Determined to rebuild her endurance after her injury, Viv hikes up the bluff overlooking Murk, pushing her healing leg further than before. Gallina, who tagged along uninvited, easily keeps pace with Viv's limited stride. They reach the top to find an old, weathered graveyard ringed by an iron fence, and Viv rests against a stone, taking in the view, including a distant manicured estate she suspects belongs to Zelia Greatstrider.

Gallina reveals her real reason for coming: she wants to know whether Viv is becoming romantically serious with Maylee. She presses Viv about whether she's planning to settle down, given how integrated she seems at the bookshop and how cozy she's grown with the baker. Viv is initially defensive, suggesting Gallina is worried about losing her chance to join Rackam if Viv stays.

Gallina admits she's really thinking about what it feels like to be left behind, and that Maylee seems nice. Viv assures her that both she and Maylee understand the arrangement—that Maylee knows Viv is leaving and they're enjoying a brief connection with eyes open. Viv tells Gallina directly that she isn't an asshole, and the two share a quiet moment of mutual understanding.

To work through her unsettled feelings, Viv removes her boot, draws her saber, and begins her sword forms on the sandy ground. Gallina draws her knives and joins her in a parallel training dance, the two moving together in different but complementary rhythms.