A few days have passed, and Barley was now back at home, while Ian has returned to school. But of course, nothing went back to normal right at first.
One of the first things Barley did when he arrived back home was sewing the hole in his vest. Now on the back of the vest was a grand phoenix with a mild incision on its wing, which formerly hosted the hole which the blade created to stab its wearer. The burly elf was a fighter; he knew deep inside he could make himself survive this so he could see his brother again.
And that he did; when Ian saw his big brother walk through the front door all fixed up, like a phoenix born again, the two shared a long hug they weren't able to give when they saw each other at the hospital.
The brothers had a hard time letting go, even though they knew they were finally both in the safety of their home.
Barley would always make sure Ian was okay before leaving the house. Ian had stopped walking to and from school and started driving there every day. Both elves became more aware of their surroundings than usual.
Laurel also took greater measures to protect her boys. She wasn't going to let them go on quests until some time has passed and set an earlier curfew for Ian: 8 o'clock sharp. He protested against this, believing it was too early, but the she-elf wouldn't budge.
That Monday when Ian returned to school, it felt like a different world to him. When clusters of students would see him approaching from down the hall, they would lower their chatter and watch him as he awkwardly made his way to class. Other times, he would come across swarms of students wanting to hear the whole story. Did you sock them in the face? Did you cast that lightning spell thingy? How did your brother of all people get stabbed? Why didn't you stop them? Were you crying too hard? Did your noodly arms get too tired?
It was getting too much for him. He escaped those crowds as fast as he could, denying to tell them anything. He was only focused on getting to class, getting through the day so he could go back home and forget everything.
Barley wasn't willing to take questions either. But there was one instance he spoke out; in the street, he'd overheard someone talking about the incident, about how his little brother who defeated the stone dragon was helpless without a staff. He stepped right in once he heard that: "Don't act like you know ANYTHING. He punched that monster in the face MULTIPLE times, I know for a fact. I was there, I saw him. He was too fast for him to stop. He was going to get stabbed so I took the blow for him. Now stay out of my brother's business."
The elder Lightfoot walked away from the scene as his eyes welled with tears, the person looking blankly back at him.
Both of them were getting so tired of being local celebrities...they - especially Ian - wanted things to be normal again.
It was becoming like those few days after the dragon battle all over again; swarms of paparazzi knocking on the doors of the Lightfoot house leading Laurel to shoo them all away: "We will NOT say anything more, let my sons BREATHE for a while!"
Ian expressed these concerns to Kagar on the week he returned to school when he sat next to him in his math class and both whispered to each other under Mrs. Goldspear's words.
"Kag, I'm still so sorry I couldn't come over last week, I was just so-" "You don't have to keep apologizing, really. I understand everything. We can hang out this weekend."
"I know, I know, I just...this whole- all this- just when everything seemed to feel like it was becoming normal again, some crooks who don't even go here came and tried to steal my staff and stabbed my brother in the process, putting us right back on the news, and now people can't take their eyes off of me again," the elf rants. "I just want things to be normal again...I just want to do magic and go on quests and go to school and let it be at that, but something has to happen and put us in the center of attention and bring us back to square one-"
He suddenly realized his volume was slowly increasing, as every student had turned back to look at him, including the teacher, who had stopped talking.
"...Is there something wrong, Lightfoot?"
"...Oh, I, uh..." "Come with me."
The slim elf awkwardly stood from his desk and walked out of the classroom with the teacher, the heads of the students turning to follow him as he moves around.
"So, Ian, I've heard you were caught up in a scuffle that occurred near here, correct?" "Uh...yeah, yeah." "And is this why you were absent for a few days last week?" "Yeah...my brother got stabbed and my mom was being protective and my stepdad was having to search-" "You don't need to say anything more. I recognize that you're under a lot of stress." "Well, I mean, yeah, I really am, honestly." "Just so you know, if you ever need to talk with someone, you can come talk with me." "Wow...thanks."
Two weeks had now passed since that interaction and it still stuck in Ian's mind. Probably the sternest teacher in the entire school had just taken concern with his mental health, something not seen much among other teachers there. He already had many people he could turn to, but his family was still going through their own battles.
Before they knew it, both brothers were texting each other more and more throughout the day, seeing if one was okay. Every day Ian would get into his car and feel his phone vibrate in his pocket, and he would pick it up and see a message from his brother that would go something like "Was everything okay today?"
He would then respond and sink down in the leather seat while sighing, processing the day he'd had. Even more people trying to get in his pants, and even more people trying to get the full scoop.
The car he drives is his mother's old car, which had recently been repaired after it was wrecked during Laurel's search for her sons. She gave it to Ian after Colt gifted her a new car for her birthday last month. He remembers being very young and wanting to sit up front to see closer the vast controls and levers that his mother used to take them places. At one point she jokingly sat him in the driver's seat, and everything looked so big to the 3-year-old elf. One of Laurel's favorite pictures was the one she took of Ian sitting in the driver's seat, trying to reach the wheel with his little arms and pretending to drive.
Many years later and he was now driving that same car, now his shield from the dangerous world that had set a target on him and possibly other wizards he doesn't know about yet. He knows he isn't even completely safe when sitting in his car but it still gives him peace of mind.
It was Thursday night, two weeks and two days since the incident. Barley would still text him throughout the day and Ian would do the same. Laurel would still double-check before letting either of them leave the house, Colt was still on extra guard looking to see if the crooks appear anywhere. While the crowds on Ian's end have died down, he still gets the strange looks from time to time. He ignores them and keeps walking along as if they didn't exist.
They've all been trying to forget about this mess. But it's only made them more cautious.
Barley's been having personal troubles on his end, involving a small problem he's had for many years.
He's been having that nightmare again. The nightmare he's had on and off for years now. And to this day it still sends him into panic, keeping him from sleeping well for the rest of the night.
In the dream, he's at the age of 3 again, standing in a white void while his father is being pulled away from him. He tries to grab for him, but he keeps being pulled back himself. The dream ends with him yelling "DADDY!" before everything fades to black.
He doesn't understand why he still has this dream. He doesn't understand why it still phases him as much as it does, considering the number of times he's had it. It feels like the first time every time.
This Thursday night was no different. He shot up from his sleep, gasping and hyperventilating, sweat dripping from him. He grabs his sheets, trying not to let tears escape from him.
He reaches for his phone to check the time: 12:45 AM. He hadn't even been asleep for that long.
A few minutes later, he hears the door to the basement creak open from above, and his little brother peeks down from the stairs. He was up later than usual; in fact, he was still dressed in a flannel and jeans.
"...Barley? Are you okay, man? I heard you make some kind of noise."
Barley wipes a tear from his eye while lowering the sheets. "I'm fine Ian, I just..." "Had the nightmare again?"
The older elf nods.
Ian walks down the rest of the creaking stairs and walks across the messy room to his brother's bed, where he sits next to him and puts his arm around his shoulders.
"I've been having it so much recently...after what happened..." the burly elf says shakily. "But I can't figure out why...even after I got to say goodbye to him..."
Barley grabs Ian and hugs him. Ian hugs him back.
"There's nothing to worry about," the younger elf whispers. "It's all over now."
Barley felt somewhat embarrassed, being a 19-year-old getting consoled by his younger brother after having a nightmare. But he remembered singing to him when they were in the hospital, and his brother was showing love back.
"What are you doing up so late?" Barley asks. "Oh, I just had a ton of homework," Ian answers. "I was just about to head to bed until I heard you." "I didn't know I was being that loud..." "Well, now I'm here to help."
Both brothers smile. They hug one last time before Ian gets up from the bed.
"Thanks a lot for that, Ian," Barley says.
"Anything for my brother."