“I daenae ken exactly.But Da says there are things in the deep water that we shouldnae mess with. And old Mrs. MacTavish in the village says her grandfaither once saw somethin’ huge rise up out of the water, somethin’ with a long neck and?—”
“That’s just a story,”Masie interrupted, finally speaking up. “There’s nay such thing as monsters in the loch.”
“How do ye ken?”Connor challenged. “Have ye been to the bottom to check?”
“I daenae needto go to the bottom to ken that monsters arenae real.”
“They are so real!”
“Are nae!”
“Are so!”
“Children,”Piper said, trying not to smile. “Perhaps ye’re both right in a way.”
They both turnedto look at her skeptically.
“What do ye mean?”Masie asked.
“Well,maybe there arenae monsters inthisloch specifically,” Piper said, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “But there are stories of water beasts all over Scotland. Ancient stories, passed down for generations.”
Connor’s eyes went wide. “Really?”
“Aye.In fact, there’s a loch nae too far from here where people have been reportin’ sightings of a water beast for hundreds of years. A creature with a long neck, a massive body, and a temperament that ranges from playful to deadly dependin’ on how ye approach it.”
“That’s brilliant,”Connor breathed.
Even Masie looked interested now,though she was clearly trying to hide it. “What kind of creature?”
“They call it a water beast,or sometimes a water horse,” Piper said, settling down on a large rock near the water’s edge. Thechildren moved closer, Connor sitting right at her feet and Masie standing just close enough to hear. “But the most famous water creatures in Scottish lore are the kelpies. Have ye heard of them?”
“Nay,”Connor said immediately.
Masie hesitated,then shook her head. “I’ve heard the name, but I daenae ken the story.”
“Well then,”Piper said, letting her voice take on the storytelling cadence Alexandra had once used with her. “Let me tell ye about the kelpies.”
She launched into the tale,describing how kelpies were shape-shifting water spirits that usually appeared as beautiful horses near lochs and rivers. How they would entice travelers to climb on their backs, promising a swift ride across the water. But once someone mounted a kelpie, they would find themselves stuck, unable to dismount as the creature plunged into the water, dragging them down to drown.
“But sometimes…”Piper continued, watching Connor’s rapt expression. “A clever person could outwit a kelpie. There was a blacksmith once who captured one using a bridle made of iron; kelpies cannae abide iron, ye see. He forced the kelpie to work for him, usin’ its supernatural strength to help build his forge. But he had to be careful never to let it near water, because the moment it touched the loch, it would be free.”
“What happened to the blacksmith?”Connor asked.
“The story sayshe kept the kelpie for years, growin’ rich and powerful from its labor. But one day, his daughter felt sorry for the creature and loosened the bridle. The kelpie escaped, returnin’ to its loch. And do ye ken what happened next?”
“What?”Both children asked in unison.
“Nothin’.”Piper smiled. “The kelpie never sought revenge. Because the daughter had shown kindness, the blacksmith’s family was left in peace. Some say ye can still see it in that loch on moonlit nights, but it only appears to those with pure hearts.”
Connor was silent for a moment,processing. Then he said, “That’s the best story I’ve ever heard.”
“It’s just a fairy tale,”Masie said, but her voice lacked conviction. “None of it is real.”
“Maybe,”Piper agreed. “Or maybe there’s truth in old stories. Maybe they’re ways of teachin’ us lessons, like be careful around water ye daenae ken, or that kindness can turn an enemy into a friend.”
“Or that magic is real,and adults just pretend it isnae because they forgot how to see it,” Connor said firmly.
Piper laughed. “Aye, maybe that too.”
