River and the Shepherd were nearing the area where she'd taken off from the group. There was no sign of them anywhere. That made her frown for a moment. Well, it was no matter. She'd be able to find her way back to the ship and they'd meet up again there.<br/><br/>Then she spotted Mal. Her face brightened. "There's the Captain," she said. Waving at Mal, she reached behind her with her one free hand and tugged Willie along with her. The young woman the shepherd had been talking to seemed to have regressed in age just a bit as she bounded towards him.<br/><br/>She paused for just a moment before introducing the two. It would have taken most people longer to assess Mal's condition and state of mind. He appeared to be just fine and without any particular set of urgency. While she wondered how his quest for work had gone and where it would take them next, there were other things on her mind.<br/><br/>"Captain, I've found us a potential passenger," she said. "This is Shepherd Willie Howlett." Stepping back, she gestured for the other man to step forward. River bounced a little on the balls of her feet as she waited to see how the two men would get along. She really hoped that he'd be coming with them...