Ead is fed the fruit of the orange tree and finally wakes up to Margret attending to her. Margret tells her an Eastern warrior called Tané brought her not just the fruit but also the rising jewel. Ead is amazed. She meets Tané the next day. The two women are initially wary of each other but soon begin to swap stories of their adventures. Tané tells Ead about the plan to bind the Nameless One; as wielders of the jewels, they must carry out this task together. However, Ead says that they also need the sword of Ascalon to kill the Nameless One, as the gems can only bind him. Ead offers the golden fruit to Tané so she can gain additional powers. Tané accepts the offering of friendship.

Niclays and Laya are suspended in an iron cage from the ceiling of a cave at Dreadmount, the birthplace of the Nameless One. Niclays is delirious with the pain of his amputation. Kalyba appears in the cage, explaining that she brought Niclays and Laya to this place. Kalyba introduces herself to Niclays as “firstblood, like Neporo” and says she has eaten from the fruit of the hawthorn tree (731), becoming immortal.