Thomas Locke

Hyam is a likeable lad who will make a fine farmer someday. But he carries a burden few can fathom. As his mother slips toward death, she implores him to return to Long Hall, where he spent five years as an apprentice. It was there that Hyam's extraordinary capacity for mastering languages came...

With the realm under threat and an ailment sweeping the land, the last remaining hope may come from an unlikely source - a young, orphaned servant with untested and untrained abilities....

When Hyam finds ancient Milantian scrolls, he begins a journey to uncover their meaning. Will what he discovers mean war? Life for Hyam is bittersweet. Admired by the citizens of Falmouth for his heroic rescue mission, he cherishes these peaceful days with Joelle by his side. Yet grief over the...