Gruntle, Harllo, and Stonny Menackis bring Keruli's wagon over a dilapidated ford, Harllo and Stonny having had to push after betting with Gruntle that Bauchelain's massive wagon would sink while crossing. The two go to clean themselves up, and Gruntle sees a friend of his, Buke, getting hired by Bauchelain. He remembers when Buke lost his family to a tenement fire and has since taken to guarding poor merchants' caravans in an attempt to die nobly. Gruntle laments that joining with Bauchelain will only make Buke a witness to violence and death, not the victim. Gruntle invites Buke over for tea.