The matured Fitz, the illegitimate son of the crown prince, is hunting for the “chained” - people whom the pirates turned into inhuman puppets. In this dangerous mission, he is helped by a wolf, who was raised by him and became a true friend for the royal assassin. But intrigue and a palace coup turn Fitz into a persecuted man, forcing him to leave his body and move into the body of a wolf. The ability to perform magic, called Skill, is most often inherited in the royal dynasty of Seers. But there is an even more ancient magic, now universally despised. It is known as Whit. This was once a natural ability of hunters living in what is now the Six Duchies, those who felt a kinship with the wild animals of the forest. Whit was rumored to give a person the ability to speak the language of animals. The most active practitioners of the Wit were warned that they could turn into the animal with which they were bonded. But perhaps these are just legends...