Hundreds of years after the whole world went up in flames, Thorin works as a traveling blacksmith and pedlar for his family's spices and wines. When his grandfather's map shows him an abandoned road that would cut two weeks off his travel time, Thorin is eager to try it. The road crosses the Misties near part of the Burn, but he figures he'll be able to make it past the danger without too much trouble. Then, he's attacked on the road and left to die. Rescue comes, but sometimes being rescued comes at the price of one's heart.