Traedon is no place for peace. Nor contentment. Nor certitude. There will never be a time when these three will conduct the Realm. It is at war with itself, and the people at war with one another. Mercy will be difficult to find in even the kindest of souls, and valour will paint the grass red. Noxaer Jasper was orphaned at only five years. Sent away from her home in The Crosslands, Noxaer finds herself living alone. Growing tired of awaiting Rowan's- her father's master at arms'- return, Noxaer leaves the comfort of her home in the woods to find answers...and vengeance. Yet will love make her forget the woes of her past? Or will it only prove a greater enemy than the one Noxaer originally spent her childhood loathing? Dire Straits will prove the cruelties of life, love and lust within its pages as the most unexpected twists will jump out at you.