Fighting for the Strange

Chapter 2: Seaside

            Despite her heavy eyes, Fiona kept them open, gaze glued to the car’s window. She’d never been out of the country before this and she didn’t want to waste a second of it. She still didn’t know how Mr. Bishara had gotten a passport for her so quickly, but she wasn’t about to complain, not when she was in Scotland.

            Snow covered most of the scenery they’d passed, with only the dark blue-grey colour of the ocean free of the white blanket. They’d been driving beside the water for a while now, the road stretching out as it followed the coast, peppered with the odd house or building. It still felt odd to Fiona to be on the other side of the road, but she thought she’d get used to it soon enough. Hopefully before she had to cross a street by herself.

            The car slowed, taking Fiona’s attention to what was in front of them. The vehicle gently turned into a small gravel driveway that had an old stone wall around it. The house itself was a small, brown two-story affair with attached garage and windowed porch. It faced the sea that lay on the other side of the road, and suddenly Fiona understood how easy it would be for her and her brothers to visit. A seal could just swim up without drawing any attention, especially since there weren’t any other houses within view since the Fiona’s home was pressed up against a snowy hill.

            “Come on then, dears,” Meredith’s mother, Kenzie said as she put the car into park. “Let’s get you settled.” Taller than her daughter by several inches, Kenzie shared her daughter’s dark hair and generous form, though hers was plumper. Her hair was greying brown and laugh lines spread out from the corners of her eyes like fans. Though they didn’t look much alike, she reminded Fiona a lot of her own mom, a thought which only brought a bit of pain and no tears for which she was glad.

            “Thanks again for letting me stay, Mrs. Irving,” Fiona replied as she unbuckled herself.

            The older woman flapped her hands. “No thanks necessary, ducky. You’re a dear friend to Meredith and I’m not about to let someone spend the holidays alone! Now let’s get you both inside and fed and then you can lay down. I imagine you’re both tired.”

            “The jet lag is worse heading back to the Academy,” Meredith told her mother as she got out of the car.

            The three of them got the girls’ assorted bags out of the car’s trunk and into the house in short order. Fiona looked around. The little front porch opened up onto the kitchen, a room painted in a pretty grey-blue and holding a battered wooden table and chairs against one wall. To her left lay the staircase that led up to the second floor, while she could see what looked like the family room through the doorway on her right.

            “You two get yourself settled and I’ll make you some tea. You must be famished after that awful plane food.”

            Fiona frowned. She’d thought it was pretty decent. But Meredith was heading upstairs with her suitcase, so Fiona followed her. There were only four doors on the white walled second floor and Meredith led the way to the one farthest from the staircase.

            Like the rest of the house, the floor was wood. The walls slanted down towards the sea, with one window offering a view of the waves from the bed that was tucked against it. A smaller bed had been put into the corner, Fiona assumed for her, and with the white dresser, small desk and closet, there wasn’t much room for them and their suitcases. “You don’t mind sharing rooms, do you?” Meredith asked.

            Fiona laughed. “We’re roommates at school. Why would I mind?”

            The selkie smiled and sat down on her bed. Fiona followed suit, still looking around. “Where are we? I mean, where in Scotland?”

            “We’re just outside Buckie. It’s a decent sized place. Mom will probably want to take us shopping there, since we’re here.”

            Fiona grinned. “Perfect! Mr. Bishara gave me that credit card a while ago and I still haven’t used it. I know it was a sort of thank you/apology gift for the whole Mme. Fontaine thing,” she said, trying to repress the shudder that always seemed to sweep through her at the thought of her ex-French teacher. “And as much as I don’t want to abuse it, my winter coat’s on its last legs. I could also use some more jeans and shirts. All my stuff’s pretty worn out.” She left out the part about her wanting to pick stuff up for Meredith, her mother, and her brothers. They’d been so wonderful to let her come and stay with them, especially during a holiday like Christmas, so she wanted to get them all something really special. She just didn’t know what that would be yet.

            “I should warn you, Mom likes to feed us. The boys are okay with it, since they can eat all day, but if you’re full, just let her know. She’ll probably say you’re too skinny and try and fatten you up. I hope you don’t mind.”

            “My mom used to say the same thing, so no worries. And I like your mom. She’s nice.”

            Meredith smiled. “She is. Except when she’s mad at us. Then it’s best to hide. Well, I hide. The boys argue with her all the time but they still can’t win against her. I don’t think they ever will.”

            Fiona chuckled. “So when are your brothers coming home?” She was curious to meet Meredith’s siblings. She got the impression that her roommate didn’t get along with them all that well, but she could be wrong. And she had to admit she was interested to see the whole sibling relationship. She’d always wanted a brother or sister growing up. Unconsciously she began rubbing at the opal ring she still wore.

            The selkie shrugged. “I don’t know. Mom will probably have told them to come home soon since I’m back, but they really don’t like coming back for any longer than they have to. They prefer living with Dad and the rest of the family.”

            “I wish I could breathe underwater so I could see where you live. It’s got to be awesome!”

            Meredith smiled. “Our magic keeps air in our village down there. It’s not so much different than on land, except it’s a lot darker. And our cottages are much older and made of rock and not wood. The main hall’s pretty though, with a lot of carvings on the inside. You have to go through a small tunnel through rock to get to the village, so we’re protected from divers without having to use other magic, which is how we’ve been able to keep the bubble. I know other clans who have to do both, so they have to keep the village small, or hide it on a small island or something.”

            “Are there a lot of selkie clans near here?”

            “No, just ours. We generally stay to our own territories except for our seasonal meetings. But those are more for people to see about finding a mate and the clan chiefs discussing issues more than anything else.”

            Fiona blinked at the word mate, but her thoughts were distracted by the sound of loud male voices downstairs followed by the door slamming. She could hear Mrs. Irving’s voice rise as well. Meredith shook her head, eyes on the door to her bedroom before she turned to Fiona. “My brothers are home.”