Seonag and the SeaWolves by M. Evan MacGriogair

Authors take the ordinary and make them extraordinary. Fiction pushes the boundaries, making the impossible seem possible.

I'm reminded of this once again while reading the fabulous TOR short story by M. Evan MacGriogair, "Seonag and the SeaWolves."

Wolves became extinct in Scotland in the 17th century. They were never known to be sea creatures. In this story, "Seonag and the SeaWolves" wolves inhabit a mystical, unreachable island.  

MacGriogair frames the story as a bard telling a tale. This perfectly sets up the tale as either a true story, a fable, or something in-between. 

Seonag is herself a woman who exists between boundaries. People whisper about her and say she is "not of this world." The bard knows that Seonag is an outcast, yet he obviously admires her.

Choosing not to emigrate with her parents to Canada, Seonag becomes even more vulnerable to those who would malign her. "Why do you hate me?" she asks one of the main antagonists, Domhnall Geur. He offers no explanation. 

A woman like her, who has no parents or husband, is a threat. She is likened to a Kelpie, the water spirit who drowns unsuspecting people in lochs. Deeply suspicious of her, Domhnall insists that Seonag will become a criminal who steal farmers crops. 

The bard, however, wants to help Seonag, so he tells her about the sea wolves. He gives her these strange instructions, which seem to be sending her to her death, "You will go west, into the water, and swim until you can't see land." He tells her she must keep swimming until she hears the sea wolves. 

Domhnall, who follows her in a boat, wants to rid the island of all the wolves. Callum, the son of the bard, has also followed her. He functions mainly as an observer who stumbles upon the surprising reversal.

Though he intends to abduct and victimize her, Domhnall becomes rooted to the earth. The hunter who victimizes and preys on others has become powerless. Seonag, who was just an ordinary woman, becomes extraordinary. 

Tor published this short story by M. Evan MacGriogair without DRM (digital rights management). 

https://reactormag.com/seonag-and-the-seawolves-m-e-macgriogair/