Daughter of the Waves

Father Kelly Makes A Threat

As soon as the Selkie folk left, it was as if a dam had burst. The villagers all clamoured at once, directing a storm of questions at Aalith. Yes, she really was a Selkie, she confessed. No, she wasn't a witch - witches are human. No, she didn't have "magic powers". Not exactly. She merely possessed abilities, especially that of healing, which came directly from nature and which they themselves could access, but most of humanity had forgotten how, she patiently explained. 

Most people were surprisingly accepting of the new information about their newest neighbour, but there were the inevitable dissenters. A handful stomped off to who knows where - probably to tattle-tale to Father Kelly, Brendan realised. 

Eilish and Aalith were soon ushered inside their own home by a swarm of curious townspeople, still buzzing with questions. As the sun prepared to rise Brendan left the hubbub and turned towards the beach, deciding to take the long way back home. He was surprised to discover Arsinoe waiting for him, with a package in her hands - and a message for him. 

"Be careful of Gedren, Musician." She said without preamble. "Aalith may have won this battle, but Gedren is proud - too proud - he will see it as the beginning of a war - one he will keep fighting. Do not go back into the sea." 

I won't, I promise. I don't want an angry rejected Selkie lover tipping over my fishing coracle and drowning me!" Despite the seriousness of the moment, his wry comment raised a smile from the Selkie woman. She handed him the package, which was made from a material Brendan could not name. 

"Please give this to Eilish for me. It contains healing agents that only the Selkie folk usually use. I know the healer will value the gift. Farewell, I must go, it is almost dawn." And with that she pulled her skin around her, and her transformation from woman to seal took place in seconds. She slipped eagerly into the sea, making a joyful barking noise. 

Brendan decided to wait to hand over the package to Eilish. He needed his bed. He had barely closed his eyes when a banging started at his door. With a groan he went to answer the knock to be met with a cluster of anxious faces. 

"Brendan, Father Kelly has gone mad!" Said several people together. It was just as he had feared - and it had come even sooner than he expected. He quickly pulled himself together and rushed off with the little crowd to Eilish's house. 

He heard the priest before he saw him. His words were hard to make out, so slurred were they. Brendan realised the famously tee-total priest was drunk. Extraordinarily drunk, as it turned out. As he turned the corner and the cottage came into view, Father Kelly could be seen lurching and weaving and pointing his finger accusingly at Aalith. Spittle ran from his mouth as he yelled "Abomination!" "Demon spawn!" and "Whore! Temptress!" Suddenly the priest's unusual inebriation made sense: Father Kelly hated Aalith for what she was, but he desired her too. The contradiction was evidently too much for the man to cope with, and it had driven him to drink. Brendan reached the house just as the priest took an unsteady lunge at Aalith. He was nearly knocked sideways by the other man's breath as he grabbed him to stop him from getting any closer. My god, he's been on the poteen, thought Brendan.

The priest wasn't finished with his diatribe. Still held back by Brendan, he waved his arms in Aalith's direction and again pointed a shaky finger at her. Even though his next words were slurred with intoxication, Brendan felt a chill run through him at the priest's next words. "I swear by almighty God that I will see you hang, witch!! Leave this place or I will drive you out. If you do not, I will find a way to bring an end to your sorcery!! Die witch, die!" He then trailed off into incoherent ramblings for a moment, and then, quite suddenly, passed out in a drunken stupor at Brendan's feet. 

A couple of neighbours - big strong men - offered to carry the rather large Father Kelly back to his own abode, and Brendan agreed readily. He was done with the priest. 

"We need to talk about this. That threat sounded serious." Said Brendan as soon as the priest was gone. 

"I agree." Replied Aalith and they turned to enter the house. As soon as they did so they found Eilish snoring loudly in her bed, still worn out with the night's excitement. 

Brendan suggested they go to his house and Aalith readily assented. 

Once there, the two immediately fell to discussing the seriousness of the priest's threats. Aalith owned that for the first time she was somewhat shaken. The clergyman could make her life difficult, but worse then that, they both knew that while Aalith had won many friends in the village, there were still some who were opposed to her presence, and followed the priest in everything. And they both knew the dangers of an angry mob. People were fascinated by stories of the faeries, but also frightened, and sometimes frightened people did terrible things. Every so often, across the country, people thought to be faery changelings were set upon by members of their communities, even their own families, and were often killed. Who knew what fate would befall an actual faery if the priest and his band of followers were able to whip up enough fear about Aalith. Brendan knew that she was stronger than most human women, but not invulnerable. He was frightened for her, but prepared to defend her with his own life, if need be, and said so. 

In answer, Aalith cupped his face in her hands, and gently kissed him on the lips. Taken by surprise, Brendan asked "What was that for?" 

"For always being my champion, my defender. I know you mean it when you say you would die to defend me."

And then she kissed him again, more passionately this time, then she took his hand and lead him to the bed, smiling.