Rin tells the Cike they’re disbanded. She excels at being a footsoldier and is content. She isn’t in the war cabinet anymore but is kept up to date by Kitay, who is nervous that their ships will be caught in a freeze as winter approaches.

Petra believes Rin is hiding her powers, and she subjects her to “baser and baser experiments” (317). After Petra taunts her with opium, Rin hits a wall in frustration. A young missionary named Augus tends her wounds. He says that some of the Gray Company find Petra’s methods “conservative,” though he still believes “the white race” is superior to the Nikara people (320).

Against Kitay and Nezha’s advice, Jinzha doesn’t turn back to wait out the winter, instead continuing north.

A blizzard starts on the New Year’s Holiday. Nezha steals glutinous rice flour and Rin cooks tangyuan. Kitay asks what they think the next great military innovation will be; Nezha says arquebuses while Rin says shamanic armies. Nezha thinks Rin’s idea is dangerous and impractical. Rin leaves to go to the bathroom and trips over a mass grave of frozen children. Kitay hypothesizes that the frozen villagers were running from the Dragon Republic’s army.

They are plagued by snowstorms, but Jinzha won’t turn back.