Naskanna was the emperor's vhalgod daughter, and then she became Naskanna Deathdealer, who killed the emperor her father, and disappeared with her lover, the wild godling Thallyn, when that war was over. Now she is known as Hedge, and she and Thallyn, called Pony for one of her favorite shapes, live quietly in the northwestern hills. But a desperate girl has heard their names, and comes seeking their help to rescue her lost brother, and the witch who holds him in thrall is their old enemy…