The youngest son of Prince Arutha, Nicholas is sent to Crydee to be toughened by his uncle Martin who choses to make him his squire. The Far Coast is attacked by Durbin slavers and pirates from the Sunset Islands. Nicholas's cousin Margaret; a girl Abigail, with whom Nicholas and his cousin Marcus are infatuated; and many young people are taken while he, Martin, and Marcus are out hunting. Admiral Trask manages to survive the attack and returns to Crydee where Pug learns that the attack is more than it seems and he cannot follow without endangering everyone taken. Amiral Trask decides that returning to his old profession of piracy is the best disguise to follow after the taken. So they set out after Nicholas manages to overcome his physical handicap. They go to the Sunset Islands where the