Chapter Twenty-One
Ike
No idea where, less than a day to the end
The only thing Ike could say for his current situation was at least he wasn’t in the cage any longer. He was stuck inside with the cat. It sprawled in front of the fire, tail swishing from side to side. Her eyes were partially closed, but he didn’t mistake it for a lack of vigilance.
His captors had basically left him with a supply of food, then told him not to run out—because if he did, she would eat him. At least they’d left wood, and he kept the fire fed enough to blaze.
They were, however, running low on meat. He’d stopped eating it nearly a week before. What vegetables they’d supplied could be made to last, and he melted snow for water. She needed a lot, but she didn’t like it when he went outside. The first time he’d headed for the outhouse, he’d been half afraid she planned to go into to it with him.
The last time he’d gone out, she hadn’t followed farther than the front porch. He’d tied a length of rope from the front to the outhouse itself—a habit from growing up on the Mountain that came in handy as the storm closed in on them and made visibility near zero.
If he had to make use of the facilities again, he’d use the chamber pot. It was nasty, but better than freezing to death. The cat had to go when he did, because he never noticed her making herself absent.
“We’re down to the last salted pork,” he said by way of apology. She didn’t like the salted meats, though she hadn’t complained when he cooked it. It didn’t occur to him at first not to cook the meat. On their third night together, she’d stolen the raw steak right off the cutting board and eaten it before he could cut his section.
Message received.
The cat’s eyes opened to slits. Then she rolled to her belly and yawned.
“Don’t complain, I didn’t stock what we eat, but you can’t go hunting in that mess.” They didn’t have a lot of vegetables, but he’d had an idea. Two pails of snow sat near the fire, melting for water. He’d boil one for him, and leave the other for her. At least he had enough leaves for tea. It would be weak, but he would take what amenities he could afford.
Walking over to the wood box he’d put together and filled with dirt while the cat stared at him like he was stupid, he studied the scruffy leaves at the top. The moment he’d realized their limitations on supplies, he’d started soaking the beets. They were far less temperamental than the other vegetables.
Hunger nibbled at his spine, but he ignored the sensation and slid his hand into the dirt. The power it took to speed grow was tremendous. He was better at handling them daily, adding to their energy to grow them faster than normal, but still at a steady pace. Not for the first time, he missed his cave on the Mountain. He’d cultivated a full garden within it, a garden where he could grow everything from fruits to vegetables, no matter the weather outdoors. There were shafts that allowed natural light to filter down, and even when the snow blocked them, he could transmit the sun’s energy with his ability.
Maybe that was what his ability did.
The only thing he missed more than the cave was his brothers—especially Rudy. When Ike hadn’t been comfortable on the ranch with the rest of the family, Rudy’d elected to stay with him. They’d always been close in age and in interests. Best friends and brothers, it was ideal.
Now I don’t even know if he’s alive… He suspected he was, because why else keep Ike? Why separate him? Shaking off the distraction, he concentrated on feeding the plants. They needed a strong dose, and he needed them all to grow. Then he could start another crop the next day.
The power trickled out of him. As he established a connection, one after another, it opened to a full flow. The heat radiated up his spine, warming him from the core, then spread from his fingers. Beet leaves began to spread as the plants fattened in the earth.
A distant part of his mind noticed the cat rising. If she really wanted to kill him, what was he going to do about it?
Merging with the earth, even the box of it, honed the edge off his weariness. This was where he belonged. With the land, and giving of himself to make the plants grow. One of the beets erupted, and it was the perfect size. All of the others began to shiver upward, and he grinned. Suddenly he had a dozen beets, far more than he’d had when he started.
The cat stared at him, mouth open and eyes wide. Lifting one from the planter, he smiled. “Dinner.”
She sneezed.
But he was still happy.
Lifting out his bounty, he stacked them on the table then went over to fill the kettle. He’d get water heated, then he could cut a couple of the beets up and warm them in water. It wasn’t perfect, but it would be a hot meal.
He’d been eating most of his veggies raw. The crunch made them last longer. The idea let him fool himself into thinking he was eating more. Water set, he checked her pail. It was only about half full from the snowmelt. He could add more to it. It was what he seemed to do most of the day.
Almost to the door, he noticed the cat was gone. Spinning, he frowned. “Kitty?”
She didn’t saunter out from behind any of the furniture…and the door was still closed.
“Kitty?” Worry surged through him. Had he made a critical error? Kid Kane’s wife could create real illusions. Was that what the cat was? Hell.
The door opened to the bedroom he hadn’t been using because he’d rather sleep near the fire. A woman with long golden hair stood there. Her eyes were those of a cat’s. She’d pulled on a long shirt and a pair of baggy pants. There were clothes back there?
“How did you do that?” Her accent was like none he’d ever heard before. A growl echoed beneath the words. Walking toward him, he recognized the sinewy movements of the cat.
“You’re a shifter.” Satisfaction spread through him. A shifter meant she’d understood him when he spoke to her.
“Shh, you mustn’t tell them I changed. It’s forbidden.” Her lips compressed, and she stopped directly in front of him. Just like the cat had in the cage. Studying him, she tilted her head. “How did you do that with the plants?”
“Magic.” Because even though she was beautiful, her accent appealing, and he was deeply curious, he’d done all the talking for days. “Why don’t you tell me about you while I get more snow in this bucket so we’ll have more water.”
“But I asked you a question.” She gripped his shoulder to stop his turn, and he paused. Glancing from her hand to her, he raised his eyebrows. Making direct eye contact with Cody tended to provoke his brother when his wolf was riding him, but Ike didn’t hesitate.
This cat hadn’t killed him in the days she’d spent with him, so he trusted his chances. Pouting, she released him then clasped her hands together.
“Thank you.” He nodded and gave her his back as he strode toward the door. Not having ever had to be much of a fighter, it took some effort, but she’d given him a rare opportunity and he planned to take advantage of it.
You mustn’t tell them I changed. It’s forbidden.
Those words would haunt him, but maybe he could get them both of out of this.
Micah
Flying K
The first cry of his son twining with Jo’s long exhale paid the reward to her long, agonizing hours through the night. Tears streaked down her sweat-laden face, and then Mariska laid the baby on her belly. Olivia held tight to Jo’s hand, having slid in behind her on the bed to help prop her up. Micah knelt next to her, and he covered her free hand on their son’s back.
Long legs and arms struggled against the chill away from his mother’s body. The fire stoked as Evelyn added more logs to the fire. Micah had never been so grateful for the women in the family, or the ladies his brothers had all married. Miss Annabeth hustled over with warm towels. She began to clean his son, but Micah could barely stop touching him or Jo.
“He’s okay?” The tears coating her voice were a profound reminder of everything his bride endured to bring their son into the world. She was so terrified to love and lose him as they had lost her other pregnancies.
“He’s perfect,” Micah assured her then pressed a kiss to her forehead. Mariska and Miss Annabeth severed the cord and tied it off before lifting the baby and swaddling him. Next, they laid him in Jo’s arms as Olivia helped her to sit more. Then she glided out from behind his wife so Micah could take her place.
Staring down into the barely open eyes, Micah’s heart expanded. He’d been present at the birth of so many of his horses. He’d taken profound joy in saving them, and seeing them shudder to their first steps.
When Scarlett gave birth to Molly, he’d tasted the victory of expanding the Kane family and pounded Sam on his back as his brother gave him a dazed smile. Jo had given him a son, their very own child.
Was it possible to love her even more when she had all of him? And how his heart carved the perfect spot for this little man. Cuddling his wife, he pressed another kiss to her damp forehead. The women were still working on cleaning her up and then Evelyn came to give Jo a sip of water.
“He’s so beautiful,” Jo said, a grin finally creasing her cheeks. The transformation from fear and worry to rapture captivated him. His wife had been so scared for so long, and now she had their baby. She could believe. “I still want Noah to see him.”
“He’s going to see you both,” Micah assured her. The arrival of his son the midst of so much turmoil was like the perfect slice of what their lives had always been. They were ranchers, they were caretakers—raising animals and caring for the people of the ranch and their town.
“Have you decided on a name?” Olivia asked, her gentle presence hardly an intrusion as she used a damp cloth to clean Jo’s face.
“Sebastian,” Jo answered so firmly, Micah’s heart swelled. Each time they’d discussed it before, she’d been too afraid. If they named their child and the baby hadn’t made it, she feared the pain would be too much. “Sebastian Micah Kane. Named for two of the most perfect men I’ve ever known.”
“He was your grandfather,” Micah guessed. Jo spoke of her family from time to time, and they hadn’t yet gotten to sail to meet them. When the war with MacPherson was over, he would take his sweet wife and their perfect son to see them, if it was the last thing he did.
Tearing her gaze away from the baby, she glanced up to meet his eyes and he read every echo of the emotion he felt in her glistening gaze. “Yes. Do you mind?”
“Not even a little bit. Our Sebastian is going to be every bit as brilliant as his mother.”
She grinned, the sun coming out of the clouds in her smile. “And every bit as talented and compassionate as his amazing father.”
Life was to be lived for these moments of perfection.
“I’ll get Noah,” Olivia said, still smiling. “Then we’ll get the bed changed and food for everyone.”
Micah barely heard them leave as they rustled out, not when his whole world narrowed down to the two people in his arms. Cradling Jo closer, he relaxed.
Sebastian’s arrival was the promise of better to come and he’d embrace that hope for every measured ounce.
Mariska
The Flying K, Dawn of a New Day
With the bed changed and Noah looking after the newborn and his mother, Mariska left to wash up. Her intention had been to take all the linens down and soak them so they could be cleaned properly. Lena greeted her in the hall wearing a tired but pleased smile. “Pass those over. I actually got the last turn at sleeping and you’ve been up all night.”
Surrendering the load wasn’t a difficulty. “Need help with the babies?” Cobb and Molly were far more mobile than the recently born Quinton, but the women had been splitting their tasks. Even Jo had taken to nursing Quinton, rather than bringing a wet nurse for him. With her baby newly arrived, she’d definitely have her hands full.
“Not at all, Sabine and Bridget have them well in hand. They’re playing teacher in the schoolroom upstairs.” One of the suites had been converted to a makeshift schoolroom—Jed Kane’s contribution to his rapidly expanding brood. Also, to allow Jo to keep up her classes away from Haven as necessary.
Pressing a hand against her side, Mariska stretched her tired back. Physically she was fine, but her wolf was restless. Their mate was so far away and riding into danger. It aggravated them both that they couldn’t be with him, but the need to protect the child they carried kept them in place.
Their pack as a whole needed protecting as well.
“Go get some rest,” Lena said, squeezing her arm. “We’re going to do breakfast trays, so I’ll get one of the boys to run one up to you.”
“As lovely as that sounds, I need to track down Ben and Anthony.” After what happened with the raiders trying to grab Cate, Mariska wanted to make sure the boys were okay.
“They’re out with Jed and Sam. The men kept them busy this morning so they didn’t fret.” Lena, like her mother, knew everything that happened on the ranch.
“And Cate?” Their youngest orphan was usually wherever Delilah was.
“Sleeping in Jason and Olivia’s room. Olivia read her a story last night during her one of her breaks, and she fell asleep in there. We’ll let her stay ‘til she rouses.” They’d all had a long night, so it seemed a fair request.
“Thanks, Lena. Find me if you need me.” With that, she and the other woman split paths and Mariska headed to the porch. Sure enough, Anthony and Ben were sitting on the railing listening to Jed regale them with a story of his first days on the ranch. The older man was a natural storyteller, and his love of children wasn’t reserved to only his family’s brood.
Ben brightened when he saw her, and though he waved, he didn’t move from his spot. Sam rose and tucked his hat on as he walked over to greet her. In a low voice, he asked, “All is well?”
“Yes, a beautiful boy. They’ve named him Sebastian Micah. I’m sure they’ll be ready for guests in a while.”
With only a hint of a smile to soften his sober expression, Sam nodded. Like Mariska, he was missing his spouse. “Royce is handling first feeding. I’ll take the second. We’ve got the crews rotating patrols, and only people I trust. No more venturing to Haven for the little ones. Not until we know how many more may come for Olivia.”
None had missed that kernel of information. “Do you think it’s MacPherson trying to get at Jason?” She didn’t dare ask the other question.
“Definitely for leverage on Jason. I just hope he doesn’t have him.” Because it might mean he had Scarlett—or worse.
Not that she and Sam were close, but Mariska touched his arm. “Your wife is one of the strongest women I’ve ever met, and she has a powerful gift. No one will take her where she doesn’t want to go. Jason is not going to allow it for himself or her either.”
They were the right words. Sam found another smile. “Go listen to Pa. He loves talking about how he settled this land and tamed it all by himself—he’s almost to the part where he had the house built for Miss Molly…”
It sounded like a good way to spend the day. In her womb, her child rolled a little, a stretch and she rubbed her expanding tummy. Her due date was still some time away, and there were plenty of littles for cuddling. Settling into the chair Sam had abandoned, she wasn’t surprised when Ben abandoned the railing to come climb into her lap. He settled himself with care, and tucked his head to her shoulder. Anthony followed, only he took a seat at her feet where he could lay his head against her knees.
Her brave boys had fought as men—and as the animals they were as well. They’d protected baby Cate, and everyone would be there for them. The taking of a life wasn’t a light matter, but when it came to protecting her pack, Mariska was as vicious as anyone.
With a gentle smile to her, Jed said, “I’d met Miss Molly on a business trip back east, and she captivated me from the moment she said hello. I knew I wanted to marry her, but I also knew if I was taking her away from the most beautiful home, then I had to build her one of her own…”
The story was terribly romantic, and though the gruff older man was often bellowing and giving orders, she couldn’t miss the gleam in his eye when he talked about his wife. Dead for more than twenty years, and she still held sway over the man who’d courted and won her heart.
Someday, she would tell her own children about courting her mate—only it would be fraught with peril, misunderstandings, and arguments. Yet she couldn’t say she minded, because they’d gone through the fire together and come out so much stronger on the otherside.
Be safe my love…be safe and come back to us.
Sam
On the way to Dorado
The ranch was as secure as he could make it. There were a dozen men, all of which he’d hired and vetted personally. Once they met his muster, both Jason and Kid had taken a pass at them. When they signed off on them, Sam and Micah took the time to bring them all up to speed. They had a single job for now. In shifts, six would ride the circumference of the ranch. The other six were stationed around the barns and the house.
All strangers were to be challenged, and all were to be turned back to Dorado. If folks wanted to meet a Kane, they could wait for him at the Marshal’s office. In addition to the new security force, they also had the regular ranch hands, all currently armed, and support staff who were as loyal as the day was long.
The army fort wasn’t that far away, but he had no intentions of inviting any of their ilk onto the land. With Colonel Stanley dead, the new fort commander had made peace with the marshal and promised to keep Sam in the loop, should the need arise.
It was a tentative peace, but they were better off making it work. He’d move one of his deputies over to Haven and station them there. Like the new security men, the deputies were all excellent men, with discerning eyes and skilled shots. As long as Haven was empty, they shouldn’t have to do more than be a presence.
As always when he rode alone, he turned his thoughts to Scarlett. The last thing he expected while she held their newborn son in her arms was to hear her tell him that sooner than they expected she would have to leave them all. At his kneejerk no, she’d raised a hand and looked at him. It was the quiet in her expression that arrested him.
His minx had always been a tempestuous woman. Her wild side as attractive to him as her passionate loyalty and determination. There was nothing she wouldn’t do to protect her family, not when she’d only been a Morning Star, and not since becoming a Kane.
Their daughter Molly had been born after Scarlett walked through fire to put out a range fire. Not long after that birth, she’d taken on and destroyed another firestarter. She was a fighter, all the way to her core.
“Whatever this war is,” she’d said, calm and very much in control, with their son at her breast. “It is all of our war. If I thought you would be more vital to its success than me, then I would agree to stay and protect our home and children here while you went, even though I will hate every moment of separation. That isn’t the case now. We’re going after an organized group of Fevered with unknown abilities and a man that worries Wyatt. They’ll need me.”
A fact she’d recognized before Jason even broached the topic with him. Knowing and understanding didn’t ease his way to acceptance. Protecting his wife and his family was his job, and it flew in the face of every value he held dear.
Then again, his wife’s need matched his own, and he couldn’t value his needs over hers. They’d discussed everything, and Jason was in much the same boat as Scarlett. He was needed and couldn’t stand the thought of leaving his wife. Accepting their place in the war didn’t ease the worry, but they would have a home for them to come back to.
Thankfully, one trick Jason and Kid had managed was putting Micah and Sam more in touch with the barrier. They couldn’t affect it, but when the urge for them to follow it to a certain area struck, they obeyed it.
Currently, it was quiet and Sam trusted in it. The snowfall from the previous week had cleared, but the clouds in the west promised rain. He would have to be swift to get everything in town done so he could ride home and beat the storm.
Then he’d go meet his new nephew and pour Micah a drink. They could share a moment of laughter before Sam went up to care for his children. As long as he kept his focus on them, he would survive Scarlett’s absence.
Just don’t let it be forever. Scarlett’s absolute faith in him notwithstanding, he didn’t want to be his father—in love with a woman he could never hold again. He would never abandon his children, either, but they needed their mother.
Sam had needed his, and even before Jason and Kid’s revelation, he’d always known she was there deep down in his soul. “Look after them, Ma. We all still need you.”
A warm breeze kissed his cheek and a shiver ran down his spine.
Slowing the trot a pace, he lifted his hat. “Thank you, Ma.”
They were Kanes.
They would survive it all.
Sage
The Train, a few hours from the end
“What if we don’t make it in time?” Though she’d asked the question several times since they’d finally been able to board the train, Kid never seemed to grow impatient with her.
Shane, on the other hand, rolled his eyes. “We’ll get there when we get there. We can’t control the weather.”
Since she still didn’t want to talk to him, she ignored the sentiment and focused on their chaperone. Hat over his eyes, Kid leaned back in the seat with all the appearance of dozing. “Patience, Sage. The battle isn’t all fought in the first five minutes. We’ll still have our parts to play.”
The absolute certainty in his voice didn’t soothe her jangling nerves. For the first time in her life, she’d left the ranch. Also, she’d seen more places and things along the journey than she’d ever seen before. The farther they traveled, the worse her upset seemed to become. It didn’t help that she’d been forced to spend so much time with Shane.
The source of her aggravation with him was one she could quite put her finger on. He’d left for months, traveling with Jimmy. She’d missed him terribly, but the young man who returned wasn’t the same one who’d left. Somewhere out there, he’d grown into someone else. Someone stronger and more determined than ever. The angry boy he’d been had become a man.
There she was—still the same girl. The girl he’d left behind. It didn’t seem to matter that she was on this journey with them, because they both treated her like a kid and she couldn’t figure out how to express it without sounding like she complained for no reason.
Scarlett had to leave her newborn son, and she rode away with Jason. Miss Jo was heavy with child, and Sage wasn’t there to help out. Nor was she there to help with Scarlett’s kids. Others would be leaving or had left. She couldn’t keep up with all the plans, they’d all been very careful not to share any specific details.
Pushing his hat up, Kid stood. They were in a private car with a sliding door. “I’m going to get us some food. Once we arrive, we’re going to get horses and ride. There won’t be much time for rest. Sage, you should change before we get there. Pants and boots are easier in this type of weather than the skirt.” Stepping out, he closed the door without waiting for either of their responses.
Once again, she was alone with Shane. Uncomfortable, she looked out the window at the endless white landscape they were passing through. It was so alien compared to the ranch and Texas hills she’d grown up around. Everything looked so clean, so crisp and yet so…ugly, too. Blinking back the sudden warm wetness from her eyes, she bit the inside of her lip until the physical pain chased away the homesickness.
“Sage,” Shane said, leaning forward. “Look at me.”
“I don’t want to.” It came out so petulant. He began nearly every attempt to speak to her that way. He was her best friend, and he’d listened even when she’d been infuriating to everyone else. Why couldn’t she talk to him now?
“Sage,” he sighed. “Look at me.” It wasn’t a request this time. The bark of command irritated her even as she obeyed it. There was a gentleness in his eyes, and he held his hand out to her. When they’d first sat down in the car, she’d placed her bag on the seat next to her so he couldn’t join her on that side.
She could ignore the hand he offered, or she could give into temptation and take it. Tugging off her travel glove, she slid her hand into his. Though her gift amplified others, she’d learned to gate it. At the contact of his flesh against hers, the sensation of strength rushed upward then quieted.
“I’m sorry I left you,” he told her, his earnestness different from the angry boy. “I figured out a lot of things on that ride, including the fact that Jimmy wouldn’t have made it without me. I also learned my strength, it’s—it’s tied to how I feel, but it didn’t have to be. That’s part of why I was so angry. I couldn’t control it.”
“I missed you,” she confessed.
“I missed you, too. They needed you on the ranch and that fight wasn’t one you needed to be involved in. It was hell at times…and you needed to be where Scarlett could train you, just like I needed to be where Jimmy could train me.” He clasped her hand, his grip tightening enough that it felt like a hug.
At his raised eyebrows and faint tug, she allowed him to pull her from the seat and moved to claim Kid’s abandoned chair next to him. Then to her shock, Shane slid an arm around her and she was in a real hug.
“Don’t be mad at me, Sage,” he whispered against her hair. “I can pretty much take anything else, but I’m not strong enough to weather your temper.”
Though she hadn’t intended to be swayed so easily, she laughed. “You held up much longer than most people.”
“Well, I’m a bit thick. I couldn’t figure out why you were mad at me, and I didn’t want to apologize until I knew what I was apologizing for.”
Lifting her head, she twisted to look at him. “I don’t even know why I got so mad. I know that you needed to go, but I was scared. Scared you wouldn’t come back. Then when you did, you weren’t like you were when you left. You were older somehow. You fit with them better.”
“Them?” A puzzled frown tightened his brow.
“Kid, Jimmy—the adults. You fit with them. It’s like you became one of them while you were gone.”
He ran a thumb over the fingers of the hand he still held as he seemed to consider her words. “Do you know, you changed, too?”
“No, I didn’t.” What was he talking about? She barely got along with most of the residents at the ranch, though she did enjoy taking care of Scarlett’s children and she’d found other ways to make herself useful.
“Yes, you did.” The smile returned to his lips, a playful inviting one that urged her to share his amusement. “They trust you with the little ones, and Cate thinks you hung the moon. They trust you more than enough to ask you to do this.”
She considered his description. In truth, it had been Scarlett who sat down and asked her how she would feel about participating. Later, after she’d said yes, Kid also discussed with her the fact that she could say no. The journey would be dangerous, and they had to move quietly and not be noticed. That meant not getting involved in anything they might see.
There was a real risk they wouldn’t be returning either, and no one would hold it against her if she chose to remain on the ranch. It needed protecting as well.
“I guess I didn’t see it that way, either.” Not when she realized that, as dangerous as they were making it out to be, they would need her to amplify them all. She’d never actively tried to amplify multiple gifts. To do it at all, she needed proximity.
“I figured that part out all by myself. As glad as I am for the company, I’m a bit selfish. I wish you were somewhere safer.” The admission caught her off-guard, and she grinned.
“I could say the same about you.” She leaned back against his arm. It was awful nice to just sit here and be held by him even as she laced her fingers through his. “I hated when I didn’t know how you were out there with Jimmy, then when he mentioned that you’d been hurt.”
The corner of his mouth twisted as he gave her a sidelong look. “That just made you mad.”
“Yes, it did. So, don’t do it again.” To her surprise, he winked and nodded his head.
“I’ll do my best, ma’am, but I expect you to do the same.”
She wasn’t sure she could promise it, but she nodded as well.
“Sage, when we get home?” When, not if. She didn’t miss the specification. “Would you be opposed to me coming courting?”
Heat scalded her cheeks. “No, but I’m not sure who you would ask.” Typically, a boy had to ask her father, but her parents were dead.
The door slid open and Kid reappeared with a couple of heavy bags. “He’d ask one of us, and so when he gets up the guts, we’ll take him out behind the barn and torture him for a bit before we say yes.”
The intrusion lightened the mood altogether and she giggled. Shane didn’t seem too worried. “I’ll be sure to bring Jimmy to stand up for me on my side.”
“Good plan,” Kid agreed, then passed one of the bags to Shane. “Sandwiches and some fruit. Both of you eat.” Without commenting on their change in seating arrangements, he claimed Sage’s abandoned seat opposite them.
From his bag, he pulled out some containers. “Water, too.” He passed the first one to her. She had to disentangle herself from Shane, but he pressed his thigh to hers and hope swelled in her belly. They were still riding a train to the middle of nowhere to face a wicked foe, but then they could go home.
And Shane wanted to court her.
Delighted didn’t begin to cover it. Kid wore a smile before he took a bite of his sandwich, and Sage turned her attention to Shane. He didn’t seem remotely perturbed by the potential threat in Kid’s offer, and he pulled out a brown-wrapped sandwich to hand to her first.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” he said, and a shiver traced over her. He meant it.
For the first time since the journey began, she was truly happy to be there.