Provine Sael and her weary band have put the great northern plains behind them, and are heading south into the Empire, winter quarters beckoning to them after a long, hard summer. But crossing the raid-torn northern frontier holds new problems and challenges as the little group re-enters an empire burdened by war and war's demands. The Sagrit have not forgotten the Dellian, and Grog must face new threats to his mistress, along with new issues and ideas which must be pondered. It is not easy being a brute in a improper world, but Grog and Burk struggle onward, fortified by Master Horne's teachings and their unflinching sense of duty. .