Five years after the Darkswarm assault on her stronghold home, Malian of Night remains missing, believed dead in the wilds of Jaransor. But not all accept her death and now her enemies are on the hunt. Suspicion falls on the heralds Tarathan and Jehane, who find themselves caught in a web of intruege and murder during the Ijiri Festival of Masks. They flee bearing word of a death on the Wall- and a call to duty and honourvthat Malian must answer or be forsworn.