Lands and lives in question When a young fugitive, Mavrys, comes to Skilthorn seeking sanctuary, it's a complication the newly-ennobled Countess Jerya could well do without. She's already challenging assumptions and managing radical changes to the great estate, and now Skilthorn is about to play host to an unprecedented meeting between leaders from the Sung Lands and the Five Principalities. Jerya's oldest friend, Railu, also glimpses the prospect of a new beginning; but is Skelber all that he seems? And can Mavrys stay out of trouble? The future of the Known Lands may be in play, but for some of the people at Skilthorn it's their own lives which are thrown into question.