In the months following Wil’s murder, Victoria becomes depressed and fatigued as her body changes with her pregnancy. She tries to cover her changes with loose clothing but realizes that she will need to leave home when she is no longer able to conceal her state. She fears that Seth will kill the baby. No one in town or in law enforcement searches for Wil’s killer, but Seth starts to take jobs far from home, only coming back briefly to contribute his pay.

In April, Victoria packs and saddles the family horse, Abel, and leaves the farm while her dad is helping with the birth of calves at another farm and Uncle Og is in his room. She leaves a note on her bed explaining that she has gone away and will not return, without explaining about Wil and her baby. She rides Abel high into the mountains and then sends him back home, forcing him to leave her by throwing rocks at him. She continues to Wil’s hut where she plans to live alone in the wilderness with her child. She sets up a firepit for cooking and attempts to dig a latrine and forage for edible plants, but the ground is still frozen, and food is scarce.