Seeking adventure, Aeryk Emyrt joins a cattle drive to the distant city of Cos. Evading murderous bandits and hostile tribesmen, he helps rescue a kidnapped farmer's daughter along the way and then encounters a raven haired singer and an amber eyed elf. A family keepsake turns out to be a magic talisman and comes in handy amid a city full of rogue sorcerers and thieves. His courage tested, Aeryk finds himself committed to guiding a band of Elven mercenaries on a secret quest without knowing their reason for going or why mysterious forces seem determined to stop them.
The two young men share a common name, but the bond between them runs deeper, for kinsmen they are, a birthright that will mold the destiny of their people.