The hross invites Ranso into its boat. Ranso accepts, and they set off across the choppy water of the lake. The waves, like everything on the planet, are high and sharp, and the ride is so rough that Ranso vomits.
They descend into a steep, straight canyon, which Ranso learns is called a handramit. They spend the entire day traveling, sometimes leaving the water and carrying the boat to the next stream.
It is dark when they reach their destination, where Ranso sees the light of a fire through the trees of a forest. They walk toward the fire and Ranso is surrounded by other hross and their children. These are his last memories before falling asleep.