Tané has settled into life as a scholar on Feather Island, a remote and fog-shrouded isle said to hold the bones of the great dragon Kwiriki. She resides at Vane Hall, the smaller of two hermitages, where she prays, does chores, and studies the elemental philosophies of fire and water. Known as the "Ghost of Vane Hall" by other scholars, Tané remains emotionally distant, still grieving her lost dream and the death of her friend Susa. She has cut her hair short as a sign of shedding her former identity as a dragonrider.

One morning, Elder Vara—an eccentric but kind keeper of the repository—invites Tané to join him there, an unusual privilege since only elders normally have access. Before she can reach the repository, an earthshake strikes and triggers agonizing pain in the mysterious scar on her side. She collapses, and Elder Vara carries her to a courtyard bench.

As the tremors continue, Elder Vara tells Tané a traditional story about the Little Shadow-girl, a twelve-year-old who retrieved the stolen pearl of the Spring Dragon from a fire-breather's lair but died from her wounds because no one would treat her, fearing she had the red sickness. The dragon honored the girl by naming a river after her. The story parallels themes of sacrifice and the relationship between humans and dragons.

Elder Vara then examines Tané's scar and discovers a hard swelling beneath it. He urges her to let a doctor open her side to investigate, warning that such growths can sometimes be dangerous. Tané deflects his concern, instead defending the Little Shadow-girl's sacrifice as honorable rather than needless. The chapter ends with Tané's philosophical reflection, hinting at her own willingness to sacrifice herself for a greater purpose, while the mysterious growth in her side and the increasing earthshakes suggest deeper forces at work.