Who is the old woman, and what can she want? Krea's companions argue over whether she is a robber or an assassin. Neither idea sounds very pleasant to the slave girl, who is terribly afraid of being noticed by anybody at all, let alone a robber or an assassin.
Meanwhile, war is brewing in the kingdom of Bracken. And Krea, after meeting the aged woman herself, soon realizes that somehow she is involved in the conflict between Folger and the island country of Bracken. For Krea, a whole new world opens up: a world of comfort, companionship, and excitement spiced with danger. As she gains freedom from the collar of a slave, she learns that there is yet another collar that she must wear.
