Meryn regains her senses after the forced bonding with Anassa and discovers that all of her hair has turned silver-white, unlike other recruits who received only a single streak in their hair color matching their wolf's pack. This marks her as an anomaly among the Bonded. She confronts Anassa, demanding the wolf take back the bond, but Anassa only growls in response. The mountaintop falls silent as Stark Therion arrives atop his massive black direwolf, commanding and dangerous. He announces that all Bonded recruits must return to the training center in the castle before nightfall with their wolves, or their bond will sever and they will die.

Meryn desperately tries to communicate with Anassa mentally, the way other recruits seem able to do with their wolves, but she hits an impenetrable mental wall. She seeks help from Izabel, who is already mounted and about to depart. Izabel confirms that failing to communicate is deadly—the packs use this descent as a way to weed out weak pairs. Izabel wishes Meryn well and rides off. When Meryn returns to Anassa and attempts to mount her, the wolf snaps viciously, nearly taking Meryn's hand. Meryn screams in frustration as Anassa turns and runs, disappearing into the snow, seemingly abandoning her.

Refusing to give up, Meryn eats, drinks melted snow, abandons her heavy pack, and begins a reckless, breakneck descent down the mountain. Rather than following the safe winding path, she launches herself through deep snow, rocky drops, and dense forest, driven by thoughts of saving her sister Saela. Along the way she passes the mutilated body of Alessandra—the woman whose sweater she wore—and several other dead recruits and wolves, killed by falls or direwolf attacks. She suffers bleeding feet, aching joints, and frozen lungs, but channels the pain into fuel.

Meryn reaches the base of the mountain and pushes through the forest and past the Bonded City toward the castle as daylight fades. She arrives at the gate barely in time, limping and unable to speak. Beta Egith, a high-ranking Bonded guarding the entrance, tells her flatly: no direwolf, no entry. Just as Meryn is about to explode with rage, Anassa appears behind her—the wolf had been following her the entire descent, watching silently. With Anassa present, Egith welcomes Meryn as a "Strategos Rawbond," granting her entry to begin training.