Chương 89: Epilogue - Part IV

The road has been kind to us. That alone makes me suspicious. Most journeys worth remembering are measured in sore feet, broken wagon wheels and rain arriving at precisely the wrong moment. This one has offered little more than cool evenings, clear skies and enough shade beneath the roadside trees to make the miles pass almost unnoticed. Not that my travelling companion seems to appreciate any of it.

A tiny grey squirrel sits comfortably upon my shoulder, busily working through an acorn it insisted on carrying for the better part of yesterday. Every now and then it pauses to glance critically at the road ahead before returning to its breakfast with all the seriousness of a scholar reviewing ancient texts.

"You do realize," I say, adjusting the satchel resting against my hip, "that there are easier ways to travel." The squirrel chatters once.

"I thought you'd say that." Another indignant chitter follows. I smile to myself and continue along the road. The northern countryside stretches peacefully in every direction. Wheat fields sway beneath the afternoon breeze while farmers pause now and then to wave at passing travelers before returning to their harvest. A pair of children race one another along a distant fence line until an exasperated mother calls them back toward the farmhouse.

It has been a long time since I last travelled through lands where ordinary still existed. The squirrel abruptly abandons its acorn. It rises onto its hind legs, nose twitching rapidly before turning toward the distant horizon.

"You feel it again?" The tiny creature chatters excitedly. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

"So do I." Even now, separated by another day's journey, the sensation remains unmistakable. Not strong or overwhelming. Simply a distinctive sensation of something alive. A Heartwood Grove, young but growing. The first time I felt it, I almost dismissed it as wishful thinking. The second time, I changed our route. Now, with every mile bringing us closer, certainty gradually replaces hope. Someone has accomplished what I had begun believing impossible.

The road bends gently around a wooded hillside before the land opens unexpectedly beneath us.

"There." Stone walls rise proudly from the valley below, encircling a bustling city whose rooftops gleam warmly beneath the afternoon sun. Merchants move steadily through the northern gate while smoke curls lazily upward from dozens of chimneys scattered across the sprawling streets. Beautiful and prosperous. Yet none of it captures my attention for long. Beyond the rooftops and the towers, a great tree rises above the city itself.

Even from this distance, its silver-green canopy catches the sunlight differently from every other tree surrounding it. The squirrel lets out an excited stream of rapid chatter before scrambling from my shoulder to the top of a nearby milestone, where it stands upon its hind legs staring toward the distant city with barely contained enthusiasm. I cannot help laughing.

"I know." The little creature looks back at me impatiently.

"I know." I rest one hand against the weathered stone beside the road and allow myself a long moment to simply look. How many years had we searched? How many forests? How many forgotten ruins? Enough that I had stopped counting. And yet, here it stands. Not hidden or dying but growing. A quiet warmth settles somewhere beneath my ribs. Perhaps, the old fool had been right after all. The squirrel chitters again, this time loud enough to sound suspiciously like a complaint.

"Yes, yes." I shoulder my pack once more before starting down the road leading toward the city gates.

"We've made you wait long enough." The squirrel scampers back onto my shoulder with obvious satisfaction. Together we continue toward the city. As the Silverwood slowly grows larger with every step, the squirrel reaches up to tug lightly at one strand of my hair before chattering happily into my ear. I glance sideways at the tiny creature and smile.

"Looks like we're finally here." The squirrel answers with one triumphant chirp. Ahead of us, the gates of Fallowspire stand open.