Read Online The Seven Tales of Trinket by Shelley Moore Thomas - Free Book Online
Authors: Shelley Moore Thomas
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to sound so harsh, but it had the desired effect. Thomas skulked off, muttering to himself.
I started strumming, but was struck by that feeling again. The feeling of being watched. And I was, but not by a person this time.
The seal was misty gray and not very large. I looked into its eyes. Dark and glossy they were, like deep pools of tar. The seal cocked its head to one side, then the other, then came closer. When it finally stopped right in front of me it nudged me with its black nose.
“You want me to play again?” I asked. I searched around wildly for Thomas, but he was nowhere to be seen.
The seal nudged my leg once more.
Well, what do you do when a magical creature nudges your leg? And I was quite certain this was no ordinary seal. It gazed at me with eyes far too intelligent to belong to an ignorant beastie, as if it was trying to communicate with me. I looked up, hoping to find Mistress Catriona walking out through the trees to join me, or Thomas strolling down the beach, but I was not so fortunate.
The seal nudged a third time.
“Very well. I shall play for you,” I said, trying to treat it as I would a person. I did not want to offend it. Slowly, shyly at first, I began again to pluck out the tune of my father’s lullaby. Like all lullabies, this one was meant to lead a babe down the mystical road to dreams. The seal’s beautiful black eyes blinked once, then again and again, staying closed longer each time.
The seal drifted off to sleep at my feet. I hummed along with the melody and felt encouraged that my voice was clear and pleasant. I could use my newfound skill when I became a bard.
However, I would not be able to keep the harp if I did not help Mistress Catriona rescue her child.
As if summoned by my thoughts of her, Mistress Catriona appeared through the opening in the trees, walking briskly. When she was close enough that I could see her face, it became apparent that she was angry. Very.
She started to speak, but I put my hand up and pointed to the sleeping seal. She had not noticed its slight form, as the sun was setting and its body was hidden in my shadow.
Her eyes widened and she slowed her step, walking very quietly on the tips of her toes, until she was right beside the sleeping seal. She bent down.
“What are you doing?” I whispered. The seal moved slightly in its sleep.
I looked around again for Thomas. Where was he? Why was he not here when I needed him?
“Keep playing,” Mistress Catriona whispered, as she rolled the little seal over on its back.
“What’s that?” I asked. The sleeping seal had a dark line down the center of its belly.
Mistress Catriona did not answer. She gently prodded the stripe with her fingers, as if she was looking for something. I gasped as she pulled on the skin and it came away from the seal.
“Do not stop playing!” she whispered sharply under her breath.
I closed my eyes, not able to look at what she was doing. What if she hurt the little thing? I could not continue the song.
“Mistress Catriona!” I whispered fiercely. “I cannot let you—” But I was too late. She held in her hand the gray skin of the seal. Sleeping at my feet was a small boy about half my age with silver hair and pale skin.
“Is he…?”
“No, he only sleeps. And he is not my son,” she said coldly, answering the two questions I had been afraid to ask. “But I will not return his skin until they agree to return my child.” She walked briskly down to where we’d hidden our boat and dug a shallow hole. She dropped the boy’s sealskin inside and covered it with sand.
The boy began to shiver in his sleep. I felt sorry for him and placed the cloak my mother had woven over him. Her decision seemed cruel to me. And yet, what lengths would a mother not go to in order to retrieve her baby? What would I not give to have my mother back?
“Here is what we shall do,” she whispered, brushing the sand from her hands. “We shall agree to trade this boy’s
I started strumming, but was struck by that feeling again. The feeling of being watched. And I was, but not by a person this time.
The seal was misty gray and not very large. I looked into its eyes. Dark and glossy they were, like deep pools of tar. The seal cocked its head to one side, then the other, then came closer. When it finally stopped right in front of me it nudged me with its black nose.
“You want me to play again?” I asked. I searched around wildly for Thomas, but he was nowhere to be seen.
The seal nudged my leg once more.
Well, what do you do when a magical creature nudges your leg? And I was quite certain this was no ordinary seal. It gazed at me with eyes far too intelligent to belong to an ignorant beastie, as if it was trying to communicate with me. I looked up, hoping to find Mistress Catriona walking out through the trees to join me, or Thomas strolling down the beach, but I was not so fortunate.
The seal nudged a third time.
“Very well. I shall play for you,” I said, trying to treat it as I would a person. I did not want to offend it. Slowly, shyly at first, I began again to pluck out the tune of my father’s lullaby. Like all lullabies, this one was meant to lead a babe down the mystical road to dreams. The seal’s beautiful black eyes blinked once, then again and again, staying closed longer each time.
The seal drifted off to sleep at my feet. I hummed along with the melody and felt encouraged that my voice was clear and pleasant. I could use my newfound skill when I became a bard.
However, I would not be able to keep the harp if I did not help Mistress Catriona rescue her child.
As if summoned by my thoughts of her, Mistress Catriona appeared through the opening in the trees, walking briskly. When she was close enough that I could see her face, it became apparent that she was angry. Very.
She started to speak, but I put my hand up and pointed to the sleeping seal. She had not noticed its slight form, as the sun was setting and its body was hidden in my shadow.
Her eyes widened and she slowed her step, walking very quietly on the tips of her toes, until she was right beside the sleeping seal. She bent down.
“What are you doing?” I whispered. The seal moved slightly in its sleep.
I looked around again for Thomas. Where was he? Why was he not here when I needed him?
“Keep playing,” Mistress Catriona whispered, as she rolled the little seal over on its back.
“What’s that?” I asked. The sleeping seal had a dark line down the center of its belly.
Mistress Catriona did not answer. She gently prodded the stripe with her fingers, as if she was looking for something. I gasped as she pulled on the skin and it came away from the seal.
“Do not stop playing!” she whispered sharply under her breath.
I closed my eyes, not able to look at what she was doing. What if she hurt the little thing? I could not continue the song.
“Mistress Catriona!” I whispered fiercely. “I cannot let you—” But I was too late. She held in her hand the gray skin of the seal. Sleeping at my feet was a small boy about half my age with silver hair and pale skin.
“Is he…?”
“No, he only sleeps. And he is not my son,” she said coldly, answering the two questions I had been afraid to ask. “But I will not return his skin until they agree to return my child.” She walked briskly down to where we’d hidden our boat and dug a shallow hole. She dropped the boy’s sealskin inside and covered it with sand.
The boy began to shiver in his sleep. I felt sorry for him and placed the cloak my mother had woven over him. Her decision seemed cruel to me. And yet, what lengths would a mother not go to in order to retrieve her baby? What would I not give to have my mother back?
“Here is what we shall do,” she whispered, brushing the sand from her hands. “We shall agree to trade this boy’s
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