Taelo is called by the Ancestors to travel to the origin of his people. This takes he and his team north, along a green valley running between two massive glaciers. Taelo has been called to aid the White Bear Clan that have been conquered by a ruthless people they call the Sky Eyes. These are a renegade group that arrived from the far west. Their leader, Angry Cougar is ruthless and only interested in domination. Taelo and team reach the dangerous passage where the river surges through a gash between two mountains. It will be only the first of many challenges. The giant brown bear, the fathomless ice crevasses of the ice bridging the two continents, the cold and blizzards of the Artic region and the ruthless Sky Eyes all present a continuous flow of challenges. Feather-in-the-Wind almost loses her life to the giant brown bear. The Sky Eyes are defeated. In the final fight with Angry Cougar, Taelo is saved by both his best friend, Golden Hawk and Bashful Lark. Then fierce winter storms challenge Taelo and the White Bear Clan as they all cross the great ice field that connects them to their destination. Taelo, Lasher and all the sled wolves fall through the ice and are almost lost. Only his quick thinking and the help of Burley Bear and Saber Scar and the coordinated effort of his team save him and sled wolves. The bounty of the northern buffalo and Taelo's learning on how to handle the threat of the giant brown bears take him safely back to the dangerous river passage. Here Single Leaf is almost loses her life to the raging waters. Taelo acts out of instinct and armed by the recollection of a story told by an old warrior turned weaver, he saves her. The return from the north coincides with Elk Clan meeting time. Taelo and more than one hundred additional people and set up the meeting valley to ensure the acceptance of everyone into the Elk Clan. For the second time, Taelo has the opportunity to establish himself as the leader of a clan, but he as no interest in doing so. He has listened to Feather-in-the-Wind voice her desire to one day be a Clan leader. She would lead her clan east to the singing sand beach that she had danced on during her last travel with Taelo. Taelo and all the new people arrive to the meeting valley early and set things up so the new people can show off their wealth and value. They have the northern buffalo hides, they have local buffalo hide, they each have two capture mounts. They have many young men and women looking for mates. They want very much to be accepted into the Elk clan. Taelo and his team have set them up for easy acceptance. They have arrived with what can only be termed, a "rich" group of people. Taelo enrolls his mother, now the Northern Elk Clan leader and Wise Owl the leader of the Elk Hide Clan and also the most senior of all clan leaders to support making Feather-in-the-Wind the second woman to lead a Clan. Feather in the Wind is named to that position. All the rescued people are supportive of her, but she only gets a few Elk Clan families to join her Eastern Elk sub clan. Feather-in-the-Wind leads the Eastern Elk Clan from the Valley. Taelo's original intent to escort her, has been realigned by the Ancestors. They are calling him to journey to the land of the Condor. This is the land south and the birthplace of Feather-in-the-Wind and a land where the people of her clan all believe she has been taken by the Condor as his bride. The people there need Taelo's guidance.