One rider's journey will save his tribe or end it forever. Andrij has guarded the cold slopes of Perun's Crown for years. Though he longs for home, his service pays for his father's debts to the Astiwie king. He just needs his chance to earn his freedom. When the horsemen of the east come with tidings of war, he sees exactly that. Facing his tribe's destruction, the king commands Andrij to ride for his western allies. If Andrij succeeds, his debts will be forgiven. If he fails, his tribe will surely fall. Set in the days before A Dagger in the Winds, enter The Frostmarked Chronicles' world of Slavic mythology with the journey that begins it all. Note: This novella can be read before The Frostmarked Chronicles or at any point during it.