In 1813, Marie Dorion and her husband Pierre, both of Lakota and French descent, and their two small sons are part of an expedition that sets off from Astoria to establish a fur trade outpost in the wilderness of the Oregon Country. While out trapping with a small party, the men are brutally killed by a rogue Shoshone war party.

With no rescue mission coming from Astoria, Marie knows if she and her children are to survive, everything is up to her. They'll need to evade detection by the Shoshone and battle the snowy landscape of the Blue Mountain Range to get back to the great Columbia River. Once there, hopefully, a passing fur brigade will find them.

In the past, Marie had been sheltered by a man, one who had been her deliverer when her world with Pierre went bad. Now, it's all up to her to keep her family alive. But she discovers along the way the power she possesses to face the adversity and danger lurking around every corner.

Amidst it all, she is determined to solve the puzzle of who was responsible for the deaths of these men. She vows to the gods of her people—there will be a reckoning!