Set in

The guests at the New York Sour Grapes settle down to watch a show. They are members of the griffon cavalry and receive orders to deliver 900 gold pieces to three villages. They find a cart with chests and bags of coins, and decide to count them later. Izar drives the wagon while Darnit counts the coins. They reach the first village, Erksineville, where the villagers are poor and scared due to taxes from Lord Dwamish. They meet Jed Holliver, the village leader, and give the villagers their share of the coins. The group discusses what to do with the remaining money and mentions Port Bail, a city that was recently cleaned up from corruption. Jed invites them for a feast, but they decline and continue their journey to Tolland. The group travels to the next town through a dark wood. Hrothulf considers using griffins to bypass the woods but ultimately decides to lead the way on foot. They encounter a black knight guarding the entrance and engage in a conversation about their urgent mission. The black knight demands a tax for passage, but the group doesn't have money. They offer alternative items, but the black knight insists on the tax. Eventually, they give some leaves and are allowed to pass. Inside the wood, they face eerie sounds and fearful animals. Darnit and Hrothulf contemplate turning back, but Izar reassures them and casts a spell to boost their morale. They continue their journey and reach the town of Tolland, where they encounter difficulties at the gate. Eventually, they meet Jareth, who takes the bounty they brought. They leave the town and head towards Dwampton, but encounter problems along the way, including a broken wheel and scattered coins. They manage to find the missing coins and proceed to Dwampton, where they face resistance from the gatekeeper. They attempt to drop the gold from the air but face attacks from arrows. Hrothulf successfully drops the gold in the town square, and they quickly leave the city. The chapter ends with a conversation between the characters and the mention of starting a new chapter.