Otter Creek iii Means to an end.

Everywhere. She didn't think she could do that. Traveling was fine enough, but she needed an anchor point. The woods had been that for her since birth. Maegi felt his eyes burning along her scars and smirked; perhaps if she found humor in the shock and uneasiness, the hurt could fade in time.

He asked her a question, though, and the levity was short lived. She wanted to say yes, yes, yes — the underground tunnels glowing with strange organisms, the intoxicating poison tree, the altar and all its whispers. . . Blackfeather Woods was a treasure trove of things to see and to find.

But it wasn't everything. Not even close. It did not bring the peace of the island, or the joy of the now-singed hollow.

No, Maegi answered, swallowing back her grief. But it's enough for now.