Like Trying to Hold Moonlight ~ Arn/Llyr
@leatherandsoil
Llyr sat on his front porch, savoring a dram of his favorite whiskey. He was watching the sun wind its way below the horizon as a full, harvest moon crept ever higher, reflecting in the stillness of the forested lake before him. Beautiful. Not home, of course. It would never be like the beauty of Ireland, but he was content here all the same. The owners of Abernathy Farm had surprised him with both their kindness and generosity. When he’d first arrived, the selkie had expected some eventual trick or trap… but it never came.
After the first decade or so, he’d finally started to relax a little - joining the others for resident-only events… offering his musical skills for various festivals now and then. He’d always thought the time would eventually come when he’d be ready to move on. But Llyr was creeping up on his 50th year here, and still had no desire to abandon his little lake-side cabin on the farm’s outskirts. He also found himself realizing that he’d be lonely out there. Here, the residents and workers of Abernathy understood him. They accepted his desire to keep to himself… but never begrudged the man when he showed up for events. It was, for lack of better words, a perfect setup from everyone involved. They even allowed him to work a night shift so he didn’t have to interact with the farm’s daily customers. It was hard to imagine his life getting any better here.
Finishing off the last of the whiskey, the selkie reached out to pull a bag that sat next to him closer. The light of day was barely a sliver. It was time. With deft footsteps, Llyr left his porch and moved down to the shore. He followed the line a little ways to a series of trees with low-hanging branches. Fingers pulled and tugged quickly at clothing, and within moments he’d stripped everything, leaving it to hang on the branches. Then, he undid the clasp on the bag, murmuring the soft words of a spell as he did so. With a soft snick, the latch came free and Llyr pulled out his true skin.
Wither eager, shaking fingers he approached the shore before slipping the skin over his shoulders and feeling the transformation begin. Within moments a speckled grey seal was flapping his way eagerly towards the water. It wasn’t the ocean, of course. But beggars couldn’t be choosers. He had the night off, and the whole lake to himself! Llyr was in heaven! Mind just a tiny bit hazy from the whiskey, he allowed himself the let go - jumping, and diving and splashing to his heart’s content. The selkie reveled in the feel of the water rushing through his fur as he darted from one side of the lake to the other, almost completely oblivious to the world around him.