Home
- Home at last. Tilja arrives at sunset—the house looks the same as it did when she left, but she's worried about her dad, who's been gone ten days (20.1). Alnor and Tahl had gotten to Woodbourne two days ago and flown off to join the army. Ma doesn't think two boys can do much, but Tilja believes in Ropey's magic. Tilja finds that she can set aside her worries for the time being as she gazes down at her house; she can't stay forever, but it's her home right now (20.2).
- Anja points out something in the sky (20.4), which turns out to be Alnor and Tahl flying in on Calico (20.5). Meena, Anja, and Tilja run down to them, but Calico is stuck in the stable door thanks to her big wings (20.6). Tilja uses yellownut—a food horses love—to coax Calico to back out of the stable (20.7). Tilja rubs down Calico and notices a strange burn mark on her flank (20.18).
- Being home feels like a show that needs to be worn in to Tilja (20.19). Anja has the same bossy attitude as before, but rather than flaunting the gift Tilja brings her, she first thanks her sister and then acknowledges the difficulty her sister underwent in dragging it along that far. Anja has acted as the older kid for some time and realizes she's going to inherit Woodbourne. This hurts Tilja a bit, but she's got to accept it—she's not leaving home quite yet, after allt(20.20).
- Ma has changed, too (20.21). Anja has taken over more responsibilities for talking to the cedar, and Ma is more reticent now, with less confidence. Tilja wonders if that has something to do with the magic dying out of the forest (20.22). If the magic dies, then why should Ma even stay at Woodbourne? Is there a point to the Urlasdaughters' generations-long legacy? The uncertainty has shaken Ma's confidence in the world. The guys are about to start telling their story when Tilja's father arrives home (20.23). Anja jumps up, but Ma restrains her, saying Da wants to say hi to Tilja first (20.24). Tilja goes to see him in the barn and he hugs her just like he always did (20.27). Tilja's happy to have him—and their relationship—back.
- Everyone chats into the night and the travelers tell about their adventures (20.33). Da tells his story first. Once the pass was open in high summer, the raids began, then lulled, and then an army massed (20.37). A call for all able-bodied men went up; they met below the mountains and held off the enemy horsemen until opposing force surrounded them (20.38). They were sure they were going to die until Alnor and Tahl flew in on Calico (20.39-42).
- From Calico's back came fire ropes that dragged enemies out of their saddles and disrupted the opposing forces (20.43). The fire destroyed much of the enemy, and the most of the rest fled and were killed (20.44-45).
- Anja wants to know how Calico became a flying horse (20.49), but Tilja's really tired (20.51) so Tahl explains what happened. Calico knew where she had to fly—home to Woodbourne—when the Ropemaker sent them off (20.56). When they arrived there, Ma told them about the battle; the next morning the boys went to go help Da, but Calico wouldn't move (20.57). Tahl remembered the whip the Ropemaker gave him (20.58), so he used it on her and she got moving again. Tahl takes the whip out and "each thread became a wriggling line of flame" (20.59). Tilja reproaches him for making a scorch mark on Calico, but Tahl is just happy to have magic obeying him (20.59-61).
- Once they were in the air, Tahl realized that this was Dorn's whip, to be used against the horse tribes (20.63)—so he experimented with the whip, found it could burn things, and used it again (20.64). He looks a bit too excited about this, Tilja thinks, and she remembers that the Ropemaker told her to keep an eye on him.
- Tilja goes over to Tahl and he flicks fire across the table, laughing (20.68). Tilja clamps down the fire and, when she opens her hand, is holding a twig and grass stems—she used her power against the made magic (20.69). Tahl's angry, but he realizes that Dorn's leftover power overtook him (20.70-72). Ma says magic should stay in the cedar forest or in the mountains and not be in the Valley (20.76).
- Alnor finishes the story. When he sees Dusty, he flies Calico toward him; the sound she makes reminds Tilja of the sounds a roc utters (20.81-82). The sound scared the horses, which helped the good guys win (20.83). Tahl used the whip, which helped too (20.85), and they burnt the enemy tents too (20.87). After camping with their allies, the boys then returned to Woodbourne, checking to make sure the enemies didn't escape.
- Meena says Tilja and Tahl can tell the story of their adventures (20.89), but she and Alnor have something to do, so they want to get this over with (20.92). Tilja starts telling the story and finds it easy to do (20.94)—and while doing so, she notices the Ropemaker's blond hair in Dorn's old whip remains, so she takes it.
- Meena and Alnor have an errand to run—it's for the Valley that they do this, Alnor says (20:97-98)—and Meena calls him "love." She isn't super-glum about turning old again, though she values the time she had being young again (20.101).
- The next morning Tilja wakes up early, just as she usually does on the farm (20.103). She gets up to finish something that feels incomplete. Anja insists on accompanying her (20.108), so Tilja permits it—they open the door and see the glow of a fire near the forest (20.111), then Tilja takes Anya to the stables and gives her a supply of yellownut. Tilja leads out Calico and says she has to remove Calico's wings (20.114). Magic doesn't belong in the Valley—just like their Ma said—and she can't keep her wings, or that will undo all the magic (20.116). Anja feels Calico while Tilja removes the roc feathers (20.119).
- Tilja and Anja settle into the stable and Til tells her sister about the roc feathers (20.126). They were freely given, and no one can use feathers from that particular animal if he doesn't give them. She gives them to Anja because one of Anja's descendants will need them someday (20.127). In the future, one of her descendants will need to go get the Ropemaker to renew the magic on the Valley, so Anja must keep the feathers safe and tell her daughter the story Tilja told her so the family can pass it on (20.128). Tilja doesn't know how the future Urlasdaughters will need to use the roc feathers—perhaps they will know instinctively. The descendant must also go into the forest, because the woods and the Urlasdaughters are best friends forever.
- Tilja gives Anja the Ropemaker's hair, too (20.129). The future girl's journey will, like her own, include a horse and a guy from Northbeck, but their paths might not all be the same. But she will have to call on the Ropemaker by his name, Ramdatta (20.130)—so Anja must keep the name a secret and only pass it on to the daughter who will have Woodbourne.
- They sit in silence for a while (20.135), Tilja pleased at the way things ended up. In the distance they see an old man and woman (20.136). Anja gets up, shouting that Meena has come home, and runs to greet her grandmother (20.137-139).