Inej and the crew reach the cliffs above Djerholm after two more days of travel. Djerholm looks unexpectedly orderly and bright, but the Ice Court dominates the harbor from its cliff, guarded by cannons and reachable through a single bridge and gate. As Hringkälla preparations fill Upper Djerholm, Matthias explains the sacred ash tree on the White Island, and Kaz is irritated that Matthias left the holy site off their plans.

Kaz leads the crew to a shabby tavern with a rooftop view of the Ice Court's outer gate. Using a disguised long-glass hidden in a backless book, the crew studies a prison wagon entering the gate. Matthias explains the checkpoint procedure, and Kaz decides the crew must get onto an early prison wagon before the festival guests arrive. Kaz describes a pickpocketing trick called a bunk biscuit: the crew will replace six prisoners without the guards realizing the number has changed.

Afterward, Nina gathers local information while the others wait in a bakery. Inej quietly speaks with Matthias about the pain of being near home without truly returning to it, then teases Matthias about his obvious concern for Nina. Nina returns with information that prison wagons pass a roadhouse called the Warden's Waystation, and the crew moves beyond it to find a concealed ambush site.

Jesper acts as lookout while Wylan uses salt concentrate to weaken a tree and make it fall across the road. When the prison wagon stops, the guards begin moving the tree, giving the crew only minutes. Kaz opens the rear door but freezes at the sight inside: the prisoners are hooded, shackled, and packed standing upright with iron collars clipped to the roof. Inej nudges Kaz into action, and Kaz begins unlocking collars while Matthias uses harsh Fjerdan commands to keep the prisoners silent.

The crew removes six prisoners, and Nina lowers their pulses and injects them with a sleeping solution before Wylan helps hide them in the gully. Inej insists to Wylan that leaving the freed prisoners out of chains is still better than letting them enter the Ice Court. Matthias locks Wylan, Nina, Jesper, himself, and Inej into the prisoners' places, while Inej notices the tension and attraction between Matthias and Nina when Matthias fastens Nina's collar.

Kaz reveals how the crew will lock themselves inside: Inej closes and bolts the door from outside, while Kaz has removed the hinges so the door can still open from the other side. Inej slips in just before the guards return, but Kaz struggles to replace the hinges and nearly exposes the deception when a guard rattles the padlock. The hinges hold, the wagon moves on, and Kaz locks himself beside Inej; as the crowded wagon presses around them, Kaz's breathing becomes panicked, and Inej realizes the feared Dirtyhands has fainted.