Young Nevare Burvelle is the second son of a second son. Traditionally
in
Gernia, the firstborn son is heir to the family fortunes, the second
son
bears a sword and the third son is consecrated to the priesthood.
Nevare
will follow his father -- newly made a lord by the King -- into the
cavalry;
to the frontier and thence to an advantageous marriage, to carry on the
Burvelle name. It is a golden future, and Nevare looks forward to it
with
relish.
For twenty years King Troven's cavalry have pushed the frontiers of
Gernia
out across the grasslands, subduing the fierce tribes of the plain on
its
way. Now they have driven the frontier as far as the Barrier Mountains,
home
to the enigmatic Speck people. The Specks -- a dapple-skinned,
forest-dwelling folk -- retain the last vestiges of magic in a world
which
is becoming progressive and technologised. The 'civilised' peoples base
their beliefs on a rational philosophy founded on scientific principle
and a
belief in the good god, who displaced the older deities of their world.
To
them, the Specks are primeval savages, little better than beasts.
Superstitions abound; it is said that they harbour strange diseases and
worship trees. Sexual congress with them is regarded as both filthy and
foolhardy: the Speck plague which has ravaged the frontier has
decimated
entire regiments.
All these beliefs will touch Nevare's training at the Academy; but his
progress there is not as simple as he would wish. He will experience
prejudice from the old aristocracy: as the son of a 'new noble' he is
segregated into a patrol comprising other new nobles' sons, all of whom
will
encounter injustice, discrimination and foul play in that hostile and
deeply
competitive environment. In addition, his world view will be challenged
by
his unconventional girl-cousin Epiny; and by the bizarre dreams which
visit
him at night. And then, on Dark Evening, the circus comes to Old
Thares,
bringing with it the first Specks Nevare has ever seen...
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