The Wild and Lonely Sea

by Isobel Robertson

  Where had the other man gone?

  As the last of the smoke cleared, the red-haired man came barrelling towards them, lowering his head to ram into one of the pirates, sending the entire deck into chaos. Cormac stabbed another pirate with his little knife, a dart of magic shooting out to send a third pirate falling to his knees.

  Lisbetta ran, too full of adrenaline to even feel afraid as she crossed the gangplank and thudded hard onto the cobbles of the dock. Cormac landed beside her, grabbing her elbow as they ran. The other man crashed down beside them, his red hair plastered flat with sweat, a massive sack draped over his shoulder.

  “Ye stopped for a sack of gold?” Cormac shouted at him. “Ye almost risked our lives for gold?”

  The other man just laughed.

  Lisbetta thought she could hear the pirates behind them, but she kept her eyes ahead, too afraid to turn and look, concentrating grimly on the cobbles ahead of her, trying not to slip and fall.

  “One last trick,” Cormac said, and pulled Lisbetta to a halt so abruptly that she nearly lost her footing. Reaching into his pocket, he spun around and flung some sort of dust at the pirates who had almost caught them. All three men suddenly locked into place, their eyes wild. They didn’t move an inch.

  “Let’s go,” Cormac said again. He took Lisbetta’s arm, but with less urgency this time, and they set off into the crowds around the dock. No one else seemed to have noticed the strangely frozen men.

  “Well, that was fun,” the other man said brightly. “I’d say things could hae gone worse.”

  Ye’re a total fool, Red,” Cormac said bluntly. “What the hell made ye wait so long? It’s not like ye need the gold that badly.”

  Red shrugged. “Can’t hurt to have a little more. And we made it out alright, did we no’?”

  “No thanks to you!”

  “I need to sit down,” Lisbetta said faintly, and both men suddenly snapped to attention. She suspected they had forgotten she was there.

  “Shall we find you an inn, ma’am?” Cormac asked.

  “My name’s Lisbetta,” she told him. “And no. I want to sit beside the water.”

  She had never spent so long in her human form before, and it drained her energy even more than she had realised. Running felt far more difficult than swimming. She needed help.

  Cormac helped her to lower herself down onto the edge of the dock, so that she sat with her feet swinging just inches above the water. She breathed in deeply, the traces of saltwater in the river sinking into her bloodstream and soothing her.

  “Erlend,” she said silently. “I know you followed me. I can feel you. Help me.”

  “I’m here, Lisbetta,” his voice said in her mind. “What do you need?”

  “Those pirates have my skin,” she told him. “Get it back. I want to come home.”

  It was humiliating to have to ask for his help, but thankfully he asked no questions.

  “I’ll find it,” he said, and then his presence vanished from her mind. He might still be close, but she couldn’t feel him. Perhaps he had never been there at all. Their mental connection had always been strong, so he might have been able to hear her from the palace.

  “Miss? Lisbetta?” Cormac crouched beside her and peered anxiously into her face. “Are ye well?”

  She shook her head, clearing out the last of the sea. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

  “We need to leave afore the tide turns,” Cormac told her. “If ye want to come with us, I can guarantee yer safety. The city’s no place for a woman alone.” His eyes were kind and full of concern. The light-headed feeling had returned, her thoughts difficult to untangle.

  His offer seemed like a good one. How else would she stay safe until Erlend retrieved her skin? These seemed like good men - and surprisingly powerful.

  “Yes please,” she told him. “Take me with you.”

  *****

  Chapter 4

  The journey to Cormac’s home turned out to be far shorter than expected. They set off down the river, drifting west from Glasgow and out towards the sea. Lisbetta stood on the deck, leaning on the railing and breathing in the comforting salt of the sea. Cormac’s ship, much smaller than Sigurd’s, was beautifully neat, and the men all spoke to her with respect. She felt almost comfortable.

  The coastline became more rugged as they travelled, the flat plains rising up into sweeping hills and sudden cliffs. Inlets and outcrops seemed to pepper every inch of coast, leaving Lisbetta lost and confused. She did not know if she would ever be able to follow this route again. The rain had started now, a gentle mist of water coating every inch of the ship and beading on Lisbetta’s eyelashes. It covered the entire landscape in a soft fog.

  The last curve of the coastline brought them into a small harbour, where a cluster of houses poured down the hillside all the way to the water’s edge. A small golden beach lined the harbour, sheer cliffs rising up behind. The last light of the evening crept over the top of the hill, bathing the tiled roofs in a soft golden glow. The pretty little town instantly made Lisbetta feel safer.

  “Well, here we are,” Cormac said, coming to stand behind her at the railing. He smiled and she couldn’t help but smile back at his bright blue eyes and the way his tanned skin crinkled around them.

  “Thank you for bringing me this far,” she said. “I’m sure it will be safer for me here while I contact my cousin.”

  She had told Cormac and Red a slightly convoluted story about losing her cousin in Glasgow and not yet making contact with him again. There were far too many holes in her story, but thankfully neither of them had questioned her. She could only hope that Erlend found her skin and took her home soon, or things could get difficult.

  “Lisbetta, if ye need somewhere to stay, I could easily offer ye a room for a few days.”

  She blinked at him, a slight, surprising, warmth rising to her cheeks.

  “That’s very kind of you, but I’m sure it’s not necessary. Your town does have an inn, doesn’t it?”

  “Did ye not lose all yer money?”

  Another problem that she hadn’t anticipated when she put everything into that one bag. Selkies didn’t use money - for good reason, if it caused this much trouble.

  “I’m afraid you’re right. I don’t know how I could have forgotten.”

  “It’s been a difficult enough day,” Cormac said softly.His eyes never leaving hers, he laid his hand gently on the rail beside hers, their fingers just brushing against each other. The touch felt comforting, yet somehow electric as well. For a second, she couldn’t quite remember how to breathe.

  “So, is that an aye to the offer of the room?” Cormac asked her, after a minute of silence.

  She smiled at him again. “Yes, thank you. I hate to trouble you, but I would be extremely grateful.”

  His smile broadened even further, and this time he actually took hold of her fingers, squeezing them as he looked down at her. Something tingled between them, a little thread of magic stretching from her eyes to his.

  “Cormac! Docking!” Red shouted from across the deck, and the moment was broken. Cormac bowed to her in farewell and set off across the deck, shouting orders to his men as they manoeuvred into the harbour. Lisbetta watched in fascination as the men all slipped into their places like experienced dancers. They had clearly sailed together for a long time.

  Once the ship had docked, Lisbetta found that she didn’t quite know what to do or where to go. Cormac busily supervised the unloading of the ship, and Red had disappeared into the crowd with another tall red-haired man, presumably his brother. None of the other sailors even seemed to notice her. She stood amongst the bustle on the docks, watching as people greeted the sailors from the ship, or chatted with each other. Every inch of space seemed to be packed with people, animals, stalls, or baskets of fish. It was overwhelming - and incredibly pungent.

  At last, craning her head to see over the increasingly close-packed crowd, she saw Cormac strolling along the dock towards her, the last of
the unloading apparently finished. His eyes met hers, and her heart jolted in her chest. He had almost reached her, his eyes never leaving her face, when a dark-haired woman grabbed him from the side, pulling him into a hug.

  Laughing, Cormac wrapped his arms around the woman, spinning her around and speaking into her ear, his head close to hers. Lisbetta’s stomach twisted for a brief, powerful moment, before she stamped it down. She knew nothing about this man, and she did not intend to spend time learning more. Erlend would come for her soon.

  By the time Cormac pushed through the crowd towards her, the dark-haired woman by his side, Lisbetta had completely tamed her heart and put a cool expression on her face.

  “Lisbetta, there ye are! I’m so sorry that I took so long. Moira, I have a surprise guest for ye! This is Lisbetta. Red and I came across her in Glasgow - it’s a long story, and I’ll tell ye over dinner, but she’ll bide with us a while. I hope ye don’t mind.”

  Moira turned her cool, dark gaze on Lisbetta, and seemed to look right through her, deep into her soul. Shocked, Lisbetta threw up her walls, but she had reacted too slowly. Moira’s eyes went wide, her face shocked.

  “Not in my house, Cormac,” she said, abruptly. “I willnae have her crossing my threshold. Leave her now and consider yourself lucky. This is a bad path you’re on.”

  With that, she stormed off, pushing past Lisbetta and leaving Cormac stood there, gaping like a fish.

  “I’m sorry about that, Lisbetta,” he said after a moment. “My sister has always been a wee bit… difficult, but she isnae usually so rude. She’s just upset that I vanished without telling her. She’ll relax soon enough.”

  His sister? Now that Lisbetta thought about it, she could see the similarities between the two faces. But if Moira could slice through her walls that quickly, what did that make Cormac? She thought of the knife that cut through magic, and for the first time, she felt a little afraid of the man who stood watching her so anxiously.

  “Perhaps I should stay somewhere else after all,” she said, but he shook his head firmly.

  “I’ve offered ye my hospitality and I willnae change my mind about that,” he said. “It’s my house, not Moira’s, whatever she likes tae think.”

  He offered Lisbetta his hand with a gallant flourish, and she couldn’t help but laugh a little. Even windswept and sweat-stained, he managed to look charming. Surely this man posed no threat to her. She took his arm with her best court manners and nodded at him regally.

  “Lead on, sir.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I hadnae realised we’d rescued a lady. My apologies, ma’am, for the state of the accommodation. Ye’ll have to forgive me.”

  “I’m sure it’s much better than Sigurd’s ship”, Lisbetta said grimly, letting Cormac guide her through the crush of people and onto what seemed to be the main street leading up from the harbour.

  He laughed a little at that, but his hand tightened on her arm and, when she glanced across at him, his eyes held an edge of darkness. What else did he know about Sigurd?

  Unlike the stench and mess of Glasgow, this little town looked to be exactly what Lisbetta had expected from her human adventure. Narrow cobbled streets tangled their way down the hill, lined by neat stone houses with colourfully painted doors and diamond-paned windows. The people were plainly dressed, but Lisbetta didn’t feel the same desperation that had coloured the air around the Glasgow docks. Perhaps times were not so bad here. She wondered what it was like living as helplessly as a human. If selkies felt hungry, they could easily switch into seal form and hunt for a fish. How did humans manage?

  “Here we are,” Cormac said, pulling her gently to a stop in front of a handsome, wide-fronted house a few streets away from the harbour. He must a wife and children after all. It seemed a very large house for just a single man and his sister.

  The door swung open at Cormac’s touch. A very trusting man, maybe - or perhaps he and Moira had their own ways of keeping the house safe. After what she’d experienced at the harbour, Lisbetta certainly did not trust Moira.

  Cormac gestured her forwards and she stepped through into a generous hallway. Loud bangs and cursing drifted from the back of the house. Moira must be in the kitchen, and she didn’t sound like she’d relaxed at all on the walk up from the harbour. Lisbetta’s stomach twisted a little. Dinner might not be very enjoyable after all, even with Cormac’s excellent company.

  “I’ll show ye up to the spare room,” Cormac said, running a hand through his hair and shifting his weight awkwardly from one leg to the other. “It’s just upstairs. After ye.”

  He showed her up to a handsome room at the front of the house, hovering at the door as she looked around and admired everything.

  “I suppose ye’ll wish tae get ready for dinner,” he said eventually. “I’ll fetch ye some water tae wash with, and perhaps one of Moira’s old dresses.”

  “There’s really no need,” Lisbetta began, but he waved off her protests and disappeared off down the hallway. He came back in just a moment with a basin of water, and a dress draped over one arm.

  “It’s a little old and worn, but it should fit well enough.”

  Lisbetta thanked him, then politely but firmly shut the door in his face. She sat down on the bed, sighing as she sank into the soft mattress. Utterly unlike her room at home, it was still pretty in its own simple way. She could be comfortable here until Erlend came to collect her.

  She stripped off her old dress, now more than a little stained and torn from everything it had been through, and pulled on the new one. Hopefully, Moira would not be too furious to see that she had borrowed it. A few splashes of water cleaned the dirt off her face and hands. She wished she had some way of taming her red curls, which felt as dirty as the rest of her, but there didn’t seem to be a brush anywhere in the room, or even anything she could use as a tie. All the women in her family had long hair but, here on land, hip-length hair seemed like more of a hindrance than a beauty.

  Cleaned and ready, she lay back on the bed, sighing as the soft blankets sank underneath her. Every inch of her body ached.

  “Lisbetta?”

  She groaned softly, reluctant to leave the bed.

  “Dinner’s ready,” Cormac said, tapping lightly on the door this time.

  She forced herself to her feet and plastered a smile on her face before opening the door.

  To her surprise, Cormac had washed and changed as well. He had combed his brown hair neatly into place, and he was dressed in a fresh linen shirt and the colourful garment that she knew these people called a kilt. It was surprisingly handsome on him.

  “Are we to dine formally, then?” she asked him. Surprisingly, he looked a little embarrassed.

  “Not formally as such, no. It just seemed impolite not to dress for dinner with a guest.”

  Perhaps he did not often host dinner guests. Or perhaps human etiquette was far more complicated than expected. Either way, it was oddly pleasing to know that he wanted to impress her.

  Cormac took her arm to lead her downstairs to the dining room. The noise from the kitchen had stopped, but the tightness in Lisbetta’s stomach did not ease. Moira’s anger might be quieter now, but it would not have vanished.

  Moira already stood in the dining room, ladling some sort of thick stew out of a large pan that sat in the centre of the table. It seemed odd that they had no servant in such a large house, but Lisbetta said nothing. Moira glanced up at them and jerked her head towards two place settings at the far end of the long table.

  “Sit down before it’s cold.”

  Lisbetta and Cormac obeyed quickly, casting awkward glances at each other before settling into the chairs. Lisbetta desperately wanted to use a little magic to explore Moira’s mind, but even the idea terrified her. Something strange lingered in this house, and she could not quite relax until she had discovered what.

  “There’s something strange about you, Lisbetta,” Moira said as she put a bowl of stew down in front of Lisbetta and met her
eyes. Her gaze held too much knowledge and her words sent a shiver of awareness right down Lisbetta’s spine. Leaning forwards, Moira spoke even more softly.

  “I willnae relax until I discover what it is.”

  *****

  Chapter 5

  Lisbetta woke abruptly in the night. The house still lay silent, but something had changed in the quality of that silence. The air hung heavy with waiting, tinged with the taste of something wrong. She sat poised on the edge of her bed for a moment, toes just touching the floor, before she made her decision. Pulling one of the blankets around her shoulders like a shawl, she pushed open the door and crept out into the corridor. A light shone around one of the doors in the hallway, so she moved towards it.

  “You shouldnae have defied him so openly,” Moira said, her words clear even through the heavy wooden door - at least, clear to a selkie’s sharp ears.