Instead of cutting the prince's throat, she simply let him go. Now she is supposed to bend the knee before King Tedore in the throne room. Not with her. Never. Better to kill standing than to live kneeling. The swordmaster is in the late autumn of his life, far from home, fleeing from his guilt. A deceased son, a lost daughter, a forfeited title. What remains is to sit on the beach and count the waves. Then the old swordmaster rises and sets out on his last great journey. Terrible events lead to terrible losses. The war between Prince Schohtar and King Tedore Marein divides the realm. In a world whose deep shadows leave little room for light, the struggle for survival begins for Karek and his comrades.