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As all in her tribe, Shkai'ra was trained from childhood with one goal in mind--efficiency in the arts of war. At the age of 19, Shkai'ra is given a mission by the elders of her tribe--cross the steppes and enslave a Mintzan city or die in disgrace.

Sword-bearer Shkai'ra and her companion, Megan, dagger-wielding thief and mistress of illusion, are caught in a life-or-death struggle between rival magical powers as a deadly secret threatens to destroy the balance of peace and the Fehinnan Empire.

This book has been revised and republished as Saber and Shadow.

Habiku destroyed the trading house Megan had built from nothing and sold her into slavery, tearing down everything she valued. But Megan was not to be best ed, and with the barbarian Shkai'ra and others, she planned to wreak her vengeance in the most horrible way she could imagine--with the Cage.

After learning that her kidnapped son has at last been traced to Arko, currently under siege by the multinational forces of brilliant young general Chevenga Lion's Heart, Megan Thane becomes a mercenary in Chevenga's motley army. It's only a matter of time before Chevenga's army defeats the Arkans.

After Megan's father's entanglement in court politics leaves her family penniless, they are forced to move into literally the lowest section of the city. It takes backbone the strength of steel to find triumph in adversity, and in F'talezon it takes more--it takes magic. But Megan learns to survive--and becomes a hero in the process.

Chevenga knows his destiny from a vision: to preserve his people from barbarian invasions--and he also knows his fate: to die at the hand of an assassin while still young. In his short life Chevenga has much to do, and little time to do it in. If his people cannot freely accept his rulership he must use whatever means are necessary to make them recognize him for what he is.

Driven out of the fertile plains millennia ago, the Yeolis have developed a thriving culture based on nonaggression. But mountain barriers cannot hold forever against a determined assault, and only one man holds the keys to liberation: Chevenga.

But the Yeolis are a freedom-loving people -- they have no love for a strong leader, only distrust of power that must inevitably corrupt, and Chevenga is tested like no other. How far can you push a man, test him so he becomes the best he can possibly be? That is the measure of his soul.