Crane and Ketty separate with a promise to meet again, but their pursuits of magical knowledge draw them farther apart. As they grow into their power, both cling to the hope they will find each other again ... someday.
Crane is determined to throw off his father's influence and become his own wizard. With no goal besides seeking the elusive Mountain Folk, he soon finds himself on a quest that will consume years of his life as he searches remote corners of Eukard for a long-lost message concerning a legendary Peacebringer.
Ketty apprentices to a local healer, content at first to remain in the place where Crane knows to look for her. Healing sick children and delivering babies feeds her desire for a child of her own-with Crane as its father, if she only knew where he was. When she surpasses her mentor, she leaves home for more advanced training, a satisfying quest that puts her on the path to lifesaving deeds ... and heartbreak.