Muir

There's a story that all the grown up tell their children. A sad yet intriguing tale of shapeshifters, seals casting off their skins for only a moment to take on a more human like appearance. These shifters were said to be stunning beauties, mortal men and women alike unable to peel their gaze away from them once they were ensnared by the brilliance that was to be known as a Selkie or Seal People. There were a great many of fables told about these mystical creatures, most of them carrying a light hearted tone. However, there was one that all kids knew, and that happened to be the oldest of them all. There was no name for the story, the title being lost with the newer generations, but it had no need for one. It spoke up an old farmer who happened upon a cave in the forest of some sorts, and within that cave were seal pelts hung upon the jutted rocks. Curiosity took him and for one reason or another, he swiped a pelt and ran away locking it into a chest in his home and hiding it from prying eyes. He returned a few days after to find a crying beauty, a selkie unable to return home as her skin had been wrongfully stolen from her. The farmer feigned ignorance of why she was crying and decided to comfort her, gaining her trust and soon love which gave birth to several children. It was said that the two were happy, but the selkie always found herself looking towards the sea, yearning to return to it. One day, the farmer decided to go to a party, or some they told, forgetting the key to his chest and leaving it in plain sight of his wife who was ill in bed. Just as curiosity had once taken over the farmer, the same did for his wife. Finding the lock to his key, she twisted it open to find her skin lying still within it. At the time, she bore no ill will to the man she had called her husband, and truthfully did come to love him and their children. However, temptation for her home in the sea won her and so she returned to it, her husband chasing after her only for her to whisper "Where am I to go, for I have seven children in the sea and seven on land." With that she disappeared, and the story ends with a seal being spotted near the coast when the selkie's children went about playing their.

An old story with no significant meaning, or at least it wasn't supposed to have one. Yet to the young Muir, he could only ask his parents as to why the farmer did what he had. Had he not loved the selkie over his self? had his selfishness been worth keeping his wife away from her home. Had their children deserved to be left without mother due to one man's desire to steal her from the sea of her birth? These question were like the story, insignificant, but to him they were as necessary as air was to man. Why? He didn't know. He just simply wanted an answer for himself.

Muir was born on the archipelago called Orkney, Scotland from two parents, a nursemaid and farmer. For the most part, Muir was like most children his age, a young fella who enjoyed playing around in the mud, wrestling in the forest, and allowing the ocean water to tickle his feet. He was not without a few quirks though, his main one being his love for stories. Especially ones that dealt with the mythological and supernatural. They fascinated him, these beings of various shapes and sizes roaming around a world he couldn't see. While boys his age wasn't a big fan of reading he couldn't help but find himself cracking open a book or two when he had a bit of free time. His favorite happened to be about Selkies, seals with the ability to shed their skin to appear human. He didn't know why this was when compared to the dastardly finfolk who stories of their dastardly deeds were far more interesting then seal people. Despite that, he couldn't help but find his hands flipping to the old fables of the farmer and the selkie, something he knew like the back of his hand. Maybe slightly better. These stories kept him company, his imagination conjuring up new friends for him to play with as the tale progressed. Muir could only imagine how beautiful the woman was in his head, assuring that his thoughts did her no justice. Oh how he wish he could see one in person. But alas they were nothing but fables, myths, pure fantasy. Or were they?

One day he had made his way to the beach at night, his friends wanting to play a simple game of tag with a higher level of difficulty. So he waited for them to arrive, and as he kicked up sand with his feet, he heard the sound of a woman crying. Curious, he followed the noise, disregarding all of his parent's warnings not to approach strangers. After walking what seemed like hours, he saw her, a woman laid bare against the beige sand, the moon revealing her soft skin and voluptuous curves. The child stopped for a moment. Maybe it would do him some good to turn back from this woman, after all she was a complete and total stranger to him. Just as he was about to retreat the woman asked who was there, a frightened Muir unable to conceal his presence and make his escape. Ashamed, he gave her his name and him her own. Despite the odd circumstances, the woman seemed willing to talk, the tears no longer flowing down her cheeks, surprisingly leave no marks on her fine skin. At first he found himself wanting to go, but the woman had seemed friendly enough, and so the two conversed with one another. She told him of her woes, the loss of her son causing her great grief. He had no words for this and only apologized, she understanding that his age had not yet brought to him the wisdom of an adult. They talked for hours and hours until the sun rose, the frantic screaming of his parent echoing in the distance. Muir called back to them, the two hugging their son upon sight. They demanded an explanation for his disappearance, and just as he was about to introduce his new found friend, the naked woman was gone without a trace. Only the shine of something brown could be seen in the distance before is sunk into the depth of the sea.

After that, days passed as they usually did, except one thing did change. Muir sought out the lady he had met on the beach that night, and although seldom, she did make an appearance from time to time, the two chatting it up until both were satisfied. She never wore clothes and when he would least expect it, she would vanish without a trace. It was quite confusing, but he didn't bother to ask about it, enjoying the little time they spent together. On the night of the full moon, however, something happened. He made his usual rounds and found the woman lying in her normal position, beside her were two animal pelts, the grey one being significantly bigger than the tan one beside it. He wondered what they were for, but decided to ignore it thinking this time would be well spent talking to the woman instead of wondering about animal skins. An hour had passed when the woman suddenly lifted up one of the animal pelts, the small tan one that rested beside an even large grey pelt. She had told him she had brought him a gift, a small token of her thanks for being with her during her mourning. Not wanting to be rude he accepted her gift and was about to fold it up until she asked him to put it on. Somewhat interested, he thought it to be fine to just try on his new gift, and so placing one foot after the other, he slid into the seal pelt. The woman smiled, exclaiming it to be a perfect fit, before pulling the head closed over Muir and tossing him into the ocean. He hollered and screamed, flailing his arms around in fear until he no longer felt it. It was strange, as if he instinctively knew what he should do.

Swimming to the surface, he felt free, unrestrained by his limbs. The world that surrounded him was vibrant blues and blacks. Excited he swam about for a short while until he was accompanied by something bigger than he, a grey seal that nuzzles his snout. He understood what was happening and nuzzled her in return. The seal played with him for a long while as he gradually began forgetting. Had he had arms? Had he always had these flippers? He questioned his being for only a moment before the grey seal turned his attention onto it, beckoning him to follow behind it. Should he? He felt as if there was something important behind him, something that made him feel sad and lonely if he were to leave. However, despite this feeling, the seal before him nudged him forward, and with that the feeling he had dissipated and the two animals swam away. That day Muir went missing from Orkney, his parent unable to find their child who seemed to be magically spirited away. It is unknown of what happened to him during his time with the grey seal.