Through the ice, the company is trudging. Covenant is anxious to get to Revelstone to destroy the Clave. Linden has a sense of foreboding. She knows that the arghuleh are following them. The First leads the company with her Giant's sense of direction - as if she is familiar with the landscape. For days, the company fights the cold.
Then the arghuleh decend on the company with webs of ice. Linden sits
and the company fights. TC's power itches up his arm and he is thirsting for violence. He sees an attack on Linden but is unable to help her because Mistweave blocks his way. Mistweave, torn between Linden and Honninscrave. As a web of ice is hurled at Linden, Cail, whose arm is encased in a block of ice"as tense as a scream"
swings his arm and breaks the web of ice, freeing Linden. Linden jumps into action to stop Covenant from releasing the white gold."the size of a giant's head"
Suddenly, a group of small, gray figures comes running into the fray. Waynhim! Led by none other than Hamako. They rescue the company and take them back to their rhyshyshim.
Hamako tells TC that the urviles have destroyed all the Waynhim and that this rhysh is all that is left. It turns out that the urviles wanted to kill the waynhim out of fear that they had told TC what Vain's purpose was. When Hamako asks TC again if he wants to know Vain's purpose, TC wisely replies
(Thank goodness TC finally learns manners! That is why I like him in the second chrons.)"No. I trust you."
The next morning, the Waynhim go out to meet the arghuleh in battle. The company stays behind and watches, looking for their moment to be of the best help. The Waynhim approach in their wedge formation with Hamako at the point but they are soon overcome by the sheer numbers of the arghuleh and the wedge begins to fail. TC again is itching with power. So much so, in fact, that he mangles his own arm against a rock to try to keep it in check. Linden realizes that the power of the arghuleh is due to a croyel, just like Kasreyn. She stops TC from releasing his power and gives the order to help the Waynhim. As the wedge breaks up, the company engages. Waynhim form a circle around Hamako and begin the blood ritual, giving blood to Hamako. With the power of the Waynhim making Hamako shine like a
Hamako comes face to face with the leader of the arghuleh with the croyel. It is a firece battle of fire and ice. The croyel is destroyed and the arghuleh leader begins to melt."cynosure as he flashed through the arghuleh."
The gripping, unnatural cold dissapates and the waynhim are victorious. Hamako is dead.
Again, SRD shows us the beauty of heart of the people of the Land. Do you think we all like these books so much because they show a world we so desperately long for?"..Covenant closed his eyes, hugged his bloody arm to his chest, and listened to the lamentation of the Waynhim rising into the dusk."