The most important characters in the book are Ratha and Shongshar, as well as Fessran, leader of the Clan's Firekeepers, and Thakur, the Clan's kindhearted, solitary herding teacher. These characters are central to the powerstruggle that Bell portrays developing within the Clan.

At first, Shongshar makes every effort to please Ratha and the other members of the Clan. But trouble begins when the newcomer mates with a Named female and sires two cubs that display none of the intelligence required within the Clan. Ratha has seen such "witless" litters before, and knows that she cannot permit Shongshar's cubs to stay, because eventually they will become dangerous. Shongshar knows this too, but cannot bring himself to abandon his own cubs. In the end, Ratha and Thakur are forced carry the cubs away from clan ground and leave them to the elements. Shongshar, convinced that his...