27 North

After hours of private counsel between King Bardholt and the Issýn, Wulf and Thrit speculate uneasily about the Ófandauth sickness. Wulf nearly confides to Thrit about what he found behind the waterfall but is interrupted, and he spends a sleepless night thinking of the heat within the rocks.

At daybreak, the company leaves Solnótt under orders to burn Ófandauth. Along the road to the River Dreyri and an inland port, Wulf grows increasingly conscious of Thrit and remains troubled by the fate of the fleeing villagers. They board Mentish cogs gifted by the Vatten.

Wulf seeks audience with Bardholt and reports the vanished sanctarian, blood by the river, and the hot, cracking stones. Bardholt attributes everything to the dormant fire mount Undir and commands Wulf to silence, entrusting him with a secret message to Queen Sabran. Bardholt’s insistence on discretion clashes with Wulf’s fear of contagion.

A sudden commotion breaks out on deck. The Issýn, her forearms bright red, screams that she is burning and tears at her clothing and skin. As Karlsten and Eydag attempt to contain her without touching, she surges toward Bardholt. Wulf intercepts her and fatally stabs her at arm’s length.

In the stunned aftermath, Bardholt identifies those possibly exposed—Eydag was struck, Vell examined her—and orders them confined until Eldyng. He commands the Issýn’s body be pushed into the river using oars only and halts the fleet. The plague has followed them, and secrecy hardens under the king’s authority.