Make Like a Shepherd

Jago and Meraud bicker, then everyone decides to put their cards on the table. Meraud explains what the war of keyholes is, omitting only what she doesn't know, which is why the herons are fighting. Meraud explicitly explains that the Truss being broken means that Dol Gemen Lom might be missing, and if that's the case, all of Blue Gabbent might be at risk.

They proceed back to the broken bridge in an orderly fashion. There, they kill a few vultures and while fighting the vultures notice the black shadow of a tar orphan flying overhead.

Jago and Ellira fly across, Jago in blueling form and Ellira in white owl form. Maurice summons a hippogriff and carries first himself, and then Tiffy and Meraud across. Dev is last, and does not manage to cross before the tar orphan claws its way through and attacks.

Tiffy and Ellira rake it with lightning while Dev, finally rescued by the hippogriff, fires arrows into its back. It manages to injure the entire party with its wings, claw the hell out of Tiffy and Ellira and finally expire.

Meanwhile, however, two similar tar orphans have appeared, stealing what appears to be the entrance to a cave.  The party observes Occulke's tentacles tearing apart these thieves, off in the distance.