Magnus Fin and the Moonlight Mission by Janis Mackay Read Free Book Online

rutted track as he spoke. “And no doubt it will come again. Why don’t you just forget it, Fin? Enjoy your life. You’ve already saved our selkie family once, and you’ve got yourself a good pal. Next year you’ll be going up to the high school. You’ve got a whole life ahead of you. Don’t spoil it now.”
    Magnus Fin stared at his father, with his jet-black hair and shining dark eyes, the strong man from the sea who came ashore and married Fin’s mother. Ragnor the selkie was telling Magnus Fin to forget it!
    “But I want to go back to the sea,” Fin blurted out, realising in that moment that he really did, scary green eye or not. “They need me to help them, Dad, and I want to go. I’m Sliochan Nan Ronnie . Aquella said I was.”
    Ragnor shook his head and laughed. “ Ron , son. Sliochan Nan Ron .” He stared at his son, his handsome rugged face a blend of sadness and admiration. “Aye, she’s right. You are. But, Fin – first hear my story. It’s not for nothing Miranda is afraid.”

Chapter 10
    Ragnor switched the engine off. It was lunchtime and the other farm labourers had stopped work. Ragnor turned to look at his son, then spoke in a low voice, “Your grandmother, my mother, is the most beautiful and brave seal in the ocean. You know they call her the bright one? And there are too many who want to hunt the bright one.”
    “Why would anybody want to do that?”
    “Good question, son.” Ragnor shrugged. “Mostly she stays in the deep waters, a queen among selkies.”
    “Does that make you a prince?”
    Ragnor shook his head and laughed. “No, Fin. In the selkie kingdom you are not born a queen or a prince. It is something you achieve. Selkies who do brave deeds to help others, they can become kings and queens, princes and princesses. You perhaps are a prince, but not me. Aquella may well be a princess; but me? I’m happy to be a farm labourer and to be the husband of Barbara, your father and Aquella’s uncle. I’m a simple land selkie – that’s all.”
    Ragnor gazed ahead as though it was the deep green sea in front of him and not a stubble field. “Miranda was a queen long before I was born,” he went on. “If selkies learn the secret of shape-shifting they live till agrand age. And no one knows it better than she.” He looked at his son, his handsome face serious. “The great change is no easy thing, Fin. Oh, great Neptune no! Many selkies lose their lives shape-shifting. But Miranda?” At this Ragnor fell silent till Magnus Fin was afraid he wouldn’t carry on with his story.
    Fin prodded his dad on the arm. “Miranda?” he asked, waiting. “What about Miranda?”
    Ragnor shook his head, as though waking from a dream. “Aye, Miranda,” he said at last, “well, her story is also my story. You see, Fin, she taught me to change out of my seal skin into human form at will. She had the wisdom to change whenever she wanted. She didn’t have to wait for the change times – midwinter and midsummer. She taught me many things: to swim with the tides; to play the surf waves; to rescue fishermen in difficulties; and to steer clear of great white sharks and killer whales. And she taught me the songs to release my seal skin and hide it in safe places. Then, when I fell in love with Barbara, a human woman, and the other selkies said I was foolish, Miranda said only one thing – follow your heart.
    “Then every other day and every other night after first meeting your mother I changed out of my seal skin and came ashore. And when my uncles and cousins refused to swim with me and hunt with me, thinking, by loving a human I had betrayed them, still Miranda didn’t heed them. She stayed by me. Follow your heart, Ragnor, that’s what she told me.
    “You see,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper, “she had followed hers.” Ragnor grew silent, so silent it seemed his story was done.
    “And then what happened?” Fin asked after the silence became unbearable. “What happened