On the first day, Bjartur searches two valleys. On the second day, he searches the Reykjavalalir district, finding only an unfamiliar bird. Heavy snow begins, and he grows anxious about his lambs. Near Glacier River, he spots a bull reindeer and three cows. Hoping to capture the bull alive for meat, he sneaks up and grabs an antler. The cows flee. The bull drags him along the riverbank, and Bjartur leaps onto its back. Unable to shake him off, the bull jumps into the freezing Glacier River.

Bjartur rides the reindeer through the freezing river, until he is thrown off. He manages to climb out but finds himself on the wrong side of the river, facing a 48-hour detour home. He later reflects the reindeer might have been the devil Kolumkilli. A blizzard begins, freezing his wet clothes solid. He recites verses from the rhymes to stay alert, imagining battles with demons from the sagas. He attempts to shelter in the snow, but it collapses. To stay awake, he sings obscene verses and relives ballad scenes, including one in which he imagines himself as Grimur the Noble, rejecting his father’s lecherous wife. Eventually, covered in ice, he collapses at Brun farm. The crofters thaw him and find no serious frostbite. He expresses more concern for his lambs than his own survival.

On the fifth day, Bjartur arrives home to find the croft buried in snow. Only the dog Titla responds from inside. He digs through the drift and enters. In the darkness, he trips over Rosa, lying dead in congealed blood by the bedside. In the bed, he finds a newborn infant: Titla has kept the baby alive with her body heat. He lifts Rosa’s body into the other bedstead, finding her limbs stiff and eyes refusing to close. Realizing he cannot care for the infant alone, he resolves to seek help from others despite the humiliation.

That evening, Bjartur arrives at Rauthsmyri. A workman tells him they have taken in his sheep during the storm. Gudny the housekeeper scolds him for leaving Rosa alone. The Mistress of Myri leads him to Bailiff Jon’s spartan room, where the bailiff lies dressed like a beggar despite his great wealth. After a long story about searching for the lost ewe, Bjartur recites a verse and announces Rosa is dead, adding proudly she died alone. He then mentions the baby he found alive under the dog and asks the Mistress for some guidance. The Mistress misinterprets this as an accusation about the child’s paternity and reacts with cold anger. Bjartur hastily clarifies he is only asking if they can help save the child. The misunderstanding resolved, the Mistress declares her “joy” is to “sustain the feeble” (108).

The Mistress of Myri sends Gudny to Summerhouses with milk, a stove, and baby clothes. Gudny covers Rosa’s corpse. When Titla refuses to leave the baby and snaps at her, Bjartur throws the dog down through the hatchway into the stable below. The baby appears lifeless. Gudny bathes it in extremely hot water and swings it by one leg. When Bjartur questions her methods, she orders him out of the house. He lies on hay in the stable, feeling exhausted and “superfluous.” The next morning, the baby’s crying wakes him and Gudny proudly presents him with his daughter. Bjartur names her Ásta Sollilja, feeling a bond with the helpless child and resolving to share her fate. He enthusiastically plans a lavish funeral feast for Rosa.

Following the death of Rosa, rumors spread that the ghost is active again at Summerhouses. The Rauthsmyri family offers to foster the child if Bjartur gives up the land, which Bjartur angrily rejects. He visits the Reverend Gudmundur, to request Rosa’s funeral. The minister, who is reluctant to travel in winter, raises numerous objections about weather, health, and the circumstances of Rosa’s death. They haggle over the fee.

Gudmundur and Bjartur negotiate about Bjartur marrying a woman in the minister’s household, taking on both her and her old mother. The minister brings in two destitute women from his parish: Hallbera, an old widow, and her middle-aged daughter, Finna. Bjartur recognizes them as the family from Urtharsel, a farm where he once stayed. Hallbera expresses superstitious fears about Summerhouses, and both women speak of friendly relations with local elves. Bjartur dismisses ghosts as “popery.”

On Saturday morning, four bearers arrive: the Fell King; Einar of Undirhlith; Olafur of Yztadale; and Rosa’s father, old Thorthur of Nithurkot. Bjartur welcomes them grandly. The coffin rests in the stable. The men discuss weather, husbandry, and local politics. Einar gives Bjartur a written elegy. They are served strong coffee and lavish cakes. After the feast, solemn silence falls. As the minister has not been persuaded to come for Rosa’s carrying-out, Thorthur sings a hymn from the Passion Hymns over his daughter’s coffin, his voice cracking with grief. He then weeps through the Lord’s Prayer. Thorthur whispers the traditional formula to the horse, telling it that it “carries a coffin that day” (130). The procession sets off toward Rauthsmyri through whirling snow.

The bearers arrive at Rauthsmyri late in the afternoon after a difficult journey. The minister is waiting, clearly in a hurry, and the bailiff attends. The coffin is carried into the church, and feeble bells ring. The minister delivers a short, perfunctory sermon, speaking of the deceased as proof of the individual’s insignificance. The coffin is carried to the grave and a hymn is sung in the drifting snow as the it is buried.

The next day, Bjartur travels back to Summerhouses, leading the horse, Blesi. The dog, Titla, walks beside him, and he reflects on her absolute fidelity. On the horse rides Hallbera, and Finna walks behind. The low winter sun turns the drifting snow into a “golden fire of frost” (134). At Summerhouses, the women from Rauthsmyri serve coffee and depart. Finna feeds the baby its bottle. Bjartur goes to bed early, finally feeling he can rest. Finna and Hallbera whisper before Finna goes to bed with the baby. Hallbera recites an old prayer to drive away evil spirits and welcome Jesus before going to bed.