When a selkie spends too long in his beast form, changing back can be… challenging. Rafe found his love for the seas as a child, many years ago, and spent most of his life as a seal-like creature, diving and darting through glorious summer days, as well as days of storms and ice. We’ve spent our whole life together beneath the waves or, for short stints, on boats or rafts afloat in the great seas. We’ve travelled them all, seen some of the deepest mysteries, some of the greatest depths.

But he forgets himself, sometimes, I think.

Age pushes him back to the safety of land, but I can tell he struggles; here he is heavy, slow, clumsy. But he is safe, and can still enjoy days in the harbour and calm shores. I stay with him and play, always ready to help him if needed, but Rafe can still match a true seal in speed, if pushed.

But without his deep pelt he’s always ferociously cold, even in summer.