Summary:
Mont Blanc Noland briefly reflects on his friendship with Kalgara, from the latter suggesting that Noland stay in Jay and marry his daughter Mousse, to suddenly being told that Kalgara never wants to see him again. Noland returns to the golden city of Shandora, convinced that Kalgara will be there. He pleads with Kalgara to explain her sudden shift in attitude towards him, but Kalgara responds by throwing a spear at Noland. Noland barely manages to dodge the javelin as it passes him, cutting his face. Kalgara warns Noland to leave his presence if he doesn’t want to be killed, and Noland complies without objection.
Noland and his crew continue their work in the forest while the Shandians impatiently await the crew’s departure with passive-aggressive attitudes. The little snake, who befriended Noland and Kalgara, is deeply saddened by Kalgara’s refusal to ring the bell, as Kalgara claims that it no longer means anything. Later that night, Noland’s crew notice that Noland hasn’t eaten anything as they discuss their early departure from the village. They note again that the bell hasn’t rung and that the villagers seem to have murderous intentions for reasons they don’t understand. Noland, Mousse, and the snake all watch the full moon in different states of mind: the snake is still sad about the bell not ringing, Mousse seems deep in thought, and Noland is still upset about the broken bond between him and Kalgara. Mousse decides to leave and the crew doctor also observes the moon and drinks while the rest of the crew go to sleep. Mousse approaches the Doctor from the shadows, hoping to talk, as the Doctor is very surprised by her presence.
Kalgara sits among the many tree stumps in the Jaya Forest, confused and frustrated that Noland’s crew has cut down so many of their trees. He questions if that was all the sacrifice for Noland’s recovery and laments that he ever allowed Noland to stay. Mousse explains to the crew medic that the trees they cut down are known as the Forest of Embodiment and house the souls of the Shandian ancestors. The sound of the bell leads souls to this forest where their souls rest. For the Shandians, it is their duty to guard the forest because it is more important than their lives. The Doctor finally understands why the Shandians are angry with them, and Mousse goes on to explain that they didn’t act on their feelings because they are still grateful that the crew saved their lives. Although the Shandians understand that there was no way the crew could have known this, they are still upset at the desecration of what was considered holy ground.
The next day, as the crew prepares to leave, Noland finally realizes his transgression. The Doctor tries to justify the crew’s actions as needed, but Noland says they can’t make excuses for themselves. In an attempt to set things right, he orders his crew to return all the gold the Shandians have allowed them to take. Mousse rushes back to Shandian Village in search of his father. When she finds him, she falls to the ground in tears in front of him, asking if the Shandians would cut down the trees too if they knew the trees were making their people sick. He pleads with his father to let the crew stay, stressing that the Shandians will regret it forever if they allow their relationship to dissolve like this. She remembered Kalgara and Noland’s bond and told her father that she would grieve the “Savior of Shandora” for the rest of her life if she didn’t fix it. As Kalgara demands an explanation from her daughter, Mousse recalls more details about her conversation with the Doctor the night before: The Doctor explains that the Forest of Embodiment was actually already dead, to Mousse’s shock. He notes that Tree Fever is spread by using the trees themselves as a medium for infestation, so anyone who enters the forest becomes infected. Furthermore, the disease claimed countless lives, so the hundred casualties the Shandians suffered were truly nothing compared to what would have happened without Noland’s intervention. Once an infested tree is found, it must, like all other surrounding trees, be felled to prevent the infestation from spreading. He concludes that they have dealt with the infestation in its entirety, so the island is now completely safe. The trees were cut down out of necessity, not with the intention of dishonoring the Shandian ancestors. The Shandians are horrified by their grave error in judgment and eventually realize that Noland has been protecting Shandor as well. Kalgara quickly speeds off, despite the Shandians’ cries that Noland’s ship is probably long gone.
Aboard Noland’s ship, the crew is excited to return to Lvneel, although several of the crew are saddened to leave the gold behind. As Kalgara races through the woods, he thinks about how wrong he was with Noland and hoped his friend would wait for him. As Noland’s ship leaves the cargo, the crew notices that the bell is finally ringing again. The entire Shandian village works together to ring the bell, apologizing for their treatment of Noland and determined to make sure Noland hears the bell. Kalgara runs to shore and yells at Noland, who happens to still be close enough to see and hear him. Kalgara begs his friend to come back one day, telling him that he will wait and ring for him. He promises that the Shandians will guard the place no matter what, and he won’t let any storms stop him from returning, as the bell will always ring for him until he does. Kalgara says that they will be friends again, and Noland tearfully promises that they will meet again.