Book Two of The Pariah of Verigo series

As one life ends, another begins anew for Giele Pariah as he settles among the Horks and prepares to become a father. But as a former soldier, he knows peace can only last so long. A young Hork woman from a distant tribe reaches out to Giele for help in dealing with a local coal mine that has poisoned their water and brought them to the brink of starvation. Giele is the only Elf who can find common ground between Elves and Horks.

Giele and his companions travel to the valley of the Blackwater Horks, where Elven farmers who inhabit the land are not only dealing with constant raids from the desperate Hork population, but are also paying the mine company's mage to provide them with clean water. Faced with the valley's long-standing forces of greed and social strife, Giele must take up the mantle of military leader once again to unite a divided populace of farmers, miners and Horks and liberate the valley from the mine owner's iron grip.