The European settlers are woefully unprepared for the frontier. Shea and Thomas struggle to teach them basic survival skills, such as how to handle horses and the necessity of discarding heavy, useless belongings to lighten their wagons.

The story focuses on the harsh realities of the journey's beginning:

The episode emphasizes that the journey will be a "war with nature." One of the immigrants is bitten by a rattlesnake, serving as a grim reminder of how quickly things can turn fatal on the trail.

The group leaves the relative safety of the city to face the untamed wilderness. James makes it clear he is only traveling with the group for safety but will not take orders from Shea.