In the wake of his failed attempt to kill King Halin, Patrin is ordered north to seek the help of an ally, but the increasingly paranoid and distraught young man wants nothing to do with his former savior, the exiled Prince Galin ...

Suffering from damaged tech, disillusionment and despondency, Patrin and Xadik head west toward Lordingport, where there's a promise of medicine and new orders from Galin. From Lordingport, they begin a two-and-a-half month journey to Valenkept, traveling through the factionalized collections of warlords and city-states that make up the Boarsland. During their journey, they face constant threats, brutal fights, unforgiving elements and murderous cultists.

Pushing through the many physical, tech and moral struggles that arise along the way, Patrin grows increasingly paranoid, questioning whether Galin truly cares for him or whether he's just a tool that the exiled prince is using to retake the throne. At the same time, Xadik's outlook grows ever more bleak, as he comes to believe that everything eventually falls to ruin.

Will Patrin and Xadik make it to Valenkept and convince King Arbren to back their new assassination plot? Will they make it home? Is there such a place as home?