The Arcane Blades return to Olara and claim their rewards from the expedition with the Kepstone Brothers. But not all is well in the world, Apsalar has discovered that the King of the Beggar Court has been complicit in a lie. The Betrayal cuts deep and traitors must pay.

The Arcane Blades stops in Harrowynd to meet with Soaring Ray, the Grandfather of the late Winged Step. Autumn and Fade hand over Winged Steps effects except for a small pouch that Autumn was told to give to Charsea when the time was right. The prize from the Dreadward is handed over to Astrid in exchange for her patronage and blood.

The Arcane Blades Decompress after escaping the Terror of the Deadward.

After the challenges of the Silver City the Arcane Blades return to the expedition camp and report their activities to the Kepseck Brothers. They rest and heal before preparing to cross through one of the few fabled gates that have access into the deadward. What hellish nightmare-scape awaits them as they tread through a land few return from?

The Rage of Trowa, Lord of the Shifting Sands is unbound. The denizens of the Silver City and even the very city itself have been turned against the Arcane Blades. How can the Blades survive when they can't even trust the wall that their backs are against?