In the meantime, the men have given up their pursuit of the party. They are now on the mountain where the snake king was sealed away three hundred years before, and where the sacred sword Rukhnabad slumbers. As they cross the mountain, they can see the mountain in the distance, and they will be able to continue their search for Narsus. As the men continue on their way, they are interrupted by the sound of a horse's hoof. The rider of the horse tells them that it is not theirs, but that of another rider. He asks the rider if the horse belongs to him, and the rider replies that he is over-whelmed by the rider's kind. He tells the rider that they are concerned about the safety of the highness west of them, and he thanks the rider for his quick wits, skill, and valor. He says that he had been concerned about his true intentions, but now that the rider has been edged by the man of the higher caliber, it is a pleasant feeling to be edged by such a man.