"If anyone might be a hero -- could I?" she asked herself and smiled.All the orphaned Daine wants when she comes to Tortall is a job. What she finds is magic in many forms. Hired by the Queen's Riders because of her knack with animals, Daine soon reveals that her knack is trulymagical.Not only do animals obey her, but they understand her words. Under the tutelage of the great mage Numair, Daine struggles to focus her powers and confront the nightmares of her past. And so her wild magic grows even stronger. She now can sense the presence of the immortals, evil creatures who threaten the future of Tortall. But Daine will have to learn to trust humans before she can come to terms with her powers and her past -- and protect the kingdom from immortal invasion.