It is many years since Lord Rhodry took the throne of Aberwyn, yet his half-elven blood keeps him so youthful-looking that the people suspect magic. His lost lover, Jill--now a powerful wizard--comes to Aberwyn to tell him that it is time to accept his elven heritage, and after he stages his own death, Rhodry and Jill head for the Westlands to explore his fate and his heritage.