Not long into Geralt, Ciri, and Triss’s journey to Ellander, Triss falls ill with a severely upset stomach and high fever. The trio soon arrives at a Kaedwenian army fort, which Scoia’tael commandos attacked the night before. The medic worries Triss’s illness could spread to the few surviving soldiers and says if they head south, they should soon catch up with another caravan on the road. Most of the caravan’s members are dwarves, one of whom—Yarpen Zigrin—recognizes Geralt and convinces the caravan’s leader, Commissar Vilfrid Wenck, to let Geralt, Triss, and Ciri join them for a few days.

Ciri overhears Yarpen and Geralt reminisce about the time they hunted a golden dragon together. Yarpen asks about Yennefer, and Geralt is quiet. Ciri later hears Yarpen call Geralt arrogant for thinking he can truly be neutral. Geralt leaves the wagon to ride his horse behind the caravan, and Ciri sneaks up front to talk to Yarpen. Yarpen says the Scoia’tael conflict is not as simple as it seems, as he believes the elves involved are “egged on” and being fed “slogans” by someone else in order to create conflicts (173). Ciri helps Geralt bathe Triss and change her clothes; she does not like how Triss clings to Geralt.