43. Colt

Colt

epilogue

The autumn breeze was chilly, and Colt drew in the fresh air as he looked out over the green hills that made up the landscape of western Acren. Yellow wildflowers swayed in the fields, and before them, the dirt road stretched on. In the far distance, a cottage sat beneath the largest oak Colt had ever seen, and beyond that, at least half a mile from the house, was the ocean.

"Is that it?" Owen's voice rose in excitement. He held onto his brown, wide-brimmed hat as he stood up in the cart.

"That's it," Colt said, nodding as he grasped the reins of the horses pulling them, and also holding Owen's leg so he didn't fall.

When Owen laughed and glanced down, his face beaming with joy, Colt's heart swelled.

"I love it already," Owen said, sitting beside him and grabbing Colt's shoulder.

"You'll love it even more when you see the inside."

"With you going back and forth for months, I expect full furnishings." Owen laughed again, and when Colt met his brown eyes, he gazed longingly at him.

Owen seemed hardly able to contain his excitement as they drew closer to their new home. After being in Luthien for so long, with Owen working with Elian and the new council, Colt was ready to be in the countryside once again. It wasn't Milarc, nor was it Emberton, but it fit the both of them just right.

In the back of the cart was the last of their belongings from Luthien. All their other things had been brought with Colt and Brom as they had gone back and forth for the past few months, preparing the cottage for when they would be ready to move in. It had been a gift from the new council for the both of them. They would have to travel back and forth from their home to Luthien every once in a while, but Colt was fine with that as long as they were together.

When he pulled the cart up beside the cottage, Owen jumped off and ran up to the porch. Colt followed behind him, watching as Owen pulled off his hat and smoothed his hand over the two rocking chairs there.

Colt came up the steps and pulled the key from his pocket, then gave it to Owen. "Go ahead." He smiled and nodded.

The glow in Owen's cheeks and the grin on his face made Colt's heart rush with tenderness. Owen unlocked the door and pushed it open, and they stepped inside.

Owen was like a kid at Winter's Solstice as he went from the living room to the kitchen. He ran his hand over the kitchen table and rushed to the bookshelf that was filled with books about folklore, fairytales, maps, and drawings. There was a bedroom and washroom downstairs for guests. On the kitchen counter was a jar of apple butter with a note from Brom. Beside it were several lemons and a jar of honey.

Owen laughed as he picked up the honey jar.

"That was actually Amias's idea," Colt said, smiling. "I liked it. Thought it was fitting."

"It certainly is. "

"Come on, I'll show you the upstairs." Colt led the way up the stairs behind the kitchen, where there was another washroom and then their room.

There was a mahogany dresser and a chest at the foot of the bed, which was big enough to accommodate them both comfortably. The walls were painted white, and as the evening sun beamed in through the windows, it created a hazy warm glow in the room. At the end of the bed was Owen's multi-checkered quilt, and on the dresser were a few wooden figurines Colt had whittled, as well as a new leather-bound journal for Owen. Colt imagined Creatures of the North and his other journals would end up there too, as well as Owen's father's.

Owen picked the journal up and flipped it open. "You spoil me so, Colt."

"I love doing it." Colt cleared his throat. "So, uh… you like it?"

"Are you kidding?" Owen put the journal down and glanced around the room. When he looked up at Colt with a grin, he said, "It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen." He walked up to Colt and hugged him tightly.

Colt embraced him and rested his chin on Owen's head. He couldn't believe he was holding Owen in their home, a place where they could live freely, with no more hiding or running. A year ago, Colt would have never thought this was where he'd be, back in Avathon and living with someone he loved so dearly. He had been so lonely his entire life, and then this man had come along and swept him up in his current.

Colt moved and leaned down to kiss Owen's shoulder, and Owen turned his face to capture his lips in a kiss. Then he pulled Colt towards the bed, and they both fell on it, their lips still locked .

Their hands roved, and Colt enjoyed simply holding Owen as they kissed passionately. But there was still something he wanted Owen to see, and then something else he had to ask him. He didn't want to spoil this moment, as Colt was feeling tender.

Breaking away, he asked, "Ready to see the best part?"

Owen beamed. "Something outside?" When Colt nodded, he said, "Yes. Oh, but wait." He dug into his pocket until he brought up the wooden rabbit that Colt had made for him back in Birchwood Forest. He got up from the bed and placed it on the dresser. It was the little things like this that made Colt love Owen even more.

As they came down to the porch, they pulled off their boots to walk on the sand and left the house. Colt grabbed Owen's hand and kissed it as they made their way down the grassy hill that led to the beach. The water was crystal clear, and as soon as Owen came to it, he splashed into it.

Colt looked up and down the empty beach. He could get used to this, being far enough away from town for privacy but close enough to venture there for supplies or to visit the tavern. He made his way forward and joined Owen in the cool water. They both looked out at the horizon as the sun lowered in the burning orange sky.

As Colt wound his arm around Owen's waist, Owen laid his head against Colt's shoulder. This was the right moment, with the sun setting warmly and shining out onto the water. So, Colt reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver ring he'd bought not long ago.

He cleared his throat, then turned and said, "Owen, I have something to ask you." When Colt brought up the silver ring, Owen looked at him curiously, the sunlight catching in his amber-brown eyes. "Will you marry me? "

Owen blinked as he cut his gaze from Colt to the ring. Then he let out a laugh, and Colt raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, what's so funny?"

Owen grabbed Colt's arm tenderly before he pulled something out from his own pocket. When he put his palm out, a gold ring rested there. "You beat me to it." He laughed heartily.

"Well, Brom suggested I should ask you out here, before the ocean." Colt gestured out at the water.

"Brom suggested the same thing to me." Owen's smile spread slowly across his face.

Colt's eyes widened, then he shook his head and laughed. He licked his lips and glanced at Owen. "So I guess this means yes for both of us?"

Grinning, Owen nodded and said, "It means yes."

The glow in Owen's cheeks spread to his eyes. After they both fitted their rings on each other's fingers, Colt's heart thrummed like the wings of a hummingbird. He smiled as they both held their hands out together and admired their rings shining in the light. From the moment he had seen Owen, Colt had felt that pull. He had tried to ignore it. He had even hated that he'd been attracted to him in the beginning. It was why he'd teased him so much. But joining Amias on the journey to Emberton a year ago had been the best decision of his life.

He took Owen's hand and looked at the silver ring on his finger. There was a sense of pride that came with knowing they belonged to each other.

"Thank you," Owen said.

Colt tilted his head and asked, "For what?"

"For loving me."

"Always." Colt intertwined their fingers.

Owen looked out at the sunset. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is." Colt didn't need to look at it to see that it was beautiful. He was too intrigued by the man in front of him. He squeezed Owen's hand, making him look back at him, then he said, "Come on, let's go make something good for supper."

"Alright. I got a good recipe from Brom before we left Luthien." They walked hand in hand back to their cottage, where it would be just the two of them.

A place where they could rest.

A place for both of them to finally call home.

THE END