In a snow-bound valley, beyond the aid of even the Harpers, a lone village sits in the path of the relentless advance of ice and the fleeing gnolls, pushing ever southward. Of all the Harpers, only the headstrong Martine of Sembia refuses to abandon the gnomes of Samek to their fate.

Risking her career as a Harper, Martine slides north to the valley of Samek in an effort to guide the gnomes to safety. When her plans go awry, she finds herself guest of the hermit-warrior Vilhelm and distrusted by the gnomes she came to help. Torn between her future as a Harper and her sense of good, can Martine prevent a war that threatens to destroy the very villagers she has come to save?