On the matriarchal world of Muirin, Dana Aravel was looking forward to a quiet afternoon spent knitting socks for his mother while everyone waited for the next ship to arrive in port. However his little sister Anwyn's bad mood destroyed that hope. She was so cranky that Aravel knew there was no chance he'd get the quiet needed for concentration. Instead, he proposed a game of Hide and Seek for all the kids in the Dana family with the reward of a special treat to the winners. He was sure that he and Cadfael could win the game but then he was distracted first by the possibility of cookies and then by the chance to right a wrong and make his Uncle Athol happy. All Aravel had to do was convince the adults that a marriage between Athol and his best friend Ruark would solve all their problems. A deal between the Dana and Ruark's family would benefit both sides as well as protect Ruark from the racial stigma he faced on a daily basis. It wouldn't be easy but Aravel was determined to make Uncle Athol and Ruark happy, no matter what stood in their way.