As the next day begins, Laura forms a plan to leave to Port Coletta: She will first visit the library in order to look at a map and learn of the way toward the city. Then, she will be able to look for passage to other settlements and determine a possible route for her trip, be it through carriage or caravan. If she cannot procure passage anywhere, she can at least try to make some part of the voyage by foot, and hope for better luck elsewhere.

As she tells her plan to Claire, the old woman asks her to wait for a moment. Soon after, she comes back with a small pouch filled with 4 silver pieces and 30 copper pieces (0.7gp).

Laura is extremely grateful but hesitates to take the money. Claire reassures her –I know how important this is for you, dear. You will make better use of this money than me.

After a heartfelt goodbye, Laura leaves for the library, where she attempts to find a map of the nation, or at least one that shows the roads between Adesso and Port Coletta...

... and easily finds one. With quill in hand, she quickly sketches a map and the possible routes she can take to get from Adesso to Port Coletta, and she leaves to find someone to take her there.

Still before midday, she encounters merchants in the central market, some of which are planning to leave toward Torellia in the next hour, so that they can be there by nightfall. Laura quickly attempts to persuade them to let her accompany them...

... but they claim to be to carrying too much already and cannot take passengers. She then looks for someone going toward Greoke, and finds someone planning to leave after lunch. Laura again attempts to gain passage with them...

... and they agree, if she pays a small fee of 5 copper coins, to which she agrees. She also gets herself a lunch and spends her time with the merchant, who presents himself as Fang LomBarren. She talks about her story and her goals, and she listens to the merchant talk about the town they're going toward.

Shortly after the sun has reached its cenith, Fang and Laura are on their way toward the mountains and toward Greoke. The wind blowing from the ocean brings the familiar smell of brine for one last time, and Laura thinks of how she's leaving her hometown without any plans of coming back soon. Fang consoles her and talks about, despite how much he travels and how long it's been since he's been in his hometown, he never forgets and always carries its spirit with him. To further help her, he begins to sing a song Laura had never heard before, called Where The Winds Will Take Us. It greatly resonates with her, and her melancholy slowly subsides.

On the road, a few hours after departing, they find a man lying on the side of the road. Fearing that he might be injured, Fang stops the cart and goes to see him. The man is barely awake and seems gravely dehydrated. Fang quickly retrieves his waterskin and gives him some water, for which the man is extremely grateful. He then explains his situation:

–My father owns a farm a bit south from 'ere, and I was takin' care of 'is sheep. Then as it was time to return, I realized a few were missin', and 'e was furious. 'E screamed at me 'bout 'ow it was always the same thing, and 'he made me go look for them. That... that was a couple o' days ago, and I 'aven't found 'em. And 'e won't let me back until I do. "Dead or alive", 'e said. "You bring 'em here safe or you bring me their bones, but you're not coming back empty 'anded", 'e said.

Laura and Fang looked at each other, not sure how to give him the news. Laura spoke first:

–I don't know if these will be good or bad news, but we did see a few dead sheep a while ago down the road.