Free Air Chapter 21 - The Mine of Lost Souls

Free Air Chapter 22 - Across the Roof of the World

In which Claire and Milt, navigating the precarious roads of the Pacific Northwest by night, share quiet intimacies and hopeful plans as they escort the troubled Dlorus to a tentative reconciliation with her husband. Upon reaching North Yakima, they find themselves caught between the fragile peace of domestic duties and the looming presence of the solemn men who have come searching for them.

Free Air Chapter 21 - The Mine of Lost Souls

In which a tense and curious pursuit through winding mountain roads leads to a grim discovery, and the bewildered companions find themselves embroiled in the sorrowful, tangled life of a woman bereft and bitter in a remote clearing. The strange interplay of grief, resentment, and fragile hope unfolds amid the quiet woods as they prepare to journey with her toward uncertain reconciliations.

Free Air Chapter 20 - The Free Woman

In which Claire navigates a tense reconciliation with her companions amidst a dismal breakfast at a rough roadside inn, before pressing onward over the challenging Blewett Pass with a mixture of trepidation and resolve. Alongside Milt and Pinky, she encounters the earnest hospitality of frontier folk, sparking a candid exchange of wills and ideals that reveals their differing notions of strength and freedom.

Free Air Chapter 19 - The Night of Endless Pines

In which Claire Boltwood, wearied by a tire blow-out and the lonely passage through the endless Idaho pines, arrives exhausted at the squalid Pellago Tavern, where suspicion and rough hospitality await her and her ailing father. Enduring the sour temper of their hosts and the night’s uneasy watchfulness, she fends off unwelcome advances with a spirited stand, demonstrating a resilient determination amid the wilderness gloom.

Free Air Chapter 18 - The Fallacy of Romance

In which Milt finds himself entangled in a late-night clash of manners and finances, caught between the suave Jeff Saxton and the obtrusive Pinky Parrott, while Claire reveals a fondness for the finer things that softens the rugged road. The morning light brings a regretful farewell and a reconsideration of values, as Milt contemplates generosity, etiquette, and the true direction of their journey.