Four days before Hostenfest, the young Prince Gaborn Val Orden enters the city of Bannisferre incognito. He is expected to marry the Crown Princess Iome, to cement their lands' alliance, but soon events overtake such plans.
Rah Ahten, Wolf Lord of the Southern Lands, is invading the Northern kingdoms of Rofehaven to increase his power base as a prelude to facing the barbarian hordes of Inkarra. To the northerners there seems little difference between the two enemies. Before there is time for old alliances to be reforged - or for new alliances to be born - Raj Ahten has taken an entire kindom and is moving northward... thanks to the 'endowments' of wit, brawn and glamour he has drawn, vampire-like, from the conquered masses.
