The land of Sancorra has been conquered by the brutal, tribal Hecari, leaving thousands of families without homes, living in peril of their lives as the Hecari routinely decimate village after village, culling any area where they feel too many of the conquered people have congregated. Audrun and her husband Davyd, already the parents of four children, and with one more on the way, have had their farm burned. They have consulted diviners who say that their new baby must be born in Atalanda province - a land at peace that is home to Audrun's relatives. For safety's sake they must join a karavan escorting refugees from their war-scourged land to remote but more peaceful destinations. But it is the end of the traveling season, and no karavans are headed for Atalanda. Made desperate by their time constraints, they beg to join the last karavan of the season, even though they know that to reach Atalanda they must eventually separate from the karavan, and take a road that lies far closer to the deepwood than is considered safe. Read Less