April 110 Chapter I-Rake's Progress11
April 223 Chapter II-Bodies in Motion24
April 434 Chapter III-Mean Streets35 Chapter IV-Perilous Paths42 Chapter V-Mercantile Interest54
April 1058 Chapter VI-Veneer59 Chapter VII-Mark67 Chapter VIII-Guild mistress69 Chapter IX-Tale of the Black Wyrm75 Chapter X-Terms and Conditions79 Chapter XI-Ogre84 Chapter XII-Seasoning89
April 1193 Chapter XIII-Bright Morning94 Chapter XIV-Gravy102
April 12106 Chapter XV-Temptation107 Chapter XVI-Bad Company115 Chapter XVII-The Dungeons of Argil121
April 14127 Chapter XVIII-Dressing Down128 Chapter XIX-Market Day130 Chapter XX-Traveller's Tale135 Chapter XXI-Shady Business141
April 15145 Chapter XXII-Tithes and Dues146 Chapter XXIII-Adventure152 Chapter XXIV-Muck and Slime159 Chapter XXV-The Green Room176 Chapter XXVI-The Better Part of Valour182 Chapter XXVII-Fight or Die184 Chapter XXVIII-A Party Divided193 Chapter XXIX-Thin Harvest196 Chapter XXX-Fireside205
April 16216 Chapter XXXI-Dreaming217 Chapter XXXII-Aftermath220 Chapter XXXIII-Money in the Hand224 Chapter XXXIV-Springtide Harvest228
April 17234 Chapter XXXV-One o' Them Days235 Chapter XXXVI-Cockfight240
April 18252 Chapter XXXVII-Meeting of Minds253
April 19264 Chapter XXXVIII-Underbelly265 Chapter XXXIX-Mercantile House269
April 20273 Chapter XL-The Help274
April 21282 Chapter XLI-Misnomer283 Chapter XLII-The Night Before288
April 22292 Chapter XLIII-Waylaid293 Chapter XLIV-Justice304
April 23311 Chapter XLV-Prisons312
April 24318 Chapter XLVI-Satisfaction319 Chapter XLVII-Rite of Passage325
April 25332 Chapter XLVIII-Gifts333
April 26347 Chapter XLIX-Confrontation348 Chapter L-Settled362 Chapter LI-Gutter368
April 27374 Chapter LII-Den375
April 28379 Chapter LIII-Good People380 Chapter LIV-Hard Lessons384 Chapter LV-Negotiations391
April 29399 Chapter LVI-Ego400
April 30401 Chapter LVII-Vengeance402 Chapter LVIII-Homecoming409
May 1413 Chapter LIX-May Day414
May 2432 Chapter LX-The Living and the Dead433 Chapter LXI-Loyalty441
May 3451 Chapter LXII-Lair452 Chapter LXIII-The End459
EPILOGUE463

The old world is dead. Worse, it was a lie.
Haskell wants to be a legend, loved by all and rich beyond measure. A hero like his grandfather, who broke the orcish hordes. But the old world is gone, its remnants left to rot in the borderlands far away.   Froba wants to be free⁠ from hunger and privation; free from a brutal master forcing her to steal from men and women vainly chasing glory. She knows what they don't: that the deck is stacked against them, and there are no heroes left in the world.   To survive, Haskell must forget tales of glory and accept unwelcome truths, while Froba must decide where her loyalties lie-with her carefree mark or mirthless master. If they aren't devoured by fierce woodland monsters first.

J.D. Mitchell is a Canadian writer of speculative fiction. His stories are informed by his historical studies and transient upbringing. The latter, while terribly angst-inducing, exposed him to a rich tapestry of people and places, as did his varied service industry jobs and a sixteen-year stint in the Public Service of Canada (but who's counting?). No wonder he turned to writing. J.D. lives in Ottawa, Canada with his wife and two wonderful goldfish.