Book One
By Wing, By Wild, and By Wisdom
The brutal war with the Worms leaves the Vayden people kingless. Young JESOP is made Lord Marshall by the vote of all dragons and the responsibility for the country is thrust upon him. With his soul-bonded dragon, Jesop’s strategies and skill as a wizard keep the people from being massacred, but once on the ground, his command falters as he struggles with the monumental task of rebuilding a devastated people. The Keeper, RAH TEVEN, law-bound to be Jesop’s aid, is ever in conflict with him, openly insulting and disrespecting him.
Now in his forties, Jesop contends with debilitating headaches, depression, and the relentless strain of lack of a king. He is shocked to discover that Teven’s cruelty has been a bitter angry way to hide the fact he fell in love with Jesop when they were boys, as the Vayden society has no tolerance for such tendencies. Once again Vayden is faced with the threat of war as ancient enemies appear in the Northern Reach and whispers of darker things crawl up from the caves below.
Without a king, the dragons grow ever more savage. Jesop must hold the people together until a new king is named, while dealing with the ever-abusive Teven and confronting the disquieting mystery of his own origins.