Hi again! Read on and enjoy.

Lady Ravanna- Thanks so much for reviewing! And as for Mr. Thor, wish granted! ;)

Guest- Thank you for your comments! =)

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It was an unspeakably long ride to California, but Eabha was able to pass the time by continuing with her knitting. That her numerous freshly made scarves were able to fit into her trunk was a miracle. And even though Branna was rightly fussy from the coach rocking back and forth all the time, she was still in good health. There were other passengers that came and went for the duration of the journey, but the woman mostly kept to herself. She was in no mood to socialize with any more strangers.

Finally, early one chilly morning, the coach came to a halt in the town of Truckee. Upon the door being opened, Eabha took in the rough surroundings. It wasn't all that different from Cheyenne, but there was a larger diversity among the various people. Once she'd stepped onto the ground with Branna and her suitcase in tow, the wagon took off, leaving her in the middle of what appeared to be the center of town. She started walking around, looking for any train engines or rails. If Mr. Bohannon were anywhere, he'd probably be enveloped in railroad affairs. After a little while, her search came to an end.

"Miss Malloye!"

Eabha breathed a sigh of relief as the fur-clad Cullen approached from a nearby building that looked like some sort of office. The woman went to speak, but before she could get any words out, the man carefully took her by the arm and led her further down the path.

"Sorry, I'm leaving to survey in a couple minutes. But I'll show you your room. It's right under mine. Here, let me take that."

He grasped the handle of Eabha's trunk, allowing her to support Branna with both arms. Before long, they reached a two-story shelter with several doors and a boarded porch. Cullen opened one of the entrances on the first floor and escorted the girl into her windowed room. It wasn't large, but her tiny area in Cheyenne was still much more confining. She saw a small bed with a feather mattress, along with a short desk, a chair, a lamp, and a miniscule wood stove in one corner. There was a wooden washstand in the other corner, complete with a water pitcher, a matching basin, and a chamber pot on the floor beneath it.

"I've gotta go," Cullen said, placing the girl's trunk in the doorway. "If you need anything in town, charge it to my name. We'll talk once I'm back, which'll just be a few days."

He turned to leave, but his guest had just enough time to speak.

"Sir, thank you. This means a great deal."

The man nodded before disappearing down the walkway. Eabha quickly recovered from the abrupt greeting and placed her daughter onto the bed. As she went over to shut the door and pull the paper shades down over the window, the mood of the place sunk in. This room was already starting to make her feel a bit better. It seemed to almost be glowing. Though it wasn't fancy by any means, to her, it was just right. Branna looked happy with it as well. She grinned with her usual cuteness, and her young mother smiled back.

Yes…I think this will do just fine.

OOOOOOOOO0000

The two of them stayed inside the room for the rest of the day. Since there wasn't a smaller mattress for Branna, she slept next to her parent in the single bed. This proved to be beneficial on both ends, as their respective slumbers were more peaceful while with each other. They continued their isolation well into the next morning, living off of the remaining rations Eabha had gotten the last time the coach stopped. But it was gone by noon, prompting the woman and her child to venture out into town. Getting more food was simple. The vendors were very familiar with Mr. Bohannon, and he obviously had enough credit to provide for whatever Eabha asked for. But she stuck with the necessities, only getting bread, veggies, and some milk. Her rescuer's generosity was enough of a blessing, and she didn't want to take advantage.

After bringing her purchases back to her room and taking some time to unpack the trunk, the woman took Branna back outside. It was cold enough for her to require her cape, but the sun was out. Getting familiar with the town would probably be a good idea. For an hour or so, she simply held onto her baby and walked up and down the porches of the various stores. There wasn't a need to enter any of them, but every now and then, she'd stop and peer through the windows.

At one point, while her mother was looking at a lavender dress on display, Branna waved her little arms and made a joyful noise. Eabha saw her smiling out the corner of her eye, eventually following her gaze behind them. But there was nothing there.

"What?" she asked, grinning at her baby's happiness. "Did you see something?"

The building's corner was a few feet away. Eabha was tempted to walk over and see what was behind it, but quickly brushed the thought aside. After all, babies would often find the simplest things funny. Instead, she shifted her grip on Branna and kissed one of her chubby cheeks as they continued on.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Two mornings later, Cullen Bohannon finally knocked on their door.

"Oh, good morning. Come in."

The man did so, but he didn't go much further than the threshold.

"You found everything you need?"

"Yes, thank you."

Eabha scooped Branna into her arms and sat upon the bed. It was silent for a second or two before she spoke again.

"How did you end up here, sir?"

"Well, I…" Cullen leaned against the doorframe and looked ahead of him. "I was gonna go back to the fort and stay with my family, but it was hit by smallpox. Almost everyone died."

"What?" The girl's thoughts immediately went to Sadie, Laura, Brother Dultey, and all the other innocent inhabitants. "Your wife, did she…?"

"No, she's safe. So is William. I checked Salt Lake City, but they weren't there. I don't know where the hell they are."

"Do you think they're out here?"

"No idea. My boss said he'd help me find them if I worked for him, so here I am. And I figured you weren't too attached to Cheyenne anymore."

"True."

"You didn't have much trouble getting here?"

"No. I couldn't read the telegram, but I had a friend read it to me. And the ride wasn't all so horrible."

After another moment, Eabha thought of something.

"Oh, let me pay you back for the food. I have some money—"

"Nah, don't worry. Money isn't an issue. I'm just focused on finding my family. But I'll help you find work soon."

Things were quiet for a brief while.

"You really didn't have to do all this for me, sir."

"It's my fault you're on your own, miss. I'd be much obliged if you'd let me make up for it a little."

Deep down, the woman knew he was right. Besides, she wasn't in much of a position to refuse help.

"I…I appreciate that."

"Well, I've got business to look after. It's plenty safe to walk around, but stay in if it's too noisy."

"All right, good day."

Bohannon was gone with a hat tip. Eabha carefully sat Branna down on the floor and walked over to stare out the window. The town seemed to be as hectic as Cheyenne, but now that she was far from the heartbreaking memories forever entombed in the land nearly a thousand miles away, things were a bit better. While she wasn't entirely sure about making this particular place her new home, it was a good start. She suddenly heard a sound behind her, and upon turning to look, a huge smile formed on her face.

"Oh, sweetheart!"

Branna had pulled herself to her feet again and was now walking towards her mother. It was a slow process, but it didn't lessen the thrill. Eabha moved next to her daughter and followed her, ready to catch her in the event of a tumble. However, the child's adventurous strength rendered the woman's assistance unneeded. She couldn't help but laugh as they continued around the room. With every step the young girl took, her mother became more convinced that this fresh start would lead them to a bright future.

OOOOOOOOOOO

From across the walkway, Thor grinned as he watched Bohannon leave his wife's quarters and approach the railroad offices. He eventually turned towards the rice wagon, climbed on, and steered it around the backs of a few buildings, chuckling to himself while doing so. It seemed that the viper thought he'd be able to keep Eabha from fulfilling her destiny by housing her one room away. But if he only knew the relentlessness of God's will…

And he was still reeling from the bliss he'd experienced a couple of days beforehand when he'd seen his family. It was a delightful treat to gaze upon his treasures after all these months apart. Though the Swede knew it was a good idea for him to come to Truckee, he wasn't prepared for the Lord to bestow this blessing upon him. The reunion would have happened at some point, but not having to wait as long as he thought was a wonderful surprise. It warmed his heart to see Eabha in good health, and Branna had indeed grown quite a bit. She appeared to be a very happy child. Thor had kept his distance, of course, but he couldn't stop himself from trailing a few yards behind them while they skimmed the windows a while back. Oh, how his insides fluttered upon his daughter looking at him!

"Hello," he'd whispered, carefully waving at the baby.

A small laugh had broken free from him when Branna smiled and cooed, but it wasn't nearly loud enough for Eabha to hear. However, the man quickly ducked behind a building in the event that the woman turned around.

Despite how badly Thor wanted to reach out to his wife in that moment, he knew it wasn't time yet. A few steps had to be taken towards finishing Heavenly Father's work. But it would be soon, very soon, and he looked forward to it with every fiber of his being.

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