Ren visits her mentor, Karn, in his hideaway before joining Dalia on their way to market. Baynon, plays a trick on her and their father, Dagron, but the game turns serious when the ruling order of the Kah'Nath arrives in Lyngarth.

Ren's father confronts her about a book she has kept hidden from him. When he discovers that the book is from Karn, they have an argument and Ren runs away. In the forest she encounters two fugitives, Lyanna and Hunter, and during a fight with Kah'Nath soldiers she's exposed to an ancient Mahri spirit.

Hunter follows Ren to her village where the spirit starts to take hold of her. He tells her that she is a Nuh'Mahri (a walker of the spirit) and that she must flee the village to avoid persecution. But the situation gets out of control when Dagron intervenes. Ren prays to Nirith, the Goddess of Light, for help but it might be too late.