Cy is a young woman who came from the north to the Capital of the Archipelago after her family was killed in a battle when she was a child. Cy and her friend Ban are both in their final year of apprenticeship at the Central Library, studying under the elder Hammon to become Memorials, the keepers of the Long Memory. Memorials advise the council in their rule of the Archipelago, and their approval is required before any political action can take place. Recently, the Central Library did not approve the council's decision to send armies into the north to intervene in the political turmoil, especially since the council's own actions caused the conflict to occur in the first place. However, many members of the council, led by Councilman Holt, disagree with the Central Library's ruling. When Cy and Ban arrive at the council meeting, Holt proposes to abolish the role of the Memorials altogether, which would immediately end their influence on the council's decisions. During the council's debate, Cy relives a memory in which her elder Hammon advises against the council's decision to regulate the use of northern land and stop the Northernlings from wandering freely with their herds. Instead, Hammon advises they consult with a Memorial from the north before acting on their plans, reminding his peers that the Northernlings are a diverse people who inhabited the Archipelago long before their own ancestors arrived on boats. This moment becomes a turning point in history, as the council ultimately moves forward with their plan despite Hammon's warning. Soon, Ban gets Cy's attention, bringing her back to the present as the debate ends. After the meeting, Holt joins his friend and colleague Timmon to discuss his plan to seize the libraries by force. Cy is one of his main targets specifically, because of her family's status before their deaths. There is a legend told only in obscure parts of the north, and Holt believes it was passed down to Cy by her mother before her death. Only days later, Cy is captured, her face covered by a burlap sack, and taken on a ship, crammed in with other bodies. She soon finds herself in a cell with a small cot, and meals are delivered to her twice a day. Occasionally, she is guided to a small courtyard and left there for some time. While there, she talks to the gardener, who tells her of his people from distant islands whose memories were all forgotten when their Holders, the name they gave their Memorials, became too overwhelmed by their memories. Eventually, Cy is taken to face Holt, who threatens her with his sword. She is soon transported back in her memory to childhood, realizing it was the armies of House Holt who killed her people. When she returns to her cell, Cy decides to take action and has the gardener deliver a message to her friends from home and her fellow prisoners, challenging them to a hunger strike. A few days later, Holt gathers the prisoners and asks them to end their strike. Though she is discouraged when Holt kills one of the prisoners for crying out, Cy is at least relieved to know that her message has been received and feels hopeful for the future.