Seven years after the events in Hunters Unlucky, Sauny is leading her own small herd of ferryshaft with Valla as her second in command. When a creasia from Treace's old clutter carries away a live foal, Sauny and Valla chase after him through the arid wastes and slot canyons of the southern mountains. 

Their task seems relatively straightforward. However, dark secrets lurk in those hills, and the price of rescuing one foal may be higher than anyone imagined.