Ralan makes his decision and prepares to leave the Tower behind. With saddlebags packed and horses readied, he and Rebecca stand on the brink of their journey west. But first, Ralan must face Alard and reveal his plans to abandon his post as guildmaster. As dawn breaks over the awakening Tower, Ralan climbs the winding stairs to find his second-in-command buried in paperwork, unaware of the conversation that could change everything.