Archive of Our Own

In a secluded pub of a remote village, in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands, flickering firelight danced across an old storyteller’s face as a hush of anticipation fell about the room.  His armchair sat in pride of place beside the peat fire, his gnarled hand wrapped around a large glass of whisky.  He looked around slowly, making sure he had everyone’s attention.

His weather-beaten face was criss-crossed with leathery wrinkles, some so deep there were sure to be many tales hidden there.  His light blue eyes brightened with enthusiasm as he began to speak.

“I believe the young folk want to hear a local tale,” he stated softly in his lilting Highland accent.

A few heads nodded as he leaned forward and tapped the bowl of his pipe against the slate fireplace, depositing its contents into the fire.

A man’s voice boomed from the side of the room, “Seamus, how many times do I have to tell you that there is no smoking in the bar?”

Seamus’ eyes squinted in mischief and he sighed, putting his pipe back into the pocket of his threadbare tweed jacket.  He winked at one of the youngsters sitting on the floor at the foot of his parents and sat back in his seat.

“So, tonight I will tell you of the selkie that lives in the loch out yonder.” He pointed beyond the window to the large body of water across from the pub.  His voice hushed and he held up a finger in front of his face. “Now, before I begin, I want you to know that this is a true story, for I saw the selkie with my own eyes.”

A muted murmur rippled amongst the small crowd, revealing they were already eagerly enthralled.  Old Seamus knew how to work an audience, especially one like this that believed in fairy tales and superstitions.

“When I was a young lad, I was with my father out on his little fishing boat.  It was a beautiful summer’s day; blue skies, sun shining, flat calm water.  We were in the middle of the loch and I was helping him pull in the fishing nets when I felt a shiver go down my spine.  My father must have felt it too because we both looked up at the same time and saw a wall of fog creeping down the loch towards us.  Now, we had listened to the radio that morning and there was no indication of any bad weather.”

He took a sip of his whisky and continued on.

“By the time the fog reached us, the wind picked up and the waves became very rough.  They shook the boat so much that my father and I fell, and the oars slipped from their rowlocks into the water.  We tried to stand many times to try get them back, but the wind was so strong it kept knocking us down, so we held onto each other for dear life as the spray of the water battered onto our backs.”

A ripple of “oh’s” ran through the audience.

“My father shouted for help, but no-one could hear us over the howl of the wind and the waves.  All of a sudden there was a clearing in the fog, and I could see her — the selkie.  She was covered with grey fur and little brown flecks on her face.  Of course, she was in the water, so she looked like a seal, but her eyes burned straight into mine and on instinct I threw a rope out to her and she grabbed in her mouth.”

A ripple of “ah’s” this time.

“The selkie grabbed that rope and started pulling the boat.  We couldn’t see where we were going, and I thought that maybe she would be taking us to the rocks where we would crash and drown but I trusted her.  It took her almost an hour, but she pulled us back to the beach outside our croft, as if she knew where we lived.  We were soaked to the skin and my mother was astonished because they hadn’t witnessed any bad weather on land.  It was just us, on the loch.  And that’s how I know that selkies are real.”

He took another sip of whisky as one young girl raised her hand to ask a question.  “Yes, Mhairi,” Seamus encouraged.

The girl fidgeted in her seat as she asked, “How did you know it was a selkie and not a seal?”

Old Seamus smiled, “Good question Mhairi!  I knew she was a selkie and I knew who exactly she was.”

More kids squirmed where they were sitting, excitedly waiting for the answer.

“You see, she didn’t have the black eyes of a seal.  She had human eyes; brown colour surrounded by white.  She had the eyes of a girl who disappeared from our village the year before.”

Another voice, “How did she disappear?”

Seamus leaned forward in his seat as if letting people into a secret. 

“There was a young unmarried lass who was 19 years old.  She was beautiful and had the singing voice of an angel.  One night, a cruel man came to visit the village.  No-one wanted to give him lodgings as his reputation gave tales of his bad temper and malice.  The girl’s father being the local minister felt duty bound to step up and put him up.  He warned his daughters to remain in their room lest the cruel man should see them and want them for himself.

The daughters locked themselves away until they heard shouting come from the lounge.  The girl ran out of the room, downstairs, to see her father cowering in a chair with the cruel man standing above him holding a knife in his hand.  She shouted at him to stop and caused a distraction to allow her father to escape. 

The cruel man stared at her with lewdness in his eyes.  She was so terrified that she turned and fled from the croft into the stormy night.  The cruel man followed her and watched as she ran into the water, having nowhere else to go.  She shouted at him to leave her alone or she would drown, and he sneered at her.  He told her to go ahead and drown for all he cared but if she lived, he would take her and have her for his wife and that she would know no end of his cruelty.

Left with no choice, she fell backwards into the water and let the currents take her away.  She was never seen again, and her body was never recovered and that’s how I know she is the selkie.  In fact, I still see her to this day, watching the village from the safety of the water.”

Another question, this time a woman’s voice, “But seals only live for 30 years and if what you are saying is true, the selkie must be nearly 70 years old.”

Nodding his head as if in deep thought, Seamus paused for a moment and then looked at her, “Och my dear, the selkie is part of the supernatural world, they do not abide by our laws of nature.  They have their own laws and rules.”

He looked over to the bar and looked at the darkly clothed stranger with black hair who had been taking notes all the time he was talking. 

“What say you, stranger?  Do you believe in the supernatural?”

All eyes turned to the outsider as Professor Ben Solo lifted his head from his writings and looked over to the storyteller in shock.

~~~

The crowd dispersed and the children headed home, their parents staying behind to continue their evening at the pub. 

Ben motioned to the barman, “Give me a large of whatever he’s drinking, and I’ll have a large Highland Park.”

The barman poured two whiskies. Ben picked them up and walked over the storyteller,  placing his down on the table beside the armchair and handing the other to Seamus.

“That was an interesting story you were talking about there,” Ben stated, looking at Seamus.

“Thank you, lad.  Will you sit down?” he replied. “You have me at a disadvantage, I don’t know your name.”

Ben reached out his hand, “Ben Solo.”

Seamus took it and shook it heartily, “I am Seamus MacIain, fisherman, storyteller, whisky drinker and not in any particular order.”

Ben smiled and let out a soft chuckle as he picked up his glass and swirled the amber liquid, releasing its bouquet.

Seamus continued, “I saw you taking notes up there, do you have an interest in folktales?”

Ben took a sip of his drink, pushed his glasses back up on his nose and looked around the dimly lit bar, “Actually yes.  I work at the University of Edinburgh.  I’m in the history department but I have a particular interest in myths, legends, fairy tales – that sort of thing.”

Seamus nodded his head, “So, are you a professor then?”

“Yes, I am,” the newcomer replied.

“Well professor, you must have a lot of questions then.” Seamus suggested.

“Please, call me Ben and yes, I do have some questions.”

Old Seamus smirked and tapped his glass, “If you keep filling this up, I’ll answer your questions all night.”

Ben grinned at the wily old man, “Sounds like a deal to me!”

~~~

Daylight was beginning to show at the edge of the horizon as the cold wind blew in from the shore.   Ben stood on the pier with his hands tucked deep into his pockets, his shoulders hunched over, trying to keep warm, as he made patterns in the air with the vapour from his breath.

His beanie hat was pulled down over his ears and his hair hung down at the back.  He stomped his feet, willing them to warm up as the wind cut right through him.  He was tired, hungover, but still bouncing with anticipation. 

Of course, he didn’t expect to see a selkie – they were only urban legends after all – but to spend time with someone so close to the source of a tale was a chance he would probably never get again.  He had spent most of his vacations since graduating from university, travelling the world in search of folk tales, and this was the most excited he had felt in a long time.

From behind him came the voice of Old Seamus, “Aye lad, there you are! I thought that you perhaps wouldn’t make it after last night.”

“Oh, I’ll live,” Ben groaned, his head still groggy despite the painkillers he had taken before he left his hotel.  “Which one is your boat?”

Seamus lifted his hand and pointed to an old wooden fishing boat tied up the side of the pier. The paint was faded and peeling off in chunks, tyres were roped to its side and a rusty anchor was lying haphazardly at the rear.  “That’s my wee darlin' there,” he said with not a little pride in his voice.

“Is it seaworthy?” Ben asked sceptically.

Seamus chuckled and started to walk towards the boat, “Och lad, this is the finest vessel this side of the Atlantic.  Get your gear and come onboard.”

Once Ben had climbed aboard, Seamus promptly handed him an old yellow waterproof anorak and a life jacket.  “One will keep you warm, and the other will keep you alive should you fall overboard.”

Ben looked at him hesitantly, “Thanks… I guess!”

The thirty-minute journey passed off pleasantly as the two men chatted, with Seamus pointing out things of interest along the way.  The sea loch was surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges as they headed out to sea, and as the sun continued to rise, the cold wind swiftly lost its bite and Ben was able to relax.  He pulled his camera from his bag, taking photos whilst the waves calmed. His thumping head eased a little and he looked around for a bob of seals. 

Seamus cut the engines and they drifted on the tranquil waters.  The silence was welcoming.   

“Look lad, over there.”  Seamus handed him a pair of binoculars and Ben followed the direction he was pointing.  “Can you see them, a large group of seals on the rocks by the lighthouse?”

Ben held the binoculars up to his squinted gaze and after a moment found the group of ten seals where Seamus had pointed to.  The lighthouse was situated on a high cliff with a rocky beach below.  The beach itself was in a sheltered bay at the head of the loch, at the cusp of the ocean.  He could make out a set of stairs that were cut into the rocks leading down from the lighthouse to the shore.

“Yes, I can see them.” Ben marvelled. 

“Good,” Seamus continued, “and can you see the stairs?  That’s how they got the supplies up to the lighthouse before it was automated.  There’s no road up there.”

“Is this the last place you saw the selkie?” he inquired, looking to Seamus with rapidly increasing curiosity.

“Aye, it was,” the fisherman replied with a touch of sadness in his voice, his eyes trailing off into the distance. “The last time I saw her was over ten years ago, just after her sister died.  I dare say she has probably passed on, such a shame.”

Ben returned his attention back to searching through the binoculars, studying the terrain of the beach and the cliff above.  “Do you think it would be possible to get permission to camp on the cliff for a few days to study the seals?”

“I dare say you would, but you will want to keep an eye on the weather — it can turn on a sixpence here.”

Ben turned to face Seamus. “That selkie girl,” he prodded optimistically, “Did she stay close to this lighthouse?  Are we able to see where she lived?

“That I can do, Ben” he replied cheerfully, with a wink.  “Once you help me pull up some of my crab pots!”

Seamus started up the engines and headed to the fishing grounds where he had deposited his pots the day before. After all, it would be such a waste to have a big strong lad on his boat and not use him, especially now as he was getting older and his joints ached with arthritis.

He took one last look around as he headed back into the cabin to steer the boat whilst Ben sat down with his camera in his lap.

In the distance, a lone grey fur head bobbed in the water, watching the boat intently.

~~~

Rey’s favourite thing to do was to ride the currents through the kelp beds, weaving through the strands of seaweed with an occasional flick from her flippers, and feeling the rush of the water over her body.  The bubbles she created by twisting and turning her body would tickle her nose and make her laugh.  She was curious and delighted in constantly tormenting the sea urchins and star fish by nudging them with her snout and dislodging them from their rocks and seabed.

Since being chased into the sea by the cruel man, and then barely acknowledged by the other seals, Rey had spent most of her life alone and isolated.  Although the seal colony was nearby, she always kept herself a safe distance away.  She knew they tolerated her, but her differences were easy to see, especially her eyes.  Rey had never met anyone else like her, she was an anomaly, a freak of nature, destined to never love and be loved, and to never to have a family.

Old Seamus was the nearest she had to any kind of family.  She would watch the familiar wooden boat from time to time, taking comfort in listening to the old fisherman’s gruff voice.  He was a lifeline to a world taken from her. Her heart ached thinking of all the time that had been lost with her sister and father, but she could never return.  She wouldn’t be safe until she was sure the man who had chased her from her home was dead.

When Seamus was alone on his boat, he always spoke to the ocean as if he knew she was still there. He would tell her stories of the people she knew from the past, but these stories were dwindling as one by one they left the village or passed on.  The day he told her of her sister’s death she had listened with tears in her eyes.  That was the last time Rey had shown herself to him, her tears unseen, swallowed by the swell of the ocean.

She had watched over the years as he had grown into a handsome, strong, man and now, he was in his twilight.  The lines and wrinkles on his face, his grey hair, his stooped posture and slower pace only emphasized the fact that he was aging, and that she was not.  She knew at some point soon he would no longer be strong enough to come onto the water by himself and she was determined to say farewell to him in her own way.

Today, however, was not to be that day. 

When the engine of the boat had cut out, Rey instantly heard Seamus’ voice and she hurried towards him, leaving the safety and comfort of the kelp bed without hesitation — until she picked up a second, much deeper, voice.  She stopped suddenly as a result, the sound transmitting through the water causing a shudder that crawled up her spine.

She breached the surface and floated in the shadow of the mountainside, remaining unseen.  It had been a long time since he had brought a companion with him on the boat.  She was wary, waiting to see if this man was a danger to her.

The stranger stood up and Rey instantly sniggered when she saw the ridiculous jacket that he’d obviously been forced to wear.  Seamus always did have a sense of humour, but his new friend was still a sight to see.  He was tall and broad, his dark hair peeking out from under his hat, and glasses barely hanging on his face that he took off to wipe away the unexpected spray of the water.

She caught snippets of their conversation; seals, lighthouse, camping, Ben. 

His name was Ben.  Rey wasn’t sure why knowing his name made her smile, but it did.  She stayed away from the boat despite her grey fur being almost indistinguishable from the deep water surrounding her, but she continued to strain to hear what was being said.  His voice was different – he wasn’t local.  Her curiosity was piqued as she tried to imagine who he was and where he was from. It had been a long time since she had been in the company of other humans and the unfamiliar but wonderful accents that carried their conversations.  Rey thought she could detect something familiar in his voice and she racked her memory in sound — but unfortunately, it was to no avail.

~~~

The door swung open and the sound of jangling keys being thrown onto a desk awoke Professor Ben Solo with a rude start.

“Fuck’s sake Hux, do you not know how to be quiet?” Ben growled as he swung his legs off the sofa in their shared office , rubbing the back of his neck.

“Burning the midnight oil again, Solo?” Hux retorted, scowling at the empty mugs and mess of papers strewn across the coffee table in the room.  “Are you going to clean up this crap?  I have a meeting with a student in fifteen minutes.”  He looked Ben up and down with the familiar expression of disdain, “And while you’re at it, a shower wouldn’t go amiss either.”

Ben stood and stretched his arms over his head, letting out a loud yawn.  He picked up his papers and placed them in a neat pile on his desk.  Grabbing the dirty mugs, he muttered “Yeah, shower” as he headed out the room.

“And while you’re at it, brush your teeth too.  Your mouth smells like a badger’s arse!”  Hux shouted after him.

Ben hesitated for a moment, “You know Hux – you need to work on your people skills,” he shot back as he slammed the door behind him.

Fifteen minutes later, Ben stood under the warm, pulsing water in the staff shower room in the history department of Edinburgh University.  It had been two weeks since he had returned from his trip to Eilean Roin, and despite being overwhelmed with work, he had spent many evenings investigating tales of selkies from around the Scottish Islands.  Last night he hadn’t even bothered to go home.

He hadn’t come up with much more than Old Seamus had told him.  Newspapers of the time reported a young woman had been lost at sea with no other details.  He had managed, with great difficulty, to negotiate more time off with the Dean to continue his research, so long as he arranged substitutes to cover for his classes.  Hux was not amused at learning he had to cover some of Ben’s classes, but Hux owed him, so Ben didn’t feel unduly concerned.

He had procured some equipment from the university to monitor and record the seal’s activities on the understanding that he share his findings with the Ecology department.  His camping equipment he had borrowed from his father which he had found in surprising good condition despite the conditions they were stored in.  One more day and he would be heading back to the north of Scotland to set up his project.  That reminded him, he needed to call Old Seamus.

~~~

Two days later Ben pulled into the car park of Eilean Roin Hotel and parked up as close as he could to the pier.  His old trusty Landrover had complained bitterly during the 200 miles from the university to the village, being laden down as it was with equipment and supplies for his trip. 

He took a moment to look around.  The peaks of the mountains were dusted with a fresh fall of snow — common for this time of year — and there were just a few leaves left on the deciduous trees.  The fallen foliage littering the ground was whipped up into mini whirlwinds by the never-ending breeze coming off the water.  Ben shuddered and pulled his woolly hat and gloves from his jacket pocket and put them on, bracing himself against the chill.

He had checked the weather forecast before he left Edinburgh.  It was to be cold with a touch of frost, but fortunately there was to be a spell of dry weather which would work well for him and allow him to set up his equipment to monitor the seal colony.

Hearing the sound of someone approaching, Ben smiled as he heard Old Seamus’ voice behind him, “Aye, you made it safe lad.  You're awfu’ keen wanting to camp at this time of year, but I daresay you’re hardy enough.”

Seamus reached out his hand and Ben shook it warmly before pulling him in for a hug.  “Nice to see you too old man!”

“Old man indeed!” Seamus huffed as he stepped to the side, taking a look at the contents of Ben’s Landrover.  “Best get started with loading the boat.  Are you sure you need all that stuff?” he asked, gesturing to the severely over-packed car.  It was a miracle that it even made it up here.

“Yup, it’s the only way the university would let me take time off during term-time.”

“Well, get busy loading and I’ll fire up the engine.  Tell me you brought some warm clothes this time,” Seamus shouted as he walked towards the pier.

“Yes, old man,” Ben muttered with amusement under his breath.

~~~

Two hours later, after all his gear had been unloaded onto the pebble beach near the bottom of the lighthouse, Ben waved goodbye to Seamus.  They had agreed that Seamus would stop by every three days to replenish his food supply and bring any other essentials he needed.

He turned to look at the stairs carved into the rock of the cliff.  They were dangerously uneven and offered no place to hold onto as he began the precarious climb up, with his camping gear balanced on his back.  He couldn’t remember them being this steep when he saw them last from the boat, and he had to stop halfway up to catch his breath.  The steps were slippery, water dripping onto them from the exposed roots of heather, and grass clinging on for dear life to the cliff side.

High tide had passed and as the water retreated, rows of seaweed with pieces of driftwood littered the coastline.  He looked down onto the beach, and watched the nervous seals slowly begin to return. They had panicked when he first pulled up in the boat, barking loudly, and hauling their awkward bodies frantically to the shore before diving straight into the sea.  He was sure they would settle down once he set up the observation equipment he had brought, and so far it looked like he was right. 

After another arduous climb, Ben finally reached the top of the cliff, gladly dumping all his equipment on the ground.  The white lighthouse was surrounded by a stone wall, also painted in a similar shade of ivory, and he set off to try find a sheltered spot to pitch his tent. 

“Yes!” Ben exclaimed as he reached the wall and found a patch of grass tucked in-between it and the lighthouse.  It would certainly protect him from the worst of the elements, and thankfully keep his equipment safe.  He ran his hand along the wall, imagining the effort it would have taken to haul the stone up the cliff to build it and the lighthouse.   That awe-inspiring thought would certainly be enough to send his historian brain into overdrive.

A few hours later, with his tent safely pitched, and his camping equipment set up, Ben headed back down the cliff to retrieve the monitoring equipment he had left on the beach.  The Ecology department had sent him off with very specific instructions, and he needed to make the most of the remaining daylight to work out how to set it all up safely.

~~~

Rey was busy hunting when she heard the slow, droning engine of the fishing boat come to a stop, followed shortly by the squeals of the seal colony as they had crashed towards the sea in a panic.  She laughed to herself as she bobbed in the water, watching the spectacle before her.  She harboured no ill-will towards the colony, but she did rather enjoy watching their peace being disturbed.

Her attention was quickly drawn away when she saw movement from the boat and the two men that were in it.  The first she immediately knew as her friend, Old Seamus, but the second one, she couldn’t make out although he was vaguely familiar.  She swam closer, jostling past the indignant seals, and tucked herself behind a rock to watch, hidden out of sight.

He was back!  The dark-haired stranger with the glasses — and he was bigger than she had remembered from two weeks ago.  He was carrying bags and equipment from the boat to the shore with such ease.  So much equipment!  Maybe he was there to do work on the lighthouse, or maybe he was one of those strange people who come from time to time, needing to escape the rat race but who will inevitably return back.

She wormed her way closer, her attention still focused on the stranger.  Seamus returned to the boat and headed away as the said stranger waved him goodbye.  Ben, she remembered, his name is Ben.

Rey’s belly was rumbling.  She still hadn’t eaten enough for the day, but she cast that thought aside as her curiosity starkly overrode her hunger.  She watched as Ben hauled equipment up the beach and left it there while he grabbed a large backpack and some other equipment and started climbing the stairs.

Once he was out of sight her inquisitive nature got the better of her and she swam closer to the shore at the same time as the colony began to return to the beach.  The equipment left there was encased in aluminium containers with writing on them, but she was too far away to see what they said.  Her eyesight was very good in the dark, and therefore, she made the decision to return later to find out what was going on.  It had been a long time since she had shed her sealskin to walk on land, but she had to admit to herself that Ben fascinated her.

~~~

“Fuck!” Ben screamed into the air as a heavy aluminium case slipped and fell onto his hand.  The seals had already vacated the beach when he had started working, so he hopped about waving his hand in the air, before tucking it under his other arm to get some relief.

“Fuckin' Eco-wankers,” he muttered under his breath.  Of course, the instructions they left wouldn’t be clear, why on earth wouldn’t they speak in plain English instead of all this science jargon? he thought as he returned to the case to open it. It contained waterproof camera equipment, all set up to be triggered by motion and time lapse, along with diagrams of where to site them for their research.  “Fuck that, they’re getting put where I decide,” he mumbled to himself as he dug through the case to see what he had.

Two hours later, and with much more swearing, Ben had positioned four cameras at either ends of the beach.  Two were set for time lapse and the other two set for motion trigger.  There was also some additional monitoring equipment that Ben had no knowledge of, but he set them up according to instructions and when the light started to fall, he headed back up the cliff.

Grappling about to steady himself, he made himself a promise; First thing tomorrow I’m going to attach a rope to the side of these stairs, so I don’t fall and break my neck!

Later that night, settling into his sleeping bag after having had something to eat, Ben opened the new notebook that he had purchased for this trip, and began to make notes by the light of the small lamp he had brought with him.  His large tent was cool but comfortable, and once he finished, he switched off the light to go to sleep.  The wind had picked up and was blowing steadily, causing the side of the tent to rustle and flap.  He was grateful for the shelter offered by the wall, and he fell asleep entranced by the revolving light from the lighthouse.

~~~

The light of the moon reflected off the water illuminating the beach at the base of the cliff.  The full moon was a few days away, but there were not many clouds to obscure its light.  Rey made her way to the shore, her nerves twisting her stomach with excitement — It had been many, many years since she had shed her sealskin.  She wondered if she would have the strength to walk, or if she would be able to remember to walk at all.

She hauled herself onto the beach, pulling herself along with her front flippers, resting for a moment to catch her breath.  Her arrival had caused a ripple from the colony, but she ignored their commotion and allowed them to settle before changing. 

Rey admired the way the moonlight reflected off of the droplets of water beading her grey fur, marvelling at its beauty.  She would have to hide it in a safe place since it was the only way she could return to her sea home.  If a human found it and kept it, she would be essentially trapped here, on land, away from all that she knew and loved.

Taking a deep breath, Rey shook her head and then her furry frame. She could feel electricity charge through her body as she closed her eyes, willing her skin to shed. 

When she opened them again… nothing.  She remained as she was, sealskin firmly on.

Oh, come on, I know I’m rusty but really! she thought as she steadied herself to try again.  Another failure.

Damn it! she cried inwardly whilst she waited for her racing heart to return to its usual rhythm.

A few minutes later she tried again.  Taking a deep breath, she shook her head and body, and when the electrical charge pulsed through her being again, she continued to shake until she felt a wisp of a breeze under her fur.  Then, like something out of an urban legend, her seal skin slid away and she lay there naked, in her human form, curled up on the beach.

She shivered, although she was uncertain whether it was because of the cold or having not transformed in years.  She lifted her hands and held them in front of her face, turning them over, fascinated by her pruned fingers after spending so long in water.  She ran her hands along her arms enchanted by the silky-smooth texture that she had long forgotten about. 

She grabbed her sealskin and wrapped it around her like a cloak to keep warm, moving her arms and legs, as she tried to gain a sense of her space and size.  Giggling with relief, she moved onto her knees, her legs wavering.  Although there was strength there, she just needed to spend a little time familiarizing herself with her human capabilities. 

Her mind was overwhelmed.  Sensations she had not experienced for years came creeping back.  Her hands ran over the rough texture of the pebbles, and the silky ribbons of seaweed that were washed up on the shore.  She picked up a crab shell and sniffed it, throwing it away in disgust; they definitely smelled fresher underwater.  She breathed the salt air, inhaling big lungfuls as memories of her blissful childhood started to filter back.  Melancholy tears began to track down her face, dropping silently onto her lap as she prodded them with her finger in wonder.

She shrugged and decided to try and stand up.  Placing her hands on the beach, she used them to push herself onto her feet.  It was tricky, and she wobbled as she tried to find her balance, but once she did, she concentrated on standing still until she was stable.  Gingerly, she reached out a pointed toe, then her foot and leg as she attempted to take her first step.  She used her outstretched arms to balance herself, whilst stepping forward and placing her foot down.  She was unsteady but knew she would improve with practice.

Rey took more uneven steps and made her way, haltingly, to the large cases she had seen earlier.  The case was cold to the touch as she ran her fingers around the rim and found latches which she then opened.  Slowly, she raised the lid and peered inside.  There was very little inside apart from some empty boxes and packaging.  Holding onto the case, she crouched down to read the words on the side. 

“Edinburgh University… Ecology Department… handle with care… fragile,” she read out loud, her voice croaky from lack of use.  She put her hand to her throat, startled.

“What does Ecology mean?” she whispered to the wind. 

Rey continued to practice standing up and sitting down, talking and walking until she was exhausted.  Her lack of stamina on land was profound, and she made her way back to the shoreline, where she waded in till the water hit her thighs.  She threw her sealskin over her head, and fell into the water in her selkie form.

~~~

Ben awoke the next morning to the sound of birds squawking and seals barking in the distance.  His body ached, and he had a wicked crick in his neck.  It was blatantly obvious that his sizeable body was not designed for a sleeping bag.  He had awoken through the night, his teeth chattering as the outside temperature had plunged, only to see that he had kicked off the sleeping bag. Of course, it didn’t help that he was only sleeping in his underwear, with no shirt on.

Need to sort that out, he thought as he picked it up and started unzipping it.  It opened up flat, like a bed cover.

“That’s better,” he said out loud, wrapping it around himself to try warm up a little.  He shuffled around his tent to find the gas burner he had brought and quickly lit it to boil some water for coffee.

His huge hands wrapped around the tin mug for warmth, and once he finished his coffee and ate a granola bar for breakfast, he dressed and headed for the cliff.  He took some pegs, a hammer, and rope to begin making a makeshift rope handrail along the steps.

He spent just over an hour hammering in pegs and tying the rope into place before he reached the beach below.  He stood at the bottom, hands on hips, admiring his handiwork, trying to ignore the furious bellowing and barking from the seals.

“Oh, give it up,” he shouted back, whilst heading towards the cameras to check and reset them.  He brought with him the fresh batteries and memory cards and swapped them over for the used ones before heading back up the cliff to his tent.

Among the equipment he had brought were his laptop, spare batteries, and small solar panels to help eke out the power.  The plan was to recharge the camera batteries and download the images from the memory cards, which would be transferred onto the laptop and a separate hard drive so the information could be examined later.  The monitors supplied by the university had long life batteries and didn't require any attention while he was there.

He returned to his tent and put the batteries on to charge, then began to download the images saved on the cards to the laptop.  Once the images were saved, he opened the files to check that everything was in order.  He flicked through the time lapse images quickly, not particularly interested in what they contained.  However, he took his time looking through the motion trigger images wondering what could have set the cameras off; bird, bird, seal, seal, more seals, a pair of naked slim legs… What the fuck!

Ben paused at the image frozen on his screen.  His heartbeat spiked as adrenaline coursed through his body.  What the fuck is going on?   

He saved the image to his desktop and turned his attention back to the time lapse images, his hands shaking, trying to find the corresponding times to match them up and see if he could identify the person in the picture. 

After much searching and toggling between camera frames he found a picture of seals sleeping on the beach and, almost hidden in the background, was the blurry image of a naked woman lying curled up on the pebbles.  He zoomed in on her, but the picture was too grainy to get any identifying details.  He sat back and stared at the screen bewildered, then jumped up, grabbed his jacket and flew down the cliff steps with a sense of panic and terror.  Oh my god, what if she’s injured? What if she fell from a boat?

When he reached the beach, he fumbled his phone from his pocket, his hands trembling, as he dialled 999 to summon help. “FUCK!” he screamed as he looked at the screen and saw no signal.  He pulled back his arm and was about to launch the phone into the cliff wall in sheer frustration, when a moment of clarity caused him to pause and then replace it in his pocket.

Breathing heavily, his heart pounding, Ben hunted the beach, going over the same ground repeatedly, trying desperately to find some trace of the woman or a clue as to what she had been doing.  He tripped over the uneven rocks, stumbling and scraping his hands.  He cried out, his voice hoarse, “Hello, is anybody here?” over and over again. 

His hair was matted to his face with sweat, as he continued to search all of the bay surrounding the beach, until his way was blocked by large outcroppings of rock that disappeared into the sea.

Defeated, he sat on a large rock and looked out towards the gently lapping waves, hoping against hope that the woman was safe.

From the waves, in the shadows, a pair of large brown eyes watched in rapture.

~~~

Rey waited until dusk before heading back to the shoreline.  Ben had left several hours ago, and she was certain that he wouldn’t attempt to navigate the cliff steps in the dark.  She had watched him as he ran back and forth on the beach, obviously looking for something.  She had also heard him shouting, but she didn’t understand who he was looking for.

As the sky turned dark blue and then black, she quietly hauled herself out of the water.  What am I doing? she pondered, even as she shed her sealskin.  The moon was low in the sky, so it was still very dark where she was, and this was one of the rare nights that the air was still.  Again, she wrapped her sealskin around her like a cloak and walked cautiously towards the cliff stairs, ready to dash back to the sea should she be startled.

She was unsure why she was here once again, risking her safety.  Her animal instinct was urging her to flee, to stay away until the stranger was gone, but her human instinct that she had suppressed almost all her adult life was screaming at her to go forward.  It was no longer a choice.  The loneliness of a lifetime on the water; of no-one to comfort her when she was in pain, the lack of touch and of love was usurping her flight or fight instincts.

Cautiously, she began to climb the steep stone stairs.  She held onto the rope handrail to steady herself as her hand brushed against the rocks and vegetation clinging to the cliff wall.  She stopped several times to ease her aching muscles, her legs not used to having not having been used in this way for many years.

The moon continued its rise, and the illumination reflected off the white walls of the lighthouse, which kept eternal guard over the sea.  The moonlight lit a path to the lighthouse and, unable to see any shelter, Rey walked towards it in awe.  The cold stones of the steps were replaced by the soft springy texture of heather on her bare feet as she padded silently around the wall surrounding it.  

She found a gap in the wall, her eyes widening when she discovered a large tent nestled there, sheltered from the wind.  There was a sound of singing coming from within, a beautiful deep baritone voice singing a melody she had never heard before, its source — the silhouette that was cast against the fabric of the tent.  Tears pricked at her eyes as another memory danced before her, of when she was a child and she would listen to her father singing hymns as he scuttled about the kitchen cooking supper.

She leaned against the wall, exhaling softly as she listened to Ben’s voice.  She sank to the ground, her feet flat to the earth, her legs bent, and she waited.  When he stopped singing and the tent went dark, she continued to wait, watching the moon track across the sky, and feeling ripples of a slight breeze float across the fields of heather.

Rey closed her eyes. The smell of the sea was less intense here, and it was cut across with the faint scent of the last of the blooming heather.  Her fingertips were delicately touching the ground, experiencing the differing textures as sparks of recognition flooded her brain. 

Once she decided she had given Ben enough time to fall asleep, she rose to her feet gradually while she considered if her plan was wise.  It’s only a look around, she tried to convince herself.  A quick look and that will be enough, and then I’ll head back to sea.

~~~

Ben Solo lay restless in the dark, he was still wide awake.  He had turned off his lamp an hour ago to save energy, assuming he would fall asleep straight away — but his brain was still too wired from the events of earlier that day.  He started to feel nauseous at the thought of the unknown woman lying injured or dead somewhere and despite trying several times, he was never able to get a signal on his phone to call for help.  “Fuckin’ technology never works when you need it!” he huffed under his breath.

He kicked his legs out in agitation and wrapped his blanket around himself, tucking it under his chin.  In anticipation of being cold again through the night, he had relegated one of his black sweaters with a hole in it and a pair of grey sweatpants to be worn as pyjamas.

Realizing that he was not going to fall asleep any time soon, he groaned, rubbing his hand through his bedraggled hair. He sat up and grabbed his glasses from the floor beside him.  He checked his watch, 11.05pm, and decided to go for a walk to take advantage of the moonlight.  He hadn’t had a chance to appreciate the peace and the stillness of these surroundings which can only be experienced at night.

He put his hand on the zipper and froze when he saw a shadow travel along the side of the tent.  There was someone creeping their way around to the front.

Ben held his breath, his heartbeat hammering in his chest with anticipation, until the shadow reached the front of the tent.  He knew there should be no-one else in the area.  In one swift movement he unzipped the tent, lunged forward and grabbed the intruder’s arm. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” he yelled as he clambered outside, tightening his grip on the struggling interloper.  He heard a muffled scream and drew a sharp breath when he realized it was the voice of a woman.  Surely not?!  he thought.

~~~

Rey screamed as a huge hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her towards the tent.   Cowering in terror, she watched as Ben struggled through the partial opening and then stood tall in front of her.  His hair was dark as night and he was wearing the same familiar glasses, but they could not hide his brown eyes staring at her intensely.  He was one of the tallest men she had ever seen, much bigger than her 5’7” frame.  She trembled as he looked her up and down, gasping when she realized that he had already released his grip and was watching her, wordlessly.

She took a step back, out of breath with her exertions, wary but curious.  She rubbed her wrist with her trembling hand.

Ben held his hands up in a placating manner, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that. Are you alright?  Are you injured?”

Rey looked at him dumbfounded.  His voice, so harsh a moment ago, had mellowed into a beautifully soft baritone.  It was soothing to her ears, and his eyes were so intense that it felt as if they were staring into her very soul.

“Can you talk?  Do you need help?” he continued, his face contorted into an expression of genuine concern as he ran his hand through his hair.

Rey shook her head and gripped her sealskin tighter around her suddenly, all too aware of her nakedness.

“I didn’t think there would be anyone else here — do you have a name?” Ben asked softly, “My name is Ben,” he offered in an attempt to calm her nerves.

Rey nodded her head at him and looked as he waited expectantly.  She tried to talk, but just a hoarse whisper came out.  She tried again, “Rey,” she rasped.

“Hi Rey,” he replied.  His face broke into a wondrous, wide smile and his nose crinkled.  “Your throat sounds sore; would you like something to drink?  I think I may have some lozenges in my bag.”

She simply nodded and watched him as he opened the zipper on his door fully, stepping inside to switch on the lamp so he could rummage around in his bag.  While he was busy, she craned her neck to take the chance to look inside the tent.

To the right was a bed which was low to the ground.  There were books and clothes scattered about the floor, and equipment stacked along the left side. There were things she didn’t recognize; new things that had probably been invented since she was lost to the sea.  She longed to touch them and pick them up, but she wouldn’t risk entering the tent and getting trapped.  She had grown up with tales of selkie women being tricked into staying on shore, and although she was different, because she came from the land originally.  She wasn’t about to allow anyone else the power to decide her fate.

“Found them,” Ben announced as he held a bubble pack of yellow lozenges aloft.  “These are lemon flavoured, is that okay?”  He grabbed a bottle of water and approached her slowly, holding them out to her.

Rey nodded her head and took one of the lozenges.  She brought it up to her face and looked at it before sniffing it and then popping it into her mouth.  Immediately her taste buds exploded, saliva flooding her mouth as the taste of the lemon assaulted her senses.  She sneezed and then gasped in surprise. She covered her mouth quickly with her hand, and unsure if it was shock or delight, she burst into giggles.

She watched Ben as his facial expressions changed.  He looked confused when she gasped but started to relax when he could see she was enjoying the taste in her mouth.  She smiled and nodded her head.  “Tastes good, thank you,” she offered as he returned her smile.

They stood quietly and looked at each other.  Ben cleared his throat and asked, “Can I ask you something?... Who are you?”

Her gaze trailed off into the distance at the question, now seemingly unfocussed.  She wasn’t sure how to answer.  It had been a long time since anyone had asked her about herself and everything, and everyone, that defined her in the past were now gone.

~~~

Ben watched her, open mouthed.  This brown haired, wide eyed beauty was standing in front of him, in front of his tent, and he didn’t know what to do.  She was like nothing he had ever experienced before.  She appeared nervous, flighty like a wild creature, as if she was going to disappear at any second, and he didn’t want her to leave.  He had so many questions, but he knew that he had to gain her trust first.

He pulled out the camp chair from his tent and put it in front of her while he grabbed a box for himself and sat on it, remaining a comfortable distance from her.  “Do you want to talk?” he offered as she lowered herself into the chair, adjusting her sealskin as she did.  “I can talk instead if that helps,” he suggested.

Rey nodded and brushed her hair from her eyes, sitting forward slightly, waiting for him to start. The moonlight illuminated his face, making him look very pale.

Ben began to talk about his work and why he was here, as Rey quietly listened.  He watched her as she closed her eyes, and he swore he could see her swaying slightly from side to side, caught up in the sound of his voice.  He had received many compliments before about his voice from women, and he was never quite sure if they were being serious or mocking him, but the enjoyment Rey was displaying was genuine. He was taken aback by how fiercely he wanted to treasure this moment.  It felt like he was playing a symphony only she could hear.

He spoke of his interest in folk tales, and how his research had taken him all over the world while Rey listened, captivated.  She looked like she was absorbing every word he uttered and clutching it close to her heart.  He was overwhelmed by emotion as she sat and listened to him — actually listening to him  —  like he was the only person in her world.

When he stopped, Rey eyelids fluttered open and she smiled, her almond shaped eyes glistening in the moonlight. 

“Thank you,” she sighed in contentment.  “It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to such a melodic voice.”  She sat back in her chair.  “I heard you singing earlier, it was beautiful.”

“Oh no, you didn’t hear that did you?” he replied as he cringed, feeling his face getting flushed.  “I don’t sing in front of people, it makes me nervous,” he continued, shuffling his feet in embarrassment.

“Why would you be nervous?  You have such a gift, you should share it with others,” Rey replied sincerely.

Ben laughed.  “Do you sing?” he asked, a hint of hope in his tone.

Rey shook her head, “No, I used to… when I was younger,” she answered sadly.

“Tell me about it, about when you were younger… please,” he begged, longing to hear her talk about herself.  She was an enigma.  This beautiful woman in the wilds of Scotland, wrapped in nothing but fur, looking for all intents and purposes as if she was experiencing things for the first time.  And he had the good fortune to be in her company as she did so.

Rey took a deep breath and cleared her throat.

She looked at Ben who was still perched uncomfortably on top of the box he brought out from his tent.  He had asked her so many questions and she had managed to avoid giving any answers so far, because she simply didn’t know what to say.  How could she explain?  He would think her mad and drive her away and that would surely kill her inside.  To go this long, alone and silent — and then to be rejected by the first human you dare to put a little trust in  — it would devastate her.

“Tell me about it, when you were younger… please?” he pleads, gazing at her like she is the sun and moon combined.

She took a deep breath, and a leap of faith and began.

“I am no-one,” she starts.  “Everyone I know is dead, every place I have been is gone.”  Tears glistened at the corner of her eyes.  “My parents are dead, as is my sister.  I am alone in this world and lonely in another.”

She watched as Ben tentatively reached out his hand in comfort.  She looked down at his soft hand with his long slender fingers, and slowly reached out to touch it.  Her fingertips brushed against his as he enveloped her hand, while his thumb made soft circles on the back of hers.

“I have nowhere to call home but the sea.  It is the only place I feel safe, where I can’t be harmed.”  She hesitated as she spoke, her body trembling.  “I could tell you more, but you wouldn’t believe me.  They would say I’m crazy and lock me up.  They would call me delusional  — put me in an asylum and stick electrodes in me.” She paused as she felt panic rising.

Staying silent, Ben continued to hold her hand. 

Rey continued, “You told me that you are researching folk tales and such.”

He nodded.

“How many have you found to be true?”

Ben sighed, “Well, I have found that some that have an element of truth to them.”

“Such as?”

“Such as the nursery rhyme, Ring a Ring o’ Roses”

Rey started to recite the rhyme. “Ring a ring o’ roses, a pocket full of posies, A-tishoo, a-tishoo, we all fall down.”

Ben lifted a corner of his mouth in a half smile.  “That nursery rhyme is about the black death in the middle ages.  The stench of death was everywhere so people used to carry anything scented to try hide the smell, which is the pocket full of posies or flowers.  The A-tishoo part is one of the symptoms where people sneezed and falling down was when they died.” 

She pondered for a moment and then smiled in return, “Morbid, but interesting!”

Ben looked thoughtful, then cocked his head and asked, “Do you know of any folk tales from this area?”

Rey’s face fell as her stomach began to twist, “What do you mean by that?” she asked, almost defensively.

“Well, I just thought that living in this area you may have been told stories by the older people in the community.”  He gave a slight shrug, “A few weeks ago, I heard an old storyteller tell of a selkie who lives here.  He was adamant that she was real.”

Panicking, Rey jumped up from her seat knocking it backwards onto the ground, “It’s time for me to go,” she blurted as she took to her heels and ran.  The clifftop was now blanketed in mist, its pensive gloom enveloping her and obscuring her from view.  She ran through the gap in the wall and headed for a part of the cliff where she knew there were no rocks below the surface of the water. 

She heard Ben behind her, calling out to her and pleading, “No, Rey, please wait.  I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.  Please don’t go.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, taking her sealskin from her shoulders and wrapping it around her head, and diving off the cliff.  She twisted as she fell and changed back to her selkie form, piercing the surface of the water, and swimming away as fast as she could. 

~~~

Ben returned to the tent, beyond angry with himself for ruining his chance of finding out who Rey was.  He kicked the camp chair, slamming it into the wall as his frustrations boiled over.

“Fuck!” he roared into the night, the veins in his neck bulging, “Fuck!”

He paced in front of his tent, back and forth, fists clenched and muttering under his breath, “You’re a fuckin' idiot Ben.  You couldn’t wait, could you? No, you just had to be impatient and fuck it up.”

An idea struck him, and he returned to the tent, zipping the door closed.  He searched frantically through his paperwork, scattering papers all about him until he found the little notebook he had been using the night he heard Old Seamus tell his tale of the selkie.  He flicked through until he found the notes he took that night.

“Grey fur… little brown flecks on her face… brown eyes,” Ben read aloud.  He tried to remember the colour of the fur skin that Rey had wrapped around her, but he couldn’t make it out as it had been too dark. 

“Damn it,” he yelled, throwing the notebook down and beginning to pace.  Exasperated, he grabbed it off the bed and opened it again, his large fingers covering some of the pages.  “I’m too old to believe in folk tales.”

I know Old Seamus is a believer but there are no selkies, —  not in this day and age!  And you managed to chase her off,  you big idiot!  You had one fuckin’ job!

Convinced his imagination had gone into overdrive, he sank down on his bed and grabbed a pen.  Methodically he began to record all the details of the night with Rey, in the hope that Seamus might have some answers on his next visit.

~~~

The next morning, Ben awoke slowly, raking his hands through his hair and stretching before getting up to light the gas stove to make some coffee.  He dressed quickly, trying to heat up.  When the locals had told him that it would be cold, they weren’t kidding!  Of course, camping on top of a cliff, on a peninsula, facing out to sea, certainly didn’t help. 

His notebook and glasses were lying beside his bed, which he picked up to review his last entry.  After the frustrations of the previous night, Ben had developed somewhat of a plan — or rather a few loose ideas — to persuade Rey to talk to him again.

After his coffee, he tore a piece of paper from his notebook and wrote on it.

Dear Rey,

I’m sorry if I frightened you — please know that was not my intention.  I really enjoyed talking with you and I would love to talk with you again but if you feel unable to do so, please have these lozenges to help your sore throat.

Sincerely,

Ben

He read over the note and grabbed a small clear plastic bag.  He placed the note and the lozenges in the bag and stuffed it into his jacket pocket.  He grabbed a pair of binoculars and headed towards the steps pulling on his hat and gloves as he went.

Delicately, he picked his way down the stairs, ensuring not to slip on any ice.  The spare batteries and memory cards rattled in his pockets, and when he reached the bottom, he began the process to replace them in the cameras as he did the day before.  The seals on the beach shuffled and huffed, incensed that their peace was being disturbed, but they settled quickly.

Feeling optimistic, Ben scrambled up a large rock and scanned the area with his binoculars.  The waves were choppy, their white tips dancing chaotically as he tried to find Rey.  Perhaps she was on the land opposite him.  Maybe she had a boat concealed somewhere.  The waves crashed hard against the shore, bringing seaweed and other debris and kicking up spray which rapidly fogged the lenses of the binoculars.

He wiped the lenses a few times, using his sleeves as a makeshift cloth but quickly gave up.  The wind whipped through his hair as he clambered down and he looked about for a rock large enough to hold the letter in place.  He walked over to the aluminium cases, gently placed the rock on top of the bagged letter.  With a sigh, he took a final look around and climbed back to his tent.

~~~

Rey watched from the opposite side of the bay, the swell of the ocean obscuring her view.  She could see him though, standing tall and proud on top of a rock like a sentinel guarding an ancient kingdom, scanning the sea.  She wondered if he was searching for her, and her heart sped up as excitement sizzled through her body.

She had spent much of the night replaying her conversation with Ben.  When she had panicked, she had run for the cliffs and dived into the sea.  Given the passage of a little time, she wondered just what had scared her so much that she fled.

Was it the thought of being revealed as a selkie, or the thought of being forced to return to land, to a place that she didn’t recognize, and to people she didn’t know?  How would she make friends in this new world?  Would her grief overwhelm her, given that she would have to face the fact that her family were gone?  Perhaps Ben could be her friend, or would he see her as some kind of freak?

She had mulled over these questions and many more all night.  She thought of Ben, his soft melodic voice, his concern about her hoarse throat, his hands, his smile.  She thought of him reaching out to offer comfort, his huge hands wrapped around hers, his easy conversation — even the way he shouted an apology into the darkness as she ran off.  Maybe he was worried about her, where she had disappeared to? 

Night-time is long and lonely when your mind won’t let you rest.

Feeling a bit braver in the daylight, Rey challenged herself to let her barriers down a little and to share some of her story with Ben.  She could at least let him know that she was safe, he would surely worry.

She swam to the opposite shore and shed her skin— a transformation that she was learning to do with ease — wrapping it around her to keep warm.  Her wet hair clung to her face and neck despite the wind as she walked to the steps.  She stopped.  She could sense something was different.  Looking around, she spotted a rock on top of the aluminium case with something underneath.  Always curious, she made her way over and found a small package.

She pushed the rock away and picked up the bag with the note and lozenges inside.  Her hands shook as she read it.  Ben’s handwriting was beautiful and so elegant, and he wanted to talk to her again.  He wants to talk to me again! she thought as she hugged the note to herself.  Feeling exhilarated, Rey took a deep breath, headed for the stairs and started climbing.

~~~

Ben lay spread-eagled on his bed, reading a National Geographic Magazine he had picked up in the village before heading out.  He flicked through it, not really paying attention to it as his mind was elsewhere.  He had suffered a fitful and restless sleep the night before, switching between writing his notes and replaying the conversation he had with Rey until the early morning.

He laid the opened magazine on his chest, resting his head on the pillow, thinking of her.  Sighing, he ran over the details of the previous night for the umpteenth time, wondering where she was, what she was doing.  Was she really a selkie, or was he imagining things?  Was it wishful thinking, or was she living somewhere close by?  Seamus had told him there was no-one living in the area and not to expect to see anyone.

He closed his eyes and tried to visualize her, her flowing hair in the breeze, her bright eyes twinkling with laughter, her legs wrapped around his waist.  Oh no, no, no, Ben Solo.  We are not going there! he chided himself.

The sound of a throat clearing and a soft “hello” snapped his mind out of his daydream, and he jumped up, exclaiming “hello” in return.  His heart fluttered; it was Rey, she had returned.

He unzipped the tent door and looked at her standing in front of him, wrapped in her fur.  She shivered, her hair still wet as he stood motionless, staring at her.

Holding up the bag, Rey smiled at him and softly said, “Thank you for these.  It’s a really lovely gesture.”

Ben smiled and nodded.  He stepped away from the door and gestured with his arm, “Would you like to come in?  It looks cold out there.”  Ben caught a flicker of hesitation in her eyes and he tried to coax her. “I’ll sit on the bed and you can sit on the chair.  It’s all right, I won’t hurt you.” 

Rey nodded and stepped slowly inside.

Ben’s shoulders relaxed as he let out a breath. He sat on the bed watching Rey settle in the chair and re-arranging her fur to cover herself. 

“Are you cold, I have some spare clothes; t-shirts, sweaters, trousers, socks — if that helps.”

Rey nodded and Ben handed her a sweater, sweatpants and socks which she slid on.  Closing her eyes, she nuzzled into the sweater and wrapped her arms around herself, hugging herself while she relished the texture and the heat.

“Would you like some coffee? Something to eat?” Ben offered.

Rey’s eyes perked up, “Coffee?” she asked as she broke into a huge grin.  “I haven’t had coffee in a long time,” she hummed excitedly.

“One coffee coming right up!” Ben replied, as he lit the gas stove, putting on a pot of water on to boil.

There was a pause for a moment before Rey broke the awkward silence.  She lowered her head and stared at her hands. “Ben, I want to apologize for running off like that last night.  I… I didn’t mean to alarm you.”

Ben turned to face her, “Don’t apologize Rey, I’m so sorry if I said something to upset or embarrass you.  It’s just… I never know when to stop, I’m always putting my foot in it.”

“No, Ben! I haven’t spoken to anyone in such a long time, it was just too much, too soon, but I think I’m ready to talk more now… that’s if you still want to?”

“Of course, I want to, Rey!  I really enjoyed talking to you last night… well, apart from the running away part.”  Ben ducked his head down to try catch her eye, and when she returned his gaze, he smiled.

“Okay, coffee first, then talk,” Ben quipped as he handed Rey a steaming mug of coffee.

“Oh, it’s hot,” she cried in delight as she wrapped both hands around the mug, enjoying the heat before she took a sip.

Ben watched as she sipped the coffee and then closed her eyes in rapture and groaned.  She ran her tongue around her lips, savouring every last drop as Ben watched, fascinated. 

“Good?” he asked.

“Oh yeah,” she replied breathlessly.

He watched as she started to relax into the chair, nursing the mug in her hands.  She let out a long sigh as if she had reached the conclusion of some inner struggle.

Meeting his eyes, Rey started to talk.

“You mentioned selkies last night.  Do you think that it’s possible that they exist?”

Nodding his head, Ben offered an answer.  “I think that there are a lot of things in this world that there is no explanation for.  I believe folk tales are our attempts at understanding them, at trying to place them into the context of the world in which we inhabit.  I believe that there is a truth at the base of every folk tale told, so my answer is yes; I believe that selkies definitely could exist.”

Rey looked away from him, her hands trembling as she inhaled stuttering breaths.  Tears had formed at the corner of her eyes and were now rolling down her face.  Her chin wobbled as she placed the mug on the ground and pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them.

Ben’s heart raced as he moved closer to her, kneeling on the ground before her, placing his hands on either side of her thighs.

“Rey, you are safe here.  I think there is something you want to get off your chest.  What to do want to tell me?” Ben cajoled, “I promise, I will believe you,” he added in encouragement.

She looked down at his hands on her thighs, her body trembling with anxiety as she whispered, “I’ve never told anyone this before.”

“You can trust me,” he said softly, “Please don’t be afraid.  I promise I won’t judge you or say you’re crazy.”

Slowly, Ben took her hands in his, rubbing them gently with his thumbs as her tears dropped onto them.

“I don’t know how to say this, it’s crazy,” she sobbed.

“No, it’s not!” he replied as he raised a hand to softly wipe away her tears.  Rey nuzzled into his hand, suddenly craving his touch as Ben moved his fingers into her now dry hair.

“That stuff about selkies… it’s true,” she whispered in between her sobs.

He didn’t reply, merely nodded his head.

Rey paused and held her breath for a moment.  She slowly lifted her red rimmed eyes and stared at him.  As she exhaled, she whispered, almost inaudibly, “Ben, I’m a selkie.”

Smiling, his eyes bright with wonder, Ben brought his other hand up and softly moved her hair from her face, tucking the errant strands behind her ears.  Cupping her face with both hands, he simply stated,

“I know.”

~~~

Rey collapsed into Ben’s arms, completely spent.  She continued to sob as Ben murmured soothing sounds into her ear.  Carefully, he lifted her and pulled her onto his lap, so they were both sitting on the ground and he wrapped his arms around her as she wept, holding her tight until her tears began to subside. 

With her head leaning against his chest, he reached behind him, grasped his blanket and gathered it around the both of them.  He rocked and swayed them both, trying to alleviate her distress until she went quiet.  Looking down at her, nestled against his body with her eyes closed, he lifted her and laid her on the bed with the blanket tucked all around her.

She began to stir, but he gently whispered words of reassurance and urged her to rest while he did some work.  He sat in the camp chair opposite the bed and watched as she fell asleep, her gentle breaths evening out as her body finally relaxed.

He scrubbed his hands over his face and then through his hair.  He sat silently, stunned as he thought about the implications of what Rey had told him.

As a professor, he was delighted at this discovery of a selkie, but there was a nagging voice in the back of his head.  To prove his discovery, Rey would have to give her statement and then be subject to medical and psychological testing, going over the same things over and over while people tried to prove, or worse try to disprove her experience. 

There would be people trying to discredit her, and by extension him, and the stress would be unbearable.  Seamus had led him to believe that she was lost to the sea 70 years ago and, if true, she would be overcome by all the change in the world since she last walked among humans.

History had changed so dramatically in that time — women’s lib, equal rights, civil rights, technology, travel, fashion, even foods.  He could show her these things, but at this moment, all of this speculation was fruitless until she could answer the most pressing question on his mind:  Would she want to return to land?

~~~

Rey awoke with a start, squirming on the bed, and kicking her legs in fright. 

Ben flew to her side, crouching on the floor to reassure her, “Shhh… you’re all right, you’re safe.”  He reached over and took one of her hands in his, wiping the hair from her face with the other.

They looked at each other in silence.  Ben eyes moved up and down her face, her hazel brown eyes radiating trust, freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose, her lips still slightly swollen from crying. 

Rey smiled shyly as she watched him.  His eyes were deeply dark and intense, with little lines at the corners, and he looked like he hadn’t shaved for a few days. He frowned whilst he looked her over, his mouth and chin quavering. A lock of hair had fallen over his forehead hitting his glasses and she reached up hesitantly and pushed it back.  Her hand moved down his face slowly and Ben felt her fingertips graze the side of his cheek, her hand stopping to linger there.

He looked at her again and smiled, his eyes softening.  “Are you feeling better?” he asked tenderly.

“Yes, I am,” Rey replied.  “Thank you for believing me.  I wasn’t sure if you would.”  She lowered her eyes and began wringing her hands with nerves.

“Stop that,” Ben said as he placed his hand over hers.  “You are safe here.  You are welcome here anytime.  You can come and go as you please but please believe me when I say that I would love to talk to you and get to know you.  Would that be okay with you?”

Rey let out a stuttered sigh of relief and she nodded in agreement.

“But first things first, let’s get something to eat.  What would you like?” asked Ben.

“Anything but fish!” Rey answered with a chuckle.

“Anything but fish, coming up!” Ben replied with a grin.

~~~

Rey sat in bed, watching Ben cook, and trying to keep her roiling emotions in check.  She brushed her hand over the blanket, enjoying the sensation and texture while Ben moved about the tent with ease.  From the angle that she was sitting he looked even larger than before and his legs seemed to go for ever.  She tucked the blanket around her legs, then her fur around her shoulders, and she tried to process the new reality she was facing.

The enormity of her situation came crashing down on her and she felt her heart sink, tears pricking at her eyes.  What am I to do?   she thought, sniffling and wiping at her eyes.

After a few minutes, Ben served up food on two metal plates.  He handed one to Rey.

Her mood immediately brightened.  “What is this?” she asked in wonder, admiring the multi-coloured dish.

“That would be fried rice with Chorizo sausage.  It’s not much, but it’s tasty,” Ben replied as he handed her a spoon.

She started to eat and felt her eyes almost pop out of her head.  It felt like there was a taste explosion in her mouth as the tangy flavour of the sausage mixed with the spices of the rice hit her tastebuds.

“This is really, really good,” she mumbled, her mouth full of food as she started shovelling it in at breakneck speed.

“Rey, slow down – you'll get indigestion.” Ben said affectionately as he reached over to touch her arm.

When they finished eating, Ben washed up the dishes.  Rey started fidgeting in the bed, and Ben pulled the chair closer to her.

“How are you feeling now?” he asked.

“A bit better,” she answered quietly.

“Do you want to talk some more?”

“Yes,” she said as she inhaled a deep breath and then let it out slowly.  “I can’t guarantee that I won’t cry though.”

Ben took a hold of one hand and raised her chin with his other, “Rey, there are no guarantees in life.  Sometimes we have to take a chance and trust one another.  I believe you and I would love to hear more about your life, if you want to share it.”

Rey nodded and began.

~~~

Ben brought his hand back down from her chin and kept his other in hers.  Over the next hour she told her story in fits and starts.  There were a lot of tears as she relived the terrifying experience of being chased from her home and into the sea.  Of her life of loneliness, and of adjusting to being a selkie, thinking she could never return home.

It was about this time that Ben knew in his heart that he could never anyone tell of his discovery.  He couldn’t expose Rey to any more pain than she had already suffered.  He wanted to wrap his arms around her, protect her and keep her safe.

They talked more as she wanted to hear about life on land.  He told her of new inventions as she stared at him in disbelief.  He opened his laptop to show her and watched as she squealed with delight.

As the daylight diminished and the stars began to light up the night sky, Rey shivered.

“Are you cold?” Ben asked in concern.

“No.”

“Tell me what’s wrong... please?”

Watching as she turned her head to look away, Ben could sense she wanted to say something important, something the conversation had been dancing around all afternoon.

“I don’t know what to do.” she stated simply.

“About what?” he replied, forcing her to voice her thoughts.

“About all this... I kind of like being here with you and you’ll be going away soon and then I’ll be alone again.  I don’t know if I want to go back to the sea or stay on the land – it's like I don’t belong anywhere.  I don’t know how to start living on the land because so much has changed and I have no home and no family...”

“Shhhh, it’s okay,” Ben soothed, taking her into his arms as she sobbed again.

Although Rey was sobbing, Ben felt his heart leap a little.  She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back to the sea.  He felt his hopes rise.

He stroked her hair as she lay against his body, her hand resting on his chest. 

“Rey, I have something to suggest, but I want you to listen and I don’t want you to answer right now, I need you to think about it.”

Rey looked up at him, her eyebrows raised in surprise.  “Alright, I’ll listen.”

Ben looked down at her blotchy red face and wiped away the hair that was stuck to her tears.

“I suggest that you come back with me for a while to see if you would like to return to land permanently... think of it as a holiday.  I’ll be with you all the time to help you when I’m not working.  My apartment has two bedrooms, so you will have your own space, and I can show you around and teach you what you want to know.”

Rey gulped in surprise, her chest heaving.  “You would do that?  For me?”

“Yes Rey, I would.  I think it's kind of obvious that I like you too, but I don’t want an answer right now.  I don’t want to pressure you — this could be too much, too soon, and if you want to stay here at sea, I can always come back and visit you.”

You would... you would come back and visit me?” she said, taken aback.

“Yes, I would.  Rey, I think you’re amazing.  You are elegant and fascinating and so beautiful, inside and out and that’s very rare.”

Rey sucked in a breath, her face lighting up as she could see his sincerity.  “Ok, I won’t answer right now but I will give it every consideration.  And if I decide to come and don’t like it, what then?”

“Then we discuss it.  If it’s because you don’t like where we are, we can move.  I can get a job elsewhere.  If you want to get a job, or your own apartment, I’ll help you.  If it’s all too much, I’ll bring you back here and you can return to the sea.”

Rey chewed on her lip and nodded.  “I believe you.”

~~~

Rey hugged her legs to her chest under the blanket as she lost herself in her thoughts, thinking about the possibilities of a new life with Ben.  She had obsessed about him over the past two days.  She was captivated by everything about him, but most of all his kind and caring nature.  He was very different from the men in her village.  He was so tall, and broad, and clever.  And he was handsome, she couldn’t deny that.  She found herself taking many chances to look at him when she thought he wasn’t paying attention, and she had caught him doing the same.  There was definitely a spark between them, and she loved the idea of being able to explore that with him.

She startled when she heard Ben clear his throat, suddenly pulled from her own daydream. 

“Did you hear what I said?”

She looked up at his bemused expression, trying not to laugh.  She shook her head.

“I was asking you what your plans are for the rest of the evening.”

She couldn’t not laugh at that point, “Oh, let me check my diary... Oh yeah, no plans!”

“Excellent, because we are going to dance,” he exclaimed as grabbed his phone and shuffled through his playlist.  “New music, quite a bit different to what you were used to.  Come on, get up!”

Shaking her head profusely, Rey scooted back on the bed and mumbled, “Oh no”

“Oh yes, come on,” he replied as he grabbed both her hands and pulled her to her feet.  She yelped as he wrapped his right hand around her waist, pulling her in close, and held her hand with his left. 

Gentle piano music began to play as Rey closed her eyes and rested her head against Ben’s shoulder.  They swayed together slowly, Ben starting to sing along with the song.

“The day we met,

Frozen I held my breath,

Right from the start,

I knew that I’d found a home for my heart...”

Ben pulled her closer and Rey melted against his body, falling under the spell of the movement and the melody.  He lifted his hand of her waist and she spun under his arm and then back into his embrace.  The song ended and they continued to sway, not wanting to let go of one another. 

Still snuggled into his shoulder, Rey lifted her chin and looked up into his eyes.  Her eyes travelled to his lips and she stood on her tiptoes.  Ben lowered his head and their lips met.  It was a delicate kiss, tender and loving as he reached under her arms and lifted her.  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, his fingers gently running through his hair as they kissed again.

She whispered in his ear, “I have decided - but we have to take it slow.  I’m an old-fashioned girl.”

Ben closed his eyes and kissed her again, “Anything for you, sweetheart.”