A strange noblewoman arrives in a remote mountain village, claiming one of five youths is the reincarnation of an ancient power who once destroyed the world – and will do so again, if she’s not able to discover which of them it is. But they all have less time than they think.

Moiraine and Lan find help in an unexpected – and unwanted – quarter, as the separated villagers try to find their way back to each other, or at least to refuge. But they all soon learn how far the Dark One’s reach extends, and how few they can trust on the road.