With their honor restored, Hal and his fellow Herons leave Skandia again on a new mission--to track down and stop Hal's nemesis, Tursgud, a bullying youth-turned vicious pirate and slave trader.

Hal, his Brotherband crew, and the Ranger Gilan have freed the twelve Araluens sold into slavery. Returning to Araluen, Gilan is given a new mission by King Duncan: protect his daughters life. Princess Cassandra has survived one attempt on her life already, and now whispers of a second attempt have reached the kingdom. A deadly sect known as the Scorpion Cult is thought to be behind the assassination threat. Not waiting to see if the knife will strike...

When a massive storm at sea blows the Brotherband crew off course to a land so far west Hal cannot recognize it from his maps, they face an unknown enemy.