Seashells and Loaves of Bread

Sunlight greeted Reagan through a crack in the curtains. His eyelids felt heavy, his mind and body sluggish. A fire crackled loudly somewhere in the room, yet it failed to chase away the cold that had crawled beneath his blankets.

Liam sat at the foot of his bed, watching for the moment Reagan opened his eyes. “You slept for so long, I was getting worried,” he said with a relieved smile. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got trampled by a horse,” Reagan said. His entire body ached, and he dreaded the thought of leaving the bed. It took most of his strength to turn his head toward the night table, where a bowl of warm soup and a plate of rye bread awaited him.

“Aislinn’s been coming in every few hours and fussing over you. You kept shivering, so I think she piled every blanket in the house on top of you.”

That would explain the weight, Reagan thought, looking down at the eight mismatched blankets covering him.

A small pang of sadness hit Reagan. “Your mom did that to me too, that day we overtrained. I remember waking up the next morning and finding her and your dad sleeping under a coat, because they’d given me all the blankets.”

“She loves you, you know,” Liam said. “I think she wants you to come home as much as she wants me to. She’d hate to see the danger you’ve been putting yourself in.”

Reagan looked away. “It’ll all be worth it when you can breathe again,” he said softly, ending the conversation.

It took great effort for Reagan to sit up, and even greater effort for him to move the bowl of soup into his lap without spilling any. The trouble proved worthwhile when he took the first bite of soup-soaked bread. The warmth of the thick beef stew and the freshly baked bread took some of the cold away, and he ate ravenously.

Aislinn entered the room as he was wiping the last of the soup with a small chunk of bread. She smiled upon seeing Reagan sitting up.

“Alan told me you braved the frontlines and helped save this town from the monsters,” she said. “He said all of his men made it out thanks to you and your efforts, and that the town should be safe for a long while yet. He’ll be by later this afternoon to thank you personally.”

Reluctant to speak with his mouth full, Reagan tried to swallow to respond, but Aislinn had already left the room. She returned within a minute, carrying another bowl of soup and a fresh plate of bread. “Eat up. There’s plenty more where that came from.”

“I really didn’t-”

Aislinn raised a hand to cut off Reagan’s protests. “As far as I’m concerned, you and your cousin have been a blessing to this town. You already saved the most precious thing in my life, and now you’ve protected the entire town.” She pulled Reagan into a tight, warm hug. “I can never thank you enough.”

When Reagan opened his mouth to start again, Liam said, “Accept it. It’ll make her happier.”

So Reagan went silent and let Aislinn pull away. She insisted on feeding the fire then mending his coat and wouldn’t accept a word of protest from him. He watched her walk out of the room, only to be replaced by Alan a few minutes later.

The green-haired man closed the door behind him, then said in a low voice, “Thank you for casting the barrier. I apologize for the danger we put you in.”

Reagan winced. “About that other spell…” he said, trailing off as he tried to decide how to ask.

“My men believe it was a combination of herbs. Nobody is doubting that at this time, and I’ll ensure it remains as such.”

“That was some quick thinking,” Liam said with an approving look at Alan.

Reagan nodded and let out a sigh of relief.

“I brought you these,” Alan said, producing two small glass vials with droppers from his coat pocket. “Dandelion and nettle leaf tinctures. They should help with the aftereffects of casting so many spells in a short amount of time.”

Both Liam and Reagan regarded Alan with confusion. Reagan frowned as he accepted the vials and asked, “How do you know?”

“A mage family lived in this town when I was growing up. They had a son my age, and we grew quite close, so I learned a lot about real magic and the effects. His parents used these tinctures to recover after a busy day.”

So that’s why he knew about the silver light… Reagan thought.

Alan looked down, still caught in his memories. “He and his family left town when we were still kids. We kept in touch for a few years, but one day, his letters stopped coming…

“I eventually inquired with his town’s registrar and was informed that his family perished in an accidental fire during the night. It wasn’t until several years later that I learned what truly happened.” Anger flashed across his face, chasing away the sorrow. He clenched his fists at his side and grit his teeth so hard the muscles in his jaw stuck out. “I can only assume you’re the same, and I apologize again for the danger I put you in.”

“If he knows what really happened…” Liam said, walking around Alan. “Why would he keep using those amulets? Assuming he knows how they’re made.”

When Reagan voiced the question, a look of sorrow returned to Alan’s face. “No amount of abstinence will bring the lost back to life. I trained to protect this town and its people, and I consider it a necessary evil to use those amulets, if it keeps the people I love safe.”

Liam shrugged and looked down, accepting the answer without further argument.

One more question weighed on Reagan’s mind.“How did you know I was the real mage, not my cousin?” I hope Braiden didn’t see enough to give me away… He tensed at the thought, catching Liam’s attention.

“You showed signs of magic exhaustion the first time I saw you, and, in all honesty, I was relieved, then. I thought if you’d survived, maybe others had, too...”

It was Reagan’s turn to look down. “I survived at a cost I wouldn’t wish on anyone else,” he said softly. Liam shifted, but he couldn’t meet the ghost’s eyes.

With the mood turned sufficiently somber, Alan said, “Your cousin will be safe in the capital, you have my word. If you would like to join her there, I will arrange for safe passage for you as soon as Ronan returns.”

Reagan accepted and asked, “Is there also a detection spell in the capital?”

“Yes. If you can cast the spell now, I’d suggest doing so. Our detection spell deactivated alongside the barrier, so you’re free to do as you please until Ronan returns.”

“Thank you,” Reagan said. “And thank you for protecting Elisa.”

With that, Alan departed, and it was Braiden’s turn to come into the room minutes later.

“Alan said you’ll be leaving town soon,” the little boy said. His thin lips pulled into a dramatic pout. “Will you be coming back?” He looked from Reagan to Liam and back again, searching for the answer before either could voice it.

Reagan hesitated. “I honestly don’t know,” he said.

Liam jumped in as Braiden’s pouting lips trembled, and his light blue eyes filled with tears. “But we’ll try our best to, okay?”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Braiden grinned, cheering up instantly. “I brought you these,” he said, bringing his closed fists up to the bed. “For good luck.” He opened his hands to spread half a dozen seashells over the blankets. One of them was the bright purple one he’d found by the dam.

“These are beautiful, but they’re so special to you. We wouldn’t want to take them away,” Reagan said. Liam nodded beside him.

Braiden smiled. “Mom says she carries one of my seashells around with her everyday, and it’s really lucky, so that’s why she comes home safe every day. If you take all of these, then you’ll definitely come home safe, even if you’re really far away!” He grinned a wide, toothy grin.

Reagan couldn’t think of what to say, and he didn’t trust himself to speak without choking up, so he only nodded and let Braiden pile the shells one by one into the palm of his hand. When Braiden picked up the purple one, he said, “Can you give this one to Elisa for me? It’s really pretty, just like her hair, so I want her to have it.”

Reagan smiled. “We certainly will.”