Unwilling to kill her child, Klawdia flees her home Vilseek, giving up her heirdom and family. Her Father, the leader of the Bears and chieftain of Ruxdor, will never stop hunting her now she has betrayed him. Alone in the depths of the snowtimes, she must find refuge for herself and her child.

The injuries attained through the fight with Skelkra, her ex-lover, have made her clumsy and slow. Trapped against the surrounding mountains, she is forced to climb the deadly western summit. Barely alive, she discovers a hidden tribe on the other side of the Dividing Mountains. They hold the key to her safety and knowledge about her country's terrible past.