Return to Huavaen, realm of the Defender and the hyarmi

The Separatists stand in peril. They face not only ruined buildings, spies among them, and winter's hungry cold, but also the necessity to grow their numbers and secure alliances before the Dominion can find and destroy them.

For Geren, the discovery of his link to the Defender of Life brings benefits and increased challenges. A request to teach weaponry at the Council's mage school provides Geren opportunities to learn new skills and gain friends, but it also leads to encountering adversaries among the mages and hyarmi government, including the hyarmi Black Prince.

Who is watching him, even stalking him? Will the Black Prince succeed at dominating the Council of the Races, thwarting the Separatist Alliance before it can truly begin? Can Geren's own connections and new learning make a difference?