Willow, a Skreek healer from Rephidim, has signed aboard a trader airship known as the Merryweather, owned by a Jupani captain of the same name. Accompanying her are her two Savanite slaves – the newly renamed "Burr", and his son, "Thorn". She regards with some disgust the sight of Himar passing beneath the ship, but fortunately the craft does not land there – rather heading for a small village known as Bakanal, to the west.

There, Willow heads off the ship, pretending to be friendly as a fellow crewmember Skreek – Whitehead – brags about how "easy" the women are here in this village. Once he heads off to try his luck at his "conquests", however, Willow regards him only with disgust … and then heads over to a Cervani doe who was watching the airship. Willow hopes to steer the doe away before any of the more hormonal members of the airship's crew find her. The doe seems to be eager to make friends, and introduces herself as Morning-Mist.

They head off to the village, Willow promising to tell "Misty" all about the airship, if the doe will tell her all she can about this village.