As the three bears, Toklo, Lusa, and Kallik, begin their journey home, they encounter new friends and dangerous enemies and must decide which they can trust to help them on their quest.
"Toklo, Kallik, Lusa, and Yakone trek onward toward the Melting Sea, the site of Kallik's traumatic cubhood--and prepare to be separated for the first time since their journey began"--
When their journey toward the warmer mountain territories where brown bears roam proves to be slower and more treacherous than anticipated, Toklo considers leaving the group to pursue a new life on his own.
"The four bears have reached the mountains where Toklo spent his cubhood--but they soon discover that the home Toklo has returned to is nothing like the one he remembered"--
"The four bears are determined to reach Great Bear Lake before the longest day gathering, but when Lusa is separated from the others, she faces difficult questions about her future"--
