The Bleeding Mountains - Clovel Sword Saga, #4

Following his betrayal by an old friend, Urith finds no relief from his self-imposed exile away from Esterblud. While Urith finds his fighting skills in high demand, each bloody encounter only brings the warrior more scars and pain. Even with his subconscious death wish, his luck and ability keep the young man from finding atonement by dying in battle. Seeking to reach the Sky Realm, where his dead ancestors drink and fight for eternity, the troubled warrior finds the Fates have other plans for him. Still traveling to the various trouble spots in Kamin, the warrior runs into bandits while heading to the small kingdom of Rarfell, which lies between Esterblud and Cahmais.
When he arrives in the capital, Urith discovers a weak ruler and his queen, who are barely able to hold the kingdom together. When the Gallaeci tribe takes over in an unexpected invasion, the Esterblud warrior helps the queen escape from the clutches of a ruthless warlord. Sudden betrayal returns the queen to the capital, where the brutal nature of the Gallaeci rule turns the few remaining Rarfell leaders into exiles.
Urith joins them in their escape, which leads to a showdown with his betrayer and the warlord. In the aftermath of the encounter, Urith must decide on a difficult path where honor and duty are tangled with his hunger for a woman who seeks retribution and his promise made to loyal friends.