After a late night studying water-magic texts, Kiela wakes to find Caz panicking in the garden. They discover dozens of cloud bears—forest spirits she's read about in scholar Cypavia's work—silently gathered everywhere on the property, watching with ember eyes. Initially terrified that the guardians have come to punish her illicit magic, Kiela gathers her courage and asks if she can help. Small bears bring her leaves and twigs from willow, apple, and sycamore trees, and she realizes they want her to heal sick trees as she did the willow and apples.

Kiela fetches the basket of pine cone remedies, sacrificing her planned merchandise to help. As they journey through the forest, Caz teases her cryptically about Larran thinking she is "the answer," leaving Kiela baffled. They reach an enormous, ancient dying sycamore. Despite Caz's nervous warnings drawn from ominous folktales, Kiela buries a pine cone between its roots and chants the spell twice for good measure.

The magic surges visibly: green light pulses through the tree, leaves erupt, and a small cloud bear weeps diamond tears that bloom into glowing white flowers. As they leave, a luminous, iridescent unicorn appears briefly on the path—a sight Kiela considers a gift. Energized, they spend the day healing more trees and witnessing extraordinary creatures and sights throughout the forest.

Exhausted, they return at sunset to find the cottage still standing with Larran's new counter, and the cloud bears have left abundant gifts: food, remedy ingredients, blueberries, and a woven bush-coop containing Kiela's runaway chicken—a thank-you that promises sustenance and continued spellcraft.