Arrows fall at dusk; Selly is struck dead and chaos erupts as sabbers and prisoners scatter in dust and screams. Red‑jacketed city soldiers emerge, cut the remaining children free, and line them up, stepping around Selly’s body. The bearded captain offers no comfort, then orders three wounded men to stay with the children while he rides to hunt more raiders. Livira restrains a grieving Katrin and follows.

At a hidden gully, the captain departs with most of his troop, leaving Malar (clawed and foul‑mouthed), Jons (with a broken arm), and Henton (gut‑wounded) to escort the children. Malar rations a mouthful of water, ignores questions, and orders sleep. Through the night, fear, anger, and thirst churn; Livira boxes her grief for her aunt and Selly for later.

At dawn they march west across the Dust toward a distant city. The wounded worsen; Henton collapses and is tied across his horse. Livira notes the soldiers’ different features and learns their names. The group staggers past the lone silhouette of a thousand‑year tapwood. Jons reveals that Malar killed a sabber single‑handed, explaining the wary respect he commands.

A dust‑bear erupts beneath Malar, snaring his ankles and dragging him toward its toothy maw. Driven by anger and determination to reach the city, Livira grabs Malar’s dagger, dives into the creature, and slashes until it vomits her out, releasing Malar. They resume, finish the last water (mostly to horses), and climb ridges as the mountain swallows the sun. Night reveals a valley of yellow wisp‑glows inside high walls, and Malar grimly notes sabbers are massing despite official denials.

With daylight, the mountain city looms behind a curtain wall. The column joins the eastern road as carts and wagons stream by. Exhausted children are hoisted onto Henton’s horse beside his lifeless body. Answering Livira at last, Malar outlines “allocation”: the city will feed, house, and protect them in exchange for work, though Dust folk get the worst tasks. He muses on leadership, new killing tools, and concludes the city pays for imported food with knowledge—its great library being the reason the city exists.