At camp, Alex brings Sunny a small meal of bread and cheese in the woods, trying to do something kind for someone who is usually left apart from everyone else. Sunny startles Alex by appearing silently, then accepts the food and immediately notices that Alex has tried to make the poor meal look nicer than it is. The exchange is awkward but gentle, and Alex is both nervous around Sunny and drawn to her odd, precise manner.

As they eat, Alex complains about Balthazar, saying he disliked the food and acts as if everything is beneath him. Alex also reveals that Balthazar has started teaching her the history of Troy after she asked about it and corrected Baptiste's version. This leads to the larger reason for the lesson: Jakob believes Alex should know about Troy if she is going to claim the Serpent Throne, but thinking about that future only reminds Alex of recent violence and of how badly she wants to avoid more death, especially her own.

Alex admits she misses Duke Michael because he made her feel she might be worth something. She also describes the strained atmosphere in camp: Vigga and Baron Rikard squabble, Baptiste and Balthazar compete, and Jakob broods. Sunny, however, says Jakob is a good man and believes he would die for Alex if he could. That reassurance does not comfort Alex, who says she hopes no one else has to die on the journey.

The conversation turns to the nearby monastery, where most of the camp has gone for evening prayers. Alex says she did not go, partly because she cannot read the posted miracle list and partly because she is cynical about the Church's relic trade, with pilgrims paying to see Saint Bartholomew's foot, touch its case, or drink spring water linked to it. Sunny jokes about the absurdity, while Alex bitterly notes that pilgrims will pay for almost anything. When Alex asks whether Sunny gets lonely alone in the woods, Sunny answers that there is no one to miss, then quietly includes Alex by saying, "But you're here." The chapter ends with their uneasy but genuine bond strengthened.