Leda Swann Rainlashed (EC)

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that.
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Her swimming slowed. In her eagerness to return to the water, she had not so much
as thanked him for her freedom or even bid him farewell. Her conscience pricked her
for her rude haste.
With a flick of her tail she headed for the surface. A quick breath of air, and she
headed for the beach. Maybe he would still be there, watching out for her.
The beach was already deserted. He was not watching out for her or waiting for
her. He had gone.
She felt the prick of a tear in her eye and shook her head hastily, sending droplets of
spray out in every direction. Why should she fret over his absence? In her selfish haste
she had left him without looking back. Why would he do otherwise?
Still, she could not shake the feeling of abandonment that came over her. For so
many days he had watched over her, barely letting her out of his sight for a moment.
And then, in a heartbeat, he had forgotten her.
* * * * *
He could not keep away from the shore. No matter how he sternly he forbade
himself to feel such weakness, or how passionately he vowed to himself each night that
he would conquer the absurd longing he still felt for the sea creature, his need for her
was too great. Every morning, come warm sunshine or fierce biting wind and driving
rain, he strode down to the shore and sat on the rocks, hoping against hope that Maya
would come back to him.
She did not appear. The shore was deserted except for the mournful gulls, keeping
watch with him in his vigil. Not even a full seal was to be seen, let alone a selkie. All
seal folk had vanished from the beach.
Day after day he spent by the water, neglecting his business, oblivious to all but the
desire that still beat strongly in his heart. When the sun shone warmly enough, he
threw off his clothes and swam naked in the bitingly cold ocean. The salt waves on his
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skin made him feel closer to Maya. The same waves that washed against his human
body would also be washing against hers. The thought gave him comfort in his despair.
* * * * *
The human took Maya captive and refused to let her go. He must be punished.
There were murmurs of agreement from every side, and several selkies in their seal
form clapped their flippers together as a sign of approval.
Maya looked desperately around the huge cave where the elders of her selkie
colony had gathered, searching for a friendly face, a face of pity rather than revenge.
There was no such face before her. The elders, seated apart from the others at one
end of the cavern, were all dour and grim.
He did not hurt me, she ventured into the expectant silence that fell as soon as
she began to speak. He fed me on the best human food and clothed me in silks and
satins.
One of the elders brushed her testimony aside with a dismissive wave. That is not
the point. He kidnapped you and for that he must be punished.
It is the point, she protested. He meant me no harm.
Another elder, his beard grizzled with gray, spoke up. He kept your skin from
you. What greater harm could he do to one of our kind?
He wanted only to keep my by his side, she protested. He gave it back to me
when I began to sicken. Would you punish a man for that? She moved closer to them,
to convince them with her proximity, if her words were not enough. He is no
fisherman who sought to spear me for my pelt or to prevent me from stealing his fish.
Punish men like those as you please and I will speak not a word in their defense. For
their crimes against our kind they do not deserve to live. All I ask is that you do not
class Iain Argyle with men such as those. I have forgiven him for his sins against me
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and bear him no grudge why can you not do likewise? She stopped at last, her breast
heaving with passion and with fear.
The chief elder looked at her for some moments before speaking. This man, this
Iain Argyle, cannot be allowed to escape scot-free.
She instantly opened her mouth to protest his judgment, but he held up his hand to
silence her. Hush, Maya, do not argue with the law of your own kind. This human
committed a grievous crime against the selkie folk, as well you know. That he later
repented of his wickedness and let you go free does not cancel out his guilt. He will be
punished as our law allows. That is my last word on the matter.
With a wave of his hand he dismissed the elders and those who had gathered to
hear their judgment. Graceful despite his age, he clambered into his sealskin and
slipped into the water at the cavern s edge.
Maya crouched by the rocks as one by one the selkies left, until only her sister Caity
was left to comfort her. She knew only too well the meaning of the sentence the elder
had pronounced. Capturing a selkie was punishable by death. Her selkie folk would kill
her lover. They would kill Iain, the man she loved and who had loved her back again.
Do not be sad, Caity whispered, stroking the hair out of Maya s eyes. There has
already been too much sadness when you did not come home with the sisters and me [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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