'You have only one part of the Summoning Ring, ' said the dragon to Fianna. 'And neither the knowledge nor the strength to use it even if it were complete.' Fianna is the only child of King Stannard and Queen Fiona, and has always expected to become the next Keeper of the Dragon Throne. She exiles herself from court when her father decides to take a second wife. Recalled to Secondus castle after Stannard's death, she has to contend with the split loyalties among the royal knights. In desperation, she agrees to summon the dragons to support her claim to the throne. Their challenge sends her to meet them in their Sacred Mountains. In the woods of the unicorn herd, the Prancer loses his milk-brother to an attack by a dragon. He travels across the human kingdoms to seek the killer, discovering the complexities of human relationships and the delights of ale along the way. They meet at the Sacred Mountains. And so begins a story of love, friendship--and betrayal.