At last, the traveler stood still. The wind shifted, and a sweetness rose up from the west. Could it be? He walked faster through the forest, stumbled over slick earth, and pushed aside ferns. The forest changed–spruce and firs became moss covered alders, alders became stout pines.

For one year, he pursued the west. Through great sun-cooked plains, broiling river rapids, stark mountain passes, and dark forests, he walked. When he began, he had a companion. The sweet scent made him think of her quiet bed beneath the meadow flowers.

The white noise of the ocean became louder. He made it, at last, to the shore. The endless west touched the sky and shimmered. He would go no farther. From the frontier, he would carve a home.

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