Heart is one of only two substantial towns in Tally, the most easterly province of the Lady's Empire. It was mentioned briefly in Shadows Linger.
Two years before Shadows Linger, the new Taken known as Whisper slew the Tallylander king. The Lady then crowned a new puppet king at Heart, who turned out to be unpopular among the Tallylanders.
The presence of the whole Black Company at Tome (Tally's only other substantial town) put significant strain on Tome's resources, so the Captain was prepared to move some men to Heart and into the surrounding villages. However before they could do so, they were summoned back west by the Lady when she directly contacted Goblin via her mental sorcery link. As instructed, the Company left Tome and made a 146-day march to the huge city of Frost across formidable mountains, deserts, and rivers.