Perranth With You

5

The sun was still bright, only now beginning to set when Lorcan banged on the carriage window, signalling for the coachman to stop. They were travelling through the town, people jumping out of the way to avoid a collision.

She saw children running around, giggling and playing with their carved, wooden figures, couples walking through the streets, shops and bakeries settling down now that they were coming toward the end of they day.

She looked to Lorcan in confusion when the carriage rattled to a stop just coming up to the outskirts of the town and the door swung open.

He gave her a little smile as he stepped out and turned to help her out again. She gripped his hand as she got out, leaning on him to avoid using her sore foot. It was particularly tender today.

She was aware of people turning to look at them. They knew who they were from the design on the carriage. Some backed away at the sight of her large, "intimidating" husband, and others gave her nods and smiles. She smiled back openly.

Lorcan lay his hand on the small of her back and led her onto the path. She squealed when her feet made contact with something wet.

She looked down to see the floor was damp, puddles littered the roads and filled the gaps in the pavement. She elbowed Lorcan in his side when he mock-laughed her reaction to the puddle. The ends of her dress were damp now, she didn't care.

"Why the sudden need to walk?"

"Can I not spend time with my wife?" His thumb made soft circles on her hand.

She shivered from his touch... and her now soaked feet. "Of course, it's just different. We haven't done this before."

"There are many things we haven't done." She pulled her shawl tighter around her as a breeze washed over her. She looked up to see dark clouds forming above them.

"Well you chose a magnificent day to do this," she retorted. He gave her a sly smile.

Her foot was aching now, even with the help of Lorcan's magic, but she didn't let it show. She would spend the day walking through their town, toward their home.

They spent hours walking, greeting the townspeople, agreeing to help those who braved asking for it. Lorcan pulled her into a sweet shop at one point, and the shop owner had a lovely surprise when he practically bought half the shop.

But Elide felt her heart strain when he approached the children that had been sneakily following them the whole day and handed them the bags of sweets. They screeched and squealed their thanks and praise and she gave him a firm kiss when he went back to her, re-placing his hand on her back.

At this point they had passed the town and a light shower was pouring from the darkening sky. They could see their home from here as they walked on the deserted cobblestone road.

"You scared the shit out of those men today," Lorcan said with a sly smirk on his face.

"It was about time they stopped doubting me," returning his look.

He was silent for a moment when he stopped her. She looked up to him in expectance.

"I found something." He said and pulled a torn piece of paper from his pocket. She frowned when she saw what it said. She must have had her confusion written on her face, so he explained.

"I went looking the other night. For something that could change you. Or me." Her breathing stopped. "I got it from someone after I made some inquiries. I went the night we had our talk. They sent this for me the next day."

She looked down at the paper again, now splattered from the growing downpour. "Are you sure?" she asked. He nodded.

It was a name. She knew them, but didn't understand how they could change anything.

"You should have told me," she said. She let the emotion show in her voice. "I don't want to get my hopes up."

"I know, but I needed to make sure you were on board before I made any more risks by looking into it-"

"Risks? What risks?" she asked. Her foot really ached now.

"Elide, this isn't something I can just casually ask people about."

"Well, obviously. What did you go out looking for exactly?"

"You know what I'm looking for," his voice dropped to a low whisper. And she did. She knew exactly what he was seeking, and her heart broke just a little more.

The rain was heavier now, rendering her shawl useless. She was glad for the rain, though. It masked the tears now flowing down her face.

Rain drops clung to her eyelashes and lips, her hair thoroughly drenched now, as was his.

Lorcan moved closer to her, but she stepped back, hissing when her foot slammed into a puddle.

"Please," she begged him, "Don't let me hope."

His face contorted and he grabbed her and held her in a soul-crushing embrace.

"I will hope for the both of us, then." So he gripped her chin and melded his lips onto hers. They stayed there for a long time, holding each other, until he pulled away and made for their house again.

He faced her when she groaned in pain. Her foot was pulsing. So he swung her up in his arms and carried her the whole way home.

---

He carried her through the doors, up the stairs and sat her on their bed.

He helped her out of her soaked clothes and lift her into a steaming bath. She moaned as her skin met the hot water.

He kissed her forehead before heading back into their room, so she lay her head back against the metal behind her.

She must have fallen asleep because he was lightly shaking her shoulder in dry, night clothes. She gripped his shoulder as he helped her out of the water, then guided her back into their room. After another hiss of pain, he picked her up and lay her on the bed.

Her head felt heavy and there was a silence in her head that she was used to... but that was before. This was now.

She registered Lorcan was no longer in the room, and frowned as she began to look around for him.

She fell back onto the duvet when she saw him return from the bathing room, something round in his hand. She barely had time to refuse before his strong arms pulled her toward the edge of the bed, where he pulled over an armchair, sat in it and took her aching foot onto his lap and began applying the salve.

His touch was gentle, but her foot was sensitive. He apologised every now and then when she flinched from the pain.

She whimpered when he began messaging it into her skin. The tender muscle and misshapen bone pulsed as it made its way into her foot.

It eased the throbbing and the pain became bearable.

They stayed in silence, her eyes drooping as she lay on the bed, her husbands soft touch sending her to sleep.

She felt him drop a kiss to her foot then scooped her up and under the sheets, and joined her a moment later.

She rolled into his chest, her hands tightening around his waist as he smoothed a hand down her back, his other hand rubbing her head in soothing circles.

She focused on his touch and the graceful rise and fall of his chest, and fell asleep in the arms of her love.