Horin is on an errand for his grandmother — a half-day walk to the next village for medicine. He has been warned not to take the shortcut through Mt. Curse. Everyone in his village looks down on him, and he figures making it through Mt. Curse might earn some respect. He is still weighing the question when an earthquake splits the ground beneath his feet and the only remaining path leads straight toward Mt. Curse. The decision gets made for him.