Under its idyllic surface, uneasy forces stir in the land of Laurea, rumors of war with the savage north and the assassination of a beloved leader. Kardith, knife fighter and Ranger, joins forces with young scholar Terricel to discover a deadly conspiracy. To find a way through old hatreds and new tyrants, they must each confront and heal the past - Kardith must make her peace with the personal horror she has buried deep within her soul, while Terricel discovers a terrible, ancient secret which threatens not only Laurea, but the entire world.