After some prolonged haggling, St. James and Vandoren agree that the minstrel should receive the enchanted boots. St. James instead settles for the elfin dart; Valerius claims the black candle and the horn; Friar Sidrach the incense and the unguent; Ruik the pouch of dust; and Hamral takes the wine. Vandoren experiments with the boots, and finds that they allow him to race about with astonishing speed and to leap incredible heights.

The consortes interrogate Lurg and Molq, the two ruck-men who were found imprisoned in the depths of the Hagges' lair. Though personally quite disagreeable, the two prisoners display as much gratitude as could be expected from rucks, and they happily provide all sorts of details about the ruckish forces at Gwynnon. Altogether, the Black-Blades there number more than seventy strong, and are led by the fierce commander Orestes, who reports to Prince Busirane. The rucks are stationed at Gwynnon as an advance post, and the next nearest encampment is some seven miles distant. The garrison at Gwynnon is regularly resupplied once every two weeks.

Considerable debate ensues, and in the end the consortes resolve to undertake a rather unexpected course of action. Noting Lurg and Molq's surprising cooperation, our heroes decide to attempt to capture and convert more rucks, with the short-term goal of creating increasing pressure on Lord Orestes and his troops at Gwynnon. The long-term goal, on the other hand, remains wholly unclear to everyone involved.

Lurg and Molq prove to be greedy, treacherous, dishonorable, but ambitious—in other words, model rucks. They eagerly sign on with the consortes, especially when promised rank and privilege in the coming new ruckish order. Lurg and Molq cheerfully name names of ruckish commanders who had slighted them in the past, arguing that these unfortunates ought to be executed immediately upon capture. Lurg and Molq also name those old cronies who might prove loyal to the new regime. Meanwhile, Mendelor commissions some banners to be made, emblazoned with the symbol of a single black feather.

The first action of the consortes' new campaign involves the ambush of a ruckish patrol, in which six new rucks are recruited into the Army of the Ebon Quill. Rather than drag this rabble back to Eredy, the group begins using the Hagges' old cave as a base of operations. Once there, Friar Sidrach undertakes to convert even more rucks. The brutes readily embrace Pentianity, even though they are oblivious to many of the finer theological points of their new religion. The rucks find many aspects of their new-found faith quite agreeable, particularly the concept of an all-powerful divine force that is able to utterly destroy its enemies. And so, with great zeal the rucks carve the sign of the Five into their arms, chests, and even faces in an attempt to demonstrate their loyalty and in the misguided hope of currying miraculous favors.

Meanwhile, Lurg and Molq savor their new status as commanders, and readily enforce the rule of law on all the other rucks. In the dead of night, they even go so far as to execute a captured officer, asserting without much evidence that he was plotting an escape.

In the second action of the ongoing campaign, the consortes ambush a largish supply train approaching Gwynnon. The rucks provide formidable resistance, and the new recruits perform somewhat less than admirably, choosing only to attack those opponents who have been incapacitated by magic or from the blows delivered by our heroes. However, when the dust settles, the Army of the Ebon Quill remains intact and has even been enlarged by four more recruits.