Alison, Keir, Gwenla, and Finnli refused Yordin’s offer to use his rail-wheeler car or carriage during their journey back.
“We may be posh now, but we won’t forget where we came from,” said Gwenla.
Alison didn’t want to count their chickens, either. There was still the matter of the installation of the solar generators once they arrived back in Herot’s Hollow. Lord Ainsley, who had cleared off back to Arcas Dyrne until the entire construction project had completed on account of the noise, had donated an unused field at Weldan House to set them up. All of the numbers and tests in the world wouldn’t matter if they didn’t work in practice, but it would be a few months yet before they’d know for sure.
“When you lived in Arcas Dyrne, did you ever see the Winter Solstice displays they put on?” asked Gwenla. “All the pretty lights shining in the streets and decorating the houses? Yordin showed me pictures of it. Could you imagine something like that in Herot’s Hollow?”
Alison could. She could just picture the snow falling, silent and still in the forest, with the warm glow of Herot’s Hollow off in the distance.
But there was still more autumn to enjoy before then.
When the carriage came around the final mountain, filling the view with thatched roofs, rolling hills, and drifting clouds of leaves in spirals of gold, amber, and maroon, Alison felt at peace.
They were home.
Epilogue, Part One
Back at the cottage, Alison found a larder full of the autumn harvest thanks to Charlotte’s hard work.
“Look at all of this! Have you ever seen so many apples? I’m not sure we’ll need to go to the market at all this winter if we can get this lot canned,” she called to Keir.
He didn’t answer. “Keir?”
Alison left the larder and found him at the kitchen table.
There was a small box sitting in front of him.
“You know, I had this whole speech prepared. I’ve been thinking about it for weeks, but now that the moment is here, it doesn’t feel right,” he said. His face was very serious.
“What do you mean?” she asked. He looked from her to the box.
“I don’t know,” he said. “It just doesn’t feel like there are words good enough to describe how I feel about you.”
“I know how you feel,” said Alison. “You don’t need to tell me again.”
“I don’t think you do,” he said. He popped the box open. In it was a sapphire ring. “Will you marry me, Alison?”
“Is this the nightmare ring?” asked Alison, so surprised to see it she hadn’t heard the question.
“Yes,” said Keir. “I asked Idris for it when you said you liked it. He assured me it was perfectly safe. I thought you could have it until we can get you the one you want.”
It was only then that Alison processed what he had said. “You want me to marry you?”
“Yes,” said Keir.
Alison took the ring from the box. “I do really like this ring.”
Keir looked like he was about to faint. “Do you not want to marry me?”
“Oh Gods, sorry, I was just surprised. Yes, of course I do. Yes.”
Obviously. She was surprised he had to even ask.
“Oh, thank the Gods,” said Keir. “May I?” He took the ring from Alison’s hands. He was shaking.
Alison laughed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you were breaking up with me there for a minute. I didn’t even hear what you said.”
“Well, that will probably go down as the worst proposal of all time. I should have stuck with the speech,” said Keir. He shook as he slid the ring onto Alison’s ring finger. “I wanted it to be special, but I was so terrified you’d say no that I couldn’t work up the courage to even really try.”
