Bringing us to Now, in the Fifth Circle, land of Game and Lumber under the Sign of the plentiful Tree, two brothers find themselves embroiled in the games of Birds and Men. 

They have come to celebrate the Red Harvest, the Last Day before the Winter, when the sky burns red and the night grows longest. Tolan and Vir, Woodsmen from the Wolf Hair Mountains, have come to gather with friends and family upon this night. However, a strange and powerful storm keeps them in town for days, as spirits grow restless and Talk of evil things comes to pass. 

Later, when the storm subsides, the two brothers venture forth to find their way home and discover something else. There the woods, by the path they travel, they find a pale beautiful woman, in a strange dress, cast down in a ditch. This is Althea, Granddaughter to Malic of the Demons House of Fire, promised bride the current Head of the Demons House of Salmon, Red Fish. And trouble for the Nine.

Her abduction has set forth into motion, a feud between the Demonic Houses, which even now threatens to spill into the Nine Circles proper and bring about a new age of darkness. 

Tolan and Vir must set out to return Althea to her people to prevent war, but not all are so simple. For there are those who stand to profit from such ill fortunes, Both Below the Earth and Above it. And they will tolerate no disruption of their plans, even to the extent of death.