Careful. That’s great.”
Lorelie stepped from the water and onto the pebbles. The seal-girl gazed at Aquella, clapped her hands together and laughed. Water dripped from her dress and her hair clung to her. More than anything Aquellawanted to run to her friend and hug her, but she couldn’t risk getting salt water on her skin, not even a drop.
“I know,” Lorelie said, stretching her arms out. “I won’t wet you. I just want to see you.” Then Lorelie, in that waddling selkie way, ran to Aquella, pausing just inches from her. Glistening tears sat on Lorelie’s long black eyelashes. “I’ve missed you so much,” she said, wiping her tears with her hair. “We’ve all missed you.”
Aquella felt hot tears prick her eyes. “And I’ve missed you – so much. I’m a land girl now. My skin change is almost done. I miss the sea, of course I do, but it’s good being human. I sing the songs you taught me. People here say I’ve got a good voice.”
Lorelie stood as close as she dared, a graceful smile lighting her face. “Oh, Aquella. You look beautiful and different somehow. What’s it like wearing human clothes?”
Aquella laughed, looking down at her jeans and thick blue fleece top. “You get used to it I suppose. Well, except shoes. They pinch. I kicked them off. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to them.”
Their clear voices rang out over the water and through the mist. “Oh my dear Aquella, listen to me.” A tone of sadness crept into Lorelie’s words. “I bring good news and bad. Things have changed. Miranda has told us how King Neptune is losing his power, how the Seudan is lost. The sea is hardly safe any more. Pounding waves buffet us, then the next moment we are dragged down as though the sea is a dead weight. And when we want to come to the safety of the land Miranda forbids us. She says it is growing dangerous for selkies to remain so close to humans. She says nowhere is safe.”
Just then a harsh voice cut through the mist, “Oi!” followed by the fast crunching noise of feet pounding over stones. Aquella swung round. Out of the thick mist the voice came again. “Oi! You!” Aquella couldn’t see anyone. Her heart raced. The footsteps were coming closer.
“You see!” gasped Lorelie. “We must be quick. Miranda tells us Magnus Fin will find the key. She tells us he will return the Seudan. The key to Neptune’s treasure, Aquella, do you remember? The great white shark boasted about how he knew where it was, back in the false king’s palace.”
“Lorelie, you’d better go!”
But Lorelie had already gone. Hearing a splash Aquella glanced back at the rock just in time to see two tail fins flick upwards then vanish under the water. Lorelie had left, taking her good news with her – for nothing had been good. Nothing.
Aquella left her book in the sand and ran. But selkies are not fast runners. Great swimmers, yes, but running doesn’t come naturally to them. If Fin was a good runner it was because he was half human. Aquella was one hundred per cent selkie. She waddled. She took small rolling steps. She stuck her arms out to the side.
But now, with a human chasing her, she ran like never before. If she could only get as far as the cave she could hide. There were nooks and crannies there he’d never find. She didn’t dare look back. Behind her footsteps crashed down over the pebbles. “Oi! You!” he kept shouting. “I want to talk to you!”
Aquella kept running, the way she’d seen Tarkin run in school sports, pumping his elbows back and forthand taking long leaping strides. She felt exhausted. The footsteps sounded louder. Any moment now he would pounce on her. This was surely the boy Magnus Fin and Tarkin had spotted, the one they called the snooping stranger. The cave was still a long way off.
“What’s the panic? Hey! You! I want to talk to you!” Billy Mole was right behind her. The next second he overtook her then swung round and barred her way. “Hang on,”
Lorelie stepped from the water and onto the pebbles. The seal-girl gazed at Aquella, clapped her hands together and laughed. Water dripped from her dress and her hair clung to her. More than anything Aquellawanted to run to her friend and hug her, but she couldn’t risk getting salt water on her skin, not even a drop.
“I know,” Lorelie said, stretching her arms out. “I won’t wet you. I just want to see you.” Then Lorelie, in that waddling selkie way, ran to Aquella, pausing just inches from her. Glistening tears sat on Lorelie’s long black eyelashes. “I’ve missed you so much,” she said, wiping her tears with her hair. “We’ve all missed you.”
Aquella felt hot tears prick her eyes. “And I’ve missed you – so much. I’m a land girl now. My skin change is almost done. I miss the sea, of course I do, but it’s good being human. I sing the songs you taught me. People here say I’ve got a good voice.”
Lorelie stood as close as she dared, a graceful smile lighting her face. “Oh, Aquella. You look beautiful and different somehow. What’s it like wearing human clothes?”
Aquella laughed, looking down at her jeans and thick blue fleece top. “You get used to it I suppose. Well, except shoes. They pinch. I kicked them off. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to them.”
Their clear voices rang out over the water and through the mist. “Oh my dear Aquella, listen to me.” A tone of sadness crept into Lorelie’s words. “I bring good news and bad. Things have changed. Miranda has told us how King Neptune is losing his power, how the Seudan is lost. The sea is hardly safe any more. Pounding waves buffet us, then the next moment we are dragged down as though the sea is a dead weight. And when we want to come to the safety of the land Miranda forbids us. She says it is growing dangerous for selkies to remain so close to humans. She says nowhere is safe.”
Just then a harsh voice cut through the mist, “Oi!” followed by the fast crunching noise of feet pounding over stones. Aquella swung round. Out of the thick mist the voice came again. “Oi! You!” Aquella couldn’t see anyone. Her heart raced. The footsteps were coming closer.
“You see!” gasped Lorelie. “We must be quick. Miranda tells us Magnus Fin will find the key. She tells us he will return the Seudan. The key to Neptune’s treasure, Aquella, do you remember? The great white shark boasted about how he knew where it was, back in the false king’s palace.”
“Lorelie, you’d better go!”
But Lorelie had already gone. Hearing a splash Aquella glanced back at the rock just in time to see two tail fins flick upwards then vanish under the water. Lorelie had left, taking her good news with her – for nothing had been good. Nothing.
Aquella left her book in the sand and ran. But selkies are not fast runners. Great swimmers, yes, but running doesn’t come naturally to them. If Fin was a good runner it was because he was half human. Aquella was one hundred per cent selkie. She waddled. She took small rolling steps. She stuck her arms out to the side.
But now, with a human chasing her, she ran like never before. If she could only get as far as the cave she could hide. There were nooks and crannies there he’d never find. She didn’t dare look back. Behind her footsteps crashed down over the pebbles. “Oi! You!” he kept shouting. “I want to talk to you!”
Aquella kept running, the way she’d seen Tarkin run in school sports, pumping his elbows back and forthand taking long leaping strides. She felt exhausted. The footsteps sounded louder. Any moment now he would pounce on her. This was surely the boy Magnus Fin and Tarkin had spotted, the one they called the snooping stranger. The cave was still a long way off.
“What’s the panic? Hey! You! I want to talk to you!” Billy Mole was right behind her. The next second he overtook her then swung round and barred her way. “Hang on,”
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