The forest of Pinewood is a silent, safe place to be. At least it is until the ground itself rises up and begins to take victims. All former thief Lute wants is to be left alone. His last adventure haunting him, he has taken up residence in a dilapidated log, focusing on carving to drown out the noise of the ghosts in his memory. But when a mysterious customer comes calling about a mirror and Lute's path crosses that of the young, neglected and highly eccentric fox squirrel Kinder, he finds himself grudgingly sucked into the mystery of the new horror terrorizing Arborand. But neither Kinder nor Lute can prepare themselves for the truth behind the tragedy. Far away in Maplewood, Mariyen, a young seer-in-training, is experiencing terrible nightmares featuring her estranged mother who seems to be harboring a dark secret. All around her is talk of a seasons-old prophecy, a dangerous exile and a squirrel with fur as white as snow, but Mariyen is warned to stay out of it. All she can be certain of is what she feels when she looks out the window to the seemingly innocuous ground. Death comes from below. And it may be coming for all of them if they do not find the means to stop it.