The barons conduct a bloody feud and cutthroats roam the countryside.
Men hide to avoid conscription by some petty lord.
Lysandra is on her way to say farewell to her betrothed when thugs attack their town, killing him and her parents while leaving her unconscious. When she awakens she is blind and has been raped. Unable to cope, she journeys from her home until settling in a small cottage with a wolf as her companion. She will soon play a key role in seating the next ruler of the country if she can elude an evil sorceress and her malevolent consort who plan to become the next monarchs. The ending is a cliffhanger because Lysandra has evil to battle and her own past to contend with before the true king sits on the throne of Aghamore.