Sing the Four Quarters

The Bards of Shkoder hold the country together. They, and the elemental spirits they Sing—earth, air, fire, and water—bring the news of the sea to the mountains, news of the mountains to the plains. They give their people, from peasant to king, a song in common.

Annice is a rare talent, able to Sing all four quarters, but her brother, the newly enthroned King Theron, sees her request to study at the Bardic Hall as a betrayal. To his surprise, Annice accepts his conditions, renouncing he…