The next two weeks were a whirlwind of new experiences for Maka.
She found that once over the unavoidable sea sickness she rather loved the ocean.
She spent many a hour recklessly hanging over the deck railing, watching as the ship broke through the green sea foam waves.
She liked to stare down into the deep inky dpths, secretly day dreaming of mermaids and monsters, and sunken treasures lost to time.
Sometimes she would spy a fish or a sea dwelling bird, but other wise the whole horizon had been empty; nothing but blue mist, endless sky and dark water.
At night, without the crampt buildings of London to obstructing the veiw of the the sky, the celestial bodies came to life.
It was truly a breathtaking sight to behold.
Trillions upon trillions of stars shone in the night sky.
They shimmered in the nippy night air, their lights dancing on the surface of the sea.
The moon rose lazily into the night, always warm, yet morose looking in the vastness.
Maka made it a habit to sleep out on the deck every night, so she could stare into the unfathomable heavens.
She always drifted into a peaceful slumber, lulled by the rocking of the sea.
It was a wonderful way to live and she was sad to leave it, but the far off sight of land one morning and the captains call of "America ho!" stirred her blood.
Her first glimpse of American from the ship had been blocked by the heavy fog that rolled across the water in wispy tendrils.
She leaned far over the bow of the ship, desperately trying to see her new homeland.
Her heart hammering in her ears, competition with the crashing of the waves.
As the ship got closer to the harbor the fog broke long enough for her to catch a glimpse of her surroundings.
The land was vast and heavily wooded, surrounded on three sides by water.
In the distance were gently rolling green hills, dotted with sheep and small towns.
In a way it was almost like England, but still very different.
It had a slightly odd and foreign feel about it.
It was a beautiful country though.
She hadn't even stepped foot upon it, yet she was already falling in love with the land.
"I'm almost home." Maka whispered in awe.
After disembarking from the boat, Maka had clamored aboard the iron beast they called a train.
It had come thundering into the station, chugging out thick black smoke that smelled of coal and fire.
It was a huge clanking thing that demanded the attention of all who stood near it.
"Thank you uncle Stein." Maka sighed as she picked up the ticket that her uncle had kindly paid for in advance.
He had even sent her a little pouch with odd looking coins and notes in it.
American currency no doubt. He truly had thought of everything.
Once her ticket was aquired, and eager to see the inside of the train she trotted up to it as fast as her legs would go, an action that in the past had been hindered by bulky skirts.
The inside of the train had been large and spacious, with rows upon rows of seats for weary travelers to rest on.
Maka took her seat by the window so she could look out at the passing land.
The train ride from the coast to the small town outside of her uncle's ranch would take a total of three days.
She hunkered down into her seat, prepared for the long trek ahead.
She read her book of Texas tales to pass the time.
The stories were wonderful and exciting, but she wondered how much of what she read was really true or not.
The thought of a cowboy named Pacos Bill roping a twister was a very absurd one.
Time seemed to go very slowly compared to the world that sped by outside of the train.
Little towns, full of oddly dressed people sped by one after another.
The further south they went the more unfamiliar Maka felt with her surroundings.
She watched in fascination as the scenery changed rapidly as the train came closer to her destination.
The green hills and tall trees had vanished, replaced by lush, wide open ranges and a blue sky that seemed to go on forever.
Even the people Maka noticed had begun to change in the way they dressed and spoke.
Howdy, was becoming an increasingly popular word.
Maka decided that she very much liked the way people here spoke, it sounded pleasant and foreign.
Maybe I'll learn to talk like them, she thought as she listened to the train passengers lively chatter.
Maka kept to herself on the train, trying not to draw attention to herself.
The one time she had spoken everyone in the train car had turned to stare at her.
She desperately hoped it was because of her English accent and not that she had blown her male disguise.
She had sunk down into her seat and kept quiet the rest of the trip.
What a strange new land.
Her train had rolled into the station of Gooding Texas at exactly 12:00pm noon.
The train was right on time, no fuss or delay.
Maka had grabbed her meager luggage and bolted out the door, excited to finally meet her uncle.
I wonder if he looks like papa?
She gazed at the passing people around the train platform, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
Slowly the crowd of people began to thin out and disperse, all smiling and happy as they greeted their loved ones who had been waiting for them.
Maka waited, and she waited some more.
Maybe he's running a bit late? I'm sure he'll be here soon.
She would remain optimistic. So she waited.
An hour passed, then two slipped by and still she waited.
Finally she could not wait any longer.
"I guess he forgot that he was supposed to pick me up today? He MUST be related to papa to have such a bad memory."
Well, she wouldn't let her uncle's mistake get her down.
She was a big girl who could take care of herself. She had just traveled across an ocean and half a new country by herself. She could definitely find her way across one town.
If my uncle will not come to me then I will simply go to him, Maka thought stubbornly as she stepped off the platform and headed towards the ticket counter.
"Excuse me sir?" Maka asked the man behind the counter.
She was careful to keep her voice steady and low.
"Well howdy young un'. What can I do fer ya?" Asked the leathery old man with a smile.
"I'm looking for the Forsaken ranch?" Maka asked hoping the ticket master could point her in the right direction.
"Well now, with that funny accent I reckon your ol' Stein's nephew come down from England?"
Maka nodded eagerly, choosing to ignoring the blight comment about her accent.
"You know my uncle?"
The old man cackled in response.
"Do I know Stein?! This here is a small town, hell everyone here knows Stein. Fuck I wish I didn't know the bastard most days." The old man said with a laugh.
Maka tried not to cringe at his language.
The longer she masqueraded as a man, the more she noticed how men often cursed more profusely when women weren't around to hear.
"So do you know what direction the Forsaken ranch is?"
"O' course I know, Forsaken's only the biggest ranch for a thousand miles."
"Would you be so kind as to point me in the right direction?" Maka asked trying very hard not to sound annoyed. She felt this man was silently making fun of her.
"Yep, our town only has six streets in it, you need to take the main street out of town then turn left and go about five miles. You'll eventually run into the barbwire fence, follow that fence for a while longer til you run into a big ol' gate. That's Forsaken's gate. It'll have their brand FS on it."
Utterly confused Maka cocked her head to the side and regarded the man seriously.
"Is there maybe a place I could hire a horse and carriage around?"
She was wanting her time with this man to end rather soon.
The man once again proceeded to laugh jovial in Maka's face, spewing saliva and almost choking in his mirth.
Maka ground her teeth in frustration as the man continued to laugh.
Were Texans prone to fits of uncalled for laughter or was it just her presence that seemed to make them all laugh so outlandishly?
She had the sinking feeling that it was her big English mouth.
"Boy you sure are a long ways from home." The man finally said after is burst of laughter had passed. "Round here if you need to get places you either walk, or take a nag, we ain't got no fancy English carriages."
"Well then, I'll walk to Forsaken." Maka said simply, nodding her head determinedly.
Not wanting to talk to the old man any longer, she quickly thanked the man and left in the general direction that seemed most likely to take her out of town.
I wonder if all Texans give such horrible directions?
She walked through the small town, looking for the "main road."
People in the shop windows and passerbyers on the street would stop to stare at her as she passed.
Some would smile and wave, while others only gawked or pointed.
They must not get many new people here.
She hunched her shoulders under the onslaught or scrutiny.
The main road, as it turned out was no more than a little dirt road, no wider than two wagon lengths.
She took the road, widening her strides, wanting to leave the town as soon as possible.
She felt so many eyes watching her, and it was an unnerving feeling.
Thankfully the town was indeed small and she breathed a great sigh of relief as she made it to the outskirts.
With the buildings dwindling in the distance and the feeling of being watched quickly fading she began to enjoy her surrounds to the fullest.
She now walked down a smaller road made by the the wheels of wagons digging ruts into the earth.
The air was crisp, but warm and light feeling on Maka's skin.
It must be spring here for them, Maka thought joyously as she gazed at the greening grassland.
She spied rabbits scurrying to and fro, frolicking in the verdant vegetation.
The sounds of strange birds singing their sweet songs all around her.
Here and there, hidden among the tall grass were small pockets of spring time flowers, blooming profusely.
"My, how lovely!"
Maka stooped to stick her nose in an especially bright blue patch of flowers.
The scent was light, but sweet. She sneezed delicately at the sensation.
Turning back to the road she couldn't help but smile to herself as she continued onwards towards Forsaken.
Or at least she hoped it was the right way...
The land gently rolled in some spots and widened to great expanses in others.
She passed clear streams and small pockets of odd looking trees.
It was a peaceful place, this Texas.
For the first time since her papa had passed she truly felt free.
She laughed heavenward to the clear, blue, endless sky.
I think I'm really going to like it here.
I just hope my uncle likes me being here too...