Page 36 of Mountain of Mirrors and Starlight
“You don’t need to say anything,” she said, staring into those eyes again, two measured chips of flint, slick as rainwater. “I haven’t done anything.”
“You trusted us,” he said. “Trusted me. When you had no reason to—”
“Well, you didn’t leave me to be mauled by an undead deer, so that did win you some points.”
Caerwyn snorted. “It’s the little things.”
“Still no idea how that happened?”
“What?”
“The stag. Everyone is still acting like that’s perfectly normal.”
“Right.” Caerwyn’s hand fell away from hers. “We should get back inside. Luna’s no doubt cooked up a feast. Would be rude to be late.”
“Right.” Aislinn dropped her hand from the wargi’s fur, trying not to let the disappointment settle.
They cleared away the rest of the equipment and headed back inside. Luna appeared to have cooked up half the forest, the table heaving with stuffed game smothered in buttery sauces—anything that might spoil on the journey. Aislinn wondered when she’d next sit around a table filled with this many people she actually liked. She missed her parents. She missed Aoife and Grandpa Woodfern and Miriam and Barney and Daisy and—
Cassandra. Her too. Always her.
She was fairly sure these moments with the dwarves and Caerwyn would haunt her in a similar way for some time yet, a ghost of good time. She would not remember the pain of this time in a few years, only the smell of Minerva’s tobacco, Luna’s roasted hazelnut stuffing and lightly spiced apple cake.
She took a moment to take it all in, to memorise the details. Minerva’s arm tapping against the surface of the table, Magna’s gears clinking in the corner. Bell’s laugh, Diana’s roar—the shine of her blue skin in the rosy lamplight. Luna’s hair glowing, smelling faintly of fresh blooms and cinnamon. Flora’s terse smile as she watched everyone enjoying themselves. Fort’s fingers as they skimmed over cards, creating an ordinary, impressive magic that summoned a quiet thrill inside her.
And Caerwyn, his tanned face smiling at her over the spread, the soft waves of his hair curling over his dimpled cheeks, his veined, calloused fingers splayed around a pewter goblet.
If I live forever,she vowed,I will take that image with me.
Despiteplanstoleaveat dawn, everything seemed to take far longer than it ought to. Luna refused to send them off without a proper breakfast, Diana insisted the wargis needed another good pampering before the journey, Magna insisted Minerva’s arm needed another service, Flora refused to leave the garden in a state and wanted to make sure she had all the best cuttings, and Bell moved methodically through all the rooms, ensuring nothing important be left behind.
It was all too much faff for Minerva; the second Magna was done with her arm, she went to sit out on the porch by herself, smoking her pipe and lamenting digging into her tobacco supplies so early.
Aislinn felt similarly about the situation. She went and double-checked her own bags whilst Beau found himself a quiet spot to sketch in.
Fort was in the stable, stroking Snapdragon’s muzzle. “Beautiful things, horses,” she said. “We don’t have them in Avalinth, though I’d seen them in pictures. Always liked going into the towns and seeing them, though the people there look at you funny.”
Aislinn nodded. “Don’t they just?”
“The mortal world isn’t all bad,” Fort continued, “could do with some improvements, but…”
“Why did you come here to begin with?” Aislinn asked, not sure if she’d get another chance to. “I understand there’s some reason you left Avalinth, but to leave Faerie—”
“Well, it’s not like the magic of the land does much for us, does it!” she laughed, but it sounded hollow. “It was my idea, actually.”
“What?”
“You might have noticed that we all have our roles here. Leader, hunter, cook, mechanic—”
“It had not escaped my notice.”
“I’m the lucky one,” Fort explained. “I make good decisions when it seems like all we have are bad ones. Bell might be the strategist, but even she knows you can’t plan for everything. When we were weighing up our options, I’m the one that chose here.”
“But… why?”
Fort shrugged. “Aside from the fact that we’ve built a good place here… it just felt like where we were supposed to be.”
Aislinn chewed her lip, not meeting her gaze.
