Book III of the Westlands; Book VII of the Deverry Cycle.  After stumbling upon a clandestine meeting in the Rhiddaer, young Jahdo is inadvertently dragged into a dangerous plot involving black magic. A bard demands aid under an old treaty, forcing the boy on a journey to the faraway land of Deverry. Jahdo's path crosses with familiar series characters, including the powerful sorcerer Jill and the half-elven, half-mad berserker Rhodry and together they are thrust into a massive confrontation against the fanatical Horsekin army and their patron, a mad goddess named Alshandra. The war forces mankind, elves, dwarves, and dragons to unite against forces of chaos. 

Paperback; 1st printing HarperCollins 1994; faint shelfwear; very faint spine creases; tightly bound and clean within.