Book I of Legends of the Riftwar. Hartraft's Marauders, a crack band of Kingdom raiders are a special unit designed to infiltrate and fight behind enemy lines. They are currently making for a frontier garrison after a disastrous encounter with the Tsurani. Meanwhile a Tsurani patrol is sent to support an assault on the same garrison. Both sides arrive at the same time and discover the garrison has been overrun by a horde of moredhel - dark elves - and they must band together and fight as one to survive. But who do they hate the most - the mutual enemy or each other? Cover art by Geoff Taylor.