At dawn, Emily and Ariadne start early, too shaken to sleep. While preparing breakfast, Emily realizes the enchanted cloak is dangerous as well as useful: common fae recognized Wendell’s tailoring and feared his lingering magic, which may explain why the pair have not been attacked more. Emily worries that the same trace will also alert courtly fae, who might exploit, imprison, or harm them depending on their allegiance.

As they continue west, Ariadne excitedly notes strange forest oddities, and her enthusiasm helps Emily avoid darker thoughts. After hours, Emily detects they are being followed by someone small, matching footsteps to the forest’s drip-drip sounds. When Emily calls it out, the follower reveals himself: Snowbell, the fox-like fuchszwerge who insists on joining their “quest,” refusing to be dismissed.

Emily flatters Snowbell into cooperation and asks for help reaching the queen’s castle. Snowbell scorns their route as “long roads” traveled by outcasts and thieves and offers “short roads” through barrows, claiming the current approach would take days or weeks. As they hurry after him, Emily notices more hidden fae observers and is stunned to find an actual signpost pointing to “castle,” written in Faie and several mortal languages.

Snowbell explains that high fae sometimes capture mortals as pets, prey, or advisers, and he describes the queen’s guardians hunting enemies and snaring mortals. He reports that guardians watched Emily and Ariadne from treetops, then flew away after conferring, though he cannot say why they did not attack. Emily suspects the guardians recognized the cloak and may be conflicted between Wendell’s claim and the current ruler.

As they follow the “castle” path, the cloak resists, tugging Emily back as if warning her away. Emily speaks to the cloak like a fragment of Wendell’s will, persuading it to allow them forward, though it remains prickly in its disapproval. Snowbell leads them to a grassy barrow framed by stones; before entering, Emily checks her compass and finds the needle stops spinning and points directly at Snowbell. Taking that as confirmation, Emily accepts the shortcut, mourns the lost chance to study the realm’s perils firsthand, and follows Snowbell into the barrow.