The prologue recalls a time when Xavier and Elijah go hunting as young boys. They track a marten and trap it, but when they try and retrieve the animal, they realize that it is still alive. Xavier instructs Elijah to kill it. Elijah tries, but only succeeds in beating the animal. Xavier finally finds a heavier piece of wood and delivers the killing blow. Elijah is content, commenting that the two are great hunters and best friends, to which Xavier agrees.

In “Returning”, the narrative switches to Niska, who is Xavier’s aunt. She has been informed that Xavier has died in battle and that Elijah has survived. Niska travels by canoe to pick Elijah up from the station. She strongly dislikes the town, but has made the journey for Elijah’s sake. Watching the soldiers disembark from a train, she is preparing to leave when she sees a soldier hobbling on crutches. To her surprise, the soldier is Xavier, not Elijah. The two are both startled, and Niska learns that Xavier has also thought she was dead. She wonders what this means about Elijah’s whereabouts, but does not ask. Though happy to see her nephew, Niska can tell that Xavier is sick.