“Starsfalls always has great holiday decorations. I think this would be impressive even for a big city surrounded by skyscrapers. Although I’ll admit it’s been a while since we spent a winter anywhere else, so things in the cities may have changed,” Orion says. “I know the academy is near several cities, and moving here takes some adjustment.”
“I hadn’t thought about it like that. We spend so much time in classes or training, I didn’t go off campus much. This is one of the most impressive Yule trees I’ve ever seen. With a town like this, you don’t need the big cities,” I say.
“I’m glad you feel that way. Our pack has been here for so long, I’ve forgotten any adaptations we had to make to living in a rural area,” Orion says.
“Cities always had too much hustle and bustle for me. Quiet towns are more my speed,” Henri says.
“A quiet life is nice,” Charm says. “Outside of work, of course. Plenty of excitement there.”
I laugh and agree.
I’ve been so happy to help people, I haven’t felt the intensity of our emergency calls since that first one. It has been nice to go back to our cozy station in the evenings and sit in front of the fire, enjoying the warmth and company of my teammates.
“Starsfalls has always reminded me of home. I grew up by the seaside, where life was slow-paced and we got our excitement from the fishing boats. Whenever they pulled in a big catch or an unusual fish, it was the talk of the town,” Charm says.
“Did you do any fishing?” I ask.
Now that he mentions it, I can picture Charm out there, sandy blonde hair blowing in the breeze, freckles just as dark as they are now with all the time he spends outside. His green eyes have always reminded me of sea glass. I bet he looks just as good on the beach as he does in the mountains.
“I worked on a few boats,” he says. “Mostly in the summers when I wasn’t in school. And like most people there, I did plenty of fishing from the docks. Fish fries, lobster boils, and oyster roasts were common. After high school, I did commercial fishing for about a year before deciding it wasn’t what I wanted to do forever and left for the Rescuer Academy.”
Charm obviously enjoys the outdoors. I can’t say I’d want to spend all my time on the water either, so it makes sense to shift to something that still gives you plenty of time in nature.
“I’ve always lived in remote places, except for when Iwas at the academy. Towns were an adjustment for me,” Magnus says.
“Really?” I say, looking up at him.
He nods.
I haven’t thought much about what they did before becoming rescuers, so I’m not sure why that surprises me so much.
“What kinds of places?” I ask.
“Similar to the mountains here, except further away from any towns. We lived off-grid and subsisted on things my family grew or hunted,” Magnus says.
“Wow, so you grew up training for this kind of job,” I say.
Not that we have to survive off-grid, but knowing how to live in the mountains surely gave him a leg up in a lot of areas.
Magnus smiles wryly. “I suppose so. I learned how important it is to be prepared for accidents when you’re living on your own,” he says, gesturing at his face where the scar across his mouth pulls on his lip.
Even so, it takes me a minute to get what he means. I hardly notice the scars and haven’t thought about them much beyond being sad that he clearly went through something painful.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Magnus. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories,” I say, stroking his arm.
“It’s okay, it doesn’t bother me to talk about it,” he says. “It was a memorable way to learn that sometimes you’ll need help, and it’s okay to ask for it. My parental pack got too invested in doing everything themselves. So when a tree fell on our house during a storm, they didn’t have a plan for getting help. I was trapped under it through the night until they managed to get me out. At least they realized I neededa hospital after that. Luckily I was the only one who was seriously injured and I made a full recovery besides some scarring. I don’t blame them for wanting to live on their own, I just think everyone should have a safety net.”
“That must have been terrifying. I’m so glad you’re okay,” I say.
Poor Magnus going through that, I can’t imagine. Even though I learned how to deal with difficult rescues, it’s not the same as experiencing that yourself.
“Is that why you joined the Rescuers?”
“It was a big part of it. Joining the Rescuers was a natural progression after I decided I didn’t want to remain isolated like my family. After a few odd jobs, I joined the academy. Now I can support those who want to live and play in the mountains,” he says.
“The Rescuers are lucky to have you,” I say earnestly.
Magnus puts his hand over mine and squeezes it gently.
