The group continues their journey south with Thomas, Père Mathieu, and Delphine sharing wine they found in the ruins of Auxerre. Delphine suggests they build a raft to travel by river instead of continuing by cart, explaining that rivers are faster than mules because they don't need to rest. They discuss various wine towns and rivers, eventually determining that the Saône River feeds into the Rhône, which could take them toward Avignon. Delphine mentions they should avoid Bonne because there are monsters there.
That night, Père Mathieu experiences a disturbing supernatural encounter while suffering from a hangover. A monk in white Cistercian robes appears to him, initially seeming helpful by leading him to water and curing his headache. However, the encounter turns sinister as the monk questions Delphine's true nature and origins, suggesting she may be the daughter of a heretic from Languedoc and that she serves evil rather than good. The monk shows Mathieu a vision of a false family life, trying to tempt him with what he could have had if he weren't a priest.
The encounter escalates when the monk, revealed to be Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, commands Mathieu to kill Delphine with a rusty sword. The priest climbs to where she sleeps, sword in hand, but ultimately cannot go through with the murder. The vision ends with the false Bernard revealing his demonic nature before disappearing. Delphine awakens and tells Mathieu she had a dream about Saint Bernard trying to make him kill her, confirming that Bernard is not truly a saint but is in hell, though he "was" there, suggesting his current status is ambiguous.
The group continues their journey south, giving Bonne a wide berth as Delphine had advised. They witness evidence of the monsters she warned about - a grotesque scene where a tree has been stripped of leaves and hung with smoking human and animal bodies, with a dark, unnatural hole in a nearby hillock scattered with discarded feet. Whatever creature inhabits the hole seems to despise feet and makes disturbing sounds between a groan and an insect's buzz.
They find refuge at a functioning inn run by a former Franciscan monk who left his order to marry. The innkeeper believes Saint Francis protects his establishment from both plague and the monsters that terrorize Bonne and sometimes range as far south as Chagny. The group shares the inn with Renaldo Carbonelli, a young Tuscan merchant walking home from Paris after receiving word that his wife survived the plague. Delphine finds herself attracted to the handsome Italian, daydreaming about him petting her hair, but when he shows interest in joining their group, she suddenly warns him away in perfect Florentine Italian, telling him something that turns his face white with fear.
Despite her warning, Renaldo accompanies them the next day to Chalons-sur-Saône. He and Thomas go hunting together, and after missing a magnificent stag, they successfully kill a wild boar that provides the group with much-needed meat. The chapter ends with a prophetic glimpse of Renaldo's future - he will safely reunite with his beloved wife Catarina in a joyful celebration that will inspire local art for centuries to come.
The group travels down the Saône River on a raft operated by Captain Carolus and his crew - members of the Guild of Simon Peter, essentially river pirates. The captain is described as wall-eyed and untrustworthy, while his crew includes "Big Arms" Guillaume (a former soldier who fought at Crécy like Thomas), Thierry, and another oarsman. During their journey, they witness the grim reality of plague-stricken towns disposing of bodies in the river and participate in two acts of piracy against other vessels - first robbing a stone barge, then attacking a boat carrying entertainers bound for Avignon.
When they stop the entertainers' boat, Delphine intervenes to save three caged finches, kissing them before releasing them. One of the finches performs what appears to be a miracle, healing a wounded jester who had been shot and left for dead. The group enjoys a brief period of camaraderie with the river pirates, sharing drinks, gambling, and even dancing and singing together, including a harvest song that momentarily gives Thomas hope they might reach Avignon safely.
However, the captain's greed overcomes him after discovering the group's wealth hidden in Thomas's satchel. He decides to murder his passengers and steal their gold, despite Guillaume's objections based on both honor and his kinship with Thomas as a fellow Crécy veteran. The plan goes awry when Guillaume shoots one of the attacking oarsmen to protect Thomas. A violent battle ensues on the raft, during which Delphine repeatedly pleads for mercy. Despite her pleas, Thomas kills Captain Carolus after the man wounds Delphine's chin with his spear. Guillaume is severely wounded but survives long enough for Thomas to stitch his head wound at dawn.
With Guillaume's help, Thomas and Père Mathieu learn to navigate the raft down the Rhône River. The group engages in philosophical discussions about sin and wickedness, with Delphine cleverly arguing theological points about Adam and Eve's relative guilt and challenging the men's casual profanity during religious conversation. Guillaume plans to continue to Avignon to join a new crusade, while Thomas remains skeptical about further military ventures after their earlier encounter with demonic forces.
As evening approaches, the raft encounters a horrific dam made of dead bodies - humans, cattle, sheep, and fish all piled together in the river. The raft is mysteriously drawn toward this island of death despite their efforts to steer away. They discover the cause: grotesque jellyfish-like creatures with the severed heads of the dead trapped within their translucent bodies, including Captain Carolus whom Thomas had killed earlier. These creatures control the raft with tentacles and attempt to board it.
The creatures prove resistant to sword attacks but are vulnerable to salt, which causes them to dissolve. The priest and Thomas fight desperately with salt from their cargo, but a massive creature beneath the dam overwhelms their raft. Everyone is thrown into the shallow water near shore, where they must fight their way to safety while being stung by the smaller creatures. Guillaume sacrifices himself to help Thomas reach shore, ultimately being captured and having his head torn off to create another of the jellyfish horrors.
Thomas manages to save both Père Mathieu and the unconscious Delphine, reaching safety on shore near a lavender field. The text notes that the creature was supposed to capture Delphine and will be punished for its failure, suggesting supernatural forces are orchestrating events against her.
Thomas carries the unconscious Delphine and the dying Père Mathieu to safety at a nearby cottage. The house is occupied by a plague-stricken old man who has just buried his last son and knows he will soon die himself. Despite his own condition, the old man allows them shelter by his fire. Père Mathieu is severely poisoned from the jellyfish creatures' stings - his face is swollen shut and he struggles to breathe, but he notices an old lute on the wall.
The dying old man tries to play the lute but his arthritis prevents him from tuning it properly. When Delphine takes the instrument, she demonstrates expert skill, perfectly tuning and playing a beautiful song that triggers powerful memories in all three men. For Thomas, it recalls his wedding day and beloved wife; for the old man, it evokes his youth and the woman who became his wife; for Père Mathieu, it brings back a moment of spiritual transcendence from before he took orders.
The song becomes a moment of grace and connection between the dying and the living. After it ends, Père Mathieu speaks his final words about a memory of his beloved Michel, asking Thomas to find his brother Robear but unable to articulate what message to give him. Thomas promises, though the priest dies before clarifying. The old man asks for another song, but Delphine looks at the lute as if she's never seen it before - revealing that it wasn't her skill but some divine intervention that enabled the music.
That night, while the others sleep, Delphine attempts to resurrect Père Mathieu through mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, feeling it's nearly within her power. For a moment his hand squeezes hers, giving her hope, but a voice she calls "Little Moon" tells her she's not yet strong enough for such miracles. She continues trying but ultimately fails, left to grieve alone.
Delphine makes the difficult decision to leave Thomas behind while he sleeps, believing she has brought too much death to those around her - including Annette, Guillaume, Père Mathieu, and even an angel. She struggles with whether she's doing God's will or tempting fate, but ultimately chooses to protect Thomas by continuing alone to Avignon. After climbing to a high rocky outcrop, she can see the road and the Rhône River stretching toward her destination, noting that she's somehow gaining knowledge she shouldn't possess.
As she travels south on foot through increasingly arid Provençal countryside, Delphine faces mounting challenges. Her shoes are wearing through, she struggles to find clean water (discovering a well contaminated with the skeletal remains of a father and child who committed suicide), and she must survive by eating overripe grapes from abandoned vineyards. Despite her hardships, she refuses to look back for Thomas, though part of her hopes to see him following.
That night, Delphine seeks shelter in an abandoned convent where all the nuns have died of plague. In the chapel, she encounters "Sister Broom," a malevolent entity that claims to be a nun but is actually some form of demonic scarecrow made from the dead nuns' body parts. The creature tries to manipulate and terrorize Delphine into surrendering her spear, offering various temptations including ancient artifacts and claiming to possess one of Judas's thirty pieces of silver.
When Delphine realizes the creature cannot actually harm her without her permission, she stands firm, takes out her spear, and banishes the entity. She climbs a tree to sleep safely, and by morning finds the creature has dissolved into its component parts - a crude assemblage of brooms, sticks, and human remains. Delphine respectfully buries the human parts, cleans the chapel, and continues toward Avignon with renewed confidence in her own spiritual authority.
Thomas awakens to discover that Delphine has left him during the night. He searches for evidence that she was taken but finds none, concluding she departed voluntarily. He believes she blames him for Père Mathieu's death, connecting it to his killing of Captain Carolus despite her pleas for mercy. For the first time since their journey began, Thomas feels truly lost - without his brigands, without Delphine's visions to guide him, and without his former identity as a knight.
Thomas sets off down the road hoping to overtake her, calling out and asking travelers if they've seen a girl. Language barriers complicate his search, as he struggles to communicate with Provençal speakers. He passes the abandoned convent where Delphine spent the night and continues south toward the papal territories, noting the cross-key banners that mark lands belonging to the Pope.
Near the town of Monard, Thomas encounters a mob of angry villagers gathered around a dozen fresh corpses laid out before their church. The dead men have been killed by arrows - specifically long English arrows from routiers (mercenary brigands). The furious crowd initially assumes Thomas is one of the English killers and attacks him, smearing blood on his face and beating him. A local priest intervenes and demands Thomas swear an oath in church to prove his identity and loyalty.
Under oath in the church, Thomas swears by Saints Michael and Denis that he is a true knight of France, not a brigand or routier, and pledges to bring God's justice to the English mercenaries if he encounters them. The priest accepts his oath and announces to the crowd that Thomas is a friend. The villagers then treat him with hospitality, washing his feet and face, feeding him hearty chicken stew, and returning his sword. For the first time in years, Thomas walks with the bearing of a true knight as he continues toward Orange.
Thomas arrives at the city of Orange, famous for its magnificent Roman arch that guards the road. Outside the city walls stands a bathhouse known as "the stews of the arch," staffed with courtesans who are beautiful but flawed - not quite perfect enough for Avignon's papal court. As evening falls, Thomas observes the establishment and discovers it's been occupied by English routiers - the same mercenaries he swore to bring to justice after seeing their massacre of villagers.
The English archers have taken over the bathhouse with their weapons stacked outside, enjoying wine and women while a drunk sentinel guards the entrance. Thomas recognizes this as his opportunity to fulfill his sacred oath. He silently kills the guard and enters the steamy bathhouse where several naked, drunken Englishmen soak in tubs with the prostitutes. Armed and armored, Thomas has them at his mercy - they're helpless in the hot water with no weapons or leverage.
However, just as Thomas prepares to slaughter the defenseless men, he experiences a supernatural intervention. He feels gentle fingers touch his heart and hears voices - including Delphine's and Père Mathieu's - pleading with him not to kill. Remembering Delphine's commandments against violence and his promise to the dying priest, Thomas sheathes his sword and withdraws, leaving the terrified routiers alive despite having them completely at his mercy.
That night, Thomas sleeps in a church belfry, watching the road for signs of Delphine, whom he now admits is holy rather than a witch. He dreams of her scattering wildflowers as she walks, creating a trail for him to follow. The next morning brings heavy traffic toward Avignon, including mystery players and military processions. One procession changes everything for Thomas - among the four knights leading it is Chrétien d'Evreux, heir to Navarre's throne and the man who destroyed Thomas's former life by stealing his lands, wife, and honor. The sight of his old enemy reignites Thomas's dormant hatred and desire for revenge.
Thomas pursues Chrétien d'Evreux's party until he finds them watering their horses at a stream. Despite being outnumbered sixteen to one, Thomas challenges Chrétien to single combat as a matter of honor, revealing his identity as Thomas of Picardy, the rightful lord of Apontel whose lands were stolen while he served the king. Among Chrétien's men is André, Thomas's former squire who was knighted after saving Thomas at Crécy but now serves his enemy. Chrétien initially tries to dismiss Thomas as excommunicate and without honor, but the watching knights pressure him to accept the challenge.
The duel begins on foot since Thomas has no horse. Despite being outmatched in armor, Thomas's superior strength and experience give him the advantage. He wounds Chrétien in the armpit and continues to dominate the fight, with only the intervention of Don Eduardo (who gives Chrétien time to rest) preventing a quick defeat. As Thomas prepares to deliver the killing blow with an axe, the fight descends into chaos when Chrétien's men try to intervene dishonorably.
Before the duel can conclude, English routiers led by Janus Blount ambush the entire party with longbows. Thomas is struck in the head and falls unconscious, while most of the knights and men-at-arms are killed, including André who dies with an arrow through his head while moving to help his former master. Recognizing Thomas as the man who spared his men at the bathhouse, Blount orders his soldiers not to kill him - honoring the concept of quid pro quo.
Thomas awakens to find Delphine tending to him, and discovers that his horse Gibrel has returned to him. More significantly, Delphine reveals that she possesses a miraculous power - she can temporarily give Thomas the face of the dead Chrétien d'Evreux, along with his invitation to dine with the Pope. However, this miracle requires Thomas to forgive those who have wronged him, including his unfaithful wife. When Thomas cannot bring himself to forgive her, the transformation fails. Delphine warns that without forgiveness and love, devils will rule the world and drag both good and bad to hell. The chapter ends with Thomas contemplating the necessity of forgiveness as they prepare for their dangerous mission in Avignon.
This chapter provides Thomas's backstory through his memories of his marriage to Marguerite de Péronne in 1341. Marguerite was the beautiful and educated daughter of a minor lord who brought both social connections and substantial dowry to the marriage. Despite her noble breeding and learning - she spoke Latin and sang beautifully - she was considered past her prime at twenty-three and carried rumors of having been seduced by the troubadour Jean of Poitou.
Thomas recalls their first meeting during a riding party, where he was intimidated by her intelligence and education, being unable to read or write himself. However, they were well-matched in temperament, both having a tendency toward colorful language and earthiness beneath their respective stations. Their wedding night was passionate and fulfilling, with Marguerite's obvious pleasure and happiness in their union making Thomas feel truly blessed and elevated from his humble origins.
The chapter reveals Thomas's background as the bastard son of a kitchen servant who claimed his father was a German knight (though she herself was the illegitimate daughter of a Spanish knight). His mother worked to keep him fed while he was raised as a page and squire to the Comte de Givra, showing natural talent with weapons and horsemanship. The Comte eventually granted Thomas the manor of Apontel, enraging better-born knights who felt more deserving.
Marguerite had once suggested that the Comte de Givra was actually Thomas's father, given the special favor he showed him - a possibility that gains weight in Thomas's memory of the Comte's noble death at Crécy without revealing any final secrets. Marguerite is remembered as someone who "saw through everything" and "knew how to cut her losses," ultimately choosing to betray Thomas when circumstances changed.
The chapter concludes with Thomas finally achieving the forgiveness that Delphine requires for her miracle to work. Understanding his wife's pragmatic nature and accepting that she chose survival over loyalty, Thomas allows Delphine to wash his anger away, enabling him to once again assume the face of the dead Chrétien d'Evreux.