A Hero's Journey: A Short Story

“Weel, mah story began when I was dancing at our local Highland games. It was the year I turned sixteen. While I was on stage, I noticed a huge young man striding towards the edge of the stage. This stranger was so handsome with his long black hair, and there was something about him that drew my eyes to him.”
“So Seanmhair was he was a guy from the village?
“Nay, I had never seen him before, I would have remembered such a tall handsome man. He watched me as if he knew who I was. At first I was somewhat nervous because his eyes never wavered while he watched me continued my dance.”
“So what happened did you talk to him Seanmhair?”
Her grandmother started to laugh as she continued her story. “After I finished my dance and walked off the stage, he strode over to me big as ye please. He then

looked me in the eyes with those dark brown eyes of his, and he said the most outrageous statement to me. He told me he’d had a vision of meeting a bonnie, green-eyed lass, with long Auburn curls that would become his mate.”
“Oh, that sounds like something I would hear coming out of Kendrick’s mouth. It must be a Selkie thing.” She laughed at the thought her Grandfather making such a bold declaration.
“Yer Grandfather courted and wooed me, then he won mah parents approval. Mah parents understood mah Mackenzie Sutherland wasn’t going to take no fur an answer. Mah parents said yes, because they could see how much he loved me. He also promised to buy a cottage near the village, so I would never be far from mah parents. Even then this was a big step for a sixteen year old lass.”
“Did you know he was a Selkie then?”
“Nay, I didn’t find out till mah wedding night. He explained what being a Selkie meant, he also told me that because I was his lifemate he would never leave me to return to the sea. He bought this cottage I live in now because it is so close to the ocean. That by living here he would be able to take short Selkie swims. And that would be enough for him as long as he had me,” she said with a wistful smile.
“Seanmhair, I hope I haven’t upset you with all my questions?”
“Aileana, that was the most incredibly and blissful part of mah life. I was then blessed again when our son, yer father Iain was born. After yer father’s seventh birthday it became clear Iain was also a Selkie. Yer father loved going out with Mackenzie in his boat, yer grandfather fished to make a living for us. Plus every once in a while he’d find gold coins off the shore, in ancient ships; that had gone down in storms long ago.”
“That explains a lot why Dad loves the sea so much.”
“Yer Father even as a young balach, he dreamed of becoming an Oceanographer to study plants and animals in the sea.

He wanted to make a difference to humans and to his father’s Selkie Clan.”
“What happened to my Grandfather? Dad never talks about him other than to say he’d been killed in an accident.”
“Mackenzie had made a trip inland to deliver his fresh-caught fish to the Hotel Lairg’s restaurant. On the ninety-minute trip back home, some young people took a bend in the road and swung wide hitting Mackenzie’s vehicle head on. No one survived the crash.” As Skye told her story her arms wrapped around herself as if to give herself comfort at losing her Selkie husband.
“Seanmhair, you must have been rather young when all this happened? Did you ever think about remarrying?” Aileana asked.
“I was only thirty-three years old back when it happened, and yer father a young balach of twelve. Iain lost his father, but I lost my best friend, my lover and my lifemate. After Mackenzie’s death I worked in one of the restaurants in town making baked goods. I did try dating later on, but no one could take his place in mah

heart.