The day stretches out with languor, the sun crawling lazily across the sky just to spite her. She waits and aches, wandering listlessly through Caer Dallben as memories play before her eyes. Walking to Hen Wen's enclosure, the white pig trots up to greet her, snorting merrily. Eilonwy pats the pig's head and rubs her ears.

"I don't suppose you know when he will return?" Hen Wen only nudges her in hopeful anticipation of being fed, but Eilonwy leaves the oracular pig slightly disappointed.

Reaching a shady spot she lays in the grass, running her hands through the soft bristles and smelling the fresh earth. Closing her eyes, she wishes playfully that when she opens them he will be there…her eyes spring open and empty sky stretches endlessly before her. Rolling onto her stomach, she regards the dear little cottage. After waiting so long and dreaming so often of returning to Caer Dallben, she had expected this homecoming to close the unhappy space in her heart, yet here she was, still yearning. No matter how many times she reminds herself that she is still missing Taran, she can't rid the thought that perhaps Caer Dallben is no longer her home. Everything seems the same, everything except her. Perhaps she has been away too long, or grown up too much. She had returned expecting to find peace, but finds only restlessness instead. She fears that something unnamed has been lost, and she mourns silently.

Her reverie is interrupted by the sounds of Rhun bustling after Coll in an attempt to help the farmer with his tasks. As she watches the two disappear around a corner, an icy hand grips her heart. She jumps to her feet and moves into the sunlight trying to warm herself, trying to stop the terror that suddenly invades her mind. She hasn't felt anything like that for years, not since Llyr… Eilonwy wraps her arms across her chest and looks around wildly in the vain hope that Taran may choose this moment to appear. He does not, and she chokes back a sob born of confusion and fear. After forcing herself to breathe deeply, she slowly calms and realizes that she has gotten herself anxious over nothing because her mind is simply playing tricks on her. It is the only explanation she will accept. Eilonwy smiles bracingly and follows the sounds of Rhun and Coll's voices to see if she can help and to make sure Rhun hasn't set fire to anything again. She is home, Taran will return soon, and everything will be as it should - why wouldn't it be?

And so she continues to wait, but now the ache grows stronger.