But that wasn’t possible. The designs weren’t exactly finalized: the machine produced ‘lectricity, but only in the brightest sunlight, and even then, not consistently. And so they’d written to the originator of the design, Professor Mircalla Marin of Winwold College, for help.
Professor Marin was thrilled to hear of her design in action, and she agreed immediately to help resolve their issues. But, for reasons that were kept somewhat mysterious, she refused to come to Herot’s Hollow to see the prototype. She insisted that they travel to her instead. She had arranged their accommodations at the university, arranged the transportation of their entire group and the prototype, and had even worked with the dean to have Idris brought in as a guest lecturer for the term.
It was quite a bit of fuss just for one little invention, although Alison had to admit that it had a lot of promise. Maybe it really could change the way ‘lectrics worked all around Loegria and Wilderise, and maybe even beyond.
And so she wasn’t terribly surprised to hear that they’d be able to accommodate Willow. It surely wasn’t much of an ask after all else that had been arranged on short notice.
The day before their journey, Alison stopped by Keir’s house to see his sister, Charlotte. She would be caring for their homes and gardens while they were away, and she had also become the neighborhood expert on cat care, having befriended Willow and Dinah instantly on account of her skills as a fisherwoman.
“Willow prefers the trout, although you can let her have some tuna on occasion as well. Not too often though,” said Charlotte, handing Alison a stack of tinned fish. “Don’t let her boss you around.”
Dinah purred and brushed against Charlotte’s legs, clouds of creamy tan fur floating into the air. “Treats,” said Dinah.
She had learned a second word under Charlotte’s tutelage, and Willow had been most impressed.
“After dinner, sweet girl,” said Charlotte. Dinah playfully nipped at Charlotte’s hand, earning her a nice stroke and some cheek scratches.
Alison thanked Charlotte for the fish and for taking care of everything while they were gone.
“You’re welcome to come too, you know,” said Alison. She enjoyed Charlotte’s easy-going company and had hoped she would change her mind about joining them.
“School was never really my thing,” said Charlotte. “But thank you.”
Alison returned to the cottage and finished packing her things into the great green trunk she’d first carried to Herot’s Hollow just a few months earlier.
It would be strange to return to Loegria. It didn’t feel like going home—not just because Winwold College was on the opposite end of Loegria from where she’d lived most of her life, but also because Herot’s Hollow was her home now. She never would have believed it to be possible in such a short amount of time, but it was true.
Still, they were only going to be gone for a few weeks at most, and half the town was coming along: Gwenla, Alison’s elderly dwarf neighbor and champion of all things related to saving Herot’s Hollow; Keir Ainsley, Alison’s human partner who was out bringing the doctor who would be covering for him up to speed on his current patients; Lady Sibba, the elf schoolteacher who couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet with fellow scholars, and Weyland, the human blacksmith who didn’t really want to go, but he’d made the prototype so he had little choice. They’d be meeting Rinka, Alison’s former roommate, and Idris, the crown prince of Loegria and Wilderise, at Winwold.
And, of course, there was Willow.
Alison used Willow’s basket to carry her fish and some blankets. “Just in case,” she said to Willow, who looked indignant but did not protest.
The journey to the headquarters of Rodaz Mountain Industries near Landsend had been thankfully uneventful. They managed to cross the Sallin Sea without any pirate encounters, and once they made it to Loegria, Alison was pleased to reunite with the orc who had brought her to the dock from Landsend Station in the spring: Hyruk, whose high-wheel carrier taxi operation had expanded from one vehicle to five.
“It’s been quite a summer,” said Hyruk as he loaded their trunks into the carriers. “The king brought the entire court through here. I’ve never seen so many people coming and going.They’re saying Wilderise is where everything’s happening. The next time you see me, I might be on the other side of the sea. Hey, wait a minute,” he said, spotting Alison. “I remember you. You were supposed to be coming back months ago. What happened?”
“It’s like you said. Wilderise is where everything is happening. At least it is for me.” Alison smiled at her friends. “We’re just here on a short business venture. We’ll be heading back there in a couple of weeks; I’d love to meet you here again when we return.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” said Hyruk with a wink as he dropped them off at the station.
The rail-wheeler journey to Rodaz Mountain took less than an hour. The station appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. It sat in an empty field of browning grass, the only sign of nearby civilization being the ‘lectric wires that ran high on poles, vanishing into the mountainside.
“Home,” said Gwenla, brushing the grey hair from her eyes as she surveyed the seemingly empty land.
A dirt path wound down the hillside, leading to the wide mouth of a cavern. Several sets of rails, thinner than the rail-wheeler’s tracks, extended from the cavern’s entrance. Gwenla pulled a lever on a nearby podium, and a minecart thundered from the cavern, coming to a stop before them.
Gwenla glanced at the crew: perhaps if Weyland hadn’t been there, they would have fit in a single cart. But the blacksmith was large enough to practically require a cart of his own, never mind all their luggage.
Gwenla lifted the lever and pulled it again. “The carts navigate themselves,” she explained. “If we get separated, just wait until we reach the Central Plaza. You’ll know it when you see it.”
Alison climbed into the first minecart with Keir, who regarded the device with some trepidation as he lifted their trunks inside. “No safety belts or bars,” he murmured so that only Alison could hear him. “I’ve seen more than a few amputations—keep your arms inside. You too, Willow.”
The cat jumped from the ground and came to balance on the thin metal side of the cart. She looked down the tracks with displeasure. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
For all her bravado, Willow had not enjoyed the voyage so far. Except for a stretch on the ferry, she had spent much of the time in the basket. “It’s not natural to move this fast,” she had said.
Alison couldn’t help but disagree. Although she found carriage rides uncomfortable, she loved the rail-wheeler, and she thought the minecart seemed like it would be good fun.
