After many debates the party decides to make for Antace and Tuck; several consortes suspect that Tuck is hunting for treasure in the ruins of Lorn Abbey. Inquiries find that both Tim and Roger are currently out of town—a remarkable coincidence. The consortes secretly depart from Heremac, leaving Ruik and Wyk behind to watch for anyone following the party. Ruik and Wyk do not spot anyone, and rejoin the rest of the group in Tymgram, where a couple of villagers report having seen Tuck about six weeks earlier, when he started several violent quarrels.

The party arrives on the outskirts of Antace. St. James is sent into town in disguise to see if he can locate Tuck, and he soon finds townsmen who recognize Tuck's physical description—such a man has been seen helping the parish priest, Father Theodore. St. James attends the evening mass, and finds that indeed, Tuck is staying at the church. St. James quietly approaches Father Theodore, who remembers the young man from the adventure at Lorn Abbey, almost a year and a half ago. Father Theodore does not know any man named Tuck, but says that a 'Tom' has been staying in the stables and helping out with the church for the last couple of weeks or so. However, the priest also reports that Tom has been a good guest and has not in any way behaved violently or rudely.

Further investigation only compounds the mystery, and the consortes work out a rough time line of events. About a month ago, the old Tuck arrived in Antace: several villagers remember Tuck passing through, being brutal and troublesome—and asking many questions about the town of Abberlane and rumors of treasure. Tuck disappeared soon after. About three weeks ago, 'Tom' appeared in Antace, seemingly a different man entirely.

St. James observes this Tom Tuck, who seems to be living a very simple life, sleeping in the stables and earnestly helping around the parish. A thorough search of the stables finds no trace of treasure. The consortes confront Tuck, and expect violence—but instead find a very courteous, even meek fellow. Tuck, when pressed, gives his name as 'Tom' and claims to have no memories older than three weeks ago, when he mysteriously appeared outside Antace. He claims to have no knowledge of any of the consortes, Abberlane, or a treasure.

Some of the consortes suspect that Tuck is duping them, while others feel that his act is simply too good to be a fake. Friar Sidrach and Valerius can find no evidence of sorcery at work. Some party members suggest that Tuck was somehow transformed by powerful magic into the meek Tom—after finding Liam's treasure. The Friar wonders if the treasure might be the fabled Sword of Tamurlaine.

The party decides to press on to Abberlane, the only other possible lead. Although Abberlane is but a half-day's walk from Antace and the road is a straight one, the consortes do not reach Abberlane after half a day on the road. This is inexplicable. And in fact, the forest around the consortes seems stranger and wilder than it should be. Suspecting devilry afoot, the party prepares for an assault.

A cry comes from the woods off the path: a man pleading for help. The party, very wary about these weird surroundings, debates what to do. In the end, Mendelor charges off the path and finds an old man at the bottom of a ravine, his leg badly twisted from a nasty fall. As Mendelor approaches, he sees that the man is a leper, his body horribly wasted by disease. Ignoring his companions' warnings and his own safety, Mendelor cares for the man's wounds and even carries the Leper back to his home, which is a rude roadside shrine. The party, tired and confused, rests there. The Leper is a hermit, who strangely enough has almost no knowledge of the world beyond his little shrine. He claims that many pilgrims pass this way, and remembers a rude man matching Tuck's description who passed through recently. The hermit thanks the party for their kindness, and confers a special blessing on Mendelor before the consortes leave. The Leper also tells Mendelor to "Ware the serpent, and Trust the Five."

After traveling further in the Wood Wondrous, the party comes upon a great manor house, standing right in the middle of the deep forest. Beautiful maidens in fine dresses stand in the open doorway and call to the consortes, beckoning them to stay a while at the House of Plenty. The maids offer warm food, good wine, and rest from the wearisome Wood. And although Wyk and Mot both beg their companions to stop, the party suspects they should not give in to this temptation, and they pass the House by.

The Wood gets darker and thicker; thorny brambles choke the forest floor, and the party begins to see, scattered in the underbrush, human bones, rusty helmets, broken swords and lances, torn shirts of mail, shattered shields, and further signs of woe and destruction. After what seems like miles of such grim tidings, the path opens into a clearing, wherein is a ruin of a huge stone castle. As the party approaches, monstrous cries rise up and six terrible animals—which Valerius calls 'Lions'—charge from the ruins. The party readies for battle, but the Lions of Wrath prove to be fearsome opponents. Valerius's enchantments do not affect them, and the Lions rend, bite and tear terrible wounds into the consortes. The Lions rear up on their rear legs and roar, a sound so frightening that nearly all of the party is frozen fast with terror. Only Renton and St. James remain able to act, and they try to fight the Lions. It is soon apparent that the two men are hopelessly outmatched. St. James, badly wounded, surrenders, putting down his weapon and kneeling before the Lions. Renton does the same. At this sign of humility the creatures depart as swiftly and inexplicably as they arrived. The party pauses to address wounds—Friar Sidrach finds that his healing prayers are very effective in the Wood Wondrous.

The path continues on, and the Wood becomes a loathsome, dreary swamp. Dead trees protrude in standing, burbling water. Dark swamp birds and the occasional water snake are the only signs of life. As the party continues on, a yellow mist creeps in and engulfs the party. The consortes find it harder and harder to go on, as their strength seems sapped. Each step becomes a struggle, and worse the further they move into the Slough of Despair. As the party grows weaker and weaker, terrible visions appear in the mist off the path: Hamral's dead brother Errol, Renton's slain parents, a woman burning alive on a pyre. After each vision, voices call on the party to give up and turn back. St. James collapses, and has to be carried on Bear. Several other party members are hardly strong enough to walk, but the consortes continue on. Vandoren offers a song of the Five, and the rest of the consortes try to join in and shut out the horrible sights and sounds. Finally, the party sees a vision of dozens and dozens of mutilated, rotting villagers, claiming to be from Caxbrill, New Hull, Deal, and other towns where the party has been. Though this gruesome sight nearly does in Ruik, the party continues on, and the road takes them out of the Slough.

The path opens up into another clearing, and waiting there is a knight in silver mail. He sits on a great war-horse, and bears a lance and a shield with the insignia of a serpent. His face is completely covered by a great helm. The Knight of the Grey Wurm commands the party to turn back on pain of death, but the consortes refuse. Ten henchmen of the Knight step forward to confront the party, each man wearing a great helm, the livery of their lord, and bearing a spear. The henchmen rush to attack. The battle is fierce and closely matched, but the party gains the upper hand. As the first henchman is slain, his helmet falls off, revealing a face exactly like Hamral's in appearance. As each henchman is killed, his face is found to resemble another one of the consortes. When all of his henchmen are slain, the Knight laughs and rides off; the bodies of his henchmen vanish like fog.

The consortes continue through the Wood, and soon the path leads to a great tower, stretching high into the sky. The party enters and finds a gigantic Stair, spiraling up and up. The party ascends, and passes other pilgrims moving slowly up the Stair. At the top, the consortes reach a great door that opens for Friar Sidrach. Inside is a gigantic hallway, but most of the party is struck senseless with awe of the place. Only Hamral remains standing, and he hears a terrible voice, asking him,

What defies reason,
Is most precious when least valued,
And feeds hungry men but is not food?"

Hamral, thinking for a moment, answers Faith.

The consortes suddenly find themselves back in the world, standing in the commons of a small village that Hamral soon recognizes as Abberlane. The party rushes to the town parish and the fabled Anchoress. As they approach, the consortes hear crying from within the stone building in which the Anchoress was immured many years ago. It is the crying of a baby. The party calls, but receives no response from the Anchoress. Grabbing hammers, knives, picks, and anything else they can lay hand to, the consortes begin furiously hacking away at the doorless walls, opening up a hole large enough for Friar Sidrach to enter.

Inside, the friar finds a miracle: a dead woman, the Anchoress who has not been outside of her stone house for years. And nestled on her cold breast: a small, newborn baby. The Friar takes the baby and finds the village midwife, who proclaims it a healthy baby girl. There is much excitement and wonderment in Abberlane at this turn of events. The body of the Anchoress is removed and laid in state in the parish church. Messengers are sent in all directions to tell of this miracle.

The consortes jealously guard the little baby, as hundreds of Pentians stream into Abberlane to see the miraculous babe and the body of Anchoress, a woman whom many people are already beginning to proclaim a saint.

A delegation of Seekers arrives from Heremac and interrogates the party, but the consortes tell them nothing of the Wondrous Wood. The Seekers want to take the baby back to Heremac, but Friar Sidrach and the rest of the consortes insist on waiting for the representatives from the Canglen Diocese.

Bishop Martin himself arrives with his entire entourage, including Vandoren's father, Dunstan, a member of the Chancellery. The party meets with Dunstan and tells everything, including all of the strange events in the Wood. The Bishop's officials cannot explain the meaning behind the recent series of miracles, but express their gratitude to the consortes. Dunstan alludes to a rivalry between Bishop Martin and the Seekers over custody of the baby.