Epilogue: Home

Liam walked with an easy spring to his step. The weeks of their travels had returned the strength and coordination to his limbs, and winter had pinched color into his cheeks. Snow crunched between his boots as he and Reagan left the edge of the forest and approached their home village.

Liam pulled his hands out of the pockets of his dark brown coat and blew into them to warm them up. “It feels like we’ve been gone forever,” he said. “I wonder if Elisa’s letter will have arrived before us.”

“That’s if Braiden’s given her a moment to write one,” Reagan said, adjusting the strap of his satchel over his shoulder. “I thought he wouldn’t let us leave.”

Liam laughed. “I’m sure Aislinn would’ve been happy to adopt us, too. Especially you. She doted on you the most.”

“That’s only because you insisted on telling her I was injured. She kept treating me like a baby bird with a broken wing after that.”

Liam held his hands up. “That’s not my fault -- you should’ve healed yourself.”

“I didn’t have the chance.”

“Alan said the detection spell was gone and wouldn’t be recast.”

“Except I found out after you’d told Aislinn about my injury. I would’ve had to explain how it mysteriously disappeared overnight.”

Liam shrugged. “With Dietfried gone and his advisors detained, it’s not like you’re in danger anymore. You even recast the barrier in Apolde on your way through.”

“That’s different -- they needed help. And besides, Aislinn believes it was Elisa who saved her boy, and it was thanks to her that we were able to help Braiden, so I didn’t want to take that away from her.”

Liam conceded with another shrug and a smile.

Surrounded by snow-covered beech trees, the traveling marketplace took up the main street of their village, and it was the fastest way through even at its most crowded. On such a cold, windy day, most of the merchants had already packed up their wares and gone home, but a few remained outside to catch the latecomers.

Agatha was one such merchant. She stood by her table, counting the remaining rolls of fabric and bobbins of thread and making notes in her ledger. When she saw Reagan, she smiled and said, “Hello, Liam. It’s been a few months since I last saw you.”

It was Liam who responded to her. “Hello, Agatha. I hope you’ve been well?”

Agatha blinked, looking from Reagan to Liam with a confused frown. “I have been, thank you, and you are?”

“This is Liam,” Reagan said. He couldn’t stop the grin from cutting across his face. “I’ve been borrowing his name for years, but I’m finally able to give it back.”

Liam bowed his head. “Thank you for taking care of my mom and dad for all these years,” he said to Agatha, who accepted with grace despite her continuing confusion.

As Reagan and Liam were turning away, Agatha said, “Then, how should I refer to you?” She looked at Reagan with her head tilted to one side and her brows furrowed.

Reagan exchanged a look with Liam before saying, “Reagan. I used to live in that house beyond the overgrown path, the one that burned down ten years ago. Helen and Michael took me in that night.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. It was such an awful tragedy.”

The words were ones Reagan had heard countless times growing up, but for the first time, he was able to accept them and nod before bidding Agatha goodbye.

As the pair continued walking through the rest of the marketplace, Liam said, “Thank goodness you didn’t stick with Alois. ‘Reagan’ is definitely better… Although the fake name suited a grump like you pretty well.”

“Watch it,” Reagan said, but he couldn’t stay mad. For once, he was able to walk through the town without looking over his shoulder or fearing who he might encounter.

Liam’s cottage came into view as they turned onto a small path and left the main part of the village behind. A heavy blanket of snow covered the roof, and grey smoke rose from the chimney.

As they approached, the pair spotted Helen bent over the tall pile of chopped wood at the side of the cabin. She was gathering smaller logs and had her back to them.

“Mom looks well,” Liam said with a relieved smile.

Each time Reagan had offered to scry Michael or Helen on their return journey, Liam had refused, and Reagan had caught a look of fear on his face, as though he worried his parents wouldn’t be there when they arrived home. Now, Liam’s shoulders dropped, and he looked more relaxed than he had in weeks.

Just as Liam was taking a breath and preparing to call out to his mother, she turned around. First her eyes went wide, then she squinted at them as though unsure of what she was seeing.

She dropped the wood, turned, and shrieked, “Michael!” over her shoulder toward the house as she took off running to meet Reagan and Liam. She hiked up her long woolen skirt to run faster. Tears streamed down her face well before she reached them.

Reagan moved to step away and leave Helen and Liam alone, but she reached out with both arms and pulled both Reagan and Liam into a tight hug.

“My boys,” she said, sobbing between them. “My boys are home.”

The wooden door of the cabin creaked open as Michael came out, wide-eyed and alarmed after hearing Helen’s high-pitched call. He took in the scene within seconds and came running, albeit a little slower than Helen, leaving the door wide open behind him. When he reached them, he, too, was teary-eyed.

“Our sons are home,” Helen said, turning to look at Michael with a bright smile. Her voice shook, and her face was red and blotchy. She moved away to let him hug the boys, and he also pulled Reagan in as tight as he did Liam.

Over Michael’s head, Liam looked at Reagan with a satisfied smile that said, I told you they’d be as happy to see you.

When Michael pulled away, Helen came close again. She cupped Liam’s face between her hands, turning his head from one side to the other. “Goodness how you’ve grown,” she said.

“It’s all thanks to you that we get to see Liam like this,” Michael said to Reagan. “Thank you.” His voice cracked at the end, and he turned away to pull himself together.

“Are you injured?” Helen asked, looking Liam up and down even as he shook his head.

When she turned to Reagan a second later, he tensed.

First she noticed the repaired tear in his sleeve, and she pushed up his coat to check his arm beneath it, ensuring the wound was gone. Then she caught sight of the hole in his side that Aislinn had also insisted on laundering and mending. The only thread she’d had was white, so the seam stood out on the dark blue fabric.

“It’s all healed now,” he said quickly. “I’m fine.”

Not trusting him, she glanced at Liam, who nodded, then finally Helen relaxed.

“Come inside, come inside,” Helen said, beckoning the boys toward the cabin. “It’s freezing out here -- Michael, get some more firewood. You can tell us all about your travels over dinner tonight. I’ll make all your favorites.”

With an arm around each, she led Reagan and Liam back to the warm cabin. And for the first time, all four seats at the table were occupied.