Many centuries ago, two children, Wren and Greymartin, lived with their family in caves in the rugged canyonlands of the North American southwest during a time of serious drought. Wren was badly injured in a fall as an infant and had great difficulty walking and climbing. She was ferociously determined but also skilled at calming and healing people around her, especially with music. Her brother, Greymartin, was a superb climber and hunter but had little patience with his troublesome little sister and only wanted to explore wild places.
Faced with life-threatening drought and famine, the family decided to climb out of their canyon to find more water and food. From a legendary traveler they heard of a gathering of tribes in a distant town. Near there in the hills lived a bitter old healer who had hidden an ancient mask which she had used to call for water but recently had refused to help others recover and use it.
This is the saga of the family's difficult life in the canyons and their long and dangerous journey to the meeting and beyond into the Forbidden Lands in search of the healer and the sacred mask.
