Gypsy Caravan

Chapter Thirty-nine

                       ChapterThirty-nine

Telepathic communication is underlined

"Jaime, how are you?" Gabriel asked as he squirmed out of Jacob's arms. "I missed you," he said as he wrapped his arms around the soft brown seal. Jaime snorted wetly and cuddled into Gabriel's arms. As they did every year the two friends opened their minds sharing all of the things that they had seen and done over the year. Gabriel saw pictures of fish, sharks, whales and magical sea creatures. He gasped as Jaime narrowly escaped an orca, and watched in amazement as a group of mermaids floated just below the surface of the ocean to sing at the full moon. Then he saw a group of sirens lying on jagged rocks and singing a sweet melody in order to lure men to their deaths. Playing about them was a cat with fins. "Jaime what is this?"

"A siren's cat. They only live near sirens; they are fuzzy like a land cat, but can swim. Da' says that the sirens wrecked a ship which had a litter of kittens on it, and they couldn't stand the thought of them dying, so they used their magic and made them able to live in the ocean," Jaime said as he in turn watched Gabriel's year go by: the leaves turning different colors; the snow; making snowmen; trying all year to sneak up on his fathers. Jaime watched Gabriel learn to fight with swords, knives, and hard stars which he threw. He watched Gabriel practice moving silently through a forest during spring, small flowers bloomed at his feet and when he crept alongside a bush he saw three unicorns grazing in the glade before him. Jaime slowed down the memory; the unicorns were so beautiful and graceful, and he could feel the peace and magic coming off them even in the memory. He gasped as he saw a beast that was part man and part horse. "What is this?"

"A centaur."

Jaime nodded and went back to the memory, it seemed very important. "Well, Little Angel, we centaurs have been told of your coming. I am here to tell you that we will follow you if you promise to take things back to they way they were," The centaur said ominously.

"I don't understand," Gabriel replied.

The centaur snorted. "Of course you don't, but the trunk has the information you will need." The memory ended and Jaime watched as the year came up to last night and finding out about his birth family, and how they'd died, then finally he saw this morning and the opening of the trunk.

"You have had quite a year, Gabriel!"

Blushing, Gabriel said, "At times it has been a bit much. Hey! Your Da' said you had a surprise."

"Yes, but you will have to let go of me first."

Gabriel let go of his friend and scooted back a bit. Slowly the Selkie's skin shifted and moved as Jaime's human form slid out.

"Jaime, oh wow!" Gabriel exclaimed as he looked at his friend's new form. A slender boy stood before him with milk-pale skin, black ringlets which framed his face in a halo, and black eyes which were currently sparkling with amusement. Recovering from his shock Gabriel grabbed his friend up in a hug, and grinned widely as arms hugged him back. "This is so exciting! I can't wait to show you everything!"

Jaime laughed, a soft melodious sound. " Maybe some clothes first?"

Gabriel blushed then walked over to where everyone else was sitting. Grabbing the dry beach towel he wrapped it around his friend's waist. "There, that will do until we get to my room and you can borrow something of mine, we seem to be about the same size."

"Can I Da'?" asked Jaime.

"Of course, do you want to keep your skin with you, or would you like me to put it with mine?"