Van's chase for the kidnapped child Yuna leads him to the chief of the Ahfal Oma, the People of the Fire Horse. The leader is obsessed with reclaiming the land the empire took from his kin, but what does that have to do with Yuna? Meanwhile, Hohsalle continues pursuing the trail left by Van, convinced that finding him is the key to stopping the spread of black wolf fever. Could the disease be connected to the Ahfal Oma chief's quest for revenge?