When Bale is killed by the Soul-Eater Thiazzi, Torak sets off into the Deep Forest with his foster father and Renn to avenge his friend's murder, but they find themselves in the midst of a war between the Deep Forest clans.

Twelve-year-old Tarak and his guide, a wolf cub, set out on a dangerous journey to fulfill an oath the boy made to his dying father to destroy a demon-possessed bear that threatens all the clans.

Cast out of the Raven clan, Torak heads to the reedbeds at Lake Axehead, where he is hunted by the hidden people and he must do battle with an ancient evil.