King Venzlav orders a military escort to take Dandelion to Brokilon, home of the dryads. The military escort halts at a ravine above the Ribbon, Brokilon’s border. The captain refuses to go farther, explaining that dryads now shoot to kill after royal forces crossed the river to hunt Scoia’tael and killed several dryads. Terrified yet determined, Dandelion pays the soldiers and rides alone, crossing the shallow, weed-choked Ribbon while expecting a dryad to shoot him.

At the forest’s edge, Dandelion begins singing in Elder Speech. Unseen dryads order him to continue. He identifies himself as Geralt’s friend, but they demand more music before allowing him to pass. Eventually, Geralt appears and leads him into Brokilon. After Thanedd, Triss brought Geralt to Brokilon, trusting the dryads to heal him.

Geralt asks for news of the war, deflecting questions about Yennefer and Ciri. Dandelion reports Nilfgaard’s sudden invasions of Lyria and Aedirn, capturing key strongholds in the Northern Kingdoms and defeating the combined forces of Queen Meve and King Demavend at Aldersberg. Rivia surrendered quickly after Nilfgaard promised not to sack it, and the Nilfgaardians continued advancing north. 

The narrative shifts to portray the ongoing events of the war.