Selkies' Skins
Chapter 9 part 2
Soul Fish
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Kirsty shook her head violently to clear the odd daydream, and scowled as she bent lower into Byron's mane frill. Once again, she scanned the waters with her eyes for things that might "mistake" them for food, wand ready and feeling the waters as they swept deep into her lungs. Behind her rode her trunk, large enough to stow even her broom safely, secured firmly to the harness over the Kelpie's flanks by bindings and his own magic. She rode without saddle or blanket as they coursed through the frigid waters, her thighs locked on him as she shifted with him, stuck well by the same adhesive that had once pulled many a rider to a watery demise and tearing teeth. Her large brown owl would meet her at the platform, but the cage rode with her at speeds faster than one would expect of a "horse."
The remaining days before she was due to leave Seal Point for the train in London had passed slowly for Kirsty, the sands of her mental hourglass sticking together as wetly as while a tide ebbs. The sheep really did not need all that much in the way of tending, under Byron's guardianship, despite her never knowing quite exactly how he managed. A "stray" roan colored female of his kind had once nighted over in the barn with him. Other than that, Seal point had been calm since Finnol's departure. Only so much excitement could be had in teaching the Selkie males how to fish from land, since both boats were gone. Mani had developed a habit of watching from where she had begun to sit on the shore while Banu played.
And yet, her dreams had gotten worse, despite the peacefulness. Now, it seemed as if even while she was awake they came.
"Another?" Byron's gait did not break or slow as he spoke, his own eyes also keenly watching for dangers to himself and his charge. "You should speak to your Potions Master about those if they go on, or your Healer..."
"Glad he has stopped prodding about going to the Divination instructor..." Kirsty grumbled still, liking the school's Healer well enough. "I prefer the Potions Master. The Healer... she is good and knows my my heritage, but he I can talk with about the latest discoveries or my own experiments. And he doesn't fuss."
A memory of waking in the hospital wing, and of the burn where poisoned claws and spearpoint left their mark, flashed into her mind. For a moment, she was back in that bed, looking down in horror at how much of her half pelt must have been exposed when the Healer had done the needed cleaning, and hoping that David had not seen if he had been present- despite how he always turned away as decorum called for. Now, it didn't matter as much, and her pelt was closer to an adult coloring than the childish brown. Being fussed at to take potions to speed the knitting of flesh, while awake enough to do it on her own, was something she'd rather avoid though, and even more the psychological discussion that might ensue if talking about disturbing dreams.
Byron snorted, creating a foam that rose upwards toward the surface after passing over her.
"You know when you're still wishy-washy and weak-kneed you need hounding to do anything that you should. I wager you don't complain about taste nor hounding if it's young David a-asking."
She grumbled again at his needling. "David has yet to fuss. Somehow he seems to get able to get me to go be looked at by just suggesting it."
This time, the Kelpie's snort was in amusement at her irritation. It passed quickly though, and as he avoided a particularly sticky patch of the silt bed below the sea, he frowned.
"So, what did you see, Kirsty?"
Kirsty shook her head, shifted against the Kelpie and drew another breath of the water. She let it release the oxygen into her lungs before breathing it out, grateful that Byron could prevent people from drowning as easily as he could kill them if he so chose. "This time I saw Mum's boat up in the air, like something had knocked her up out of the water. It was... weird. Disturbing. It wasn't designed to fly."
He frowned deeper and tossed his head, this time veering off course to avoid the shark he had scented in the water before it could scent him, not being in the mood to hunt. Despite how her news worried him, Byron did his best to not show it, since his goal was to keep her focused on school and training. "She's been knocked skyward by whales a time or two before, maybe that's what you saw."
The half-Selkie shook her head. "I don't know... I just hope these visions are just waking dreams and not actual visions."
The remaining days before she was due to leave Seal Point for the train in London had passed slowly for Kirsty, the sands of her mental hourglass sticking together as wetly as while a tide ebbs. The sheep really did not need all that much in the way of tending, under Byron's guardianship, despite her never knowing quite exactly how he managed. A "stray" roan colored female of his kind had once nighted over in the barn with him. Other than that, Seal point had been calm since Finnol's departure. Only so much excitement could be had in teaching the Selkie males how to fish from land, since both boats were gone. Mani had developed a habit of watching from where she had begun to sit on the shore while Banu played.
And yet, her dreams had gotten worse, despite the peacefulness. Now, it seemed as if even while she was awake they came.
"Another?" Byron's gait did not break or slow as he spoke, his own eyes also keenly watching for dangers to himself and his charge. "You should speak to your Potions Master about those if they go on, or your Healer..."
"Glad he has stopped prodding about going to the Divination instructor..." Kirsty grumbled still, liking the school's Healer well enough. "I prefer the Potions Master. The Healer... she is good and knows my my heritage, but he I can talk with about the latest discoveries or my own experiments. And he doesn't fuss."
A memory of waking in the hospital wing, and of the burn where poisoned claws and spearpoint left their mark, flashed into her mind. For a moment, she was back in that bed, looking down in horror at how much of her half pelt must have been exposed when the Healer had done the needed cleaning, and hoping that David had not seen if he had been present- despite how he always turned away as decorum called for. Now, it didn't matter as much, and her pelt was closer to an adult coloring than the childish brown. Being fussed at to take potions to speed the knitting of flesh, while awake enough to do it on her own, was something she'd rather avoid though, and even more the psychological discussion that might ensue if talking about disturbing dreams.
Byron snorted, creating a foam that rose upwards toward the surface after passing over her.
"You know when you're still wishy-washy and weak-kneed you need hounding to do anything that you should. I wager you don't complain about taste nor hounding if it's young David a-asking."
She grumbled again at his needling. "David has yet to fuss. Somehow he seems to get able to get me to go be looked at by just suggesting it."
This time, the Kelpie's snort was in amusement at her irritation. It passed quickly though, and as he avoided a particularly sticky patch of the silt bed below the sea, he frowned.
"So, what did you see, Kirsty?"
Kirsty shook her head, shifted against the Kelpie and drew another breath of the water. She let it release the oxygen into her lungs before breathing it out, grateful that Byron could prevent people from drowning as easily as he could kill them if he so chose. "This time I saw Mum's boat up in the air, like something had knocked her up out of the water. It was... weird. Disturbing. It wasn't designed to fly."
He frowned deeper and tossed his head, this time veering off course to avoid the shark he had scented in the water before it could scent him, not being in the mood to hunt. Despite how her news worried him, Byron did his best to not show it, since his goal was to keep her focused on school and training. "She's been knocked skyward by whales a time or two before, maybe that's what you saw."
The half-Selkie shook her head. "I don't know... I just hope these visions are just waking dreams and not actual visions."
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Copyright 2012 Teresa Garcia
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Live Journal
Dreamwidth
Copyright 2012 Teresa Garcia
Like the story? Vote here at Top Web Fiction.
Got a question? Ask it and maybe the answer will be revealed in the story, or in a comment if not part of the story. Spy a typo? Please let me know!
