Chapter One
Lillian loved Douglass fiercely. The only thing that ever
kept him from her was the time he spent at sea.
Every time Douglass unfurled his ship's sails Lillian would begin a protective
ritual by adding a new stone to a massive cairn by the waters of their home.
It reached towards the overcast sky as a declaration of devotion and stability to defy the chaos of the elements. Standing by her stack of stones she would softly speak her wishes for Douglass' safe return into the wind.
When sailing back from his work at sea Douglass would look for it along the landscape and let it guide him home to his beloved Lillian.
Each time Douglass returned to her he would tell her stories of the beauty he experienced from his life at sea to calm her.
The only time she felt at ease was when he was safely in her arms.
Protective spells and tokens were Lillian's weapons of choice against thoughts of ill fates and dangerous waters.
She insisted that he wear a stone pendant she made in an effort to keep him safe while he was away from her. Her love and her fears were woven into the thread of its fibers.
The night Douglass died, a violent storm toppled the sea-side cairn that marked their home along the shore.
