Perry sneaks Talon the apple while Weylan is distracted. Later in their hunting session, the same Hovers that abandoned Aria descend on them. The Dwellers are hunting the Smarteye in Perry’s possession. While Perry manages to fight one off and keep possession of the Smarteye, the other Dwellers incapacitate Weylan and seize Talon. Perry is unable to stop the Hover, which carries Talon away. When Perry returns to Tide, he tells Vale of breaking into a Pod and that the Dwellers who came for him took Talon as punishment. Vale fights Perry, claiming that they cannot rescue Talon without condemning everyone in the colony to death. Perry flees the colony, determined to save Talon anyway.

As Aria comes closer to Tide, she crosses paths with Perry, and the two are caught in an oncoming Aether storm. Perry helps her survive, bringing her to a nearby cave.

The cave is well stocked by traders “who used the cave as shelter when they came through the valley” (104). Aria spends two days in a fever-induced sleep; Perry is sickened by her Dweller scent, which reeks of decay. When she wakes, the two blame each other for their situations.