In the second book, "The Burning Bridge", a war with Morgarath is approaching and Will, Gilan, and Horace, Will's friend and a knight in training, are sent to Celtica, a nearby country, to ask for reinforcements. However, when they arrive, every town they find is deserted. Only a girl from Araluen named Evanlyn can tell them what has happened. Wargals, mindless minions of Morgarath, have kidnapped and slaughtered some of the villagers and forced the rest to flee. Gilan moves on ahead of Will and Horace to report to the king. Meanwhile, Will, Horace, and Evanlyn encounter Wargals. They follow them to the Fissure, a deep gorge thought to be impassable. The Celtic miners were all captured to complete a bridge across the Fissure, and a tunnel through the cliffs above up to Morgarath's lair. The bridge and tunnel would allow Morgarath's army to assault the King's army from behind. Will, Horace and Evanlyn, who is in truth, the Crown Princess Cassandra, discover this. Horace tells Gilan what happened and they ride back to the main army. They inform the king and his advisers of Morgarath's plan, and the king dispatches an auxiliary force, led by Halt, to stop a force of Skandian warriors that have come up from the coast to outflank the king's army.