Ali's life was saved by the most unlikely person. Braidon Calmere, Bran's younger brother, had decided to play a small prank on Ali. He knew Evelyn would be awaiting at the door, and left a bit of string across tied to one of the beams. The result was Evelyn covered in mud after being accidentally pushed by Ali, and Mave and Ali's subsequent flight out of the Inn and to the other side of town, before they had decided to leave. 

But when all was said and done, his mind focused less on the embarrassment of the previous hour and the walk home with Mave, noting just how foreboding the Westwoods truly looked. He believed she was right, it was good to leave early. With his staff in hand, he led her home, though in a way he felt she was guiding him rather than the other way around. His senses were on edge, and even the slightest brush of a thistle or shaking of a branch drew his attention. 

Then he decided to speak to Mave to get his mind off of things, and he found it to be a topic he was regretting bringing up. He would miss her too. He nearly began to say 'we can make room' but that would have been ludicrous. It was simply his "can do" attitude of living on the farm, where any situation could be made better with some time and effort and good Two Rivers stubbornness. But truth be told, somethings couldn't change no matter how much you disliked them. 

"You know, I might never see you again." he said with a finality of a relatively festive day drawing to a close. He looked down at her lovely face as the birds chirped above them, and he gave her a warm smile. "But I'm lucky to have met you."
[@Penny]