Brian’s mother is reluctant to allow Brian to return to the woods; she is fearful of the wild. However, she eventually relents. Brian talks to the pilot who periodically brings supplies to the Smallhorns. Although the pilot can’t take Brian directly to the Smallhorns’ camp, he can drop him off about 100 miles away. Brian can then make his way through a chain of lakes in his canoe to their location. When Brian speaks to his mother and his father, he doesn’t correct their impressions that the pilot will be taking him directly to the Smallhorns. Brian is nearly 16 and feels that going into the woods is his chosen path; he doesn’t picture himself returning. Caleb makes Brian promise to write and hugs him goodbye.

When Brian’s mother says goodbye at the airport, she remembers the moment two years ago when he boarded a plane with the hatchet she gave him. As much as Brian loves his mother and will miss her, he knows that returning to the woods is the right thing for him to do.