Selkie Revenge Part 3
Tales of the TawsheSelkie Revenge - Part 3
“I am returning your gift,” Bray announced.“That is unnecessary. It was a gift. You keep it,” the fisherman insisted.“I am afraid I cannot do that. I did not understand what it was when I accepted it.”The fisherman’s face turned mean and his eyes grew cold. “What do you mean? It is a seal skin, nothing more.”“You know that is not true,” Adel injected. “It is a Selkie skin and you should be ashamed of what you are doing. Now, take the skin back and put an end to the poor woman’s suffering.” She grabbed the skin from Bray’s hand and tried to pass it to the man, but he pulled away as the skin touched him, slamming the door on them.“Go away!” he screamed from behind the door.“Your gift is returned,” Adel shouted back. “We are leaving it on the chair, but we will return tomorrow morning to make sure you have given it to its rightful owner.”***Aramas found the fisherman sitting on a chair outside his hovel of a house. He was holding a seal skin in his hands and displayed anger in the hunched nature of his posture, until he saw Aramas’ four companions.“We would ask a question of you, good man,” Aramas said as they came close. The man did not answer, so Aramas continued. “We are looking for a young man who we believe you had commerce with. It has been suggested that you traded him a boat for labour some time ago. Do you recall him?”This time the fisherman showed interest. He looked knowingly at the assassins. It was not difficult to guess their purpose from their appearance and the weapons they carried. “I remember him, in fact he returned here tonight. You just missed him.”Aramas’ bowels almost let go as he realized what was being said. Before he could utter another word, one of the assassins spoke. His voice was cruel. “Where did he go?”“I do not know where he went, but I might know where he will be tomorrow morning. You mean to kill him, do you not?”“Do you have a problem with that?” the assassin growled as he rested his hand on the handle of his sword.“Not at all, I yearn to see him dead, but I need this skin returned to him before he is killed. If you will force him take it back, I will tell you where he will be.”The assassins looked one to the other. “It means we will not be able to use a bow.”“We are four. He is only one.”“But he did kill the prince. He must be a master swordsman.”“He had Nadian swords when he did that. He does not have them anymore.”“Are we agreed?” The four assassins nodded their accord.***A short distance along the coast Bray, Adel, and Clamcraver sat around a small cooking fire. Their boat was pulled up on the sand of the beach. Their meal was finished. They were relaxing.“I have never seen you use your magic,” Clamcraver said to Adel.“That is because I do not possess any magic,” Adel replied with a laugh. I can sense it that is all.”“I can sense your magic. You do not have to try to hide it from me,” Clamcraver replied with a questioning look.“You are most likely sensing the magic in my coat or in the blankets we use. They are both of Far Darrig origin.”“I can see that you are being truthful with me, but you are mistaken. You possess magic. I will prove it if you wish.”Bray moved forward slightly. He knew that Adel was uncomfortable with her ability to sense magic. He was interested to see what she would do in this situation. He felt that she had matured quite a bit over the time they had been together, but would she or could she accept what the Selkie was saying. Bray believed the Selkie. It was an accepted fact that all the fair-folk could see magic. It was often said that they could she a person’s essence.“I think you are wrong,” Adel told Clamcraver, “but go ahead and try to prove it.”A clam shell appeared in the Selkie’s hand. “Catch,” he said as he tossed it towards her.Adel snatched the shell from the air and held it in her open palm. “It is only a clam shell. What does that prove?”“Only a clam shell? It looks like fire to me,” Clamcraver announced, and sure enough Adel now held a flame in her palm.She held her hand out farther. “There is no heat, it does not burn. It is an illusion.”“Of course it is an illusion. That is the simplest magic to perform, but it is your illusion.”“No. You created it. I am only holding it.”“I created the clam shell illusion. When I suggested it was fire, you changed its form, and you can change it again whenever you want. Think of something you want it to be, but do not tell me what it is. Concentrate on changing the fire to the new item.”They watched Adels palm. Nothing happened for a few moments until suddenly the fire was replaced by a clay mug. Adel flinched when the change occurred. Her movement caused the item to tumble from her hand, but instead of stopping on the ground it passed into the sand.Before Adel could say anything else Bray hissed, “Someone comes.” He rolled away from the fire into the shadow of the boat. The others followed his example; in a heartbeat the camp fire was deserted.Bray could hear faltering footsteps in the sand. Whoever was approaching was not trying to surprise them. There was too much noise for that. Bray waited but even before the figure lurched into the dying light of the fire he smelled the blood.“Help me,” the person moaned just before collapsing to the sand, a crossbow bolt protruding from his back.
Bray’s low whistle told Adel to stay hidden as he slipped around the boat into the darkness behind. He prowled the beach in both directions before returning to their camp. Whoever this person was, he was alone.
“I am returning your gift,” Bray announced.“That is unnecessary. It was a gift. You keep it,” the fisherman insisted.“I am afraid I cannot do that. I did not understand what it was when I accepted it.”The fisherman’s face turned mean and his eyes grew cold. “What do you mean? It is a seal skin, nothing more.”“You know that is not true,” Adel injected. “It is a Selkie skin and you should be ashamed of what you are doing. Now, take the skin back and put an end to the poor woman’s suffering.” She grabbed the skin from Bray’s hand and tried to pass it to the man, but he pulled away as the skin touched him, slamming the door on them.“Go away!” he screamed from behind the door.“Your gift is returned,” Adel shouted back. “We are leaving it on the chair, but we will return tomorrow morning to make sure you have given it to its rightful owner.”***Aramas found the fisherman sitting on a chair outside his hovel of a house. He was holding a seal skin in his hands and displayed anger in the hunched nature of his posture, until he saw Aramas’ four companions.“We would ask a question of you, good man,” Aramas said as they came close. The man did not answer, so Aramas continued. “We are looking for a young man who we believe you had commerce with. It has been suggested that you traded him a boat for labour some time ago. Do you recall him?”This time the fisherman showed interest. He looked knowingly at the assassins. It was not difficult to guess their purpose from their appearance and the weapons they carried. “I remember him, in fact he returned here tonight. You just missed him.”Aramas’ bowels almost let go as he realized what was being said. Before he could utter another word, one of the assassins spoke. His voice was cruel. “Where did he go?”“I do not know where he went, but I might know where he will be tomorrow morning. You mean to kill him, do you not?”“Do you have a problem with that?” the assassin growled as he rested his hand on the handle of his sword.“Not at all, I yearn to see him dead, but I need this skin returned to him before he is killed. If you will force him take it back, I will tell you where he will be.”The assassins looked one to the other. “It means we will not be able to use a bow.”“We are four. He is only one.”“But he did kill the prince. He must be a master swordsman.”“He had Nadian swords when he did that. He does not have them anymore.”“Are we agreed?” The four assassins nodded their accord.***A short distance along the coast Bray, Adel, and Clamcraver sat around a small cooking fire. Their boat was pulled up on the sand of the beach. Their meal was finished. They were relaxing.“I have never seen you use your magic,” Clamcraver said to Adel.“That is because I do not possess any magic,” Adel replied with a laugh. I can sense it that is all.”“I can sense your magic. You do not have to try to hide it from me,” Clamcraver replied with a questioning look.“You are most likely sensing the magic in my coat or in the blankets we use. They are both of Far Darrig origin.”“I can see that you are being truthful with me, but you are mistaken. You possess magic. I will prove it if you wish.”Bray moved forward slightly. He knew that Adel was uncomfortable with her ability to sense magic. He was interested to see what she would do in this situation. He felt that she had matured quite a bit over the time they had been together, but would she or could she accept what the Selkie was saying. Bray believed the Selkie. It was an accepted fact that all the fair-folk could see magic. It was often said that they could she a person’s essence.“I think you are wrong,” Adel told Clamcraver, “but go ahead and try to prove it.”A clam shell appeared in the Selkie’s hand. “Catch,” he said as he tossed it towards her.Adel snatched the shell from the air and held it in her open palm. “It is only a clam shell. What does that prove?”“Only a clam shell? It looks like fire to me,” Clamcraver announced, and sure enough Adel now held a flame in her palm.She held her hand out farther. “There is no heat, it does not burn. It is an illusion.”“Of course it is an illusion. That is the simplest magic to perform, but it is your illusion.”“No. You created it. I am only holding it.”“I created the clam shell illusion. When I suggested it was fire, you changed its form, and you can change it again whenever you want. Think of something you want it to be, but do not tell me what it is. Concentrate on changing the fire to the new item.”They watched Adels palm. Nothing happened for a few moments until suddenly the fire was replaced by a clay mug. Adel flinched when the change occurred. Her movement caused the item to tumble from her hand, but instead of stopping on the ground it passed into the sand.Before Adel could say anything else Bray hissed, “Someone comes.” He rolled away from the fire into the shadow of the boat. The others followed his example; in a heartbeat the camp fire was deserted.Bray could hear faltering footsteps in the sand. Whoever was approaching was not trying to surprise them. There was too much noise for that. Bray waited but even before the figure lurched into the dying light of the fire he smelled the blood.“Help me,” the person moaned just before collapsing to the sand, a crossbow bolt protruding from his back.
Bray’s low whistle told Adel to stay hidden as he slipped around the boat into the darkness behind. He prowled the beach in both directions before returning to their camp. Whoever this person was, he was alone.
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