While Fortunata and Mask are still at Brockhall, Skipper feigns an injury. The fake healer offers to gather herbs in the forest to cure him. She suggests taking the two disguised little hedgehogs along as assistants. Once out in the woods, she confides to Mask that she will take the hedgehogs back to Tsarmina as hostages.

Mask suggests taking separate paths back to Kotir. He shepherds the hedgehogs away from Fortunata because an ambush awaits her. She is shot dead by squirrel archers. Then, Mask stages what appears to be a mock chase toward Kotir. Tsarmina watches from the battlements as he is seemingly attacked by the woodlanders, and they snatch the hedgehogs away from him. Thinking that Mask is an ally, Tsarmina appoints him to the rank of captain. She dismisses the death of Fortunata as unimportant.

Elsewhere, the four travelers are sailing toward Salamandastron when their boat goes over a waterfall and is shattered. Much later, Martin awakens in a cave where his injuries are tended by bats. He is informed that Gonff hasn’t been found, but his other companions are recovering. Lord Cayvear, ruler of Mount Batpit, comes to check on Martin and promises to search everywhere for Gonff.