The khaganate army is stopped less than fifty miles inside Terrasen by a brutal snowstorm. Rowan sits with Aelin, Fenrys, Elide, Lorcan, and Gavriel in the war tent as they consider the consequences: ruks cannot fly, scouts can barely move, and Orynth remains a week away while its defenses are running out of time.

The commanders debate routes and risks. Aelin offers to melt what snow she can, but Rowan knows she would push herself toward burnout despite her diminished power after forging the Lock. Gavriel worries that even if the army moves, soldiers will reach Orynth exhausted; Lorcan notes the danger of frostbite; Rowan rejects a detour near Perranth because Morath still holds it and any battle there would delay them further.

Rowan observes Aelin’s haunted state after sacrificing so much of herself, especially her former immortal body and vast magic. He remains determined that her power level does not matter to him, but he also recognizes that Aelin is still planning to give more of herself for Terrasen.

A rukhin scout summons Aelin, Rowan, and the others into the storm. At the edge of camp, they see the Lord of the North, nearly hidden in the snow except for the golden flame between his antlers, surrounded by the Little Folk. A dryad-like voice in the wind warns Aelin that doom is upon Orynth and that she must hurry.

The voice promises to guide the army swiftly and unseen. When Aelin asks the cost, the ancient presence answers that it wants a better world, even for the old beings of Oakwald. The camp immediately begins preparing to march north.

Before leaving, Aelin pulls Rowan back to their tent and searches through the books Chaol and Yrene brought from the southern continent. Finding the volume she needs, Aelin tells Rowan that she is not without options and includes him in the unnamed scheme. Rowan understands they must act quickly, and Aelin begins.