"One day, when you're a bit older, we will go on a journey together." Now the time has come for Jerya to fulfil her promise to her former pupil Embrel... but why is Railu, her oldest friend, so concerned about the prospect? Why is Railu even more distressed at her stepdaughter Sumyra's eagerness to join the venture? The answer awaits in the Sung Lands, and for both Embrel and Sumyra it will profoundly shake their sense of who they are. Jerya herself is simply looking forward to reunions with old friends, but her long-time adversary Perriad may have other ideas.