Appears in After Amargosa
Wherever I May Roam follows Ellie Nardino as she struggles to find her place in the aftermath of Amargosa’s liberation. Having spent months living among a pack of sapient lycanths in Lycanthia, Ellie returns to human society, feeling out of place both among the lycanths and her fellow survivors.
Reconnecting with JT Austin, Spikey, and Eric Yuwono on Lizzy’s Ranch, Ellie discovers that the postwar world has shifted: her friends have begun building new lives while she remains adrift. With JT’s encouragement, she seeks new purpose by visiting Deming, where she proposes a plan to repurpose Gelt combat mechs for civilian agricultural and construction work.
Working with Colonel Hu and Commander Kaat, Ellie oversees a successful pilot program, which opens the door to a full-fledged recovery project across Amargosa. Meanwhile, Red, the elder lycanth who once welcomed her into his pack, urges her to return to the wilds—but Ellie ultimately chooses to remain with humanity, forging a new path between two worlds.
The story culminates with Ellie formally joining the reconstruction effort in Deming after a symbolic rite of passage with Red’s pack to mark her sixteenth birthday, balancing her primal instincts with her commitment to rebuilding her home.