The Selkie


	 Just a note : The selkie is a real Irish myth. Everything I
wrote about it is true except for the part about it staying out of water
as long as two weeks. I made that up. A selkie can stay out for years and
years, or as long as it wants to.	Megan


	Conor leaned against Fergus's thatched hut. He was waiting for
him. They were going to meet Catlin and tully at the ocean front. They
were going to do some fishing.
	"Come on old man! Can't ya find your cane?"Conor shouted. 
	Fergus walked out.
	"Ha ha." He said sarcastically as he gave Conor a pat on the
back.
	"You ready?" asked Conor
	"Ya, let's go."
	They mounted their horses and galloped away. When they 
arrived they saw Catlin, Tully and a stranger that Conor had never 
seen before. She was young looking, Conor's age. 
	"Wonder who the gal is." Fergus whispered. They rode up to 
the three and hopped off their horses.
	"Conor, this is Kara." Catlin said to him. Conor turned to the
girl. She smiled and nodded her head as if to say hello. Conor did the
same thing. Kara had jet black hair  and the most beautiful green eyes.
She wore a short, light brown dress with a pair of black shorts
underneath them. She had the most beautiful sun tatoo on her shoulder 
and seashells hung from the tips of hair.
	"Are you the prince Catlin and Tully have spoke of?" Kara 
asked.
	"Yes, I am."
	" She was wondering is she could stay at the Sanctuary for a
while." Catlin told Conor.
	"Of course you can, the sanctuary is open to everyone." 
Conor told her.
	"Thank you very much. Are you Fergus?" Kara asked  Fergus.
	"Yes, I am Lass."
	"Do you know how long you will be staying?" Tully asked her.
	"No more than a week."
	"Why only that long?" Fergus asked Kara.
	"Are you here to do some fishing?'' Kara said trying to change
the subject.
	"Yes, we are. Are you any good?"
	"Oh, yes Conor, I am! I love to fish." Kara said
enthusiastically.
	The five made their way to water and Kara took off her sword 
and boots. She dove straight into the water. The four warriors watched 
in astonishment as she resurfaced with a fish in each hand.
	"Wow, who taught you to fish like that?" Catlin asked.
	"It's a family secret." Kara said mysteriously.
	Fergus turned to Conor.
	"There is something strange about her." He whispered.
	"Because she can fish?! You have really  lost it. Are you feeling
well?"
	"Yes, boy, I am feeling well. But it's not because she can fish."
Fergus said coldly and strangely as he studied Kara.


	The sky was getting dark with blues and purples. The five of 
them decided to go back to the Sanctuary. Kara rode with Tully. When 
they arrived Catlin showed Kara the tent she would be staying in and 
then started to show her around the Sanctuary. The guys were filling 
pitchers with water, trying not to spill when Conor noticed a small 
seashell he was about to step on and quickly turned and dropped the 
pitcher on himself.
	"Nice one!" teased Tully.  Conor gave him a look.   Tully 
picked up the shell that almost caused Conor to fall.
	"It's probably Kara's." he said.
	"Aye. I'll go and give it to her." Conor said as he threw his
pitcher to Tully , causing him to drop his pitcher full of water on
himself as Conor did. Conor walked into Kara's tent. It had a hay for a
bed with a cloth covering over it, a small chest, and Kara's bag. Conor
put the shell next to her bag and saw something very strange. Something
was sticking out of her bag. He picked it up even though he knew he
shouldn't. It was a seal skin! slightly wet, cold and a dark brown. Conor
put it away and wondered who would have a seal skin? As he was 
running out he ran into Fergus, literally.
	"What is it boy?"
	"Oh,....nothing. You look like you have something on your 
mind. What is it?" Conor asked.
	"Aye, I do. Come with me."  Fergus showed Conor the way 
to his hut and spoke in a whisper.
	"There is something strange with that girl, Conor, I know it.
It's something about that girl that's not right."
	"What do mean?" Conor asked with very little interest.
	"She wouldn't tell us about  why she is staying here only a
week."
	"Ya, I remember. Hey? Do you know anyone who would have 
a seal skin ?"
	"What does that mean?"
	"Kara, had a seal skin in her bag."    Fergus suddenly got a look
of shock on his face. 
	"Conor!" He yelled
	"What?" Conor yelled back.
	"Kara is a selkie!"
	"A what?"Conor shouted with a raised eye brow.
	"Shhhhh! a selkie." Fergus whispered.
	"And what would that be?" Conor asked not knowing he should
believe his friend. What was he talking about anyway?
	"A selkie is a sea creature that can be a seal or human." Fergus
said seriously.
	"I doin't believe this!" Conor interrupted.
	"Just listen to me.A selkie is a seal but inside of it's seal
skin is a human being. When it wants to come out of the skin all it has
to do is take it off and a human comes out.  It can only stay out of the
skin for two weeks. I don't know why though. That's why Kara said she
only stay for two weeks! Do ya understand? She is a selkie
	"That legend is familiar to me , but Fergus, we can't go jumping
to wild conclusions like that!"
	"What else can we do?" Fergus asked.
	"I don't know I'l talk to her about it . I'll ask her." with
those final words Conor left , in search of Kara. As conor walked out,
Tully walked in.
	"What's up?" he asked.  Fergus told Tully the whole story and
Tully reacted the same way as Conor.


	Conor caught Kara and Catlin saying good nights and then Kara
walked into her tent. Conor waited outside trying to think of what to
say. Meanwhile, inside, Kara was taking the shells from her hair and
pulling off her boots. She unsheathed her sword and set it aside.
	 "Kara? May I come in?" the voice startled her. She recognized
it. Conor's voice. It was a late hour and she wondered what he could
possibly want.
	"Uh..yes, you may come in."    Conor walked and froze. He
couldn't ask this girl if she was a selkie. It was ubsurd! What would he
do if she even admitted it?
	"I...umm.....oh, forget it. I'll see ya in the mourning." Kara
looked puzzled.
	"O.k." she said as Conor left.


	The next mourning as Conor awoke, Catlin came rushing in.  
Conor rubbed at his eyes and sat up on his bed.
	"Oh Cat! Go away! I'm tired!" he moaned.
	"Conor, is it true? The things Fergus has told me, are they
true?" Catlin frantically spoke.
	"What things?"
	"The things about Kara."
	"I don't know."
	"Well are you going to ask her? Fergus really wants you to."
	"Yes, yes. I will. But I don't know why he can't do it.
	"Kara is in her tent. You should get to her before she leaves, if
she is going to. We'll come too."
	"All right, I will." Conor said




TO BE CONTINUED...................