Well I finally emailed my story to the tutor (Zak). I don't know why I hesitated, it's been finished for at least a month. I just had to go over it and think again about the motivations of all the characters.
The girl who's the central character is quite complex. We see her helping an injured man, a stranger, so she's caring and sensitive despite possible dangers. In her village she is quite privileged (the daughter of the head man) but she is hard working, intelligent and learning her mother's skill as a healer. In primitive societies healers were often regarded with suspicion, despite their useful skills.
When we see her grown up, she is engaged to a young man she despises: a local chieftain's son. The local chieftain is more powerful than the girl's father and she is obviously torn between pleasing her father who she loves and admires; this marriage will give him more prestige; contrary to this is the fact that she can't stand her fiance. She is reluctantly going along with her father's wishes, but after their betrothal he has been trying to force himself upon her. His arrogance and his urge to make her submissive completely clash with her independent spirit. In fact, I would probably call her a free spirit.
It is a good bet to think also that her encounter with the young man washed up on the loch shore has had a lasting effect on her. She frequently remembers her encounter with him and how he disappeared out of her life. Maybe she even harbours a little crush for him. She would have speculated on what happened to him and maybe made some guesses as to his true origin. She may even have returned to the spot on the water side where he had washed ashore in the hope he might turn up again. She would speculate about if they met again, would he remember her, would he be grateful, was he married, etc? When the fight with her potential husband started, maybe something inside her told her to return to that very place on the loch side where she had found the mysterious young man.
The chieftain's son is drawn as a fairly unattractive character but the audience should probably feel a little sorry for him when he meets his untimely end. He is obviously spoiled, being the chieftain's son; the nearest thing to a king in this time. He is shocked and outraged that this girl should be anything less than honoured to be his wife; he has probably been chased by many an ambitious young lady seeking status and wealth: a situation which he has been only too happy to take advantage of. Apart from the fact that his bride-to-be is rather pretty he is mainly getting married because his father wishes to extend his influence into this area. She is a bit of a challenge to him; he is determined he'll marry her and have some children and keep his father happy until he succeeds his father when the old man dies.
What about the Kelpie? He was grateful for the help he got from the girl. Although he had seen her from a distance several times, standing on the water's edge, he had not appeared to her. He did not want to alarm her or harm her in any way. However, when he sees the chieftain's son strike her and make to hit her again he intervenes in the only way he knows how.
In the end I think the viewer will be slightly chilled by the girl's reaction, as we often are by folktales. There is often a very harsh conclusion to these stories.
We'll see what Zak thinks of it soon.
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