Gwenn and Gunnar travel to Khalama to bury Arkady Svalbarad, but nothing goes as planned. For one thing, Arkady isn"t really dead. And his old teacher, Dawa Tinley, seems somehow menacing. When Gunnar mysteriously disappears, Gwenn and Arkady form an alliance that will bring both danger and new promise to the peoples of Yrth. Meanwhile, Huw and Katkin find comfortable shelter in an ice-locked valley, until the addition of two orphaned children to the family leaves Katkin feeling trapped and miserable. After Huw"s arrest for murder, she must decide whether to run or stand by his side. The choice becomes even more difficult when Katkin meets up with an old love. But a chance meeting steers her to Starruthe just in time to deliver Gwenn"s baby daughter Myriadne. Now that the Dawnmaid has been born, it will take a miracle to hide her from Maggrai, who has returned from the future with a weapon of total annihilation. But Gunnar also has a secret weapon, though he is reluctant to use it. Will he accept his true nature before Maggrai"s wrath destroys the last hope of the Firaithi? The "Song of the Arkafina" series: Heart of Hythea Ketha"s Daughter Dawnmaid Beyond the Gyre "Suzanne Francis is one of the best small press authors. She delivers an exceptional, unforgettable story every time. Her worlds are filled with colorful details and captivating characters that kept me turning the pages." -- Pat Bertram, author of A Spark of Heavenly Fire and More Deaths Than One, from Second Wind Publishing