Chapter 40

The protagonist is brought to a massive crater—Orvah's crater, formed by the fall of a Sabersythe moon—where she witnesses a brutal trial. She pays respects to the fallen young dragon Orvah, then is forced to watch two warriors, Hock and Zaran, fight to the death for the honor of being bound to her. When Hock wins by beheading Zaran, she violently refuses to accept his málmr (bonding necklace) and demands the right to fight for herself instead.

The protagonist is herded through tunnels to Orvah's crater, an enormous depression in the landscape formed when the Sabersythe moon fell eight phases ago. The crater is laden with weapons, sand mixed with iron shards (to nullify those who hear elemental songs), and grim skull decorations—some belonging to fae. She is offered a woven flower by Saiza to honor the fallen moon and enters a tent where Orvah rests, a small adolescent Sabersythe with a saddle still on his back, killed in war. She places her flower among the offerings and, sensing the dragon's mourning presence, turns away without looking back. She is then seated on a raised dais beside her Herder, which curls up to sleep. Two blood-soaked males, Hock and Zaran, present her with málmr (bonding necklaces)—a serpent pendant and a faunycaw diadem respectively. Saiza explains this is her trial: the males will fight for the honor of being bound to her and fathering her children, which would secure the future of the Johkull Clan and pin the moons to the sky. The Oah, Oah-ee, and Sól watch from their thrones as Hock and Zaran engage in a brutal, deadly combat. Hock kills Zaran by severing his head and throws it at the protagonist's feet as a trophy. The crowd celebrates, but the protagonist is horrified and enraged. When Hock attempts to place his málmr around her neck like a shackle, she headbutts him, breaking his nose, and declares she will fight for herself. After the Oah-ee—who speaks the common tongue and can communicate with Clode—consults with the Oah, they agree to allow the protagonist to enter the ring and fight for herself, so long as the Fate Herder does not prevent it.