Kvothe departs Haert. After five days, he comes across a camp of troupers with Edema Ruh markings on their wagons. He is introduced to the troupers and plays songs for them as they try to convince him to travel with them. He asks for three favors in return. He is given his own tent, then the troupers bring out two kidnapped girls, Ellie and Krin, and offer them to him. He takes them both to his tent.

In his tent, Kvothe gives the girls a counter-toxin and reveals he has poisoned the stew and ale. They fall asleep and he waits. Later, he kills all the troupers, getting cut in the stomach in the process.

Krin wakes up to find Kvothe branding the bodies of the dead troupers with a horseshoe to symbolize that they have betrayed the Edema Ruh code. He reveals that he believes them to not be true Ruh, suspecting they killed the actual troupers and stole their belongings. One of the men wakes up when branded and Kvothe questions him, becoming irate when the man implies that the Ruh are criminals. Kvothe offers the brand to Krin, who brands the man until he falls unconscious. She tells Kvothe how she and Ellie were kidnapped.