The character Altha recounts that the day before, she was unable to write and experienced troubling dreams of her mother and being in a dungeon.
Altha decides to write down secrets that her mother wanted to keep hidden, with plans to lock away the writings until after her death, potentially giving them to her daughter.
She explains the Weyward lineage, where the first child born to a Weyward is always female, which she believes is intentional to avoid having too many men.
Altha reflects on when she was fourteen and her mother revealed the true nature of being a Weyward woman after finding an injured rabbit in the woods.
Altha's mother demonstrated their special connection with nature by easing the rabbit's death with a touch, and had Altha promise to keep their abilities secret.
The Weyward women's ability to connect with and heal from nature is a closely guarded secret, with their bones traditionally resting in nature rather than buried.
Their name, “Weyward,” was ascribed by men to women who resisted submission and was adopted as a badge of honor.
Altha's mother warned her of the dangers their kind faced, such as the persecution of other women with similar gifts who were executed.
Altha was instructed to use her healing skills for living but to avoid using her deeper bond with creatures to prevent drawing suspicion, a rule dubbed necessary for their continued survival.
Her mother emphasized the importance of hiding their true nature, only engaging with the world where necessary and avoiding attachments to men, which could lead to exposure.
Before her mother's death, she reminded Altha of the promise to remain hidden, but Altha confesses a growing desire to break that promise after a conversation with Grace post-market.