Fire meets Ice in the forest stronghold of Witan Jewell, where Lord Sur Sceaf and the three tribes sojourn. Their joining together should give them the best chance of warding off the evil Empire of Hryre Seath. Witan Jewell is the forge in which the three tribes will be smelted.

Not only must Sur Sceaf struggle to understand his tumultuous love for Taneshewa, but he is constantly beset by fractious religious leaders among those at Witan Jewell and raiding parties of Pitter Rat-Packs who seek to derail the uniting of the tribes

When tensions are high, Sur Sceaf must deliver his stewardship of Witan Jewell to his father, Sur Spear. A vast city fortress is to be built to ward off further Pitter encroachment. Sur Sceaf leaves for the western coast to create capital to fund a workforce. The Seas, which have been too turbulent to navigate, are now calm. Sur Sceaf founds a whaling enterprise and trains crews to engage the Great Deep. Many fear the venture. Will they survive the monsters and grinding icebergs? And can Sur Spear maintain the goodwill of the tribes while Sur Sceaf expands their reach into the untraveled Ocean?