Chapter 33

Raeve scales an ice pillar to reach the young dragon Líri, who has been left by Rygun in the frozen village. After removing Líri's saddle—the final vestige of Rekk's torture—Raeve releases the dragon to fly free, sacrificing herself by falling into the clouds below.

Raeve stands in a snow-covered village preparing to mount the semi-wild Moonplume dragon Líri, who perches atop an ice pillar that has materialized in the frozen landscape. A crowd of villagers watches from a distance as Kaan, the king, approaches her. When Raeve reveals a pendant (a málmr) worn openly against her chest—a declaration of her choice of him—Kaan responds with profound emotion, warning that if she dies he will "rip the fucking world in two." He then sculpts a clay bridge across the swollen river to aid her crossing. Raeve crosses the bridge and begins her treacherous climb up the pillar's rough surface, moving through snow and cloud with focused precision. She reaches the top to find Líri asleep, her luminous wings scarred from Rekk's torture. After a tense moment where Líri awakens and nearly strikes her, the two leap from the pillar together. Raeve, struck by the realization that Líri's suffering stems partly from her own entanglement with the dragon, makes a final decision: she will free Líri from the saddle—the last symbol of Rekk's ownership and cruelty. As Raeve unseals the girth straps and removes the saddle, she meets Líri's gaze and promises her freedom. She releases the final strap, and both the saddle and Raeve fall into the clouds below as Líri releases a mournful cry.