I think these might even be my favorite pair of chapters thus far, which is saying a lot. Everything just makes for a lovely combination for me -- Ewen leaving for his trial (D":), more English side characters with a lot of humanity, the escape, the dog (:D), and coming home to find Ardroy and Aunt Margaret very much intact.

Somehow the fact that Ewen regrets leaving his land behind, while being comparatively calm about his family and friends, made that scene even more affecting for me. Focusing primarily on, say, Alison instead would have been more conventional, but I don't think it wouldn't have worked as well.