Following the way with hope

Like any creek this one meandered not going in any consistently straight direction. They had come pretty near to the edge of that broad forest of mostly pine, and this fast flowing creek went basically west and not turning back, it drew just a little near the forest as the wandering group followed it, and then turned a way from it, going a little southward, and then further it turned to go mostly southward while going still a little to the west. Then it turned to the right and they went more west than south, and it just made little turns back and forth for a great length, until it turned further to the right and they were going more to the north again.

They went through some change of country side. To the left of the creek, beyond the side of it they wandered on, there were grasslands, at first marginal, and much further growing more widely. There were occasional trees right along the creek, at distances apart, and more of these deciduous trees on the other side, and soon many wildflowers were seen growing in the spaces between the trees, while the forest of mostly pines was farther from them here, to the north, as they went back toward it after that last turn. But here it was late in the day, and all agreed they were tired enough to stop, and rest until the next day.

Hillariah assured all the rest that they were coming eventually to a good spot where they could grow seeds that were brought and build more permanent shelters, where there would be more in that place for them already.