When Thorn's forest is decimated by loggers, he begins a long journey to lead the raccoons of his tribe back to (he hopes) their ancestral home, guided by little more than the words of an old song. It's high summer, so the raccoons must hurry and find a new home in time for the fall feed. If they can't fatten up and find good dens before winter, they could starve and freeze. But the journey goes wrong almost from the start, with a little help from the Outcast, the deadly spirit-hound. Thorn loses an eye while defending the tribe, and his best friend, the previous chieftain, is killed. Feverish and in pain, Thorn finds out that his successor, Silverlady, is fated to go to war against the Outcast once they reach their new home. She's too young for this battle, and he loves her like the daughter he never had. As they journey takes Thorn's tribe into hostile territory — and, as it turns out, closer to the home of the Outcast — Thorn plans to take this fight on himself, to give Silverlady time to grow up — and also to repay a debt to Twig, the only raccoon he truly loved, who he failed to save from the jaws of the Outcast.
