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Wyoming, Full Circle By Malissa Madison To my many fans who have enjoyed this series, I thank you for your support and encouragement, as well as your critiques. I am sorry but I've run out of ideas to keep it going, and all the ones between where I left off and here are just too unrealistic, the creativity just doesn't flow right. So I've decided to write one last piece, yet leaving it open in the middle in case the creativity returns. Of course their being tied in with the other linked series, they will continue to appear in those series. And of course we will endeavor to find a way to work the unfinished stories into something more realistic. Thank you all, Malissa and Gang. PS: I know that like myself some of you will shed tears as you read it. I know I did as I wrote it, and as I edited it. but I think by the end those tears for you will be tears of joy as they were for myself and the Gang. Malissa ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Stone Dove, Jill's youngest Granddaughter, and Tall Tree, BJ's next youngest Grandson were excited. Tim had just bought them both their first trucks, Lyconian Star Freighter's, and they were out ahead with their Grandma's following close behind as we headed home for the upcoming holidays. Our joint venture with Ute trucking had been profitable, our family as well as our business had continued to grow. Daffodil and Talia had both met and Married Free thinking Avians. Sugar had given Darlene and TooTall two more daughters and a son as well. Even Rose, Red and Flower had added to our family. Eventually we'd grown large enough that we needed two more terminals for our trucks out among the stars, one on Terrellia, the other on Lyconia where we'd just picked up the new trucks. But Little Elk had returned to Earth and his wives Lilly and Snow Fox headed up the Earth Terminal with him as the local CEO, and Otter had taken over the terminal on Iridani when Coyote retired with Caribou and Long Dog to drive full time. I'd hurried home to intercept my family before they left to take possession of the new trucks whose drivers were still in training. I'd had a really bad feeling that I just couldn't shake. Especially since Tim had refused to discuss his last physical with any of us. His midnight talks in front of the fireplace with Tina had grown more frequent. And then yesterday as we were getting ready to set out for home he'd stood staring at Jumper, then asked, "Missy whose truck is this?" But then before I could say anything he shook his head and asked, "Jumper are you ready to roll?" He'd seemed normal, and then after shooting the portal onto the Freeway he asked, "Missy, when did your hair get so much grey in it?" Again he seemed to recover but still I was worried, something was wrong. I got him to agree to see Dr Tsing when we got back to Iridani while trying not to alarm anyone else. "Beauty, I'm worried. Something is wrong and neither he nor Jumper are telling us about it." "We're worried too Missy," added BJ, Jill, and Tanga our newest and youngest wife whom BJ had picked up along the Freeway twelve years ago. We'd discussed it at length and decided that one of us would always be with him, no more letting him go off on single runs. At least not until we knew what was going on. Now watching the lead trucks as they disappeared one at a time through the portal Beauty's radio crackled to life. "Missy, I love you all, And I'll be waiting for you," he said as he started into the exit ramp for Iridani Five, Jumper not quite tracking the center line. Something sounded off about his speech, it sounded slurred and I was about to voice my concern when Jumper flashed a medical alert to Beauty. "Attention Stroke warni," I never got the rest of the message as Jumper veered suddenly. Before Jumper could make the corrections though, the Gravitational pull of the Cylinders had grabbed Him. The whole thing took less than a second, a brief, blinding flash and there was nothing left. Tim was gone, my Tim, my life, gone in a flash. Suddenly I was numb, I knew I was in shock, I knew Beauty had taken over driving herself, though she was in just as much shock, but she had safety overrides to handle it as the commit markers flashed past. Beauty's own overrides kicked in as her computer took over switching her to Automatic Pilot as we shot through the curtain of fog. "Beauty, where's Jumper? Did they miss the exit?" Jill was calling me. "Missy?" asked BJ "Momma?" Rose's worried voice called out in the distance. "Momma, where's daddy?" Asked Darlene and Night Wolf together. Their trucks getting ready for another long haul. "Wyoming, did any of you see the truck that went in during the exit?" inquired Planetary Traffic Control. I couldn't hold it in any longer. "Timmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm," I began to wail as my grief finally took hold of me. "Ohhhh gods, he, he," I barely noticed as Red climbed into Beauty and then carried me in his arms into the dispatch office. I don't know how long I cried, or even what I'd said to anyone. Eventually I ran out of tears, and Dr Tsing stopped sedating me. They'd postponed the funeral until everyone could be there. Still my heart was cold and numb, the only Man I had ever truly loved was gone, the Man who taught me how to let myself be loved, how was I supposed to continue? Eventually everyone had to get back on the road, they had to continue on with life. But how was I supposed to do that? The one person who had given me the biggest reason to live was gone. Before I knew it, it was three months later, the beginning of August. "Missy, you need to get back out there on the road," encouraged Jill. "You can't hide from the universe, Tim wouldn't want you to do that." "Listen to her Grandmomma, please," Goose Feather, Red and Running Water's oldest said. I shooed them out of the house, telling them I would be just fine, to just leave me alone for a while. So there I sat in our house, all alone. Well not quite alone, Milly, one of Molly's great, great, great grand pups was constantly under foot. BJ was due back from her run to Clear Sky in a week. Rose and her kids would be here in two more weeks. "Missy, I'm lonely," said Beauty from the Tractor Barn. A sudden pang of guilt washed over me. I'd been neglecting her, she'd lost Jumper the same time I'd lost Tim. But I hadn't spent any time with her. I opened the door stepping outside for the first time since the funeral, Milly bouncing around my feet playfully. She would race yipping to the barn then back again as if she was on some mission to hurry me up. The first thing I saw as I opened the door was Beauty, but she had changed. No longer bright sparkly pink, but now Widow Black, not shiny, but not flat. More of a faded black like Beast had been after sitting beside the barn for six years before he was revived by Wanderer. I climbed up and in feeling my age for the first time, Milly entering from across the back deck into the sleeper jumping up into the passenger seat as if to say, 'Ok I'm ready to go'. "Beauty what happened?" I asked. "Why the change in color?" but I already knew. "I am a widow now Missy, the same as you are. We should grieve together." It made perfect sense. I hugged the steering wheel for a long time, my tears flowing. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you," I told her. "Jumper would not want me to sit idle, and Tim would want you to get back out there on the road too," she told me. We sat there together trying to decide where we should go together. All the beautiful places we'd been with Tim. "You know what I want to do?" she asked changing the subject on me. "No, what would you like to do?" "Go home," she answered. "I mean to Wyoming, not here," she clarified before I could say that we were home. Suddenly I wanted to go home too, we hadn't been there in about ten years. But most of our family used it as a rest stop whenever they returned to earth. And none of them were there now, they were busy taking short runs, trying to stay close to home in case we needed them. "Wait here," I told her. "I'll be right back." "Where else would I go Missy? You are my driver." I kissed the dash then rushed to the house to shower and change. Not surprising I put on black jeans and a long sleeve black denim shirt, then threw more of the same into a duffel and carried it out to Beauty. I'd scribbled a quick note on the door of the fridge, "Going home," was all it said, I wanted to leave before Goose Feather came to check on me as she did every day. She started up as I settled in behind the wheel. "Do you need anything?" I asked her. "Only you," she answered as I shifted into first. I wondered absently if Goose Feather would panic tonight when she came to check on me and found the note. An hour later we were shooting the portal headed for Omega Seven, our first stop on our way home. But Beauty's system was still linked into the dispatch office and had alerted Seal Pup as we passed the terminal. "Beauty, why didn't you tell anyone you were headed to Omega? We have a load at Extreme Exports that needs to go to Savant II," called Seal Pup, Coyote's daughter who was working in the family dispatch office. We didn't answer. "Missy?" asked Beauty. "We're Grieving Widows now, we're supposed to do crazy things," I almost chuckled as I answered my truck. I hadn't even thought about the fact we were running Bobtail. "I like that Missy, it describes us perfectly," answered Beauty, now Widow "Beauty are you taking that load?" I heard Jill ask. When we didn't answer she asked Pup to try locating us, now Beauty giggled. "They can't find us. I have just disabled my locator beacon. I'm tired of everyone acting like we are now incapable of taking care of ourselves." Milly hopped up into the passenger seat again, howl talking to her. "Missy, I am changing our handle to Widow. Milly suggested it." Two days out we had our first contact on the skyway. "Earth truck Widow, have you seen Beauty?" asked Ice Pack as we passed in opposite directions. "No but you're kind of cute," I heard my truck respond. "Her family is looking for her, if you see her please notify Wyoming Trucking." "Or Ute Trucking," I heard Sugar add. "Momma you don't think she would have," "No, god no they aren't suicidal," said Jill. But I could hear it in her voice, she wasn't quite sure. Yes it would be so easy to just let Beauty drift shooting a portal, it would all be over with before we even knew it had happened. Could I do that to Beauty. When we reached Omega Seven we were bombarded with inquiries. Had we seen anything of the truck Beauty or Missy Wyoming? "Missy we need to take on some supplies if you and Milly plan to eat. And I'm sure that Milly would like to stretch her legs," said Widow. "How about we stop at the Crazy Tiger? No one will recognize me there," I suggested. We'd never stopped at the Crazy Tiger before. It was a Terrellian truck stop that belonged to their guild. Sure enough even the Terrellians were looking for us. I just hoped that we didn't run across any Galactic Police Rigs, they would be able to scan past our new identity. And their first scan would show our ability to open a jump portal in phase mode. Only the original trucks of our convoy and the Tow Trucks had been given that ability. We didn't stay long, and I'm sure that it would only be a matter of time before my Latinum Express Card was reported as being used for fuel an supplies. We were just getting back onto the road when we hit a detour, near one of the other portals. Two Road Bugs were routing traffic around some new construction, and we sat in line waiting for our turn to go through the bottleneck. As we pulled up to the front of the line finally, to wait our turn to go around, a third bug cruised up silently. "Driver of the Widow Truck, what is your destination?" I was asked in a demanding tone. Shit they knew, they knew everything! "Please, I just want to go home," I said. Memories of the old house, Molly laying on the porch, my old Mercury Cougar sitting in the drive beside the old Dodge pickup. Then the Tomahawk Stop with the lights on it as I'd seen it just before the old Cougar had run out of gas, popped into my head. "Please follow me," nothing else was said as it started off down a side exit. One I knew led to a Bug Terminal. Could we out run them? Did we even want to try? "Please continue straight ahead, the coordinates have been retrieved from your memories and your trucks computer." There really wasn't anything we could do, we were following the bug and if my suspicions were correct we were being taken straight to one of the Earth jump portals. Suddenly two more Road Bugs appeared on each side of us as we disappeared through the foggy haze ahead. It seemed to be taking an exceptionally long time as we drove in total darkness, not even the Bugs around us were visible. But suddenly almost a full day later the whine of our tires on the pavement reached us before the haze cleared, and I found us running down I-90, the stars dotting the night sky as the Bugs lifted up and disappeared. We were doing eighty three, and the rollers sounded different, then I realized they had been changed. They were tires, not traction rollers. I started slowing down not wanting to get a speeding ticket. Would Frank understand, would he write me a ticket? "Wow, I didn't expect them to bring us all the way here," I said. "Missy, I have tires again," said Widow in an amused voice as I started easing over into the offramp. A battered old Mercury Cougar rolling off onto the breakdown lane looked familiar as did the young girl behind the wheel as we shot past it. "Hey Tomahawk, you got my booth ready?" I heard a familiar voice and started in shock. "Yeah Hopper, you want the usual?" asked Carla. 'Hopper?' "Yeah and put a case on the tab, I'm going home after I eat," he said. "How far out are you?" asked Gladys. "Ten Minutes." His voice sounded weary, and sad. "Missy?" asked Widow. "I know, this can't be happening." 'Could it?' "They took us back in time," said Widow. "I've scanned all the radio stations and news channels. I hope I don't run into myself," she said. "My self-scans show that my outward configuration has been changed to what it was just before we first left Earth," she informed me. Suddenly all the speculation about time travel hit me, I couldn't have any interactions with anyone in this time, not anyone I knew, who knew me. And especially not myself. "Oh no," I gasped suddenly remembering the old Cougar on the side of the road. I was pulling into the lot starting to turn around. "What is it Missy?" "This, this is the night I met Tim," I answered her as I turned around and pulled to a spot where I could see myself as I walked down the side of the offramp. Widow's forward view screen magnified and I could see part of my face, the tears streaming down from my eyes as I was thinking about what I was preparing to do to earn a little money. "What's happening?" asked my truck and I started explaining it to her. Then I saw myself wandering sideways a bit out into the roadway as my feet followed the pitch of the road. "Any minute now Tim is going to come down the ramp too fast to stop in time," I said as the headlights suddenly illuminated me from behind. The lights at the Tomahawk flickered as I turned around on the road toward the truck barreling down on me, light all around me as I fell limp to the pavement, Hopper, brakes locked up and screaming sliding to a stop. "Missy I can't look, please tell me I acted in time." leaning forward I rested my head on the steering wheel, my tears flowing now, finally understanding what had happened that night. I remembered seeing the strange dull black truck sitting at the edge of the lot as I'd followed Tim home for the first time. "Oh shit, I just ran over a girl on the offramp," I heard Tim say into the radio before his door flew open. A light tapping on the passenger door startled me just before it was pulled open and Mother Rain climbed into the seat with Milly. "So you have come full circle Missy Wyoming," she said. "You know who I am?" I said in shock. She'd not showed up in the diner that night like she always seemed to do at every important event. Tim was now pulling me out from under the trailer. Carrying me off to the side in front of Hopper, a Wyoming State police car was leaving the lot, it's overhead lights turning slowly as it sped toward the scene. "I know a great many things Blessed Spirit Child of the Seven Nations, Mother of many happy children and grandchildren." she said with a giggle. "You can stay and observe for a bit before you start to upset things. Before that happens I 'will' send you home." she said sternly. "How do you know?" I asked. But instead she said. "I want to thank you for taking me out to see the stars. For being one of the leaders of the Greatest Spirit Journey the Seven Nations has ever known." We talked about things I'd never known before, and then I saw them leaving. Tim walking me to my car. Frank following us to be sure I got there safely. "Come, you should eat before you go to sleep. I'm sure that Gladys will give you a room for you and," she paused, "Milly." She was getting out of the truck, Milly following her. As we entered, Rain led the way to the now empty booth. And I sat down where Tim had set, my nose inhaling his familiar scent and I almost began to cry. My hand closing around the napkin he'd used to wipe his own eyes. "Carla, two long haul specials and coffee please," said Rain. "And a steak for Milly here." I could see Gladys watching me unsure of why Mother Rain was here with a total stranger. And wondering why there was a wolf pup with me. "You driving that black truck, Ma'am?" asked Gladys as she carried over a coffee pot and began to fill our cups. "Yes Gladys, do you still have some jalapeno juice for the coffee?" I asked then realized if this was supposed to be my first time I shouldn't know about that, or her name. "Still?" her eyes rose up. "I'll get you some." She disappeared. "She's never had it before," grinned Rain. Suddenly I smiled remembering the first time I'd sat here with Tim and she'd set a little jar of the juice down next to the Honey and sugar, with an eye dropper in it. She'd smiled at me then as if she knew some secret. Rain got up to go talk to someone else in the diner and Gladys returned with the jar of sliced peppers. Then sat down across from me as I added just a tiny bit with my spoon before adding honey. After a few moments of studying my face she finally said, "You're her aren't you? Missy's stepmother?" I fought the urges to tell her everything, but I couldn't, so I just nodded. "Please, I saw the picture on the license she had in her purse." "I, I have to know that she's safe, and loved." I finally answered without lying to her. "But she can't know that I'm here, please don't tell her. This is her journey, she has to walk her own path." "Well if she stays with Tim she won't have to worry about anything. But if she breaks his heart," she let the rest go unsaid. The tears slowly rolled down my cheeks, "No she won't do that to him, she's here where she belongs. She just hasn't figured it out yet," I said. Hatchetman came in and sat down next to her, his arm going around her shoulders. "You're driving that black truck out next to the road right?" "Hatch, she doesn't want Missy to know she's here," said Gladys. "I won't say anything," he promised. "But I never saw a truck that big before. What kind is it?" I knew enough about them now to know that they could and would keep the secret. "It's a Peterbuilt 385," I answered before I thought. "A new prototype," I added quickly. "Hatchet, Gladys, don't look into the future. You might change things without knowing it," said Rain as she sat down next to me again. Now they both looked at me closer, then looked out at my truck. "It is ok if they know who you are, but you cannot tell them about things that you know about in the future." "The future? Mother Rain are we in a Spirit Dream?" asked Hatchetman. 'Maybe that's what this was, a spirit dream,' I thought. "The grieving widows are here because this is where they need to be for now," she said. Then as if in some sort of trance she said, "Might you have a cottage she can stay in while she is here. There are certain other events that she has to influence before she leaves." I finished my meal and my coffee, then followed Gladys to the counter knowing that she and Hatchetman were usually in bed by this time. Barking Squirrel stepped out of the kitchen and I asked Gladys which cottage she was giving me. "You'll be in number three, there's a place in back of it where you can park your truck," she'd written 'Widow' in the registry log book as usual, logging the room by the name of the truck, and I fished my Latinum Express card out of my purse and Gladys slid it in the slot of the card reader after looking at it for a long time. "That will hold on a weekly basis, so you can stay and charge your meals and everything on it," she informed me. Then as I opened up my wallet to put my card away my IGCDL dropped face up onto the counter. "Missy Wyoming, Inter-Galactic Commercial Driver's License, Homestead 13, Iridani Five?" read Squirrel out loud. "Squirrel please, no one else can know," I said. "This is being influenced by the Great Spirit," Rain informed her. "There are things here in this time that she needs to do, and no one else but you three may know that she is here or who she is." "Do you need fuel for your truck?" asked Hatchetman. "Missy, it's been so long since I tasted number two diesel, and all six of my mains are almost empty," said Widow over my earring communicator. "I'll pull up to the pumps and then we can go to the cottage." "You have someone else in the truck?" asked Gladys. "No that's my truck talking to me," I answered. Then touching my ear I said, "Widow, trucks in this time do not drive themselves, that technology hasn't reached here yet." As I stood next to Hatchet showing him the fuel tank access points I looked up to see a familiar wolf trotting across the lot towards the canyon entrance. He paused to look at me, then came to meet Milly. "Well hello there Ringo," I ruffled his fur behind his ears. The three of them looking more curiously now. "You must make some pretty long hauls to need six, one hundred gallon fuel tanks. Or this baby really drinks it," Hatch commented. "You wouldn't believe the distances we usually haul, but Widow here gets really good Mileage." I answered him. I slept late the next day then after waking up I looked at the time. They would just be headed to the store right about now. I quickly showered and then started walking up the foot trail through the canyon with Milly at my side. I wandered through the house looking at everything, picking up a shirt that he'd taken off I held it to my face inhaling his scent. Then after a few minutes I got myself back in control and decided I wanted to look at Tina's Diary again thinking there was something in it that I needed to remember. I almost panicked when it wasn't up under the box springs, but then I found it under the mattress near the headboard. I quickly skimmed through it searching, and some letters fluttered out of the back. I remembered there hadn't been any when I found it, and I looked at the return address. Shyhorse Lightfeather and the families address in Colorado. "Tina My Love," "It's only been two days, and already I miss you more than I can bear. My mom says that I should bring you to the house so she can meet you. But I explained to her about your Dad and that you are his only joy in life. She says they will understand when we get married and I go there to live with you and your Dad." "Please drive safe while you are up north, I couldn't bear to lose you." "All My Love," "Shyhorse" The rest of the letters were more of the same, the last one saying he wished he could meet her Dad before she went to get her operation. But he would be there, wild Horses couldn't keep him away. I tucked the letters in my pocket, knowing they hadn't been there before, then tucked the book up in the box springs where I would find it at the right time. Out in the tractor barn I pulled the tarp aside, running my fingers across the lettering on Beast's door. I was about to open it and climb in when Widow called to tell me they were at the stop getting ready to head home. I dropped to the floor and let the tarp fall back down then realized part of the lettering was exposed, just the way it had been when I saw it for the first time. Milly and I hurried back down the trail to the truck stop. Then we went to the diner to eat. I sat there listening to all the gossip, Tim Wyoming had a young girl up at his house. Tim was smiling again for the first time in two years. There was a new Blessed Spirit on the Reservation and she was living with Tim Wyoming. There was a lot of speculation about the pair, and a lot of hopes that it would turn into a lasting relationship. Gladys sat down across from me. "I, I have to know," she said. "I'll understand if you can't tell me, but was he happy when it happened?" she'd figured out why Mother Rain had referred to us as Grieving Widows I took hold of her hand, looking up into her eyes. "The six of us were heading home from buying our two youngest grandchildren their first trucks. They and our second and third wife were out front and Beauty and I were following Jumper through the jump portal. He had a stroke and it was all over in less than a second. They didn't feel anything," I was aware of the tears streaming down my cheeks. "He was happy Gladys, he was behind the wheel like any driver should be." "H, how old was he?" "Ninety Seven," I answered. It was later that night, I was having trouble sleeping and trying to figure out why, I knew there was some event I was missing. Then Milly began to howl at the door. 'Oh shit,' I breathed and picked up the phone and called the Reservation Police Station. "Yes I'd like to report a Wolf Hunt at Two Forks Canyon. You have to hurry they just released the kill pack," I said after looking at the time before I hung up. The whole time Milly had howled near the door, but I wasn't going to let her out, I couldn't risk losing her. Someone knocked on my door, and I opened it just a crack to find Hatch standing there. "What's gotten into her?" he asked. And then suddenly she got her nose through the door and was racing off for the trail. "Oh shit I have to catch her," I said. "There's wolf hunters out there." "Wolf Hunters?" just then the howling of the packs reached us. It was three hours later that I finally found them, or rather Ringo found me. The pup, about the same age as Milly, only about a third grown. I looked at Milly, she had a terrible looking bite on her shoulder. The pup looked a bit roughed up but didn't have any marks on him. I thought, 'Oh shit, did we just change the past.' The bite on Milly's shoulder was in the same place it had been on Molly's, but it wasn't a male pup that Ringo had brought to the house. Then I realized where we were standing. I looked up the trail to the back of the house. Hatchetman had his hanky out wiping at Milly's wound when Rain stepped out of the shadows. "Missy Wyoming, it is time to move forward again," she said. "You need to go to Colorado if you are to get the Plows built. And this one needs to be seen there," she ruffled the pups fur. It suddenly dawned on me who the pup was, and why the new blowers we'd bought were called 'Wyoming Blizzards'. If I was there much longer people would begin to take note of us. But how was I going to jump forward six years in time? The four stood there in the back lot, Gladys, Hatchetman, Barking Squirrel, and Mother Rain. "Just follow the lights when they show up," said Rain. Before I left I took hold of Squirrel's hand. "You are going to be a wonderful mother," I told her, unsure if I would get the chance later. I was on I-25 headed south when they appeared beside me, and I sped up to catch them when everything went black around me. This time I was ready for it. I wasn't as disoriented when the darkness gave way to predawn light and the ships disappeared. "Widow, where are we?" I asked trying to get my bearings, it had been ages since I'd been here. "Coming up on Chugwater Wyoming," she answered. "I have the Blueprints and Specifications ready Missy." Pulling into the State Barns I found the guy I was looking for. Art Richards, his leg in a permanent brace. He was in charge of snow plow research and development. "May I help you Ma'am?" he was looking at Widow, she'd done a quick reconfiguration just before we hit the north end of the city, and now her plow was out in front. "Actually I'm here to help you," I said. "Oh really?" he was walking around the plow blade studying it. "That looks kind of like the design a friend of mine called me about. where'd you get it?" "Tim Wyoming?" I asked. "Yeah how do you know him?" "It's a long story. But I think he just ordered three of these, right?" "It looks about the right size, bigger than the ones we currently build for the state." I handed him the blueprints and Specs, "Look I can leave this one here for a bit, but you can't let him see it, or even tell him you have it." "Why, did you steal it?" he was suspicious now. "Art, I'm giving you the Blueprints and the Specs, you build three of these for Tim and have them ready with a spare set of Augers for each one by August ninth and I guarantee that you can have the patent. All I ask is that you call them 'Wyoming Blizzards'. Oh and don't tell him anything about seeing me, I'll be back for my blade on the eighth. I'm going to be needing it," I said. He directed me to a work station inside the big barn and he helped me unhook and drop my blade. "Remember, you are the only one to see this blade. And don't run any analysis on the alloy, you'll have the boys from Area 51 here before you can blink." He looked at the Purple hydraulic fluid, "What kind of fluid is this?" "Synthetic, they make it on Terrellia Four." He looked at me like I was crazy. "Art, do not let anything happen to my Blade," warned Widow. "Holy shit your truck talks," he said. "It's just like in my dreams." "Art?" "Lady, I'll guard it with my life. And, and I'll be damn sure there's three of these ready when he gets here," he assured me. I turned off of I-25 at Walsenburg following Colorado 160 to Bayfield were we turned off into the Brightfeather Truck stop. I pulled into the back lot and let Dark Shadow out to roam around while I went in to get an idea where I needed to go from here. Jimmy Brightfeather was just beginning to put his first rolling Diner together after buying the truck from the military surplus. We ended up staying in the Mesa Verde National Park where we had a secluded camp site and I used my card in an ATM machine to get cash to pay for things. It didn't take long for the wolves to find us, and then I met Smoke Rising for the first time. "So you are the one who has brought the litter runt," she said. We stared at each other for a long time and then she said, "No one will bother you here Child. But here is where you need to let go of your grief, he would not want you to become like he was when you met him. Think of your grandchildren." I spent the summer there camped out in the wilderness, taking long hikes with Shadow, and thinking about and remembering my past. Occasionally I would meet an Apprentice Spirit woman from one of the other Plains Tribes. I knew there was something I was supposed to tell Sarah Pierce, the first who came to visit me. Then I remembered what Tim had told me the night I found out why the Sioux had been avoiding a certain portion of their Sacred Grounds. "You are the keeper of the first stretch of the journey," I said as I tossed the star map into the air, watching it spread out to hang suspended above us. "You are here," I touched the bead that represented Earth. Then traced the lines indicating the Skyway leading to Iridani. It is here that the next will pick up her portion of the Last Journey of the Great Chiefs." Pulling at the bead it collapsed back into a pretty beaded bracelet like any Indian maiden would wear. When Maple came to see me I gave her another of the bracelets, "At the end of the first trek you will follow the training course through the canyons to the Valley of the Horses First Winter. There is a cave where you will find the second destination. It was where a group of teenage heard guardians had rode out the first Winter storm. The young Braves had painted pictures of the three Centaur Maidens who had helped keep them warm and later became their first wives. The clue indicated Sagittarius Three. Silver was the next to seek me out. Without telling her the name of the planet, I told her how to find the clue. "You will seek an audience with the most powerful Spirit Woman of those peoples." I took off the ring given to me by Mistress Sidestep. "She will translate the symbols for you." Smoke Rising brought me the next four together, the time to move forward again was growing closer. "She doesn't look like a wise Spirit Woman," commented Shy Wolf. "That is because she is a Blessed Spirit, but you three are the ones she has chosen to give the final secrets too," said Smoke Rising just before she left us alone. "These are the keys to open the vault," I handed one to each. "Only these keys will open it." there was a single Eagle Feather, an Arrowhead, a child's Wooden Flute, and a Flint Hide Scraper. The same keys I had kept all these years since I had first returned to Earth and used Beauty to help me create the vault in the Overhung Cave in the cliff face behind Lovers Rock two years after the Spirit Journey to Iridani. I'd wanted everyone to have a reason to return Home. Then as the nights began to get chilly, and I started thinking about my future. How I missed snuggling between Jill and BJ, missed the kids and Grandkids. Widow and I talked long into the nights and most of the days, remembering our life together. Shadow had been spending a lot of time wandering the Reservation and I knew the tribe there was used to seeing him. Then he began hanging out with me, not venturing far from camp, it was August already. I'd sat listening each day and night to the radio, hearing myself and my family as they drove the highways. When I heard my past self on the radio telling Tim about finding Darlene I knew it was time to go again. Smoke Rising came to my campsite the morning before I left. "You are almost finished Child, just one more thing to do before you can rest." I'd begun to feel my age and it seemed as if the longer I stayed here in the past the older I felt. We stopped at the barn and retrieved Widows plow blade, Art was amazed as it was absorbed back into Widow as if it had never existed. From there I wandered up to the Wind River reservation, and came back into Ranchester from the west, down through the pass. I hoped the cottage was still free, it was getting hard to drive. My leg straining to push the clutch to the floor as I shifted. I smiled seeing the empty trailers sitting there that had hauled in the three new plow blades as I pulled around to the back lot. Gladys came running out to meet me, "You're back!" "Yes, I needed to bring someone home." Dark Shadow jumped from the truck to the ground. "Not yet," I told him as he started for the trail. "You have to wait for the welcoming feast." "Come on to the Diner and get something to eat," said Gladys. "I can't, there are too many people who know me. I can't change the future, it's all set in motion now. But I have to talk to Maple, it's important." She brought me my meals to the cottage while I waited for the feast to begin. And Maple showed up for our talk. "I know that none of this will make sense to you now. But in the future, it will be very important for you to pass on to Gladys' daughter Cold Winter who will become your apprentice. You will begin to teach her when the Great Spirit Journey of the Seven Nations begins. But for now keep this to yourself. I gave her the stellar coordinates to Iridani Five. Then the coordinates to find each of the clues, and finally the cave that held the bones of the great chiefs. But I gave it to her written in a language I had learned from Night Wolf and Wanderer, whose name among the People had become Wandering Wolf, 'Nacona Esa' "She is to use this, only if the Combined Journeys of the Spirit women of the Seven Nations fails to find the Resting place of the Great Chiefs. And you may never tell Mother Rain that you have it. But only Nacona Esa can translate it for you." Near ten I started walking up the trail, Shadow bouncing around my feet. I had to use a walking stick to negotiate the little trail to reach where I needed to be. And I realized that with each jump in time I was aging, growing older. At the foot of Ringo's scaffold I knelt down, the Tribe mingling together all around me as I ruffled Shadows fur and kissed the top of his head. "Go on boy, she needs you." I petted Molly. "We had a good long run," I told her. "Now it's time I went home." I was on I-25 again, and they came out of nowhere just like the last time. This time though as the darkness receded I knew where I was. Widow was driving now, I couldn't even push the clutch as we passed the Tomahawk. Seeing my whole family there I reached up and pulled the horn cord as we passed. Across the road I knew Lilly was directing the search for me from the Earth Terminal. Widow pulled up close to the house, but I didn't have the strength to open the door to get out. I just lay my head forward on the steering wheel closing my eyes as Tim gathered me in his arms. My family began pulling up in front of the house behind Beauty who had once again changed colors, becoming Beauty again as they started gathering around us. Tim and I unseen above them watching as someone finally stepped up onto the side steps. "You kept me waiting long enough," he smiled. Then someone else wrapped their arms around me. "You made it Momma," I looked up to see Tina's warm welcoming smile. "You were everything I dreamed you would be and more," she told me. "And yes I heard your words." She kissed me on the cheek, then I felt the warm hug as someone else took hold of me. Dakota was here too, still shorter than I was, but her happy smile said she welcomed me. I felt the soft caress of fur as both Ringo and Molly leaned their heads against my legs. Before I could kneel and pet them though I found myself in someone else's arms. "Thank you for taking care of my Daughter," said Star in Mist. Rain finally joined us leading Dakota to me as I welcomed her as a Daughter. As we watched our family gathering about Beauty, and then as Red reached up opening the door all the Wolves on the Earthly plain raised their heads to the rising moon and began to howl their final farewell, echoing through the mountains. Air horns joined in as every truck in hearing distance took up the Final Tribute as I turned with them to step into the light ahead. And then I wasn't alone anymore, Momma was there as well as Lark and everyone else who had touched my life before moving on to the Great Plains. Sitting off to the side were Jumper and Beauty, waiting patiently as always.