attention to him proposing to me! I nodded vigorously and felt as though I could fly. He slipped a sparkling silver ring on my finger and rose. “Well it’ll be getting dark in a while shall we head back?” I nodded, still speechless at my surprise. He led me to the boat and we drifted away from the island.

***
Dubheasa was thrilled at having swum with her sister. When they had gotten to the island she had sped away to a hidden spot where she could watch Aurnia. She saw them eat and dance and laugh and she remembered that Aurnia’s face had looked truly happy. Especially when the human put a ring on her finger. But, Dubheasa also steamed at the human’s nerve. Aurnia had seemed like she was in love. Now she might never come back to the sea and forget about Selkie life altogether. All because of the foolish human. Dubheasa swam back to Allana and they flopped onto Seal Island together. (Seal Island was an island that seals went to sleep and give birth. Selkies only coast when they are willing to.) Dubheasa told her sister about the terrible situation between the human and Aurnia but Allana seemed fine with it. But Dubheasa wasn’t surprised as Allana just wanted everyone to be happy. Dubheasa looked in the direction of the tiny island and could see the row boat heading back to the other bigger island. As Aurnia and the man passed, she waved and Dubheasa heard the man call her something strange. Was it Keela? Now the human had renamed her. She groaned and rolled over and waited for the sun to go down.

***



We arrived at home just as the sun set. We were full from our late dinner and went straight to sleep. Well, I didn’t, though Ailin was snoring softly on his chair as soon as he sat down. I admired my ring in the moonlight and wondered if I would ever find my pelt and go back to the sea. Maybe my Mother’s captor Neil would have a hint as to where fishermen kept Selkie skins. But the more I thought, the more I realized that I didn’t want to go back just yet.
The next few weeks were very dull. Ailin went fishing for longer and when he was done he would ride in to town to sell his fish. I would stay in the cottage all day gazing out the window and starting the Selkie stew. One day, I was getting very restless so I decided I wanted to climb down the cliff and to the small beach that was near our cottage. I walked to the cliff in the morning and was only halfway down it by noon. The rare hand holds I could find were shallow and skinny. I finally made it down to the little beach near an hour later but the difficult climb was worth it. Mussels were abundant and the water looked very clean. It was a good thing I was wearing my Coasting dress because right then and there I splashed into deeper water and I swam out. Dubheasa appeared instantly and I could sense her anger. Her voice echoed in my mind, “Aurnia!!! You are letting this man who is your captor make you forget that you’re a Selkie! I can tell you haven’t even been searching for your skin and now you’re going to marry the man!! He has given you another name! How could you do this?!?” Her outburst shocked me. “Dubheasa, I….” I thought about what I was going to say and realized I really did love Ailin, wrong as it was. I continued, “Dubheasa I love him. I’m sorry I’m not doing what’s expected of me. By the way our mother died.” Shock crossed Dubheasa’s face but then she spat, “That doesn’t matter anymore. Stop trying to change the subject.” I never knew a Selkie in seal form could be so bitter. This wasn’t like Dubheasa. “Dubheasa,” I murmured, “I’m not ready to start looking yet. I can feel that there is something else I need to do as a human. I’ll start searching as soon as I can.” Dubheasa gave me the dirtiest look a seal could give and ducked under water. I sighed quietly and swam back to the little beach. The sun was already almost down so I began to climb the sheer cliff face.
I was hungry and cold by the time I reached the top. I had climbed up a different way so I was lost too. I shivered against the wind and wandered around above the cliff. It was very strange how lost one could get in the dark. There was no moon out so all I could do was listen to the sea and trip over my own feet as I walked. I went the opposite direction of where the sun had set and after hours and hours, I found the Coasting beach. I crawled into Ailin’s boat and fell asleep.
In the morning, the sea was rough and I scrambled out of the rocking boat and onto the beach. I made my way to the cottage and saw that Ailin was gone. I knew he was probably out looking for me. I looked down at my pretty ring and felt extremely guilty. I sat down and suddenly last night’s dream came rushing back. I had dreamt that my seal skin was tucked under one of the benches in the rowboat. I had picked it up and suddenly I had seen myself as a seal lying in the boat being tossed around by waves taller than the cliff I’d climbed yesterday. Then I was human again and I was on Ailin’s little island seeing Ailin struggle to keep the boat afloat in the gargantuan waves. I watched as the boat got smashed in half by the biggest wave of all and saw Ailin trying to swim to me. I was rooted to where I was, unable to help. His head had disappeared and I’d screamed. Then I had gotten woken up by the churning sea. I began to cry as my horrible dream really sank in. It was an embodiment of the things that I loved the most.
I wished I had my mother to talk to. When I was young I would tell her my dreams and she’d always be able to interpret them and make me feel better. I knew that if I told her she’d say the same thing I thought and tell me that whatever choice I did end up making, it would all turn out fine. I was comforted for a moment by this, but I couldn’t get rid of the sick feeling in my stomach all morning.