As a gesture of his commitment to the cause--and to the relief of his bride-to-be, Faran Stoneback--the most powerful orc overlord, Troth Icemane, sends his beloved cousin Tara, a high-ranking young healer, to fight alongside brash human commander Callum Battlechild and his company of warriors. With a crisis looming, the success of this unlikely pair's partnership and the survival of their peoples will depend on their ability to unlearn a lifetime of antagonistic instincts toward one another...and rise above the sting of heartbreak.