Leonor was much more well-rested than when they arrived at the outpost as they were leaving. As the carriage pulled forward, she knew she wouldn't fall asleep anytime soon.
The air was crisp but at least the carriage had been warmed up by hot stones in a compartment underneath the seats. Leonor felt comfortable enough to remove her cloak as she settled on the bench and watched the scenery pass them by.
Dotted between thick evergreen trees were orange and red trees slowly losing their leaves. That morning was windy and she was sure many branches would soon be bare. It amazed her at how early things changed for autumn in Montclair. In Burien, things were likely still mostly green.
From the safety of Montclair Estate, Leonor hadn't gotten to experience autumn up close like that. Her eyes never stopped at all the beautiful colors. It felt like a painting surrounding the sloping road they took that brought them off of the mountain pass and to lower elevations.
